Download or read book Chinese Kunqu Opera written by Xiao Li and published by LONG RIVER PRESS. This book was released on 2005 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even before Beijing Opera there was Kunqu, an opera form with 600 years of history. This highly distinctive form of Chinese theatre art is comprised of various elements-music, singing, dancing, recitation, and movement. As China's oldest and most influential theatrical tradition, Kunqu combines poetic librettos from the cream of classic Chinese literature (The Peony Pavilion, The Story of the Lute, The Peach Blossom Fan, etc.) with soft and refined music. A vivid, fully-illustrated picture of the origins and development of this grand performing art.