One difference between kunqu
and the Beijing opera jingju has to
do with the melodic ensemble. The
Beijing opera that we heard in class had a brighter tone quality. This probably can be contributed because of
the jinghu, the main melodic
accompaniment in jingju in which Lau
points out as the “sonic marker of jinghu.”
(Lau, 70) Its characteristic sound is
high-pitched and is accompanied with more plucked instruments. However, in kunqu the main melodic instrument is the dizi which characterizes kunqu
music with a mellow tone quality. Even in
“1699” the actor sings in one of his lines, “The melancholy flute troubles the
heart.”
A similarity between kunqu
and jingju involves the different
classes of characters. For example Li
Zhenli in “1699” would be the dan
role because of the vocal quality and her role as a main character in which she
is emotional and romantic (some of the characteristics Lau points out as a dan having).
Lau, Frederick. Music in China. New York: Oxford, 2008.
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