China 2009: 一朵芙蕖 開過尚盈盈?
Albert K. Fung
Is Greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama rolled into one. It
is a modernized rendition of an old tale as artistically in-
terpreted by China's Canton Operatic Troupe. What is unusual
is the troupe's innovative approach of bringing modern west-
ern musical, theatrical and operatic elements into the trad-
itional performing art of south China. The result is a bold,
refreshing extravaganza - stupendous costume, lighting, vis-
ual and stage designs, masterful choreography, superb vocal,
and orchestra arrangements.
It is a tour de force of the syncretic tradition of 嶺南文化.
The operatic troupe debuted the production in GD's Zhongshan
University, to a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Afterwards, they
made their welcomed rounds in the global Cantonese diaspora.
Below, are the URL's to its prelude and opening scenes:
Prelude - http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/WQIOb5H7ma8/
Act One - http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/vCaWH7StPPM/
The principals are 倪惠英 and 黎駿聲 playing the star-crossed
lovers in the fateful romantic tragedy. A welcoming party of
Qing mandarins, for a young commander dispatched by BJ, in a
bucolic garden of south China, set the stage for the opening
scene. Cantonese opera is turned on its own head, in that in
the backdrop is a 佛山紅船 with its entertainers, metaphor of
粵劇's dramatic revival.
Filled to the brim with typical northerners' biases and pre-
judices about southern China, the Qing commander is pleasant
-ly surprise by the local culture, prompting him to exclaim:
"人間仙境在粵州!"
S. China has its own separate and distinct culture. Which is
more refined and predated the plain culture to its north. In
modern times, the region had played pivotal roles in ending
imperial China, ushering in the new republic and, due to its
extensive foreign contacts, opening up a xenophobic culture.
On many levels, the opera tells an emblematic tale of myriad
ills of China and her culture. The real tragedy, however, is
that today, they are still at work plaguing the country, and
her culture.
Artistic accomplishments and enthusiastic receptions for the
bold production notwithstanding, serious and daunting chall-
enges awaits troupe in its noble quest to breath new life to
the traditional art-form. It is on the vortex edge of power-
ful modern currents. A Starbucks inside BJ's Forbidden City,
for example, is a powerful testimonial to their potency.
Not the least of their problem is the language barrier. It's
utterly regrettable that GD's revolutionaries did not demand
official status for that most euphonic language - Cantonese,
in the new republic they helped found. Now, Putonghua's pre-
valence is an unfortunate barrier to wider acceptance of the
delectable performing art beyond the Cantonese diaspora.
Most important of all, quite ironically, is the cultural bar
-rier. Contrary to popular belief, Chinese culture is now on
life support, if not already dead. It no longer governs how
Chinese live, love, think, work and play. Today's HK, China,
and Taiwan, whether the Chinese people are consciously aware
of it, are living and breathing ways and means of their west
-ern counterparts. Attending Chinese opera, for instance, be
it Cantonese or Peking, often elicits frowns. But a Madonna,
or U-2, concert is epitome of cool. To many Chinese, 唐詩宋詞
元曲 are unintelligible foreign babbles.
In that light, it is far from clear, that the brilliant 芙蕖
blossom will have the needed staying power. Baring dramatic,
radical transforming, the performing art of S. China may not
be able to spread beyond the dwindling older generation, and
a small circle of cultural and literary elites in the Canton
-ese diaspora.
Which, would be utterly regrettable ....
Regards,
Albert K. Fung
Rancho del Canto, Paso Robles, California, USA.
rst0wxyz
> The Cantonese opera 花月影 ....
>
> Is Greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama rolled into one. It
> is a modernized rendition of an old tale as artistically in-
> terpreted by China's Canton Operatic Troupe. What is unusual
> is the troupe's innovative approach of bringing modern west-
> ern musical, theatrical and operatic elements into the trad-
> itional performing art of south China. The result is a bold,
> refreshing extravaganza - stupendous costume, lighting, vis-
> ual and stage designs, masterful choreography, superb vocal,
> and orchestra arrangements.
>
> It is a tour de force of the syncretic tradition of 嶺南文化.
>
> The operatic troupe debuted the production in GD's Zhongshan
> University, to a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Afterwards, they
> made their welcomed rounds in the global Cantonese diaspora.
> Below, are the URL's to its prelude and opening scenes:
>
> Prelude -http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/WQIOb5H7ma8/
> Cultures change as time marches forward. What is history, let it remains as history, and study it only as history. We must change with time.