Music Research of "The Peony Pavilion" Performed by Chinese Kun Opera troupes in Taiwan from 1992 to 2005

• Main Author: 紀天惠
• Other Authors: 呂錘寬
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/81630408101782467983

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 民族音樂研究所 === 96 === This thesis is a music research of Kun Opera. The main body of it is based on “The Peony Pavilion” – the mostly performed repertoire by Chinese Kun Opera Troupe in Taiwan from 1992 to 2005. To begin with, three aspects of this masterpiece – script, singing style and orchestra – are analyzed in depth. By investigating the distinctions among several performances and understanding the adjustments and adaptations of Kun Opera made by different troupes to attract modern audience, it provides a way to try to examine the evolving process of Kun Opera over a period of time. In addition, different singer’s music rendition is discussed herein. The research subject consists of four troupes – Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe, Zhejiang Kun Opera Troupe, Jiangsu Province Kun Opera Theatre and Suzhou Kun Opera Theatre – and total six performances. The thesis framework is as follows: Prologue - By briefly introducing the performances played by Chinese Kun Opera troupes in Taiwan and the circulation of video/audio material of Taiwan’s Kun Opera, it reveals the considerable amount of the research resource in Taiwan’s Kun Opera. This part also describes the associated research status, scope and methods. Chapter 1 starts from script – the skeleton of Kun Opera performance, and states the fundamental disparities over the arrangement of scenes and Qupai in various plays. Chapter 2 further concludes the analyzed transcription results in singing styles from various plays, and points out the main creative adaptation ideas unveiled in the analysis based on the operatic content; on the other hand, this chapter summarizes the singing characteristics from several troupes and singers by analyzing different singer’s interpretations. Chapter 3 finally analyzes transcription results from the orchestral music in Kun Opera to explain the size of a Kun Opera orchestra, the characteristics of the instrument selection, band instrumentation and the usage of harmony, which are aimed to examine different theater effects created by Kun Opera orchestra in The Peony Pavilion. Still, the analysis of transcription results shows that the abundant variation of the Kun Opera orchestra is continuing developing in modern days. Conclusion summarizes the overall key points in various plays, indicating that the script and singing style have the least changes in Zhejiang Kun Opera Troupe; little changes in Jiangsu Province Kun Opera Theatre and Suzhou Kun Opera Theatre; the biggest changes in Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe. In the Kun Opera orchestra, band instrumentation has more abundant variations than harmony in Kun Opera plays. The former is simpler in Zhejiang Kun Opera Troupe, while complex in the other troupes; the latter encounters the most changes in Jiangsu Province Kun Opera Theatre in 2005 and Suzhou Kun Opera Theatre in 2004, whereas the Zhejiang Kun Opera Troupe preserves the tradition. The others are somewhere in-between.