About this Course

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This course will focus on the historical and cultural background, literary aesthetics, music, and performance of Kunqu, China’s classical opera. After viewing the lecture videos presented by scholars and renowned maestros in the field of Kunqu, students’ understanding and appreciation of Chinese performing arts, classical literature and traditional culture will be enhanced.

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.78/5 (30 Ratings)

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

An Introduction to the Beauty of Kunqu Opera

Welcome to The Beauty of Kunqu Opera! The following lecture videos will give you some ideas of the historical background and characteristics of Kunqu, China’s classical opera that originated more than 600 years ago and blossomed during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (around 16th – 17th centuries). The introduction is followed by excerpts and analysis of The Peony Pavilion, Kunqu’s masterpiece. The poetic artistry shown in the arias, dialogues and dance movement of the characters exemplifies the aesthetic achievement of Kunqu.

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 45 min)

Week2

Week 2

1 hour to complete

The Beauty of Kunqu Music

Kunqu means music/song (qu) that originated from the district of Kunshan, Jiangsu province. The word itself shows the fundamental role played by music in this Chinese classical opera. This week, Prof. Lindy Li Mark from the California State University, East Bay will talk about the musical aspect of Kunqu. What are the musical features of Kunqu melodies? What is tune-type and what does a traditional score of Kunqu look like? How is the music of Kunqu different from that of the Western operas? What instruments are used in a Kunqu ensemble? Answers to these questions can be found in the lecture videos.

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 45 min)

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

The Art of Kunqu Performance: the Male Role-Types

Just like other genres of Chinese opera, Kunqu has a broad range of role-types, such as male (sheng), female (dan), painted face (jing) and comic (chou). From this week on, legendary performing artists who have devoted their whole lives to Kunqu will talk about the role-types they specialize in and their facial makeup, costume, singing, speaking and movements. In addition, they will demonstrate some of the very important repertoires in Kunqu and share with us the characteristics of each of them.

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 85 min)

6 videos

3.1. Comparison between the young scholar and the official role-types10m3.2.1. Singing and speaking of the young scholar role-type10m3.2.2. Foot work and hand gestures of the young scholar role-type11m3.2.3. Hand, eye,body, and step combined: "Repartee of Zithers", a scene from The Jade Hairpin16m3.3. Demostration of the young official role-type: "Looking Homeward", a scene from The Shepherd15m3.4. Demostration of the great official role-type: "Lamenting before the Statue", a scene from The Palace of Eternal Life19m

1 practice exercise

Week 330m

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

The Art of Kunqu Performance: the Female Role-Type

The female role-type is another prominent role-type of Kunqu and can be divided into a number of subtypes. In this week lively lectures and demonstration by Maestros Zhang Jingxian (mature female), Zhang Jiqing (young noble lady), Liang Guyin (vivacious young female) and Wang Zhiquan (martial female) will show us the charisma of the diversified female characters on the Kunqu stage from Chinese classics such as The Lute, The Peony Pavilion and Journey to the West.

2 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 95 min)

9 videos

4.1.1. Categories of female role-types in Kunqu6m4.2.1. Demonstration of the mature female role-type6m4.3.1."Search for the Dream", a scene from The Peony Pavilion: imaging the romantic mindset of a young woman18m4.3.2. "Search for the Dream", a scene from The Peony Pavilion: disappointment13m4.4.1. Benefiting from many masters: Liang Guyin studies "Earthly Desires"6m4.4.2. Focus on critical points: using eye movement and acting distracted as she recites15m4.4.3. Pantomime, song, and dance combined: "counting arhats" and escaping down the mountain9m4.5.1. Equal demands of singing and martial arts in “Borrowing the Plantain Leaf Magic Fan”, a scene from The Journey to the West8m4.5.2. Innovation in the scene: "belly pain"9m

1 practice exercise

Week 430m

Week5

Week 5

1 hour to complete

The Art of Kunqu Performance: Integration of the Painted Face and Warrior Role-Types

The colorful and complex facial makeup of the painted face role-type is probably the most noticeable feature in the eyes of the audience. But what does facial makeup mean and how is it done? This week, Maestro Hou Shaokui will unfold the mysteries for us. He will also share with us his portrayal of Lord Guan, a well-known household character based on the most famous Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. What is more, this unique character combines the essence of both the painted face and warrior role-types.

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 51 min)

Week6

Week 6

1 hour to complete

The Art of Kunqu Performance: the Comic Role-Type

When appreciating the well written script and the beautiful melody of Kunqu, sometimes audiences just want a good laugh in the theatre. This cannot be done without the contribution of the comic role-type. This week, Maestro Zhang Mingrong will explain the characteristics of the different subtypes of the comic role-type, namely young chou, fu chou and martial/acrobatic chou. From Maestro Zhang’s demonstration we will also see that mastering the comic role-type requires much more skill than just natural talent.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 33 min)

Week7

Week 7

1 hour to complete

The New Aesthetics of Kunqu: Tradition and Modernity

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 31 min)

Reviews

4.8

67 reviews

5 stars
86.36%
4 stars
10.60%
3 stars
2.02%
2 stars
0.50%
1 star
0.50%

TOP REVIEWS FROM THE BEAUTY OF KUNQU OPERA

by KBFeb 11, 2023

Wonderful course, all the professors are so passionate and engaging in their presentation of the course material. Tai ho la!

by EEAug 15, 2020

Very nice course. Really interesting introduction to the subject.

by RGMay 1, 2016

Interesting subject. Very important to learn about culture and history, especially if different from one's own.

by LYSep 20, 2017

nice lecture and great presentation with detailed Introduction

View all reviews

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The Beauty of Kunqu Opera