{"product_id":"kunqu-kim-hunter-gordon-9781350436176","title":"Kunqu: China's Classical Song-Drama","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom its origins in the poetic tradition and its refinement in the southern salons of the 16th century, to its 18th\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e-century theatrical heyday and patriotic revival in modern times, this book introduces Kunqu and its enduring role in shaping cultural life. As China's classical musical and theatrical tradition, Kunqu is essential to understanding the country's artistic heritage.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe rich body of drama and poetry associated with Kunqu has often been studied independently of its performance history. By contrast, this book places stage practice and singing at the centre. Kunqu treats poetry and music as inseparable: the tonal and prosodic qualities of Chinese words and the melodies that carry them are mutually dependent. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom Ming gardens and rowdy Qing playhouses to the Manchu imperial court, Republican singing societies, and online forums today, debates over how Kunqu should be sung have never ceased. Hunter Gordon shows how these debates provide a model for understanding the genre as a whole: just as its vocal delivery has always been contested, so too has its staging. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a repertoire that remains relatively stable, Kunqu is marked by tensions of interpretation and orthodoxy that place enormous weight on the fine details of performance, making it one of the world's most dynamic classical performance traditions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Kim Hunter Gordon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1350436178\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781350436176\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Methuen Drama\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/19\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.72lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.50d","brand":"Kim Hunter Gordon","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48152931336447,"sku":"9781350436176","price":90.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_7be6ace6-a8de-4485-b610-e5967396756a.jpg?v=1770780156","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/kunqu-kim-hunter-gordon-9781350436176","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}