Bel Cantonese

>> Chinese opera comes to Montreal

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

If you think opera is strictly the realm of zaftig Viking ladies and glass-shattering Mediterraneans in tuxedoes, think again. As with noodles and gunpowder, the Chinese beat the Europeans to it by centuries. Opera began in China during the Tang Dynasty in the eighth century AD, performed largely for the emperor alone. During the Soong Dynasty, at the end of the 12th century, opera drifted south to the GuangZhou province, which we know as Canton.

It was fused with an existing southern style of musical theatre called nan xi, and the result was yuet kahk, or Cantonese opera.

The tradition lives on today in Hong Kong—and in Canada, thanks to the Canada (KW) Music & Arts Centre in Toronto and its founder, Soong Kam Wing (the Soong dynasty lives!). With a little help from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Soong and his stable of performers will be unveiling a soirée at Place des Arts that samples from three major works of yuet kahk. The Tragedy of Princess Cheung Ping, The Tale of White Dragon Gorge and The Romance of the Goddess Yuen in the Ninth Heaven all tend toward the tragic side, but there’s no tears to be shed over the visual spectacle yuet kahk has to offer. The costumes alone, in their exquisitely ornate glory, are worth the price of admission. The Mirror contacted Soong for some insights into the magnificent art form called yuet kahk.

Mirror: How did you originally, in your youth, become involved with Cantonese opera?
Soong Kam Wing: I was born in a traditional Chinese family that inherited the culture of performing arts. My father was a very famous percussionist. I played the cymbal at the age of six, and took part as a leader percussionist when I reached 16. Through the years, I was invited to perform in nearly all of the sizable theatrical societies in Hong Kong.

M: I’d like to know a bit more about the Canada (KW) Music & Arts Centre, of which you are the founder.
SKW: I immigrated to Toronto in 1992. Soon after I settled down, I found that many Chinese immigrants were enthusiasts of the traditional arts of Cantonese opera. It made me come up with the idea of establishing a music centre for them to gather at and share their performances. Through much effort, the Canada (KW) Music & Arts Centre was inaugurated the next year.

M: How would you compare European opera to yuet kahk? Are there major distinctions between the two, other than language and musical instruments?
SKW: To my understanding, there are many differences between the European and Cantonese types of opera. The former usually needs years of time for its development and the artists involved in a single performance frequently work for months or even years. Whereas the audiences for Cantonese opera would demand variety, expecting the artists to play different roles in different plays in a relatively short span of time, say days.

Tragic yet magic
M: European opera has evolved in the 20th century. Famous, traditional works are still the most popular, but there are young composers and librettists using the form in novel ways. Is there a similar trend in Cantonese opera?
SKW: I do see trends of modernization in Cantonese opera, towards which realism, faster pacing and re-composition of certain renowned opera works take place.

M: The three works from which the Oct. 2 program is taken all lean toward tragedy. Is there an element of comedy in yuet kahk as well?
SKW: It happens just by chance. Frankly speaking, many of the romance stories happened in the ancient Chinese feudal system and leaned toward tragedy. There exist, however, many comic opera works, such as My Darling Slave Hung and The Youngest Sister So, which are very well accepted by audiences.

M: One of my favourite films of 2001 was Wu Yen, which is adapted from a folk tale that was also made into a Cantonese opera. With the ever-increasing visibility of Hong Kong cinema in foreign markets, I feel I should ask if you think yuet kahk can translate well to cinema.
SKW: I should say we are fortunate enough to inherit such a vast wealth of arts from our ancestors, be it historical, fictional, romantic, comic, tragic or even heroic stories. There are many stories like Wu Yen that have been selected and rewritten into film productions, and even into dramas. We are delighted to see that the traditional arts could blossom in so many directions. However, I may add that many opera lovers are still fond of and choose to enjoy the live performances of the participating artists. :

At Place des Arts’s Cinquième Salle on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 7:30pm, $20–25, $15 (students and seniors). For advance tickets call Place des Arts at 842-2112 or go to
www.communikasie.com :

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