More than 600 years of Kunqu Opera and more than 400 years of The Peony Pavilion demonstrate the preservation and inheritance of several generations of artists. Kunqu Opera The Peony Pavilion expresses the most profound spiritual ideal with the most beautiful artistic conception of poetry. “Love is aroused unconsciously, and becomes increasingly deep. Love is without reason, and cannot be stopped by life and death.” It was Tang Xianzu’s call for the liberation of personality and freedom of love in his era. For hundreds of years, the spiritual core and artistic charm of The Peony Pavilion has been spread for decades, and various forms of innovation have rushed to the stage.
Composer Cai Donghua used the Western forms and techniques to collide with Eastern aesthetics and the legendary The Peony Pavilion - Music Legend, to stand out by means of cross-boundary integration. Since its premiere, 6 editions have been established after being added, deleted and revised, and there have been more than 30 shows, with the footprints spread all over the world. It seems to be an opportunity that the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, which grew up in the hometown of Kunqu Opera, enjoys the infiltration of Chinese Jiangnan culture and has professional Western symphony literacy, collaborated with Composer Cai Donghua to create the Kunqu Opera The Peony Pavilion and Harp Quintet, not only retaining the beauty of signing tune and rhythm, but also rejuvenating the contemporary vigor and artistic vitality of The Peony Pavilion in the unique form of Western chamber music.
