One of the world's most rare and unusual forms of music drama, Sichuan Opera is seldom seen outside of China. On Friday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m., award-winning performer Madam Chen Qiaoru and guest artists from China will bring Sichuan Opera to life through a lecture-demonstration focused on the one-woman play, “Striking the Gods.” The free event takes place at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Schoenberg Music Building, Orchestra Room 1343.
Sichuan opera artists, singing onstage without melodic accompaniment and in free meter, supported only by the sound of a wooden clapper, create a soulful and starkly dramatic atmosphere. Described by Sichuan locals as reflecting their famed cuisine (“hot and spicy”), Sichuan opera is known for its well-crafted dramatic characters and use of an offstage chorus, as well as for its incorporation of kunqu music, designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Treasure of Humanity.
The event is presented by the UCLA Confucius Institute in partnership with the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology's World Music Center.
