For centuries opera companies have mesmerized audiences with their elaborately costumed and made-up characters and the pageantry of their productions combining music and voice with dance and gesture. Because of its venerable tradition, many of the operas have historical and military themes, which are still performed today. As in the past, the emphasis in these productions is not on scenery or props but on the elaborate costumes and makeup worn by the leading characters, who display a variety of acting styles, and the best known are the Peking, the Cantonese, and Shanghai's Yue Operas, which are featured in this photographic book. Jessica Tan Gudnason's stunning portraits look more like painted sculptures than photographs. Her images were taken over a ten-year period during which she frequented Peking, Cantonese, and Yue opera productions, capturing many different actors in all stages of preparation for leading and supporting roles or fully dressed for the performance. Some of the remarkable characters she presents include a gorgeously costumed female warrior wearing peacock feathers in her headdress and state flags in her voluminous costume; a clown made up to look like a monkey, who, according to Buddhist legend, accompanied his master on a quest for self-knowledge; a heavily made-up male warrior wearing an intricately embroidered red coat and carved headdress; a close-up of a beautiful woman wearing an elaborate head piece adorned with flowers and jewels, indicating her high rank; and boys transforming themselves into costumed and made-up performers. Gudnason's aim is to recreate the excitement, emotion, sound, color, and movement of the actor's backstage from an insider's view. Supplementing the photographs is an insightful text by actress Gong Li as she comments on these powerful photographs and their significance. The authors provide background information about the Peking, Cantonese, and Yue opera companies, the plays, and the major character types depicted here. This unique book is ideal for collectors of exceptional photography and for anyone who loves opera, music, and theater.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
For this coffee-table book, many years in the making, fine-arts photographer Gudnason gained backstage access to the esteemed Beijing, Canton, and Yue operas. Her striking photographs include more than 100 full-page shots, 70 in color. Most of these are stunning close-up portraits of actors (men, women, and children) detailing the elaborate headwear, makeup, and embroidered costumes typical of Chinese opera. Through these images, Malaysian-born Gudnason, who attended opera performances as a girl with her Chinese grandmother, easily reveals her love for the form. Readers do not get the feeling of being "backstage" as much as they might because this project was done in an air of intimate cooperation to ensure that the portraits would be taken seriously. In a seven-page introductory essay, actress Gong Li (Farewell, My Concubine) succinctly explains the stock characters in traditional Chinese opera as well as their makeup and costumes, while thumbnail halftones at the end of the book provide captions in which only a couple of the actors are named. Recommended for large collections on Asian music and theater and useful as a sourcebook for anyone wanting to stage a Chinese opera. Bonnie Jo Dopp, Univ. of Maryland Lib., College Park
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
An exquisite photographic volume featuring breathtaking images of actors who perform in the fabled Peking, Cantonese, and Yue operas.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning Photography,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chinese Opera (Hardcover)
A very open discovery of a culture far away from the West, seen through modern photography. A captivating gallery of photographic portraits, that seems to grow on you as you go through vivid color and rich, saturated black and white images of performers in the different chinese opera styles. Behind the scenes pictures reveil all ages from small children in front of a 12 year education to old stars of a mostly forgotten artform. Foreword by Gong Li, the actress, "Our Children of the Peargarden" is touching and very relevant today.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Costume design,
By Candace A. Gee "dilettante" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Chinese Opera (Hardcover)
This is a gorgeous book. The pictures are beautiful... the people are beautiful... the costumes are beautiful... My only wish was that the book was longer with even more photos! The photos were mostly mid shots and closeups- very basic photography. I guess the point was that the costume and makeup made the shot.... however I wish that Gudnason would have been a little more artistic with her photos. I also wish that there were extreme close ups on the fabrics and head pieces. i studied Chinese opera in college and planned on giving the book to my teacher for christmas, but it's april and the book still sits on top of my dvd player! So if you are planning to buy this as a gift- also buy a copy for yourself
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Portraits,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Chinese Opera (Hardcover)
Beautiful photos of mostly up close portrait and stationary shots. I would have liked to see more action, on-stage shots. Most of the ones in this book are rather static. Still worth getting if you want to see how beautiful Beijing Opera is.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
