Legend of the Lute


The Farewell	The Farewell		The Farewell
Yeh, Wanchih Wen, Yuhang	Yeh, Wanchih Wen, Yuhang		Yeh, Wanchih Wen, Yuhang


The Farewell	The Farewell		The Farewell
Yeh, Wanchih Wen, Yuhang	Yeh, Wanchih Wen, Yuhang		Yeh, Wanchih Wen, Yuhang

“Legend of the Lute” is a Kunqu masterpiece written by the famous playwright Gao Ming (1304-1359) and is based on an early southern drama “The Virtuous Lady Zhao,” Forced by his father, Lady Zhao’s husband Cai Bojie bids farewell to his aged parents and newly wed wife, to take the imperial examination in the capital Luo Yang. He passes the examination with the highest scores and is appointed as a high official in the imperial court. Prime Minister Niu askes the Emperor to order Cai marries his daughter. Although Cai protests repeatedly, he becomes the prime minister’s son-in-law. He sends a servant to deliver a letter to his parents but the letter never reaches them. Not long after Cai’s departure, famine ravages his home town for three years. Lady Zhao endures all sorts of hardships to take care of her parents-in-law. She feeds them with rice soup but herself with husk. Starvation and deep regrets for sending their son away finally take the old couple’s lives. With a lute and a portrait of her parents-in-law she draws, Lady Zhao sings songs and begs for food and goes all the way to Luo Yang to look for her husband. She meets Ms. Niu, the new wife of her husband, in a temple. Niu likes her singing very much and asks about the sad stories she sings. Niu takes Zhao home after she discovers the truth. When Cai learns his parents die of starvation, he resigns immediately and hurries back and lives next to his parents’ grave. “The Farewell” is the scene the newly weds tearfully bid each other good-bye. It is one of the most demanding Kunqu classics for the young virtuous female role-type and the young male role-type performers and is rarelyseen on stage in China.


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