The Peony Pavilion, Second Edition

Abstract

An example of the southern, or chuanqi, genre of opera from Ming dynasty China (14th to 17th centuries), The Peony Pavilion, completed in 1598, was Tang's masterpiece and, according to Birch's preface, a profound meditation on the nature of love. Selected scenes have become near necessities of any traditional Chinese opera repertoire. The tale concerns a cloistered girl and young scholar who fall in love in dreams. After the heroine pines away from longing, their devotion transcends death, resulting in her resurrection and a happy union. Birch (Univ. of California, Berkeley) has captured the beauty and elegance of Tang's original drama, conveying even the humor of subtle puns. With such titles as Stories from a Ming Collection (1958), Scenes for Mandarins (CH, Feb'96), and Mistress & Maid (CH, Jan'02) to his credit, Birch has long been a leading translator of Chinese literature. This second edition of the Birch translation (first edition, CH, Mar'81) includes revisions of the translation; a preface in which Birch provides a general introduction to the drama; and a fascinating introduction by Catherine Swatek (Univ. of British Columbia), in which she introduces three recent productions of Peony Pavilion. All levels.