Musical And Human Interaction In Jinkun Puppet Troupe From Suichang:a Performative View

In a remote mountainous area of southwestern Zhejiang Province,435kilometers southwest of Shanghai, several counties-Suichang, Songyang, Longquan, Longyou, and Taishun-host a remarkable living phenomenon in which puppet plays constitute the major component of traditional sacrificial rites for gods’birthdays and other calendrical and Buddhist rituals. Two people manipulate the puppets and sing the different roles, while three musicians accompany the play on a variety of percussion, wind, and string instruments. Most research to date on traditional genres of this type has emphasized a rather static analysis of the relation between text and melody. Analysis of this type lacks a crucial component:the performance itself, which is central to the whole generative process. Based on six fieldtrips to this area over the last two years, this paper analyzes multiple relationships and personal creativity that contribute to the integrated performative whole. Specifically, I investigate four sets of interactions:a) among the members of the accompanying instrumental ensemble; b) between the musicians and the puppeteers; c) between the performers and the audience; and d) between the humans involved and the gods with whom they seek to communicate. Inspired in part by Benjamin Brinner’s work on interactive processes in gamelan performance, I seek to bring a more comprehensive level of analysis to this theatrical ritual tradition.