While Baroque Opera Seria and Chinese Peking Opera were completely separate art forms in completely separate cultures, they demonstrate intriguing similarities in their historical origins, their character and in many other aspects. The author explores the intriguing commonalities between the two art forms as they existed in the late baroque and in China, from late 19th-century to mid 20th-century. She examines these common features from many different angles, while also explaining how each operatic tradition is unique.
Hsiao-Yun Kung received her PhD in Musicology from the University of Heidelberg and M.A. in Musicology from the University of Tubingen. She is currently Associate Professor at the Music Department of Tainan University of Technology, Taiwan. She specializes in research issues related to German Kunstlieder, Taiwanese New Music, Opera and also, recently, has been interested in Interdisciplinary research. She has written two books - Carl Loewes Goethe-Vertonungen: Vergleichende Analyse ausgewahlter Lieder mit Schubert und Berliner Liederschule and Von der Moderne zur Tradition; Jiang Wenye und sein Musikschaffen and also authored many papers.