This Opera, a global opera of the century from Beijing, is now premiering in New York with a larger scale and more breath-taking spectacles than ever. When I saw it on NHKBS Hi-vision, although I had a chance to see only the last 5 minutes before, it struck me completely. This time, I could fully enjoy this full-length work of 3.5 hours.
The songs are composed and conducted by Tan Dun from China. After all, this is a luxury opera that gathered geniuses from all over the planet. The main roll is performed by Placido Domingo. The stage is controlled by the geniuses from Beijing opera. Zhang Yimou, who impressed the Hollywood with his movie “Hero”, is the writer and the general director of choreography, costumes and stage set. I bet even New Yorkers must be shocked by this extremely large-scaled opera produced by two Chinese geniuses and with a vast budget.
When I first saw the performance, I had an impression that it is very similar in set, costumes, colors and sounds to the movie “Hero”?which is about a spy who go to assassinate Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor. As I expected, Zhang Yimou was the director. No wonder it is an exceptional contemporary opera, with the same music as the movie, adopting old Chinese fantasies, but not corny at all. He put essences that ring the bell with Western People one after the other. I was impressed at how exactly he knows what audience wants. Japanese Kabuki in New York might not stand a chance against it.
In this present era when the world is having boiling passion for China, artists gathered from all over the world are producing chemical reactions here????It is an opera of this era. This opera is performed in English. It is very courageous to offer the roll to Domingo several years ago, challenging the risk of his voice. Moreover, Ie heard this is the first time in his life to perform a main roll of newly written works in English.
The way of singing is also different from opera. Beijing-opera vocalism and scales appear every here and there. It is fun to hear opera singers from all over the world challenge the new scales and the new vocalism in which you have to move the voice so widely. Every performer seems very nervous and excited because they are not given a roll they are used to. The sound composing is also wonderful. Because people used potteries as percussion in Qin era, the performers produce new (old?) sounds by using pots as an instrument, hitting drums with stones and rubbing the stones together.?
Anyway, I was surprised that Domingo, with his age of 70, showed the best performance without any sign of weakening. I thought chemical reactions between human beings could even make a miracle happen. What an opera! I would love to go see the live performance.
