Turandot: An opera for New China

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Turandot. Zhang Yimou. At the Bird’s Nest?

That’s what I thought when my friend told me over the phone and, curious, I asked her if we could get tickets. We did. We went. And as much as it was beautifully produced, it was also slightly odd.

Here’s why.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen Turandot on stage, but I do know that the first opera I saw was Madame Butterfly at the open-air theatre in Holland Park in London. It was magical, with the great canvas roof swooping over the audience and, of course, the incredible music, singing as much as the very elaborate makeup and costumes.

I was probably ten years old at the time.

Madame Butterfly is by Puccini as is Turandot and, after being staged at the Forbidden City more than a decade ago, to returned to the Bird’s Nest this week in real style. Is the sports stadium our new ‘palace’? A contemporary equivalent to what the Forbidden City was to the emperors a century ago? It’s certainly beautiful enough, dramatic enough and stunning enough.

But watching opera in a mass space where someone sitting beside you is eating popcorn and soft drinks is a new experience and one that is far away from my first Madame Butterfly in London and the subsequent operas I have seen since. I don’t think it works and as much as I (and many people) believe that music should be brought to a much wider audience, I think it can also be taken too literally.

But let’s stay with the positive.

The performance was great. The acoustic were crystal clear. The singing, the stage, the costumes, the makeup and the flow between the artists were all very, very good. Zhang Yimou did a super job. As did tenor and soprano Dai Yuqiang and Yao Hong. And as much as I still believe that opera should be enjoyed inside a theatre where everyone respects the occasion by dressing their best, I also appreciate that opera should be for everyone.

That’s what I saw last night.

 

·本文只代表博友个人观点,版权归作者和央视网共同拥有,转载请注明作者及出处。


引用央视网友   /   2009-11-21 23:38:40
Have you seen the film of 2012,how do you feel?
At first,I wan shocked by thescenes,then,I have thought about this fiime and something else relative to it for a few days,say hopes,future.
I want to see your review in the new blog,I am looking forward to it.
引用央视网友   /   2009-11-17 10:22:28
HI James  i think the frequency that  you update your blog is so slow  
so eager hehe
do you use the tiny blog of sina  it is just like the twitter
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-26 15:39:39
Dear James Chau, Could you help me give the editor of CCTV-9 some my advice? Could you ask the editors to add the script on the screen when you are hosting you program, Ok?  thank you very much.
引用LilySong   /   2009-10-20 21:39:52
itweet 也用不了了
Kitty1936的博客 引用Kitty1936   /   2009-10-19 22:12:02
God, finally you show up.
I thought there was something wrong with your blog or this website or you wanted to give up this blog.
Glad to see your blog updated!
deep autumn的博客 引用deep autumn   /   2009-10-18 15:53:27
终于更新了,等的好苦啊:
引用LilySong   /   2009-10-16 22:20:25
没人翻么?那我来吧!
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-16 15:28:00
I watched Turendot in the National Theater, the \"Great Egg\" last August. It was great and impresive! I loved it. The stadium was not designed for shows like opera and concert . It\'s more like a business arrangement.
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-13 21:49:51
  good  how can we keep in touch
i have heard so much about you
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-13 17:22:48
WE ARE IN NINGBO ,I HOPE COULD SEE IT ALSO IF IT\'S POSSIBLE.

SUPPORT YOU,JAMES
wintter的博客 引用wintter   /   2009-10-12 16:29:27
i like you ,iwant tosee you everyday in blog
wintter的博客 引用wintter   /   2009-10-12 16:27:00
you are lazy !
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-12 16:17:54
终于更新了,
GRACE 引用Grace Marter   /   2009-10-11 12:27:56
Sounds interesting, although it is indeed odd to watch opera in a sports venue... oh well, perhaps this is what modern art is about. LOL!
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-10 21:36:11
强烈要求CCTV-9给出英文字幕。要不给谁看呀?
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-09 22:40:03
I\'m so glad to see your new blog.I hope I can read more articles about you  in the  near future.
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-09 20:25:18
so glad see your new blog !And so envy your good luck!
i am dannie who like you very much!
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-09 18:56:59
so lucky
引用lucy1031   /   2009-10-08 10:50:01
James,did you have a great Mid-Autumn Festival? you haven\'t updated your bolg for several months,I assumed that you had abandoned your bolg.BTW,did you watch the opera with your girlfriend?
引用央视网友   /   2009-10-07 19:51:32
James,你终于更新了,太好了,好希望你更新的频率能更高一点.It\'s great to see your new blog,I hope you can write more bloggs
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