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Grand Theater unveils new season schedule
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WITH its 18th anniversary approaching, Shanghai Grand Theater is preparing a rich cultural feast starting in September.
The theater recently announced its 2016-2017 season schedule, centered on the theme of “The Classic vs the Future.” Along with star groups like Shen Wei Dance Arts, the Royal Ballet and Orchestra Cologne, the new season will be highlighted with three special program series — “Mostly Opera,” “Mariinsky Festival” and “When Tang Xianzu Meets Shakespeare.”
Eight opera works in four languages will be presented in the “Mostly Opera” program, paying tribute to European masters like Verdi, Mascagni, Mozart and Strauss.
Debussy’s “Pelleas et Melisande,” performed in French, will kick off the new season on September 8. The opera is based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s subtle play and demonstrates Debussy’s fascination with the natural melodies of language.
The show is a co-production between Shanghai Grand Theater and Xinchan Center for Theater Arts.
According to Tang Muhai, who will conduct the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra during this production, the opera is Wagnerian in its flowing melodies and rich emotional content. The maestro went on to compare French operas with French cuisine, both of which, in his view, should be consumed with patience.
“Debussy is unique in art. His music is not about glamorous melodies, but gradual steps into the audience’s heart,” says Tang.
The “Mostly Opera” series will also include Borodin’s “Prince Igor” in Russian by the Kolobov Novaya Opera Theater of Moscow, Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte” in German by Freiburger Barockorchester, and Verdi’s “Falstaff” in Italian by Shanghai Opera House.
The Mariinsky Theater, which first performed in Shanghai Grand Theater in 1999, will return with its opera, symphony and ballet companies on October 18-25 for a series of shows under the “Mariinsky Festival” banner. These will include Tchaikovsky’s opera “The Queen of Spades,” the ballet “Romeo and Juliet,” symphony concerts featuring works by Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich, as well as the family concert “Peter and the Wolf.”
The festival will provide audiences with access to the legendary Mariinsky Theater, which is known for its profound classical tradition as well as its brave innovations, according to Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of Shanghai Grand Theater.
All of these shows will be conducted by Valery Gergiev, who has worked as president of Mariinsky Theater for 28 years and is credited with guiding it toward a wider global audience. About 400 artists from the Russian theater will participate in shows in Shanghai.
The Mariinsky Theater will not be the only organization to present a Shakespeare classic this season, which includes a slew of shows commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of the Bard and his Chinese contemporary, playwright Tang Xianzu (1550-1616).
Both Stuttgart Ballet and Kunqu Opera Troupe of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group will stage their own versions of “Romeo and Juliet.” Audiences can also see “Richard II” by Royal Shakespeare Company through RSC Live from Stratford-upon-Avon. Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe will present Tang’s classic works like “The Peony Pavilion” and “The Handan Dream.”
Visit www.shgtheatre.com for more information and program details.
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