Shanghai Opera seasonto open with Strauss classic
Print Edition
OPERA “Die Fledermaus,” a popular New Year program in the west, will be performed in Shanghai during the New Year, and kick off the 2017 Opera and Dance Season at Shanghai Opera House.
“Die Fledermaus,” composed by Johann Strauss II, will be staged at Shanghai Grand Theater on December 28. Starring soprano Xu Xiaoing, tenor Yu Haolei and baritone Yang Xiaoyong, the new production, which is directed by Yi Liming, will shift the 19th century set story to modern China.
The light-hearted story of Die Fledermaus deals with revenge planned by Dr Falke on Gabriel von Eisenstein for playing a practical joke on him. Everybody in the story seems to be occupied by nothing but attending parties, drinking, singing, flirting and having affairs, which also perfectly describe the status of a particular group of Chinese people today, says Yi Liming.
“I see no difference in setting the story in today’s China though it was written by a French playwright 200 years ago. That realization allowed me to make the opera more satirical rather than a simple comedy,” Yi says.
Apart from replacing the western historical titles like prince with universal ones like Mr, Yi told his actors and actresses to pronounce the western names with Chinese characteristics to make the story more familiar with the audiences.
There are much more lines in this opera, which was a challenge to the performers who are more used to singing than acting, said baritone Yang Xiaoyong.
“We have to take more efforts in perfecting our lines with the right emotion and rhythm, so as to deliver the humor and messages perfectly,” says Yang.
After “Die Fledermaus,” Shanghai Opera House will present seven other performances. They are well-known operas like “La Traviata,” “Aida,” “La Fille Du Regiment,” as well as original Chinese operas “Sister Jiang,” “Song of Yanzi,” and “The Wager.” Both “La Fille Du Regiment” and “Aida” are new productions. The Opera House will also present its original dance theater “Early Spring.”
Apart from its member artists, the Opera House will also bring quite a number of guest stars from home and abroad this season including Guy Montavon who will direct “La Fille Du Regiment,” Italian tenor Marco Berti and Chinese soprano He Hui, who will star “Aida.”
Die Fledermaus
Date: December 28, 7:15pm
Venue: Shanghai Grand Theater
Address: 300 People’s Ave.
Tel: 6249-1460; 6249-1666
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
