Stills from the opera Turandot are provided by the National Centre for the Performing Arts
At the beginning of the 2022 New Year, the National Centre for the Performing Arts dedicated the audience with the self-made opera "Turandot" as a new year's opening gift. "Turandot" is the pioneering work of artistic production at the beginning of the establishment of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, composed by composer Hao Wei continued to compose music, director Chen Liyi, stage designer Gao Guangjian and other joint creations. On January 18, this classic theater drama once again met with the audience and opened the 11th round of hot performances. This round of performances, led by conductor Yuan Ding, together with the Opera Singers' Team, Choir and Orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, as well as the Jinfan Choir of Beijing No. 171 Middle School, a children's chorus base of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, will tell this oriental legendary story with full artistic appeal. The starring cast of "All China Bandi" brings together the backbone of the domestic singing industry, fully embodies the highest level of Western classics and Chinese production, and shows the profound skills of Chinese singers on the opera stage.
It is understood that unlike the "fierce and vicious" Turandot in many Western versions, in the National Centre for the Performing Arts version of "Turandot", Turandot is given more human expression. Soprano Singer Sun Xiuwei has profound singing skills and clear levels of performance, and the aria "out of the palace" explains Turandot's complex and multi-faceted character image. After being kissed by Calaf, the aria "First Tears" continued with the song Haovia giving Princess Turandot sympathy and gentle music, and Sun Xiuwei interpreted Turandot's emotional transformation very delicately. In this round of performances, Sun Xiuwei digs deeper into the heart of the character, showing turandot's arrogance and coldness, the contradiction of facing Calaf's passionate pursuit, and finally being touched by love; the soprano singer Mo Hong created the simple and kind tragic character Liu'er, and her singing "Master, you listen to me" has a strong lyricism, showing Liu'er's mood of wanting to prevent the prince from risking his life. Liu'er's obsessive aria "Princess, your cold heart" before her death was poignant and tragic, singing loyalty to love and unswerving to death, which moved the audience; tenor singer Han Peng, portrayed the brave and wise Caraf. Although "Turandot" was the first opera performed by Han Peng in his vocal career, "Nobody Sleeps Tonight" was the most sung aria of his career. Han Peng's stage performance is sophisticated and passionate, bright tone, soothing and full of internal strength, and a high pitch like a rainbow, all of which make the audience boil; bass singer Guan Zhijing's portrayal of the character into three points, although he plays Timur at the end of the road, there is no lack of kingly spirit in his bones; Liu Songhu, Kou Jing, Jin Zhengjian, played by Ping, Pang, and Peng, the three ministers, with a harmonious and humorous performance throughout, not only cleverly promote the storyline, but also play a mediating role in the gloomy and heavy atmosphere in the play. It is puccini's raw flower pen.
In the opera "Turandot", Puccini uses the Chinese folk song "Jasmine" throughout the play, through the various deformations of this material, the side sets off the multi-faceted character and the change of dramatic emotions, and the familiar tune makes the Chinese audience feel more intimate, and also appreciates the charming charm of the collision and integration of Chinese and Western cultures. In this round of performances, Shen Na, Mo Hualun, Zhou Xiaolin, Yan Sinan, Zhang Yang, Zhu He, Chen Dashuai and other singers will also bring wonderful interpretations to the audience. The opera Turandot will be performed for six consecutive days until January 23.
Source: Guangming Network