On January 18, the National Centre for the Performing Arts produced The Rehal operetta "The Merry Widow" was staged again. Austrian conductor Thomas Lesner conducted the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra and Choir, together with Elena Rossi, Paul Amin Edelmann, SiglindFeldhoff, Emanuele da Quinneau and other singers to perform this classic operetta that has been popular for hundreds of years.
The operetta The Merry Widow was composed by the Hungarian composer Franz Rejal in 1905, and on December 30 of that year, this operetta premiered at the Vienna Hi-Opera House with great success and became a classic that swept the world. The plot of the whole play revolves around the young widow Hannah and her rich inheritance, and the pure and romantic love twists and turns in the witty and humorous comedy plot, and finally Hannah and Danilo's love is complete, and the rich inheritance is preserved. Composer Rehall turned this romantic and humorous operetta into a dance feast through the most representative round dance music of Viennese operetta, as well as the repeated appearance of European folk dance melodies such as Mazurka and Kolo, which are popular in European countries. In January 2017, the National Centre for the Performing Arts produced the operetta "The Merry Widow" ushered in the premiere. In order to present the artistic charm of the operetta "The Merry Widow" in an authentic way, the National Centre for the Performing Arts once again invited the famous director Hugo de Anna to take on the director, stage design and costume design of this production, creating a stage set that integrates freehand and realism for Chinese audiences, and transplanting the romantic scene of the flower capital of Paris in the play to the stage of the opera house. Music critic Xu Yao said: "'The Merry Widow' is a representative work of Viennese opera, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts version of 'The Merry Widow' not only highlights the musical beauty of this operetta, but also highlights the richness of dance and comedy performances. Director Hugo's stage, which highlights the typical landmarks of Paris, is also very substitutionary, allowing viewers to quickly understand the background and characteristics of the story in the play. ”
On the night of the performance, the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, under the leadership of conductor Thomas Lesner, played a relaxed and pleasant prelude melody of the play, a cheerful dance will appear on the stage, singer Liu Songhu played by Ambassador Zeta and Wang Hexiang played by Cascarda, and Liang Yufeng played by Brio She told the audience the story background of the whole play through humorous comedy performances, and the embassy clerk Niegus played by drama actor Elidos interjected and flattered in the crowd, which attracted bursts of laughter from the audience. Elena Rossi, the soprano singer who played the young widow Hannah in the evening performance, made a gorgeous appearance in the crowd, and in the classic aria "You are so warm to welcome me", Hannah was both excited and calm. Compared with the melodious melody of Hannah's round dance when she appeared, Danilo' dance rhythm played by Paul Amin Edelman was flirtatious and indulgent, and the image of a playboy jumped on the stage, and Hannah and Danilo's love story began. In the second act, Hannah, played by Elena Rossi, conquers the audience with the classic "Song of Vilia", and in the gentle melody, Hannah tells the heart's desire for love, and the singer's beautiful voice wins warm applause from the audience. At the same time, Camille, played by tenor Emanuele da Quinno, and Valencienne, played by soprano Sigrinde Filderhof, also showed the sweetness and bitterness of love on the stage, through the duet "I am full of love in my chest", Camille's desire and enthusiasm for love and Valenciina's contradictions and loyalties to marriage were intertwined, and the audience was intoxicated with the ups and downs of the musical melody. The twists and turns of love finally usher in the reunion in the third act, Hannah and Danilo open their hearts to each other in the "Love Duet", the melody of this singing segment is not unfamiliar to the audience, it is a regular guest on the concert stage as the famous "Merry Widow Round Dance". But on the opera stage, the scenes of the two men singing through dance and singing in music are more emotionally tense.
As a operetta work, the singing sections in the play are popular and beautiful, and the dance passages add vitality to the stage. Six dancers from Italy presented the audience with the traditional folk dances that have swept across Europe, such as waltz, mazurkas, colo and concan, which have swept the European countries. The singers and choir members who play the main characters in the play also dance on the stage, showing the essence of Viennese operetta to the audience. In order to let Chinese audiences deeply appreciate the humorous and witty side of operetta, singers such as Liu Songhu and Wang Hexiang have incorporated a large number of Chinese "baggage" into the dialogue, and the audience has returned the artists' wonderful performances with hearty laughter.
On January 19, another set of lineups for this round of performances will also be unveiled. Chinese singer Song Yuanming will play the widow Hannah, while the actor Danilo will be played by German singer Thomas Lesk. In the play, another pair of lovers, Camille and Valenciena, are played by tenor Singer Shi Yijie and soprano singer Liu Lian, which will be Liu Lian's first time to play the role of Valencienne, and it will also be the first cooperation between the two.
(Photo: Wang Xiaojing)