Large-scale Chinese National Opera Wilderness July 21, 2008

Time: 2008/7/21-2008/7/23
Venue: People's Liberation Army Opera House
Price: 80/120/180/280/380/680
Tel: 86-10-64177845
Web: http://www.piao.com.cn/en_piao/ticket_2034.html

For other performances:
http://www.piao.com.cn/en_piao/allticket.asp

A grand performing event and cultural event during Beijing Olympics

An adaptation from the masterpiece of the great Chinese Playwright Cao Yu

The first Chinese opera that was appreciated by the Western world.

Composer Jin Xiang: “I was Much Moved by Wilderness for many times.”

In Chinese Language

Opera Wilderness, adapted from Cao Yu'smasterpiece with the same name, is widely acclaimed for its artisticcharms and is the first Chinese opera that was appreciated by theWestern world.

Ittells a story of revenge that happened in the countryside in TheWilderness. This play was influenced by Emperor Jones, a play by EugeneO'Neil -- a renowned American dramatist. With expressionism, O'Neilhoped to externalize man's sub-consciousness, inner conflicts on thestage. The Wilderness is not a mere imitation. Here Cao Yucombined expressionism and realism. The most unique significance of theplay lies in its presentation from a fresh point of view of the heavyburden on the peasants and the complex and circuitous psychologicalprocess they go through from revolt to awakening.

Masterpieces of Cao Yu who was a Great Chinese Playwright
Cao Yu, a renowned Chinese playwright and often regarded as "the Shakespeare of China", is China's most important writer of the 20th century. If modern Chinese drama has come of age in the 1930s, then Cao Yu and his dramatic trilogy of Thunderstorm, Sunrise and The Wildernessare a hallmark of this maturity. Rich in implications and excellent intechniques, these dramatic works are regarded as the classics of modernChinese drama. It is largely through the efforts of Cao Yu that the modern Chinese "spoken theater" took root in 20th-century Chinese literature.

Composer Jin Xiang: I was Much Moved by “Wilderness”
Asa contemporary Chinese composer, conductor and music critic, Jin Xiangis regarded as "the Oriental Puccini" and “the Representative of theContemporary Oriental New Romanticism” by the foreign media. His worksare warmly welcomed by Chinese and foreign audiences with hisdistinctive personality, his strong aesthetic sense, and the excellentcombination of modern western composing techniques and traditionaleastern aesthetics.

Synopsis
Asa prison breaker, Chouhu returned to his home village in secret. Manyyears ago, the local tyrant Jiao Yanwang buried his father alive,forcibly took possession of the land of his family, sold his youngersister into prostitution and took Jinzhi (his sweetheart) as hisdaughter-in-law When Chouhu appeared in front of the Jiao's home, JiaoYanwang was already dead and his wife had become blind. Only Daxing,the coward son of Jiao who was Chouhu's friend in childhood, was thereto support the family.

Chouhu'sreunion with Jinzhi resulted in an interlude of strange and wild love.Driven by his distorted and depressed soul, Chouhu was anxious to killDaxing so as to prevent the Jiaos from having any successors. It wasnot easy for him to summon up the courage to do that. However, he didkill Daxing and even tricked Daxing's mother into murdering Daxing'schild. Notwithstanding this, he could not take any delight in achievinghis revenge. Chased by the detective squad, Chouhu escaped into theforest where he felt violent terror and became deranged. As a result,various illusions flashed across his mind constantly: Jiao Yanwang,terrifying masks, his sister who died miserably. In addition, theshooting sounds and the drumbeats disturbed his soul and made him moreconfused. In the end, he did not walk out of the dark forest and diedthere.

Official Website: http://www.piao.com.cn/en_piao/allticket.asp