Presenter: China National Opera House
Tenor: Wang Feng
Soprano: Liu Hongling
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts-Concert Hall
Dates: March 13, 2009 19:30
Price: VIP 500 400 300 200 100 RMB
Programme Introduction
Rustic Chivalry is a one-act opera by Pietro Mascagni, who recomposed it from a short story by Giovanni Verga. It was first successfully performed in 1890 at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Italy. The story of Rustic Chivalry happens in the village of Sicily. Turiddu, a young soldier, falls in love first with a village girl Santuzza, whom he deserts later and has an affair with Lola, wife of Alfio, a village teamster. Out of jealousy, Santuzza discloses Lola’s disloyalty to Alfio. Later, Turiddu dies of the duel with Alfio. The story of the one-act opera is short with concise plots, coordinative music and lyric. Despite the brief music of the play, the personality and image of each character in the opera are vividly portrayed along with well demonstrating their rich and complicated emotional and inner worlds. The opera consists of 13 parts:
1. Prelude and Sicilian Folk Songs
2. Chorus of the Villagers
3. Scene of Santuzza and Lucia
4. Song of the Village Teamster
5. Scene of a Tavern and Easter Hymn
6. Santuzza’s Romanza, “Mum, Now You Shall Know”
7. Scene of Santuzza and Turiddu
8. The Love of Lola
9. The Duo of Turiddu and Santuzza
10. Duo: Alfio and Santuzza
11. Intermezzo
12. A Drinking Song
13. Finale
Yu Feng
Not only a famous conductor but also the artistic director of China National Opera House, Yu Feng is the professor of Central Conservatory of Music, Chair of the Conducting Department, Artistic Director of Shenzhen Orchestra, and Vice President and Secretary General of China Conducting Association. Graduated from the Conducting Department of Central Conservatory of Music, Yu Feng got his Master’s degree under the supervision of Professor Xu Xin and Professor Zheng Xiaoying. In 1991, Yu Feng achieved first prize in both the National Conducting Selection Contest and the International Young Conductors’ Competition in Portugal. The local media called him as “Master of China”, “Victory of Orient” and “Talented Conductor”, etc. As a famous conductor, he is invited to collaborate with many great orchestras. In China, he has a long-term contract with China Philharmonic Orchestra and led the Orchestra to participate in such important performances as the Chinese Art Festival.
China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra
China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra is one of the most renowned art troupes in China affiliated with China National Opera House. By performing some world famous operas like La traviata, Madama Butterfly and Marco Polo, it is active on the world opera stage. In addition, the orchestra also plays the music by some prestigious musicians such as Beethoven, Debussy, and Shostakovich and has worked with brilliant artists like David Oistrakh and Luciano Pavarotti. As the winner of many awards in both national and international competitions, it maintains a high level in international artistic communications and wins a widespread fame for China National Opera House and provides continuous support for its development.
China National Opera House Chorus
Affiliated with China National Opera House, China National Opera House Chorus, in spite of presenting the works of Palestrina and Sergei Prokofiev, it is also engaged in giving opera performances such as La traviata, Madama Butterfly and The Tales of Hoffmann, as well as Chinese operas Wang Gui and Li Xiangxiang and Heroine Liu Hulan, which have won the Chorus high acclaim.
(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)