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Chinese contemporary classical opera (Chinese: 当今古典歌剧; ''dāngjīn gŭdiăn gējù''; "contemporary classical opera") is a musical art form drawing on
western opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
traditions - distinct from modern developments of traditional Chinese opera. One of the first western-style operas was '' The White Haired Girl'' (1940). Chinese-language western-style opera is to be distinguished the Revolutionary operas of the Cultural Revolution such as ''
Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy ''Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy'' (Chinese: 智取威虎山; pinyin: zhì qǔ wēi hǔ shān) is a Peking opera play and one of the eight model plays allowed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The plot is based on parts of the popular n ...
'' which were mainly an adaption of
Peking opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognize ...
with socialist text and subjects, with some influence from
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
musical theatre. The 1950s-70s saw several patriotic socialist operas, such as ''
Red Guards on Honghu Lake ''Red Guards on Honghu Lake'' (Chinese: 洪湖赤卫队) is a Chinese modern opera in six acts. It was first performed in October 1956 in Wuhan, Hubei by the Hubei Experimental Theater Society (湖北省实验歌剧团). It is set in Honghu, Hube ...
'' (1956). Modern operas with a continuation of "realist" socialist elements include '' A Village Teacher'' (2009). China has several separate ''geju'' companies under the Ministry of Culture, parallel with the traditional Chinese opera companies. The most prestigious are the Beijing-based central ''geju-yuan'' China National Opera House troupe (CNOH), and the Shanghai-based
Shanghai Opera House Shanghai Opera House (; Shanghainese: ''Zånhae Kujihyoe'') is the official government-funded western-style opera company of Shanghai, China, and the resident opera company at the new Shanghai Grand Theatre (上海大剧院 ''Shanghai Da Juyu ...
company. In each case the term "Opera House," ''geju-yuan'', refers to the institute or company, not to a fixed building or theatre. The street addresses of both companies are merely administrative offices and rehearsal rooms. Other notable geju companies around China include the Liaoning geju yuan, based in Shenyang and others. The status of ''geju'' has been boosted by availability of new world-class venues such as the
China's National Centre for the Performing Arts The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (), and colloquially described as The Giant Egg (巨蛋), is an arts centre containing an opera house in the Xicheng District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. Designed by French architect ...
in Beijing ("The Big Egg" on Tiananmen Square East) and the new
Shanghai Grand Theatre The Shanghai Grand Theater () is a complex located at the intersection of Central Boulevard and Huangpi Road South in the northern part of the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. The building houses the Shanghai Opera House ...
. Since its opening in 2009
CHNCPA The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (), and colloquially described as The Giant Egg (巨蛋), is an arts centre containing an opera house in the Xicheng District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. Designed by French architect ...
has staged operas such as ''
Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ) was, according to legends, one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived during the end of the Spring and Autumn period in Zhuji, the capital of the ancient State of Yue. In traditiona ...
'' and '' A Village Teacher'' in 2009, ''
The Chinese Orphan ''The Chinese Orphan'' (Chinese: 赵氏孤儿) is a 2011 Chinese-language western-style opera by woman composer Lei Lei to a libretto by Zou Jingzhi. The plot is based on the story The Orphan of Zhao ''The Orphan of Zhao'' is a Chinese play f ...
'' in 2011, and the folk-opera ''
The Ballad of Canal ''The Ballad of heCanal'' or ''The Canal Ballad'' (Chinese: 运河谣) is a 2012 opera by composer Yin Qing based on Chinese folk music. The libretto was supplied by playwrights Huang Weiruo and Dong Ni and celebrates the story of the Beijing-Ha ...
'' in 2012. The Shanghai Grand Theatre has similarly staged Chinese-language ''geju'' of the Shanghai Opera House company along with Italian, French and German-language operas.


List of works

The following includes some operas which are considered closer to the Chinese opera traditional model than ''geju'' or western opera.


Experimental period, 1945-1956

* 1945 -
Ma Ke (composer) Ma Ke (; 1918 – July 27, 1976) was a Chinese composer and musicologist, best known for his patriotic songs, including "Nanniwan". Ma was born into a Christian family, at Xuzhou, Jiangsu, and his name was said to be derived from the saint Mark. ...
et al. ''
White-Haired Girl ''The White-Haired Girl'' () is a Chinese opera, ballet, (later adapted to Beijing Opera and a film) by Yan Jinxuan to a Chinese libretto by He Jingzhi and Ding Yi. The folklore of the white-haired girl is believed to have spread widely in the a ...
'' at Yan'an Lu Xun Art Academy After founding of the PRC, 1949: * 1954 -
Chen Zi Chen Zi (陈紫, Huiyang, 1919–1999) was a Chinese composer. He was one of the composers at the original revolutionary Lu Xun Academy in Yan'an and one of the collaborators assisting Ma Ke in composition of 1945's ''The White-Haired Girl''. Amo ...
, Mao Yuan and Ge Guangrui: '' Liu Hulan'' 《刘胡兰》 Central Experimental Xin-geju Academy, Beijing * - Ma Ke: ''Xiao'erhei jiehun'' * 1955 - Luo Zongxian: '' Caoyuan zhi ge'' 《草原之歌》 "Song of the Prairies"


Second wave, 1956-1966

A second wave followed National Music Week, 1956, which lasted till the last geju ''Ayiguli'' in 1966 on the eve of the Cultural Revolution. * 1956 -
Chen Zi Chen Zi (陈紫, Huiyang, 1919–1999) was a Chinese composer. He was one of the composers at the original revolutionary Lu Xun Academy in Yan'an and one of the collaborators assisting Ma Ke in composition of 1945's ''The White-Haired Girl''. Amo ...
and Liang Kexiang: '' Spring Blossoms'' ''Yingchunhua kaile'' (libretto by Lu Cang, Wang Lie) * 1956 -
Du Yu Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty. Life Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...
: Mongolian themed folk opera '' The Gada plum blossoms'' based on the Mongolian folk song ''Gada meilin'' * 1958 - Zhang Rui (composer): '' Rosy Clouds'' ''Hong xia'' (libretto by Shi Han) * 1958 - Shu Tiemin and Ceng Fangke: '' The Red-cloud Cliff'' ''Hongyun ya'' (libretto by Liang Shangquan, Lu Peng, Jiang Shengtao, Su Mei) * 1958 - Zhang Dinghe: '' The Tale of Huai Yin'' ''Huai Yin ji'' (libretto by Lu Su, Huang Cengjiu, Guan Taiping) * 1959 -
Zhang Jing'an Zhang may refer to: Chinese culture, etc. * Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname ** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname * Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu * Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan * ...
: '' Honghu Chiweidui'' "Red Guards of Lake Hong Hu",
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
* 1959 - Shi Lemeng: '' Two Women of the Red Army'' ''Liangge nv hongjun'' (libretto by Chen Qitong) * 1959 - Zhuang Ying and Lu Ming: '' Keshan hong ri'' "Red Sun over Mount Ke" PLA Opera Troupe * 1960 - Wang Xiren and Hu Shiping: '' Hong Shanhu'' "Red Coral" libretto by Zhao Zhong, PLA Opera Troupe - also filmed by Wang Shaoyan director of the film ''Red Coral'' (1961) * 1960 -
Chen Zi Chen Zi (陈紫, Huiyang, 1919–1999) was a Chinese composer. He was one of the composers at the original revolutionary Lu Xun Academy in Yan'an and one of the collaborators assisting Ma Ke in composition of 1945's ''The White-Haired Girl''. Amo ...
and
Du Yu Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty. Life Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...
: ''Dou E Yuan'' based on the play '' The Grievances of Dou E'', also known as "Snow in Summer" * 1960 - Zhang Dinghe and
Du Yu Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty. Life Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...
: Doushi Ting "The Poem Contest Pavilion" * 1961 -
Chen Zi Chen Zi (陈紫, Huiyang, 1919–1999) was a Chinese composer. He was one of the composers at the original revolutionary Lu Xun Academy in Yan'an and one of the collaborators assisting Ma Ke in composition of 1945's ''The White-Haired Girl''. Amo ...
and
Du Yu Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty. Life Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...
: '' Chun Lei'' "Spring Thunder" * 1962 - Zheng Lucheng: '' Longing for Husband Cloud'' (libretto by Xu Jiarui) * 1962 - Collective work: '' Liu Sanjie'', filmed as "Third Sister Liu" the same year. * 1964 -
Ge Guangrui Ge Guangrui (葛光锐, Shanghai, 1929) is a Chinese composer. His best known opera is ''We have our own successors'' (Chinese: 自有後来人 ''Zi you houlai ren''). He also worked on Chen Zi's 1954 opera Liu Hulan Liu Hulan (刘胡兰, 1932– ...
: '' Zi you houlai ren "We have our own successors"'' * 1964 - Zhang Yu (composer): '' Red Plum-Blossom Ridge'' ''Hongmei Ling'', film version 1965 * 1964 -
Chen Zi Chen Zi (陈紫, Huiyang, 1919–1999) was a Chinese composer. He was one of the composers at the original revolutionary Lu Xun Academy in Yan'an and one of the collaborators assisting Ma Ke in composition of 1945's ''The White-Haired Girl''. Amo ...
: '' Chunfeng yangliu'' "Willows in the spring breeze" * 1964 - Yang Ming (composer) and Jiang Chunyang: '' Jiang Jie'' "Sister Jiang" - libretto by Yan Su * 1965 -
Du Yu Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty. Life Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...
: '' Ren huan ma jiao'' "A busy country scene" * 1966 - Shi Fu and Wusi Manjiang: '' Ayiguli'' * 1966 - Mao Yuan and Ma Fei: ''
Nanhai Changcheng Nanhai () may refer to: *''Nanhai'', the Chinese name for the South China Sea, one of the Four Seas *Nanhai Commandery, the former Chinese administration over Liangguang *''Nanhai'', the Chinese name for the South China Sea Islands *The '' Nanhai ...
"The Great Wall of the South Seas"


1966-1976 Cultural Revolution


1977 onward

* ''Flower-Guardian'' (1979) * ''Peng Dehuai Sits on the Sedan Chair'' (1980) * 1980 - Wang Shiguang and Cai Kexiang: '' Di yibai ge xinniang'' "The Hundredth Bride" * 1981 - Shi Guangnan: ''Shangshi'' "Mourning" - a folk opera based on a story by
Lu Xun Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (or Lu Sun; ; Wade–Giles: Lu Hsün), was a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. W ...
*The Youth of Today (1982) *The Wedding Sonata (1983) *The Homeland (1984) * 1983 - Wang Zujie and Zhang Zhuoya: '' Fangcaoxin'' "Fangfang, heart of grass", first performance Nanjing, Frontline Song and Dance Troupe. * 1987 - Jin Xiang: 原野 '' The Savage Land'' based on the play by
Cao Yu Cao Yu (, September 24, 1910 — December 13, 1996) was a Chinese playwright, often regarded as one of China's most important of the 20th century. His best-known works are '' Thunderstorm'' (1933), '' Sunrise'' (1936) and ''Peking Man'' (1940) ...
. * 1995 - Xu Zhanhai (徐占海 b.1945): '' Cangyuan'' "broad grasslands" Liaoning Geju Yuan, Shenyang production * 2006 -
Mo Fan Mo Fan (莫凡 Hangzhou, May 1949) is a Chinese composer. During the Cultural Revolution he was sent to Heilongjiang, where he taught himself composition. In 1979 he entered Shanghai Conservatory. Works * '' Thunderstorm''. * Pipa concerto - '' ...
: 雷雨 ''
Thunderstorm (opera) ''Leiyu'' (雷雨 "Thunderstorm") is a 2001 Chinese-language western-style opera by Hangzhou-born composer Mo Fan based on '' Thunderstorm'' by Cao Yu. True to the setting of the play Mo Fan introduced 1930s Shanghai salon tunes into the opera. T ...
'' - based on Cao Yu's play '' Thunderstorm'' * 2008 - Xiao Bai: '' Farewell My Concubine'' * 2009 - Lei Lei: 《西施》''
Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ) was, according to legends, one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived during the end of the Spring and Autumn period in Zhuji, the capital of the ancient State of Yue. In traditiona ...
'' to a libretto by Zou Jingzhi * 2009 - Hao Weiya: 《山村女教师》'' A Village Teacher'' * 2011 - Lei Lei:《赵氏孤儿》''
The Chinese Orphan ''The Chinese Orphan'' (Chinese: 赵氏孤儿) is a 2011 Chinese-language western-style opera by woman composer Lei Lei to a libretto by Zou Jingzhi. The plot is based on the story The Orphan of Zhao ''The Orphan of Zhao'' is a Chinese play f ...
'' * 2012 - Yin Qing: 《运河谣》'' Yunheyao'' "Ballad of Canal" * 2012 - Xu Zhanhai and others, ''
Diaoyucheng The Diaoyucheng (), or Diaoyu Fortress, is a fortress located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Heyang Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing. It is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty. History The death ...
'' - based on the story of
Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...
's
Diaoyu Fortress The Diaoyucheng (), or Diaoyu Fortress, is a fortress located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Heyang Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing. It is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty. History The death ...
* 2014 - Guo Wenjing :《骆驼祥子》''
Rickshaw Boy ''Rickshaw Boy'' or ''Camel Xiangzi'' () is a novel by the Chinese author Lao She about the life of a fictional Beijing rickshaw man. It is considered a classic of 20th-century Chinese literature. History Lao She began the novel in spring, 1 ...
'' * 2014 - Lei Lei: 《冰山上的来客》'' Visitors on the Icy Mountain'' after the 1963 film * 2015 - Jin Xiang: 《日出》'' Sunrise'' after the 1936 play by
Cao Yu Cao Yu (, September 24, 1910 — December 13, 1996) was a Chinese playwright, often regarded as one of China's most important of the 20th century. His best-known works are '' Thunderstorm'' (1933), '' Sunrise'' (1936) and ''Peking Man'' (1940) ...


Taiwan

Tenor William Wu (吴文修) directed 《万里长城》The Great Wall with music by Yang Yao-chang (楊耀章) and a libretto by Pi Kuo (碧果). Premiered by the Taiwan Metropolitan Opera (首都歌劇團) 1993, cross-straits production 1995. Republic of China Yearbook 1999 - Page 366 Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group - 2000 "And the Taiwan Metropolitan Opera has introduced local audiences to such works as Madame Butterfly. Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. One of its biggest sensations has been The Great Wall, a Western-style opera sung in Chinese and telling a Chinese story, performed in 1993. Wu is working on a second historical Chinese opera, based on the story of Liao Tien-ting..."


References

{{Opera topics * Opera in China