War & Peace Highlights is the latest album to be released on a vinyl record by NCPA Classics, featuring music from the NCPA’s first musical commission In War & Peace. Renowned composer SHU Nan was invited to the releasing ceremony together with musical artists HE Liangchen, HU Junming, LI Zemei and MI Chenchen. Chaired by the famous hostess Chunni, the ceremony was streamed live on many platforms including the NCPA Classical Channel. Watching in-depth interviews and exciting music performances, the audience captured the unique charm of interplays between music and literature—and how new vitality was injected into Tolstoy’s immortal masterpiece in the form of a musical and vinyl record.

The first musical commission by the NCPA, War & Peace, takes two years to craft. Based on Tolstoy’s work of the same title, the musical stars several young artists who often appear on China’s musical stage, with SHU Nan as the music director and composer, YU Rongjun as the playwright and librettist and Alina Chevik as the director.

 

At the beginning of the ceremony, the cast sang The Great Comet together, instantly leading the audience into a grand historical picture depicted by Tolstoy. The composer SHU Nan talked about all the hardships and joys he experienced when transforming this literary masterpiece by Tolstoy into musical vocabulary.

This 180-gram vinyl features 14 tracks spanning diverse styles—including I Am A Superfluous Person, Sacrifice and The Life I Once Hated—accompanied by a 60-page hardcover catalogue showcasing stunning stage moments and production details.

 

During the event, performers HE Liangchen (Andre), HU Junming (Pierre), and LI Zemei (Natasha) and MI Chenchen (Natasha), shared their opinions on character portrayal and their understandings of music.

 

The event culminated in a heartfelt ensemble Together by all the guests, conveying the characters’ profound bonds and unwavering hope for peace, leaving the audience deeply moved.