From September 17th to 21st, YAN Zhenqing, a new historical Peking opera co-produced by the NCPA and Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing, will make its premiere.
On August 21st, a press conference was held for the Peking opera YAN Zhenqing, attended by ZHANG Yao, Vice President of the NCPA, QIN Yan, President of the Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing, WEI Lanfen, Head of the NCPA Department of Programme Production, ZHU He, Deputy Head of the NCPA Department of Programme Production, SUN Peng, Vice President of the Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing, CHI Xiaoqiu, Vice President of the Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing, creative team and lead cast. They shared highlights in terms of production and stage presentation.
YAN Zhenqing was a calligrapher renowned both at home and abroad. He was also the backbone of the nation, stepping forward bravely in times of national peril. After the outbreak of the AN Lushan Rebellion, he rose up and formed an alliance with 17 counties across Hebei Province, vowing to suppress the rebellion and defend the country. Then 75-year-old YAN Zhenqing went deep into LI Xilie’s rebellion alone, finally dying a heroic death for the country. As a historical personage - a politician, military strategist and patriot, YAN Zhenqing epitomises rich historical heritage and a great patriotic spirit. The Peking opera focuses precisely on his diverse identities and legendary life. Through its dramatic and twisting plot, it showcases YAN Zhenqing's loves, hatreds, joys, and sorrows, as well as his spirit of utter loyalty to the country, from multiple perspectives.
The new Peking opera boasts a high-performance creative team, including the librettist CAI Fuchao, singing tune designer and composer ZHU Shaoyu, director LI Zhuoqun, visual director and set designer GAO Guangjian, costume and hair style designer LAN Ling, lighting designer TANG Ming and video projection designer ZHANG Song. The production will feature a groundbreaking audio-visual experience, with innovative designs in music composition, set design, video projection, and costuming.
The Peking opera was produced with “cultural inheritance and innovation” as the core. ZHU Shaoyu (singing tune designer and composer), LI Zhuoqun (director), and GAO Guangjian (visual director and set designer) shared their creative ideas. ZHANG Jianfeng, DOU Xiaoxuan and ZHAI Mo, three representatives of the lead cast, talked about the characters’ feelings and spirits in the form of “singing, reciting, acting and fighting”.
At the press conference, the creative team demystified the music composed for this opera through two brilliant arias, brought by ZHANG Jianfeng (plays YAN Zhenqing), DOU Xiaoxuan (portrays WANG Qian’er) and the Orchestra of the Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing.
As a blend of profound history and innovative art, YAN Zhenqing, a Co-production of NCPA and Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing, will meet the audience at the NCPA Theatre from September 17th to 21st.
