East meets West in musical treat

Hu Yongyan. Photo provided to China Daily

"A symphony orchestra and a chorus consisting of hundreds of people produces a different atmosphere."

Reflecting the changes in audiences, all members of the NCPA's symphony orchestra and chorus are no older than 25.

According to Hu Yongyan, the concert will likely offer not just a new perspective from which Peking Opera and Western classical music can be appreciated, but it will also stimulate younger people to look back on the history of the two forms.

The theme of the works chosen for the concert is peace and the patriotic spirit, says the concert's artistic director Yang Nailin, who teaches composition at the Central Conservatory of Music.

"Chinese musicians have long looked for ways to keep the traditions of Peking Opera alive and at the same time bring a creative spirit to this old art form," Yang says.

The Western classical forms in the show will include chamber music and choruses.

Yang says The Red Lantern, a contemporary Peking Opera work, is based on a true story about a patriotic Communist and his family during the Japanese occupation in 1939. Peking Opera actresses Zhang and Yuan Huiqin will sing the work accompanied by pianist Tan Xiaotang.

Hu Wenge, 47, will open the concert by playing Beauty Yu, the leading female character in Farewell My Concubine.

"Farewell My Concubine is one of the most famous Peking Opera pieces, and even those unfamiliar with the genre know the work," says Hu Wenge, the only nan dan (a man who plays a female role) apprentice of Peking Opera master Mei Baojiu, son of the famous late actor Mei Lanfang.

"Apart from his considerable artistic achievements, Mei Lanfang has achieved the status of a patriotic hero, having refused to sing for the Japanese army when Beijing was occupied in 1937. He didn't sing until the war ended in 1945."

Other features of the show will be extracts from three original productions of Peking Opera by the NCPA.

If you go

7:30 pm, Aug 25. NCPA Concert Hall, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

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