On May 3rd and 4th, the opera "Marco Polo" returns to the stage of the Guangzhou Opera House, celebrating the May Day holiday with the audience.
On May 2nd, reporters from the Yangcheng Evening News entered the backstage of the Guangzhou Opera House to witness the intense rehearsal of the cast.
"Marco Polo" is a three-act opera sung in Chinese, with Marco Polo's legendary Eastern travels as the main theme, encompassing the epic scale of history and passionate love, showcasing the cultural value and humanistic charm of the Silk Road, and expressing praise and prayers for human peace and world harmony.
As an opera, music is undoubtedly the highlight of this production. The musical elements of "Marco Polo" are numerous, with beautiful melodies. It is reported that "Marco Polo" employs an orchestra of about 70 people. In addition to Western instruments as the foundation, Chinese traditional instruments such as bamboo flutes are incorporated. Together, they weave a musical narrative that combines Chinese folk music with Western music, telling the legendary experiences of Marco Polo.
In "Marco Polo," the plot and characters come from a combination of reality and fiction, featuring the integration and communication of Eastern and Western civilizations along the ancient Silk Road, the transition from the Song dynasty to the Yuan dynasty, real historical figures such as Marco Polo, Xin Qiji, and Wen Tianxiang, as well as fictional characters and specific plots.
In May 2018, "Marco Polo" premiered at the Guangzhou Opera House and the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, attracting high attention. In 2019, the opera "Marco Polo" was staged at Teatro dal Verme in Milan and Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Italy, receiving enthusiastic responses from local audiences. After the performances in Italy, the audience expressed their appreciation and love with "Bravo." Afterward, the cast encountered some audience members in restaurants, who also warmly praised the work.
Marco Polo is an ambassador for spreading Chinese culture, and his travels have inspired countless people's longing for the East. The opera "Marco Polo" uses this iconic figure to present the unique charm of Eastern culture and the interaction between Chinese and Western civilizations through the familiar opera format to Western audiences.
The year 2024 marks the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death. On this occasion, the re-staging of "Marco Polo" holds significant meaning. It is introduced that this time, the cast has invited popular and talented singers, renowned both domestically and internationally, and will be conducted by Qian Junping, a rising international star conductor. They will collaborate with the Macao Orchestra, the chorus ofCentral Conservatory of Music, and the youth dance troupe of South China University of Technology to present this magnificent epic production.
