Sunday, October 26, 2003
A Night at the Opera
Click here to view this week's photos.
Last Thursday while we were having a quick noodle dinner with Keyan, she mentioned that there were performances by the Beijing Opera Company advertised for the Huairou Conference Centre for Saturday and Sunday nights. Were we interested in going? YES! How do we get tickets? Well, let's go to the Conference Centre box office and see.
Much talk at the Box Office. Many gestures. The result? The tickets were free and would be given out on Friday morning at the plaza in front of the Conference Centre. Be there around 8:00am. There was some consternation about how we would do this, but we all decided it was a good idea.
The next morning, Keyan and Ken were at the appointed place, elbowing their way to the front to get 5 tickets (her Mom and Dad, as well as the three of us). The deal was that they had to buy a case of a very popular nut milk drink made by a firm called LoLo (pronounced LuLu) for each ticket. The "free" ticket was part of their promotion for their walnut flavoured drink. Five cases of 24 cans! at 45Y per case. The price was good but what a heavy load to cart back to the school! Ken offered the cans to the teachers in his office, who at first demurred in the Chinese way. He quickly pointed out that he wasn't going to carry the heavy cases back down the three flights of stairs he had just climbed, and that the two of us didn't need that much walnut milk. He finally distributed his two cases to his office mates via lead Senior 2 English teacher, Sarah (older teachers 4 cans, younger teachers 3), thereby winning their gratitude and points for being the generous foreigner guy. The drink is very sweet and usually served hot -we fell into more than we could ever have used.
Saturday evening we arrived at the appropriate time,took note of the sign which required us to, "Be Silence and Neat," found our seats, said "Hello" to several other teachers and students from the school, and settled in to enjoy The Red Lantern. (Oh yes -- we also received a free can of the drink at the door - annoying when the empty cans started rolling down the raked floor toward the stage.)
The singers were wonderful -- sustained and difficult high notes were greeted with rounds of applause. The exaggerated formal gestures which accompanied the singing were precise and informative. The body language was so expressive that we had no real need of translation. The Chinese titles appeared at each side of the stage, rather than above the proscenium (surtitles) as we had experienced elsewhere in our travels. Many in the audience knew the arias by heart and mouthed, and even sang with the soloists. It reminded us of the way that a western aficionado can appreciate the finer points of a Mozart's "Voi che sapete". Keyan did an excellent job of translating the Chinese characters for us. The orchestra behind a green scrim on one side of the stage was energetic in their use of stringed instruments, gongs, clackers and cymbals. When more music was required, it came from a recording over speakers. The scenes were spare but precise. We especially liked an early scene where a train comes into a station behind a fenced grade -- the audience saw the smoke rising from the smoke stack, coming closer and closer to the front of the stage. (And viewed the following scenes through a pall of smoke which then billowed out into the auditorium.)
The story, set in World War 2, was of a courageous and heroic Chinese family who were helping their soldiers fight against the Japanese by relaying secret messages using a lantern with a red glass. Of course the Japanese general was heavily caricatured, much to the appreciation of the audience. After the grandmother and the father are shot by the infamous Japanese, the beautiful daughter carries on in heroic fashion, bringing about a marvelous victory for China. The battle scene was an outstanding acrobatic display, with bayonets and guns thrown in the air and flags waving grandly in the background. We were all moved by the heroics and selflessness of it all, in the same way that the chorus of the Hebrew slaves can move us in Verde's "Nabbucco". Indeed, it was not far off certain aspects of Italian opera, at least in theatrics. It was a thoroughly engrossing performance which we all enjoyed. Keyan and her parents were especially touched by the country scenes, where the interior of the family's house was an accurate reconstruction of the house they had lived in their home village.
The Huairou Conference Centre is a large auditorium where movies are often screened on the weekends - tickets are purchased in advance, one showing per evening. There doesn't appear to be a movie theatre as we know it. The building is set back from the street, with a huge plaza in front, paved in decorative stone tiles, with a marvelous programmed fountain on one side. The fountain is set to music, and arcs and jets of water swish back and forth, up and down as the music continues. Flashing lights accompany the action and music. The display happens in the evening, just as dusk approaches. One of the local wonders, just a block down the street !
The plaza is used for a multitude of events. Early in the morning - 6:30 am - there are exercises, followed by ballroom dancing. Later there is traditional dancing, called "yunger", with fans and scarves, which is very popular among the older set. We've seen this kind of dancing in other cities, and especially enjoyed a display while in Chengde earlier in the month. In the early evening, there's more ballroom dancing with sentimental music over the loudspeaker. We've seen some excellent dancers doing dips and swings. The dancers compete for room with the young kids on roller blades - an interesting contrast which seems to be tolerated by both age groups.
Our students, however have no time for these frivolities, and still head for school at dawn for 7:15 am and trudge home in the black hours after ten o'clock in the evening.
Click here to view this week's photos.
Last Thursday while we were having a quick noodle dinner with Keyan, she mentioned that there were performances by the Beijing Opera Company advertised for the Huairou Conference Centre for Saturday and Sunday nights. Were we interested in going? YES! How do we get tickets? Well, let's go to the Conference Centre box office and see.
Much talk at the Box Office. Many gestures. The result? The tickets were free and would be given out on Friday morning at the plaza in front of the Conference Centre. Be there around 8:00am. There was some consternation about how we would do this, but we all decided it was a good idea.
The next morning, Keyan and Ken were at the appointed place, elbowing their way to the front to get 5 tickets (her Mom and Dad, as well as the three of us). The deal was that they had to buy a case of a very popular nut milk drink made by a firm called LoLo (pronounced LuLu) for each ticket. The "free" ticket was part of their promotion for their walnut flavoured drink. Five cases of 24 cans! at 45Y per case. The price was good but what a heavy load to cart back to the school! Ken offered the cans to the teachers in his office, who at first demurred in the Chinese way. He quickly pointed out that he wasn't going to carry the heavy cases back down the three flights of stairs he had just climbed, and that the two of us didn't need that much walnut milk. He finally distributed his two cases to his office mates via lead Senior 2 English teacher, Sarah (older teachers 4 cans, younger teachers 3), thereby winning their gratitude and points for being the generous foreigner guy. The drink is very sweet and usually served hot -we fell into more than we could ever have used.
Saturday evening we arrived at the appropriate time,took note of the sign which required us to, "Be Silence and Neat," found our seats, said "Hello" to several other teachers and students from the school, and settled in to enjoy The Red Lantern. (Oh yes -- we also received a free can of the drink at the door - annoying when the empty cans started rolling down the raked floor toward the stage.)
The singers were wonderful -- sustained and difficult high notes were greeted with rounds of applause. The exaggerated formal gestures which accompanied the singing were precise and informative. The body language was so expressive that we had no real need of translation. The Chinese titles appeared at each side of the stage, rather than above the proscenium (surtitles) as we had experienced elsewhere in our travels. Many in the audience knew the arias by heart and mouthed, and even sang with the soloists. It reminded us of the way that a western aficionado can appreciate the finer points of a Mozart's "Voi che sapete". Keyan did an excellent job of translating the Chinese characters for us. The orchestra behind a green scrim on one side of the stage was energetic in their use of stringed instruments, gongs, clackers and cymbals. When more music was required, it came from a recording over speakers. The scenes were spare but precise. We especially liked an early scene where a train comes into a station behind a fenced grade -- the audience saw the smoke rising from the smoke stack, coming closer and closer to the front of the stage. (And viewed the following scenes through a pall of smoke which then billowed out into the auditorium.)
The story, set in World War 2, was of a courageous and heroic Chinese family who were helping their soldiers fight against the Japanese by relaying secret messages using a lantern with a red glass. Of course the Japanese general was heavily caricatured, much to the appreciation of the audience. After the grandmother and the father are shot by the infamous Japanese, the beautiful daughter carries on in heroic fashion, bringing about a marvelous victory for China. The battle scene was an outstanding acrobatic display, with bayonets and guns thrown in the air and flags waving grandly in the background. We were all moved by the heroics and selflessness of it all, in the same way that the chorus of the Hebrew slaves can move us in Verde's "Nabbucco". Indeed, it was not far off certain aspects of Italian opera, at least in theatrics. It was a thoroughly engrossing performance which we all enjoyed. Keyan and her parents were especially touched by the country scenes, where the interior of the family's house was an accurate reconstruction of the house they had lived in their home village.
The Huairou Conference Centre is a large auditorium where movies are often screened on the weekends - tickets are purchased in advance, one showing per evening. There doesn't appear to be a movie theatre as we know it. The building is set back from the street, with a huge plaza in front, paved in decorative stone tiles, with a marvelous programmed fountain on one side. The fountain is set to music, and arcs and jets of water swish back and forth, up and down as the music continues. Flashing lights accompany the action and music. The display happens in the evening, just as dusk approaches. One of the local wonders, just a block down the street !
The plaza is used for a multitude of events. Early in the morning - 6:30 am - there are exercises, followed by ballroom dancing. Later there is traditional dancing, called "yunger", with fans and scarves, which is very popular among the older set. We've seen this kind of dancing in other cities, and especially enjoyed a display while in Chengde earlier in the month. In the early evening, there's more ballroom dancing with sentimental music over the loudspeaker. We've seen some excellent dancers doing dips and swings. The dancers compete for room with the young kids on roller blades - an interesting contrast which seems to be tolerated by both age groups.
Our students, however have no time for these frivolities, and still head for school at dawn for 7:15 am and trudge home in the black hours after ten o'clock in the evening.
All text and photography © copyright Harkaway, 2003 - 2004
