NCPA´s Production
NCPA Opera Festival 2012
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Opera House
Dates: Apr. 19, 2012-Apr. 22, 2012
Duration: approximate 150 mins (intermission included)
About
Puccini's masterpiece Tosca is a story about love, politics, hatred and conspiracy. Its graphic description of the social reality, profound exploration of human nature and vivid interpretation of love and hatred has made it an undisputable classic in the field of opera.
For the 2011 Opera Festival, NCPA has invited Giancarlo del Monaco, currently the most popular opera maestro in the world, to be the director. Since the 1980s, Giancarlo has been one of the most sought-after directors, and has staged productions in renowned theatres in major cities around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in the USA, the Opera House of Nice in France, and La Scala Opera House in Italy. The new version of Tosca also represents a break from people's old visual habits. With slightly tilting and twisted stage designs, it aims to bring about a religious atmosphere of stunning grandeur.
Conductor
Lu Jia
As the Music Director of the Verona Opera House, Italy, the Art Director of the Santa Cruz De Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Spain and the Music Director & Chief Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, he has acted as Conductor in as many as 2000 music concerts and operas in Europe and the United States and cooperated with over 100 world-famous opera houses and symphony orchestras. The opera houses he has cooperation with include: Deutsche Oper Berlin, Lausanne Opera House, Teatro alla Scala, etc. The symphony orchestras he has cooperation with include: Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Symphony Orchestra, Munchner Philharmoniker; Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in Germany; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, US; Singapore Symphony Orchestra and most symphony orchestras in Australia. As the first Asian conductor assuming the director position in national opera house of Italy, he is proclaimed as "a conductor who has a deeper understanding of Italian operas than Italians" by the Italian music commentators. In 2007, he was awarded "The President Cup" by the Italian President for his exceptional contribution and outstanding achievements made in Italy, followed by the acclaim as the "Best Opera" of Europe for the La gazza ladra that he conducted in "Rossini Opera Festival" held at Rossini's hometown Pesaro.
Artist
Gian-Carlo del Monaco Director
William Orlandi Set Design
After studying at the Academy of Belle Arti of Brera in Milan, William Orlandi designed sets and costumes for Il Trovatore directed by Alberto Fassini at the Theater San Carlo in Naples, Don Carlos, Don Giovanni directed by Lorenzo Mariani in Parma and numerous other operettas. He worked with Alberto Fassini in various operas, such as Romeo et Juliette in Palermo, Il Trovatore and Werther at the New National Theater in Tokyo and Norma at the Regal Theater in Turin.
Since 1987 he has worked regularly with Gilbert Deflo, Liebermann's La Foret at the Grand Theater Geneva is the beginning of this collaboration, followed by Aida, The Coronation of Poppea, Carmen etc. And in the 2005-2006 season a new version of L'amour des trois oranges for the Opera Bastille in Paris.
His design also can be seen in Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni, Massenet's Therese, Rigoletto by Verdi and La Gioconda by Ponchielli in 2002 and 2003 seasons at Hopernhaus Zurich and Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci for Arena of Verona in 2006 season.
Jesus Ruiz Costume Design
Born in Cordoba, Spain, Jesus Ruiz got a degree in Art History, Design and Music Composition at the Complutense and Politecnica universities in Madrid and at the Real Consevatorio Superior de Musica.
Awarded with the First National Contest "Ciudad de Oviedo" for stage design, he began his career working with Emilio Sagi as a stage and costume designer in Mozart's Magic Flute which was put on at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
He has cultivated all the theatrical genres: drama, ballet, flamenco, opera, musical comedy and films, with a special devotion to opera of which he has debuted in over fifty productions.
He has worked for some of the main theaters and festivals: Teatro Real (Madrid), Grand Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona), Theatre Chatelet (Paris), Maggio Musicale (Florence), Euskalduna (Bilbao), Saddlers Wells (London), Palau de les Arts (Valencia), opera houses in Nize, Laussane, Achem, Perm...
Vinicio Cheli Lighting Design
From 1974 to 1979, Vinicio Cheli worked at the "Magio Musicale Fiorentino" involved in all productions. Since 1979 he joined the "Piccolo Teatro" of Milan and became the light collaborator of Giorgio Strehler, making the entire production of Piccolo until 1989. Since 1987, for four years, he worked with the "Rossini Opera Festival" to produce shows with several directors. At the same time since 1989 he worked at the Salzburg Festival, Theatre Champs-Elysees, Chalet Theatre in Paris with the set design by Ezio Frigerio, then responded to the La Scala in Milan. He collaborated some years with the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
Presenter
China NCPA Orchestra
In spring 2010, China NCPA Orchestra unveiled to public. NCPA's Artistic Director of Music, Maestro Chen Zuohuang is the orchestra's Principal Conductor, and Singapore-born conductor Joshua Kangming Tan is engaged as the Residential Conductor. More than half of its musicians have oversea experiences, together with a number of excellent artists who have won national and international competitions. The orchestra performs in most of NCPA's own productions of operas and ballets, together with presenting its own concert series under the name of China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra.
The orchestra's first public performance was in NCPA Opera Festival 2010, in which the orchestra performed in Xi Shi, Carmen, La Traviata, and l’Elisir d’Amore, their performances won great acclaim from world-top artists including Lorin Maazel and Christoph Eschenbach. Afterwards in 2010, the orchestra performed in NCPA's production of Turandot, NCPA's original dance drama Marco Polo, and Don Quixote (ballet) with Dutch National Ballet.
Under the name of China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra, concerts with famous artists such as the principal soloists from Berlin Philharmoniker, legendary baritone Leo Nucci, and pianist Yuja Wang opened the orchestra's first concert series. Afterwards, the orchestra held concerts with a spectrum of repertoire ranged from Baroque pieces to contemporary works, under famous maestros such as Lorin Maazel, Gunter Herbig, together with top artists including Stephen Kovacevich, Lu Siqing, Ning Feng, Zhao Jing, etc. The orchestra also participated "NCPA May Festival" and "Roam about the Classics" series concert, plus the cross-over concerts with Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi and "Around the World with Disney" concerts won enthusiastic response from younger audiences. After the successful performance of La Traviata in June, Maestro Lorin Maazel immediately decided to return to Beijing in September 2010 to conduct two successful concerts with the orchestra, and further cooperation between Maestro Maazel and China NCPA Orchestra is planning.
China NCPA Orchestra is also devoted to educational and outreach activities. The orchestra has presented a series of successful weekend educational matinee concerts since September 2010 under Joshua Kangming Tan. With a carefully selected repertoire blended with famous masterpieces and rarely performed works, those concerts won great acclaim from both audience and critics.
China NCPA Orchestra made its first appearance outside Beijing in December 2010. Under the invitation of Hainan Provincial Government, Maestro Chen Zuohuang conducted two concerts in Haikou, Hainan Province on Dec. 29th and 30th, won great acclaim both in Hainan Province and nationwide. Then in January 2011, the orchestra joined the tour of NCPA's production of Turandot to South Korea, presented four successful performances under the baton of Li Xincao.
The NCPA aims to build a world class orchestra with operation and management conforms to global practices, albeit with Chinese characteristics.
NCPA Chorus
NCPA Chorus was established in December 8, 2009, whose members are carefully selected from music schools around China. Now the Chorus has Wu Lingfen as the conductor, with many artists well-known in China and abroad giving instructions. Affiliated to NCPA, the highest palace of performing arts in China, the Chorus adheres to NCPA's guiding principles of "for the people, for the arts, and for the world". The Chorus mainly stages operas and concerts, and also takes part in kinds of cultural communication events. Ever since its establishment, the Chorus has taken part in the performances of the music and dance epic Road to Revive. Then, on May 2nd, 2010, the Chorus presented its debut performance in the Concert Hall of NCPA, and later the "2010 NCPA Opera Festival Concert", "Roam About the Classics - Chorus Classics in the Opera World: China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra and Chorus Concert", the "NCPA Chorus Concert for the Army Day", to name just a few. As a crucial group in the artistic production of NCPA, the Chorus has taken part in and gained critical acclaim from the performances of NCPA's original opera Xi Shi conducted by Chen Zuohuang, French opera Carmen, La Traviata conducted by Lorin Maazel, and L’elisir d’Amore conducted by Lu Jia.
The Chorus offers over a hundred performances in 2010 with the highlights including various concerts in the autumn season, performances in the NCPA version of Turandot and NCPA original opera Xi Shi at the end of this year, among others, which would surely contribute to the development of NCPA.
Synopsis
This is a story about love, politics, hatred and conspiracy...
Painter Cavaradossi is arrested in covering a political criminal. To rescue her lover, opera singer Tosca gives herself to the Chief of Police Scarpia. Scarpia promises Tosca to conduct a mock execution. After getting the pass, Tosca kills Scarpia when he is not prepared. In the morning, Cavaradossi is taken to the execution ground. Unfortunately, the gun is equipped with a real bullet. The soldiers fire, and Mario falls. Tosca is so despaired that she jumps from the rampart and falls to her death...
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