''A Night at the Chinese Opera'' is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in three acts by

Judith Weir Dame Judith Weir (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer. She served as Master of the King's Music from 2014 to 2024. Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir was the first woman to hold this office. Early life Weir was born in Cambridge, Englan ...

, who also wrote the libretto. Aside from an earlier opera for children, this was Weir's first full-scale opera, written on commission from the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

for performance by

Kent Opera Kent Opera was a British opera company active between 1969 and 1989. It was based in Ashford and regular venues included The Orchard Theatre, Dartford; Assembly Halls, Tunbridge Wells; Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Kings Theatre, Southsea; Theatr ...

. Weir incorporated an early Chinese play of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

, ''

The Orphan of Zhao ''The Orphan of Zhao'' is a Chinese play from the Yuan dynasty, attributed to the 13th-century dramatist Ji Junxiang (紀君祥). The play has as its full name ''The Great Revenge of the Orphan of Zhao''. The play is classified in the ''zaju'' g ...

'', as the centrepiece of Act 2 of her opera. The work received its premiere on 8 July 1987 at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, England. The ''

Opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

'' magazine critic noted that "few new operas have recently made so diverting a first impression as ''A Night at the Chinese Opera'', partly on its intrinsic musico-dramatic merits, partly through the style of production". The outer acts are fully scored for the chamber orchestra in 'closed-forms' such as aria, sextet, seven-part motet but the Yuan play is mostly scored for flute, lower strings and percussion.

Roles

Performance history

subsequently took the opera on tour to Dartford, Canterbury, Plymouth, Southsea and Eastbourne during their 1987–88 season.

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby (conductor), John Crosby, oversaw the building of the f ...

gave the US premiere of the opera in July 1989. The second British production was at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 26 February 1999 as a semi-staged concert. A third British production was by the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in March 2006. The first staged production in Scotland, at

Scottish Opera Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. History Scottish Op ...

, was in April 2008. British Youth Opera performed it during September 2012. The Kent Opera production was recorded for television by the BBC in 1988, directed by

Barrie Gavin Barrie Vincent Gavin (10 June 1935 – 12 November 2024) was a British film and television director. Early life Gavin was born in Stanmore, London on 10 June 1935. His parents were John Gavin and Margaret Gavin (''née'' Elder). He was educat ...

.''A Night at the Chinese Opera'' (1988)
,

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

database, accessed 22 July 2015.

Synopsis

:Place: China :Time: 13th-century Chao Sun is an explorer and mapmaker who is exiled from the city of Loyan. His son Chao Lin becomes the supervisor of the building of a canal. His workers include a group of actors. One evening, the actors/workers perform the old Chinese opera ''The Chao Family Orphan''. The older drama tells of the evil General Tuan-Ku, who causes his servant Chao and his wife to commit suicide by forging a seemingly official letter from the Emperor instructing Chao to take his own life. Their young son is left behind as an orphan. Unwittingly, the General later adopts and raises the child as his own son. Twenty years later, there is a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor. The orphan gradually learns his true birth identity and the fate of his parents, and joins the plot for revenge. An earthquake, however, interrupts the conspiracy and the actors are arrested. Chao Lin's work on the canal is praised. At one point, when he is surveying the canal, Chao meets an old woman who tells him of what happened to his father. In parallel to the ''Chao Family Orphan'' story, Chao Lin plans vengeance on his father's enemies. However, Chao Lin is captured and executed for his conspiracy. The actors who were performing ''The Chao Family Orphan'' then return to complete the play, where the son does succeed in avenging his father against General Tuan-Ku.

References

Notes Sources * Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001.

External links

Chester Novello publisher page on ''A Night at the Chinese Opera''

David Conway, blog posting from The Social Affairs Unit on ''A Night at the Chinese Opera'', 24 March 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Night at the Chinese Opera, A Operas by Judith Weir English-language operas Operas 1987 operas Operas set in China Fiction about Chinese opera