Chinese contemporary classical opera (Chinese: 当今古典歌剧; ''dāngjīn gŭdiăn gējù''; "contemporary classical opera") is a musical art form drawing on

western opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

traditions - distinct from modern developments of traditional

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

. One of the first western-style operas was ''

The White Haired Girl ''The White-Haired Girl'' () is a Chinese opera, ballet, (later adapted to Beijing Opera and a film) by Yan Jinxuan to a Chinese libretto by He Jingzhi and Ding Yi. The folklore of the white-haired girl is believed to have spread widely in the ...

'' (1940). Chinese-language western-style opera is to be distinguished the

Revolutionary opera In People's Republic of China (1949–), revolutionary operas or model operas (Simplified Chinese: ''yangban xi'', 样板戏) were a series of shows planned and engineered during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) by Jiang Qing, the wife of ...

s of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated go ...

such as ''

Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy ''Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy'' ( Chinese: 智取威虎山; pinyin: zhì qǔ wēi hǔ shān) is a Peking opera play and one of the eight model plays allowed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The plot is based on parts of the popular ...

'' which were mainly an adaption of

Peking opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognize ...

with

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

text and subjects, with some influence from

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

musical theatre. The 1950s-70s saw several patriotic socialist operas, such as ''

Red Guards on Honghu Lake ''Red Guards on Honghu Lake'' (Chinese: 洪湖赤卫队) is a Chinese modern opera in six acts. It was first performed in October 1956 in Wuhan, Hubei by the Hubei Experimental Theater Society (湖北省实验歌剧团). It is set in Honghu, Hube ...

'' (1956). Modern operas with a continuation of "realist" socialist elements include ''

A Village Teacher ''A Village Teacher'' (Chinese: 山村女教师) is a 2009 Chinese-language western-style opera by composer Hao Weiya to a libretto by Liu Heng (writer), Liu Heng. Liu is well known for the scripts to films like ''Ju Dou'', ''The Knot (2006 film), ...

'' (2009). China has several separate ''geju'' companies under the Ministry of Culture, parallel with the traditional Chinese opera companies. The most prestigious are the Beijing-based central ''geju-yuan''

China National Opera House The China National Opera House (CNOH) or China Central Opera (中央歌剧院) is a State-run opera company based in Beijing, China, and under the Chinese Ministry of Culture. CNOH consists of an opera troupe, a choir, a symphony orchestra and a ...

troupe (CNOH), and the Shanghai-based

Shanghai Opera House Shanghai Opera House (; Shanghainese: ''Zånhae Kujihyoe'') is the official government-funded western-style opera company of Shanghai, China, and the resident opera company at the new Shanghai Grand Theatre (上海大剧院 ''Shanghai Da Juyua ...

company. In each case the term "Opera House," ''geju-yuan'', refers to the institute or company, not to a fixed building or theatre. The street addresses of both companies are merely administrative offices and rehearsal rooms. Other notable geju companies around China include the Liaoning geju yuan, based in Shenyang and others. The status of ''geju'' has been boosted by availability of new world-class venues such as the

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (), and colloquially described as The Giant Egg (巨蛋), is an arts centre containing an opera house in the Xicheng District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. Designed by French architect P ...

in Beijing ("The Big Egg" on Tiananmen Square East) and the new

Shanghai Grand Theatre The Shanghai Grand Theater () is a complex located at the intersection of Central Boulevard and Huangpi Road South in the northern part of the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. The building houses the Shanghai Opera House a ...

. Since its opening in 2009

CHNCPA The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (), and colloquially described as The Giant Egg (巨蛋), is an arts centre containing an opera house in the Xicheng District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. Designed by French architect P ...

has staged operas such as ''

Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ) was, according to legends, one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived during the end of the Spring and Autumn period in Zhuji, the capital of the ancient State of Yue. In traditional ...

'' and ''

'' in 2009, ''

The Chinese Orphan ''The Chinese Orphan'' (Chinese: 赵氏孤儿) is a 2011 Chinese-language western-style opera by woman composer Lei Lei to a libretto by Zou Jingzhi. The plot is based on the story The Orphan of Zhao. The premiere was at Beijing's NCPA NCPA may re ...

'' in 2011, and the folk-opera ''

The Ballad of Canal ''The Ballad of heCanal'' or ''The Canal Ballad'' (Chinese: 运河谣) is a 2012 opera by composer Yin Qing based on Chinese folk music. The libretto was supplied by playwrights Huang Weiruo and Dong Ni and celebrates the story of the Beijing-Ha ...

'' in 2012. The Shanghai Grand Theatre has similarly staged Chinese-language ''geju'' of the Shanghai Opera House company along with Italian, French and German-language operas.

List of works

The following includes some operas which are considered closer to the

traditional model than ''geju'' or western opera.

Experimental period, 1945-1956

* 1945 -

Ma Ke (composer) Ma Ke (; 1918 – July 27, 1976) was a Chinese composer and musicologist, best known for his patriotic songs, including " Nanniwan". Ma was born into a Christian family, at Xuzhou, Jiangsu, and his name was said to be derived from the saint Mark. ...

et al. ''

White-Haired Girl ''The White-Haired Girl'' () is a Chinese opera, ballet, (later adapted to Beijing Opera and a film) by Yan Jinxuan to a Chinese libretto by He Jingzhi and Ding Yi. The folklore of the white-haired girl is believed to have spread widely in the ar ...

'' at

Yan'an Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'a ...

Lu Xun Art Academy After founding of the PRC, 1949: * 1954 -

Chen Zi Chen Zi (陈紫, Huiyang, 1919–1999) was a Chinese composer. He was one of the composers at the original revolutionary Lu Xun Academy in Yan'an Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region ...

, Mao Yuan and Ge Guangrui: ''

Liu Hulan Liu Hulan (刘胡兰, 1932–1947) was a young female spy during the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. She was born in Yunzhouxi village, in the Wenshui County of the Shanxi province. She joined the Communist Par ...

'' 《刘胡兰》 Central Experimental Xin-geju Academy, Beijing * - Ma Ke: ''Xiao'erhei jiehun'' * 1955 - Luo Zongxian: '' Caoyuan zhi ge'' 《草原之歌》 "Song of the Prairies"

Second wave, 1956-1966

A second wave followed National Music Week, 1956, which lasted till the last geju ''Ayiguli'' in 1966 on the eve of the Cultural Revolution. * 1956 -

and

Liang Kexiang Liang may refer to: Chinese history * Liang (state) (梁) (8th century BC – 641 BC), a Spring and Autumn period state * Wei (state) (403–225 BC), a Warring States period state, also known as Liang (梁) after moving its capital to Daliang * ...

: ''

Spring Blossoms Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

'' ''Yingchunhua kaile'' (libretto by Lu Cang, Wang Lie) * 1956 -

Du Yu Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty. Life Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...

: Mongolian themed folk opera '' The Gada plum blossoms'' based on the Mongolian folk song ''Gada meilin'' * 1958 -

Zhang Rui (composer) Zhang Rui is the name of: *Zhang Rui (table tennis, born 1979) (), Chinese table tennis player who represented Hong Kong *Zhang Rui (table tennis, born 1997) Zhang Rui (, born 23 January 1997) is a Chinese table tennis player. She won three me ...

: ''

Rosy Clouds Rosy is a given name or nickname and, more rarely, a surname. It may refer to: __NOTOC__ People Given name * Rosy Afsari (1946?–2007), actress in the Bangladeshi film industry * Rosy Akbar, Fijian politician who assumed office in 2014 * Rosy Ar ...

'' ''Hong xia'' (libretto by Shi Han) * 1958 - Shu Tiemin and Ceng Fangke: ''

The Red-cloud Cliff ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' ''Hongyun ya'' (libretto by Liang Shangquan, Lu Peng, Jiang Shengtao, Su Mei) * 1958 -

Zhang Dinghe Zhang Dinghe (张定和, Hefei Hefei (; ) is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Anhui. Its population was 9,369,881 as of th ...

: ''

The Tale of Huai Yin ''The Tale of Huai Yin'' (槐荫记) is a 1958 Chinese-language western-style opera by Zhang Dinghe (张定和). It was part of the second wave of enthusiasm for ''geju'' on the eve of the 1966 beginning of the Cultural Revolution The Cultur ...

'' ''Huai Yin ji'' (libretto by Lu Su, Huang Cengjiu, Guan Taiping) * 1959 -

Zhang Jing'an Zhang may refer to: Chinese culture, etc. * Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname ** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname * Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu * Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan * ''Zha ...

: '' Honghu Chiweidui'' "Red Guards of Lake Hong Hu",

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city a ...

* 1959 - Shi Lemeng: ''

Two Women of the Red Army 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many culture ...

'' ''Liangge nv hongjun'' (libretto by Chen Qitong) * 1959 - Zhuang Ying and Lu Ming: '' Keshan hong ri'' "Red Sun over Mount Ke" PLA Opera Troupe * 1960 - Wang Xiren and Hu Shiping: '' Hong Shanhu'' "Red Coral" libretto by Zhao Zhong, PLA Opera Troupe - also filmed by Wang Shaoyan director of the film ''Red Coral'' (1961) * 1960 -

and

: ''Dou E Yuan'' based on the play '' The Grievances of Dou E'', also known as "Snow in Summer" * 1960 -

and

: Doushi Ting "The Poem Contest Pavilion" * 1961 -

and

: '' Chun Lei'' "Spring Thunder" * 1962 - Zheng Lucheng: '' Longing for Husband Cloud'' (libretto by Xu Jiarui) * 1962 - Collective work: ''

Liu Sanjie Liu Sanjie () was a Chinese folk music singer, who is the Liu family's third daughter, with an original name of Liu Shanhua. Liu is a legendary figure of Zhuang people in Guangxi and her songs were melodious and touching, therefore she was dub ...

'', filmed as "Third Sister Liu" the same year. * 1964 -

Ge Guangrui Ge Guangrui (葛光锐, Shanghai, 1929) is a Chinese composer. His best known opera is ''We have our own successors'' (Chinese: 自有後来人 ''Zi you houlai ren''). He also worked on Chen Zi's 1954 opera Liu Hulan Liu Hulan (刘胡兰, 1932– ...

: '' Zi you houlai ren "We have our own successors"'' * 1964 -

Zhang Yu (composer) Zhang Yu may refer to: * Zhang Yu (actress) (张瑜; born 1957), Chinese film actress * Zhang Yu (basketball) (张瑜; born 1986), Chinese basketball player * Zhang Yu (footballer, born 1994) (张瑀), Chinese footballer * Zhang Yu (footballer, bor ...

: '' Red Plum-Blossom Ridge'' ''Hongmei Ling'', film version 1965 * 1964 -

: '' Chunfeng yangliu'' "Willows in the spring breeze" * 1964 -

Yang Ming (composer) Yang Ming may refer to: *Mat Yeung or Yang Ming (born 1981), Hong Kong television actor *Yang Ming (kickboxer) Yang Ming () is a Chinese kickboxer. As of October 2022, he is ranked as the tenth(10th) best super bantamweight kickboxer in the wor ...

and

Jiang Chunyang Jiang may refer to: * ''Jiang'' (rank), rank held by general officers in the military of China *Jiang (surname) Jiang / Chiang can be a Mandarin transliteration of one of several Chinese surnames: #Jiǎng (surname), Jiǎng (surname 蔣) (#蔣 ...

: '' Jiang Jie'' "Sister Jiang" - libretto by Yan Su * 1965 -

: ''

Ren huan ma jiao Ren or REN may refer to: Abbreviations * Orenburg Tsentralny Airport, IATA code REN, civil airport in Russia * Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portuguese company * Renanthera, abbreviated as Ren, orchid genus * Ringer equivalence number ( ...

'' "A busy country scene" * 1966 - Shi Fu and Wusi Manjiang: ''

Ayiguli ''Ayiguli'' (阿依古丽) is a 1966 Chinese-language western-style opera composed by Shi Fu and Wusi Manjiang. The libretto follows the script of the film '' Red Flowers on Tianshan'' (Chinese 天山上的红花). It tells the story of the Chine ...

'' * 1966 - Mao Yuan and Ma Fei: ''

Nanhai Changcheng Nanhai () may refer to: *''Nanhai'', the Chinese name for the South China Sea, one of the Four Seas * Nanhai Commandery, the former Chinese administration over Liangguang *''Nanhai'', the Chinese name for the South China Sea Islands *The '' Nanh ...

"The Great Wall of the South Seas"

1966-1976 Cultural Revolution

1977 onward

* ''Flower-Guardian'' (1979) * ''Peng Dehuai Sits on the Sedan Chair'' (1980) * 1980 - Wang Shiguang and Cai Kexiang: '' Di yibai ge xinniang'' "The Hundredth Bride" * 1981 -

Shi Guangnan Shi Guangnan (Chinese: 施光南; August 22, 1940 in Chongqing Municipality, China – May 2, 1990) was a Chinese composer, best known for his patriotic and nationalistic songs from the Cultural Revolution era that combined traditional melod ...

: ''Shangshi'' "Mourning" - a folk opera based on a story by

Lu Xun Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (or Lu Sun; ; Wade–Giles: Lu Hsün), was a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. W ...

*The Youth of Today (1982) *The Wedding Sonata (1983) *The Homeland (1984) * 1983 - Wang Zujie and Zhang Zhuoya: ''

Fangcaoxin ''Fangcaoxin'' (芳草心 "Fangfang, heart of grass") is a 1983 Chinese-language western-style opera or musical, and 1986 film. It was filmed as ''Fangcaoxin'' in 1986, and appears listed in some sources by an English title "The Passion and the L ...

'' "Fangfang, heart of grass", first performance Nanjing, Frontline Song and Dance Troupe. * 1987 -

Jin Xiang Jin Xiang (20 April 1935 – 23 December 2015) was a Chinese composer and conductor. He studied composition at the China Central Conservatory from 1954. In 1959 he received his Bachelor of Arts in Composition.

: 原野 '' The Savage Land'' based on the play by

Cao Yu Cao Yu (, September 24, 1910 — December 13, 1996) was a Chinese playwright, often regarded as one of China's most important of the 20th century. His best-known works are ''Thunderstorm'' (1933), ''Sunrise'' (1936) and ''Peking Man'' (1940). ...

. * 1995 - Xu Zhanhai (徐占海 b.1945): ''

Cangyuan Cangyuan Va Autonomous County (; Va: ) is under the administration of Lincang City, in the southwest of Yunnan province, China. Wa/Va people are the main inhabitants here. Wa language Wa (Va) is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Wa p ...

'' "broad grasslands" Liaoning Geju Yuan, Shenyang production * 2006 -

Mo Fan Mo Fan (莫凡 Hangzhou, May 1949) is a Chinese composer. During the Cultural Revolution he was sent to Heilongjiang, where he taught himself composition. In 1979 he entered Shanghai Conservatory. Works * ''Thunderstorm A thunderstorm ...

: 雷雨 ''

Thunderstorm (opera) ''Leiyu'' (雷雨 "Thunderstorm") is a 2001 Chinese-language western-style opera by Hangzhou-born composer Mo Fan based on ''Thunderstorm'' by Cao Yu. True to the setting of the play Mo Fan introduced 1930s Shanghai salon tunes into the opera. Th ...

'' - based on Cao Yu's play ''

Thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...

'' * 2008 - Xiao Bai: '' Farewell My Concubine'' * 2009 -

Lei Lei Lei Lei (雷蕾) is a Chinese classical composer. She is best known for her music for TV dramas such as ''Plainclothes Policeman'', ''Aspiration'', and ''The Yellow Storm''. She has written two Chinese-language western-style operas to librettos by ...

: 《西施》''

'' to a libretto by Zou Jingzhi * 2009 - Hao Weiya: 《山村女教师》''

'' * 2011 - Lei Lei:《赵氏孤儿》''

'' * 2012 - Yin Qing: 《运河谣》'' Yunheyao'' "Ballad of Canal" * 2012 - Xu Zhanhai and others, ''

Diaoyucheng The Diaoyucheng (), or Diaoyu Fortress, is a fortress located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Heyang Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing. It is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty. History The death ...

'' - based on the story of

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...

Diaoyu Fortress The Diaoyucheng (), or Diaoyu Fortress, is a fortress located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Heyang Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing. It is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty. History The death ...

* 2014 -

Guo Wenjing Guo Wenjing (born 1 February 1956, in Chongqing) is a Chinese composer and educator. Guo Wenjing is a contemporary Chinese composer. Unlike many Chinese composers who have studied and lived in other countries, he has only studied in Beijing. He ...

:《骆驼祥子》''

Rickshaw Boy ''Rickshaw Boy'' or ''Camel Xiangzi'' () is a novel by the Chinese author Lao She about the life of a fictional Beijing rickshaw man. It is considered a classic of 20th-century Chinese literature. History Lao She began the novel in spring, ...

'' * 2014 - Lei Lei: 《冰山上的来客》'' Visitors on the Icy Mountain'' after the 1963 film * 2015 -

: 《日出》''

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology ...

'' after the 1936 play by

Taiwan

Tenor William Wu (吴文修) directed 《万里长城》The Great Wall with music by Yang Yao-chang (楊耀章) and a libretto by Pi Kuo (碧果). Premiered by the Taiwan Metropolitan Opera (首都歌劇團) 1993, cross-straits production 1995. Republic of China Yearbook 1999 - Page 366 Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group - 2000 "And the Taiwan Metropolitan Opera has introduced local audiences to such works as Madame Butterfly. Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. One of its biggest sensations has been The Great Wall, a Western-style opera sung in Chinese and telling a Chinese story, performed in 1993. Wu is working on a second historical Chinese opera, based on the story of

Liao Tien-ting Liao Tianding (; Hepburn: ''Ryō Tentei;'' 1883–1909) was a legendary Taiwanese Robin Hood figure who foiled oppressive rulers when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. He was born in the Upper Tōa-to͘ District () in , Taiwan Prefecture ( Qing-d ...

..."

References

{{Opera topics * Opera in China