Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Opera House
Dates: June 28-July 03, 2018
Duration: Approximate 195 mins (Intermission Included)
About
Composer: YIN Qing
Librettist: ZOU Jingzhi
World Premiere: July 1st, 2016
Duration (intermission included): approximately 3 hours (an intermission for 20 minutes)
Stage Directors: TIAN Qinxin, YANG Xiaoyang
Set Designer: MA Yansong
Costume Designer: SONG Li
Lighting Designer: HU Yaohui
Sound Designer: WANG Danrong
Acoustic Designer: CAI Jun
Props Designer: JIN Jifeng
Music Direcotor: HUANG Xiaoman
Chorus Master: MENG Huan
The Long March, which premiered on July 1st, 2016, is an opera commission commissioned by the NCPA in memory of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s victory in the Long March, the 50th opera produced by the NCPA in the last eight years since its opening, and the 11th Chinese opera commission of national classic subject matter after Xishi, The Chinese Orphan, Visitors on the Snow Mountain, and FANG Zhimin. The opera, adapted from the true history of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Long March, faithfully recreates the hardships that were suffered by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army on the Long March by realism. The events on important nodes of the Long March are held together based on the perspectives and experiences of common Red Army soldiers and people, evoking the “miserable glory,” eulogizing the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s lofty ideals to fight and sacrifice for their faith, in honour of the Long March, a great wonder in human history. Until now, various Long March-based literary and artistic works have been produced, of which films and TV dramas and stage plays alone are more than one hundred in number. The Red Army’s Long March, which is one of the greatest events of the last century, is a magnificent feat that has changed history. The NCPA opera The Long March is acted out this great event, which influenced the process of Chinese revolution, in the form of an opera.
The whole opera has six acts of nine scenes in total, with over 30 dramatic personages and the chorus of hundreds of people. The great history of Long March ensures our today’s peaceful life, and each note of the spirit of the Long March contains the era factor and has the inspiring and shocking spiritual strength. Let’s walk into NCPA and review this period of sufferings and glory through the artistic charm of the opera.
Synopsis
After the failure of the 5th counter-campaign against encirclement and suppression in October 1934, the Red Army is about to depart from Ruijin. After receiving the transfer order, Commander ZENG and Commissar PENG from a regiment of the Central Red Army cannot bear to abandon the sick and wounded to the enemy. Doctor HONG, Commissar PENG's wife, also stays to look after them. After the Xiangjiang River Campaign, the Red Army enters Zunyi and gets a chance to consolidate. The Zunyi Meeting Announcement is proclaimed late that night, which marks a historic turning point in the Chinese revolution. Chased by the enemy, the soldiers start a raid of 120 km over the course of an entire day. They seize Luding Bridge marking the successful breakout. Ping Yazi, a young soldier, bravely tastes the wild plants but is poisoned and dies a heroic death. When the Red Army joined forces in Huining, Commissar PENG receives the last letter from Doctor HONG. This letter motivates the soldiers. The opera ends with the chorus Long live the Long March.
