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The Dream of the Red Mansions
A concert with music taken from a highly popular television series based on the world-famous Chinese novel, The Dream of Red Mansions
Each is beautifully written with a distinctive theme to portray the many facets of love, the complexities of human relationships, and the ways of the world.
The television series The Dream of the Red Mansions was made in the 1980's, but its popularity has transcended time and place. In 1999, the HKCO performed in a concert The Dream of the Red Mansions Suite, which was an arrangement based on the music scores of that television series. The live recording was released in 2000 as a CD and was equally well received.
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Know your Chinese
music
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Between literature and music ¡V The Dream of the Red Mansions
Cao Xueqin's (1715-1763) The Dream of the Red Mansions, one of the four great literary classics of China, is the epitome of literary achievement for classical as well as traditional novels. Not only does it exude an irresistible charm as a literary work; it has also inspired countless artists in the fields of traditional drama, contemporary drama, sculpture, lithography, ink painting, oil painting, calligraphy, film, musicals, dance drama, and not least music adaptations.
Cao's novel has touched many hearts over the past 200 years or so, and still remains in demand in bookstores. A 1987 TV drama series based on this book took the nation by storm, and was aired over 700 times as reruns. A simple answer to its appeal is probably its rich representations of human nature, its portrayal of the love-hate relationships in life, and its unfolding of man's complex inner world. The ten songs from the TV series were first performed in concerts in 2000 as classic theme songs of the drama series, their popularity sustaining over 70 touring concerts on the mainland. Although the concert series was suspended for a while due to soprano Zheng Xulan's ill health, it resumed when the soprano, Wu Bixia, took over, and the premiere of the new series was in Ningbo. The popularity doubled, and there were invariably full houses in subsequent concerts which took the team to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shandong, Fujian, Henan, and Singapore.
There are of course differences in interpretation of the Dream songs between the original singer Chen Li, Zheng Xulan and Wu Bixia. But the magic of the TV drama has already made a stamp upon the minds of viewers, consolidating into a kind of collective memory. More importantly, Wang Liping's ten compositions, including the female solo pieces Song of Purple Caltrops, Song of red Love Beans, Poems on the Handkerchief, Grief in Vain, Dear Ones Parted, Lamenting Caltrop, A Stormy Night by the autumn Window, Song of Burying Flowers, the female choral piece Song of Qingwen, and the male choral piece Vain Talents together with the new additions to the programme comprising Wang¡¦s more recent pieces for the instruments (Overture and Suit), have virtually rendered the concert a musical The Dream of the Red Mansions, a microcosm of life complete with all the love-hate relationships!
The musical Dream of the Red Mansions that Wang spent more than four of his most dynamic and productive years to produce can no longer be sufficiently described in such catch phrases as "beautifully melodious, gentle and touching, passionate and expressive, and broadly appealing". It might be more apt to attribute his music to an "exclusive Dream of the Red Mansions music idiom". It is hardly surprising that Wang maintains to this day that the Red Mansions suite is closest to his heart and a personal triumph.
When Wu Bixia performs this musical Dream of the Red Mansions with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in March, she may well receive this other piece of acclaim from the composer: "This collaboration is yet the best interpretation of the musical Dream of the Red Mansions!"
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Meet Wang Liping
25.3.2008 (Tue) 7:30pm
HKCO Rehearsal Hall, 7/F Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building
Fee : $35*
Free for FoHKCO, Students of HKCO and Concert Ticket Holders. Please reserve your seat by calling 3185 1670
(Limited seats, first-come-first-served)
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The Dream of the Red Mansions Overture Wang Liping
Vocal and Orchestra
Song of Purple Caltrops Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Song of Red Love Beans Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia & HKCO
Song of Qingwen Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia, Allegro Singers & HKCO
The Dream of the Red Mansions Suite Wang Liping
1. The State Funeral
2. Granny Liu
Vocal and Orchestra
Three Poems Written on a Handkerchief Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia & HKCO
Grief in Vain Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia, Allegro Singers & HKCO
Dear Ones Parted Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Lamenting Caltrop Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia & HKCO
Vain Talents Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia, Allegro Singers & HKCO
The Dream of the Red Mansions Suite Wang Liping
1. The Love between Baoyu and Daiyu
2. The Lantern Festival
Vocal and Orchestra
A Stormy Night by the Autumn Window Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia & HKCO
Song of Burying Flowers Wang Liping
Lyrics by Cao Xueqin (ca 1715 ¡V 1763)
Performed by Wu Bixia, Allegro Singers & HKCO
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| Date :
29.3.2008
Time : 8:00 pm
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Venue :
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall |
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$300, 200, 150, 100
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Yan Huichang
Conductor |
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"Meticulous execution with a charming stage presence"
The Straits Times, Singapore
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"The group's charismatic conductor, Yan Huichang, directed the afternoon with sophisticated elan."
Bruce Hodges, MusicWeb International
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Wu Bixia
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Wu Bixia is the first vocalist in China to be able to sing in both the Chinese traditional school and the Western bel canto school and win the highest international awards. She impresses her audience with her clear, pure and sweet tone colour and vocal techniques, delivered with a commanding presence and versatile, flexible presentations that show off how easily she can shift between her Chinese and Western vocal repertoires. She has therefore been described as 'the nightingale that sings songs of the East and the West'.
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Wu has won many awards in national and international vocal competitions, including first prize in the 8th International Vocal Competition held in Bilbao, Spain and second prize in the vocal section of the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition held in 2002.
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Her highly successful performances in China and other parts of the world have won her critical acclaim and important media coverage, including special features on CCTV in China, Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore and Match du monde in Paris. She is dubbed 'the angel of vocal music from the East' and her singing is described as 'a voice from Heaven'.
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Wu is currently teaching at the China Conservatory.
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Wang Liping
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Wang Liping is a famous composer of Manchu ethnicity. He joined the Junior Programme of the Central Conservatory of Music in 1954 to study piano, and graduated from the Conservatory proper in 1965, reading Composition. He is currently President of the Music Copyright Society of China, Vice President of the Chinese Musicians' Association, Honorary President of the China Film Music Society, and Vice President of the China Music Literature Society.
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Wang began writing music in 1973, and for more than thirty years, he has built a considerable oeuvre of music for film and television. His works are marked by a strong ethnic touch and distinct character. He is a composer-and-lyricist in one, having written many songs that are long-time favourites that appeal to all tastes and all sectors of society. Some of the representative works include the music scored for many television drama series, such as The Dream of the Red Mansions, Xu Beihong, Li Dazhao, Burning of the Royal Palace, The Rebel in the House etc.. The songs he wrote for films and television include On Sun Island, Camel Bells, The Shepherd's Song, The Sea My Home, Fly! Pigeons, Ode to Taixing Mountain, Stories from a Scholar's Studio etc..
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Allegro Singers
Barbara Fei,
Music Director & Conductor
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The Allegro Singers is a non-profitmaking organization founded in 1964 by Miss Barbara Fei. Its aims are to cultivate music talents in the younger generation, to raise the standard of individual singers through choral singing and to promote music activities in Hong Kong.
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The choir has a wide-ranging repertoire which embraces western classical music, Chinese art songs and folksongs as well as folksongs from other parts of the world. Over the years, the choir has given over a hundred concerts, including concert tours to Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, etc and appeared on radio, television, charity concerts, Christmas concerts and student concerts.
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