Weir: A Night At The Chinese Opera

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Act One

2. Act Two

3. Act One, Scene 2: Sextet

4. Act One, Scene 2: Mrs Chin's Peroration

5. Act One, Scene 3: Kite, In Moto Perpetuo

6. Act One, Scene 4: Aria, With Rising Floodwaters

7. Act One, Scene 5: Chansonette

8. Act One, Scene 5: Seven-part Motet

9. Act One, Scene 6: Finale

10. Act Two: A Performance Of The Chao Family Orphan: The Wedge (Or Prld)

See all 15 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2

1. Act Three

2. Act Three. Scene 1: Prisoners' Chor

3. Act Three. Scene 2: Misterioso

4. Act Three. Scene 3: The Ascent

5. Act Three. Scene 4: Scena

6. Act Three. Scene 5: Nocturne

7. Act Three. Scene 6: Finale

Weir: A Night At The Chinese Opera, Music, Karl Daymond, Michael George, Judith Weir, Andrew Parrott, Michael Chance, Frances McCafferty, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Adrian Thompson, Timothy Robinson, Classical, Classical Music, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan

a late twentieth century operatic jewel

Weir: A Night At The Chinese Opera

Manufacturer: Nmc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000056TA0
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

Act One
Act Two
Act One, Scene 2: Sextet
Act One, Scene 2: Mrs Chin's Peroration
Act One, Scene 3: Kite, In Moto Perpetuo
Act One, Scene 4: Aria, With Rising Floodwaters
Act One, Scene 5: Chansonette
Act One, Scene 5: Seven-part Motet
Act One, Scene 6: Finale
Act Two: A Performance Of The Chao Family Orphan: The Wedge (Or Prld)
Act Two: First Act Of The Orphan
Act Two: Second Act Of The Orphan
Act Two: Third Act Of The Orphan
Act Two: Fourth Act Of The Orphan
Act Two. Coda: Earthquake

Tracks:

Act Three
Act Three. Scene 1: Prisoners' Chor
Act Three. Scene 2: Misterioso
Act Three. Scene 3: The Ascent
Act Three. Scene 4: Scena
Act Three. Scene 5: Nocturne
Act Three. Scene 6: Finale

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-11-26

A Night at the Chinese Opera was Judith Weir's first full-length work for the stage. Commissioned by the BBC for Kent Opera, it was performed first at the Cheltenham Festival on July 8,1987. The story (somewhat altered) was taken from the 14th century Chinese play 'The Chao Family Orphan' by Chi Chunhsiang; it is about a loyal subject of the emperor falsely accused of treason by a wicked General; he commits suicide and his child is, unbeknownst to both, adopted by the accuser; the child grows up, discovers the truth and exacts revenge.
Weir, writing her own libretto,weaves an indissoluble texture of words and notes, and ensures that, inspite of her exuberant instrumentation that the words are always audible. Of course, having a good cast helps, and this play does have an excellent group of singers-actors. Her mixture of straight speech,pitched and rhythmic speech is well put-together and quite understandable.
Much of the 'Chinese Opera' is funny,but it is the humour of the raised eyebrow. Even so the topic is profoundly serious. Tyranny, and how to resist it-the story of the late and lamented 20th century.
I must admit that my appreciation of this production is not at a high level; I really don't think there is a great deal of melodious sections in the music. However, every now and then a lovely melody comes forth. So perhaps further listening will increase my appreciation. As for the cast, Michael Chance (countertenor) and Michael George are the only 2 people I have previously encountered.

a late twentieth century operatic jewel.......2001-12-07

This opera had a brilliantly successful initial run of performances in the UK in 1987, and came to Santa Fe shortly after, where its detached irony, musical economy and theatrical sleight of hand did not seem to go down so well. This CD from a single live concert performance in 2000 will hopefully win more admirers for this singular work. A complex scenario based on the 14th century Chinese play 'The Chao Family Orphan'(the first Chinese play to reach the West, and was later adapted by Voltaire). It tells the story of Chao-Lin who grows up under the Mongolian regime of Khubilai Khan, and finds out that his protector is the slaughterer of his family - what is fascinating is that Judith Weir (fashioning her own libretto) makes the centrepiece of the opera a performance of the original play (banned under the Mongolian regime)- complete with affectionate parodies of westernized Chinese music and a stand up comedy aspect (hence the Marx Brothers allusion in the title) which enlightens the lead character to the mystery of his upbringing.

The music has been described as minimalist or post-modern, but its great strength is its clarity and simplicity, that enables the multi-layered events to register clearly. The vocal writing is very assured and individual, with some very catchy folk-like melodic lines, and the word-setting is exemplary - almost every word is audible. The orchestral writing for small orchestra is very striking, lots of memorable primary colours, fabulous woodwind riffs and a very original use of tonality - occasional shades of Messiaen, Britten, Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim and Ligeti flit through, but the brew is incredibly original and distinctive. The outer acts contain the musical meat, the 2nd being mainly a play with instrumental accompaniment, with fun parodies of Chinese Opera. Much of the opera is light-hearted and witty, but the subjects it raises, progress versus ecology, the nature of tyranny, the power of theatre under absolutist regimes are essential to any age, and the mixture is at once entertaining and disturbing. Certainly its theatrical assurance runs rings around most other perhaps more prominently lauded recent contemporary operas, and it occupies a middle ground between the inaccessible post avant-garde music theatre cocktail favoured perhaps in Europe, and the podgier sort of secondhand neo-romantic brew that seems to be in vogue in the US at the moment.

The performance is fine, the mixture of singers and singer-actors cope well with the whirlwind demands, and the characterization is acute. Orchestrally all goes well too, the odd slip notwithstanding. Recording is very clear with some evidence of audience noise (yes, peals of laughter in a contemporary opera - imagine that!!).

Check this out, it deserves to be heard.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

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ReR Quarterly, Vol. 2

1. Act One
2. Act Two
3. Act One, Scene 2: Sextet
4. Act One, Scene 2: Mrs Chin's Peroration
5. Act One, Scene 3: Kite, In Moto Perpetuo
6. Act One, Scene 4: Aria, With Rising Floodwaters
7. Act One, Scene 5: Chansonette
8. Act One, Scene 5: Seven-part Motet
9. Act One, Scene 6: Finale
10. Act Two: A Performance Of The Chao Family Orphan: The Wedge (Or Prld)

1. Act Three
2. Act Three. Scene 1: Prisoners' Chor
3. Act Three. Scene 2: Misterioso
4. Act Three. Scene 3: The Ascent
5. Act Three. Scene 4: Scena
6. Act Three. Scene 5: Nocturne
7. Act Three. Scene 6: Finale