In Defense of "The First Emperor"
I remember when I was just a little lad in China in the 80s, there was only one television channel on our black and white television; since it was controlled, owned, and operated by the state, it was pretty boring. The only time when it was remotely exciting was during major holidays like Chinese New Years or the Mid-Autumn Festival, when it would broadcast these 3-4 hours long extravaganzas (you can still find them on the China Central Television station, but now competing with hipper and cooler holiday extravaganzas from Hong Kong or Taiwan), featuring acrobats to ensemble dance numbers, similar to the ones that used to be a common occurrence a decade ago during the Cultural Revolution but with a happier post-dance party. Integral to every extravaganza were “folk” songs, with tunes selected from one of China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic minorities and beefed up with Western orchestration, always sung to words giving praises to the Party, Chairman Mao, or the New China. Though ethnic instruments (like the rawap and tanbur) were sometimes added to the orchestration, and special regional vocalization was used to enhance the “exotic” quality of the songs; none of these was actually new or innovative. For example, the inclusion of konghou into the orchestration is nothing exotic at all, since it was transmitted to the court of China right before the Wei. In general, the vocal writing was lyrical, melismatic, operatic (both Western - using the chest voice and the way notes were projected, and Chinese, in terms of the structure and embellishment), and at the same time evoke countryside farm songs (especially in the farming villages along the Yellow River; for a good example of this kind of song and singing, go rent the “Red Sorghum” by Zhang Yimou, who also directed this opera).
It is this kind of singing and song style, I think, that was in the back of his mind when he was composing "The First Emperor"’s vocal music, regardless of what Tan Dun saw at the Met in these past years. In fact, the connection goes beyond the vocal music. The so-called “Puccinian” moments in the opera, when the full orchestra plays these romantic, sweeping melodies is less of an influence from Puccini than from the orchestral music of the early Twentieth Century China, which I am sure he would have heard in the Academy. The most apt comparison that comes to my mind (and to my ears) is the famous Yellow River Cantata written in 1939. If one is reminded of “Turandot,” as some have insisted, keep in mind that Puccini had borrowed authentic Chinese melodies for his Oritental opera.
Despite what Tan Dun said in the interview during the intermission, this IS a Chinese opera. In fact, the English words are so awkwardly matched with the music that I really wish they would sing them in Chinese. English, being a language that does not have distinct syllabic divisions, cannot handle extreme melisma or prolong ornamentation on each syllable without disintegrating into mere noise. The type of singing in the opera, specifically the long, oscillating embellishment is typically of most Chinese opera, regardless of regional differences. To try to make this work with English is simple mad. Of course the words are incomprehensible.
Furthermore, the highly figurative language is completely lost to an audience who needs explaining who Qinchihuangdi was. Things like the standardization of the script is not trivial (though perhaps not very dramatic), but extremely important if one realizes that a variation of that script is still being used by more than 1/6 of the world. Or that biting off one’s tongue is not just a dramatic ploy and kind of funny, but it is one of the most dignifying deaths to ancient heroes, and also, it is a reference to the chapter on the Virtuous Assassinates from the “Record of the Grand Historian” by Sima Qian, a source for the opera.
Everything about this opera is very Chinese (well, except for the costumes), and as a result the “Western influences” are forced into minor roles, like making to small musical gestures to Cage, Strauss, and Stravinsky, or to stupid plot details like leaving your virgin daughter alone with a man in a bedchamber.
Even though I heard people sobbed at the death of Yueyang in the theater, the emotion of the opera is hardly believable. This is not Versimo. Like a Peking opera, the gestures and movements are stylized, and the plot is contrived. Like a Peking opera, the whole thing seems like nothing more than a bunch of characters in colorful costumes and makeups parading on stage. At least in a Peking opera there would be a lot more physical action. No, you don’t go to this opera to cry, or even to be entertained. You go to this opera to be immersed in the glorious music and the stunning visuals, just like a grand opera. Why do I sit through an hour long of three blind old women moving in a circle on stage with yarns? So I can get to the glorious Immolation with the flames, the ravens, the horse, the soprano, and the exhilarating music. Really, if you can sit through 6 hours of Tristan und Isolde, an opera with just as little action and sumptuous music, you can sit through a 3.5 hour long of this (I do confess a little David Hockney helped).
To the people who made accusations about the music, I just want to share with them some of the more memorable moments of the opera. Of course, the “Va Pensiero”-like anthem, the stunning sex scene with those things with the bow, visually and musically (I <3 “kissing soup”), the trio with zheng and two harps, and the exposition (though a bit long).
I kind of wished that Tan Dun would've used more authentic instruments aside from these exotic Cagian inventions of his, though I do love them and they add a lot to the music. For example, he really should’ve use a set of bianzhong bronze bells, like the ones used in the Symphony 1997: Heaven Earth Mankind (though I am sure China would not let a set of 2500 year old National Treasure out of the country), or a set of stone chimes. I think they would add a lot to the authenticity of the exposition, since they were commonly used in rituals, as recorded by the Book of Ritual. And why the hell are they using the zheng with feitian motifs?!
It is this kind of singing and song style, I think, that was in the back of his mind when he was composing "The First Emperor"’s vocal music, regardless of what Tan Dun saw at the Met in these past years. In fact, the connection goes beyond the vocal music. The so-called “Puccinian” moments in the opera, when the full orchestra plays these romantic, sweeping melodies is less of an influence from Puccini than from the orchestral music of the early Twentieth Century China, which I am sure he would have heard in the Academy. The most apt comparison that comes to my mind (and to my ears) is the famous Yellow River Cantata written in 1939. If one is reminded of “Turandot,” as some have insisted, keep in mind that Puccini had borrowed authentic Chinese melodies for his Oritental opera.
Despite what Tan Dun said in the interview during the intermission, this IS a Chinese opera. In fact, the English words are so awkwardly matched with the music that I really wish they would sing them in Chinese. English, being a language that does not have distinct syllabic divisions, cannot handle extreme melisma or prolong ornamentation on each syllable without disintegrating into mere noise. The type of singing in the opera, specifically the long, oscillating embellishment is typically of most Chinese opera, regardless of regional differences. To try to make this work with English is simple mad. Of course the words are incomprehensible.
Furthermore, the highly figurative language is completely lost to an audience who needs explaining who Qinchihuangdi was. Things like the standardization of the script is not trivial (though perhaps not very dramatic), but extremely important if one realizes that a variation of that script is still being used by more than 1/6 of the world. Or that biting off one’s tongue is not just a dramatic ploy and kind of funny, but it is one of the most dignifying deaths to ancient heroes, and also, it is a reference to the chapter on the Virtuous Assassinates from the “Record of the Grand Historian” by Sima Qian, a source for the opera.
Everything about this opera is very Chinese (well, except for the costumes), and as a result the “Western influences” are forced into minor roles, like making to small musical gestures to Cage, Strauss, and Stravinsky, or to stupid plot details like leaving your virgin daughter alone with a man in a bedchamber.
Even though I heard people sobbed at the death of Yueyang in the theater, the emotion of the opera is hardly believable. This is not Versimo. Like a Peking opera, the gestures and movements are stylized, and the plot is contrived. Like a Peking opera, the whole thing seems like nothing more than a bunch of characters in colorful costumes and makeups parading on stage. At least in a Peking opera there would be a lot more physical action. No, you don’t go to this opera to cry, or even to be entertained. You go to this opera to be immersed in the glorious music and the stunning visuals, just like a grand opera. Why do I sit through an hour long of three blind old women moving in a circle on stage with yarns? So I can get to the glorious Immolation with the flames, the ravens, the horse, the soprano, and the exhilarating music. Really, if you can sit through 6 hours of Tristan und Isolde, an opera with just as little action and sumptuous music, you can sit through a 3.5 hour long of this (I do confess a little David Hockney helped).
To the people who made accusations about the music, I just want to share with them some of the more memorable moments of the opera. Of course, the “Va Pensiero”-like anthem, the stunning sex scene with those things with the bow, visually and musically (I <3 “kissing soup”), the trio with zheng and two harps, and the exposition (though a bit long).
I kind of wished that Tan Dun would've used more authentic instruments aside from these exotic Cagian inventions of his, though I do love them and they add a lot to the music. For example, he really should’ve use a set of bianzhong bronze bells, like the ones used in the Symphony 1997: Heaven Earth Mankind (though I am sure China would not let a set of 2500 year old National Treasure out of the country), or a set of stone chimes. I think they would add a lot to the authenticity of the exposition, since they were commonly used in rituals, as recorded by the Book of Ritual. And why the hell are they using the zheng with feitian motifs?!