Opera Nabucco

NCPA's Production of Verdi's Opera Nabucco

NCPA Opera Festival 2013

Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Opera House

Dates: May 22, 2013-May 26, 2013

Duration: approximate 168 mins (intermission included)

Price: VIP/800/700/600/500/300/240/180 RMB

About

Composer: Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto: Temistocle Solera

Conductor: Eugene Kohn

Director: Gilbert Deflo

Set Designer: Ezio Frigerio

Costume Designer: Franca Squarciapino

Lighting Designer: Vinicio Cheli

Chorus: NCPA Chorus

Orchestra: NCPA Orchestra

Nabucco by Placido Domingo/ Vladimir Stoyanov/ Yuan Chenye

Abigaille by Sun Xiuwei/ Elena Pankratova

Zaccaria by Hao Jiang Tian/Kristinn Sigmundsson

Ismaele by Jin Zhengjian/Luciano Ganci

Fenena by Hao Junhua/ Anna Malavasi

High Priest of Baal by Guan Zhijing

Abdallo by Liu Naiqi

Anna by Zhang Jing

Nabucco is the third opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto is based on the biblical story and the French play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue in 1836.

 

Presenter

NCPA Chorus

NCPA Chorus was established in December 8, 2009, whose members are carefully selected from music schools around China. Now the Chorus has Wu Lingfen as the conductor, with many artists well-known in China and abroad giving instructions. Affiliated to NCPA, the highest palace of performing arts in China, the Chorus adheres to NCPA's guiding principles of "for the people, for the arts, and for the world". The Chorus mainly stages operas and concerts, and also takes part in kinds of cultural communication events.

Ever since its establishment, the Chorus has taken part in the performances of the music and dance epic Road to Revive. Then, on May 2nd, 2010, the Chorus presented its debut performance in the Concert Hall of NCPA, and later the "2010 NCPA Opera Festival Concert", "Roam About the Classics - Chorus Classics in the Opera World: China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra and Chorus Concert", the "NCPA Chorus Concert for the Army Day", to name just a few. As a crucial group in the artistic production of NCPA, the Chorus has taken part in and gained critical acclaim from the performances of NCPA's original opera Xi Shi conducted by Chen Zuohuang, French opera Carmen, La Traviata conducted by Lorin Maazel, and L'elisir d'amore conducted by Lu Jia.

The Chorus offers over a hundred performances in 2010 with the highlights including various concerts in the autumn season, performances in the NCPA version of Turandot and NCPA original opera Xi Shi at the end of this year, among others, which would surely contribute to the development of NCPA.

NCPA Orchestra

China NCPA Orchestra was established in March 2010. As the orchestra in residence of the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China, the orchestra performs regularly in NCPA's busy schedule of operas, ballets and concerts to great acclaim. Maestro Lu Jia is the orchestra's Principal Conductor. One of the founders of the orchestra, NCPA's Music Artistic Director, Maestro Chen Zuohuang is honored as the orchestra's Laureate Conductor. The orchestra also engages Singaporean conductor Joshua Kang Ming Tan as the Resident Conductor. The orchestra performs more than a dozen operas and ballets every year, together with about 30 symphonic concerts by the name of China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra.

China NCPA Orchestra keeps an international standard for its arts quality and management. The musicians are from various countries and regions, and most of them have experience from working or studying in Europe or North America. Many artists have worked with this orchestra, including Maestro Lorin Maazel, Maestro Christoph Eschenbach, and soloists such as Stephen Kovacevich, Wang Yuja, Han-Na Chang, Leo Nucci, etc. Maestro Lorin Maazel has appeared with the orchestra in several operas and concerts, in his view it is 'an excellent, hard-working orchestra with great passion.' The orchestra keeps close working relationships with Maestro Maazel and Maestro Eschenbach.

In 2011, China NCPA Orchestra has won acclaim for its performances in NCPA's new productions of Tosca, The Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, and a newly composed opera The Chinese Orphan. At the same time, the orchestra was also deeply involved in NCPA's 2011 Gustav Mahler Cycle. Under the batons of maestros including Christoph Eschenbach, Yoel Levi and Jun Maerkl, the orchestra performed Mahler's Symphonies No. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10. In this year the orchestra has also performed two concerts of contemporary music, with works from Takemitsu, Giya Kancheli, and a group of young Chinese composers. Mr. Kancheli himself attended the concert featuring his work.

Devoted to educational and outreach activities, China NCPA Orchestra has presented a series of Weekend Matinee Concerts since its establishment. With specially selected repertoire, performances of high quality and extremely low ticket prices, these concerts have won great acclaim from both audience and critics.

In 2012, China NCPA Orchestra will perform in NCPA's productions of The Flying Dutchman and Lohengrin. A notable list of artists including Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Roger Norrington, Yan Pascal Tortelier, and Rudolf Buchbinder will perform with the orchestra for the first time, and Maestro Christoph Eschenbach will also return to give multiple concerts. Various tours are also under preparation currently.

NCPA aims to build a world-class orchestra with operation and management conforming to global practices while incorporating Chinese characteristics.

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