'The World Emperor' Returns To Met Opera 5/10

 Composer Tan Dun's epic opera The First Emperor, which had its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera last season, returns to the stage on Saturday, May 10, for the first of three performances.  Inspired by the musical languages of both East and West, The First Emperor weaves A Tale of friendship, love, and betrayal around the visionary but brutal historical leader who unified ancient China and began construction of the Great Wall in the third century BCE.  Legendary tenor Plácido Domingo reprises his acclaimed portrayal of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor.  Tan Dun, who co-wrote the English-language libretto with award-winning Chinese novelist Ha Jin, returns to conduct.

The cast – all of whom performed in the opera last season during its sold-out run – includes soprano Sarah Coburn as Emperor Qin's daughter, Princess Yueyang; tenor Paul Groves as the Emperor's childhood friend Gao Jianli, a composer whom he imprisons and forces to create an anthem for the glory of the empire; mezzo-soprano Ning Liang as the Shaman; mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer as the Mother of Yueyang; Chinese baritone Haijing Fu as the Chief Minister; Chinese bass Hao Jiang Tian as General Wang; and Peking Opera performer Wu Hsing-Kuo as the Yin-Yang Master.

The production is by film director Zhang Yimou, with set designs by Fan Yue, costume designs by Emi Wada, and lighting designs by Duane Schuler. Wang Chaoge co-directed the original staging and Dou Dou Huang is the choreographer as well as the solo dancer. Peter McClintock is stage director for the revival.

 Tan Dun has made revisions to the work since its premiere last season. The composer says, "I had three essential aims in mind when making changes to The First Emperor. To begin with, I wanted to enlarge the traditional Chinese elements: the Peking Opera-style scenes and the character of the Shaman. Secondly, I aimed to make the story more cinematic, more sensual, particularly the love scene where  Princess Yueyang  regains the use of her legs. And, finally, I emphasized the world of the emperor's family in the context of the geo-political drama. To accomplish this, I added an aria for Yueyang's mother in which she goes right to the heart of the emperor's dilemma.  She sings 'You have power again, but I have lost my daughter.  You will conquer the world, but you will lose your humanity.'  I feel that the color, philosophy, and story are in much better balance."  Numerous passages throughout the score have been altered, reducing the total length of the work by approximately 20 minutes.

The title character of  The First Emperor was Plácido Domingo's first world premiere role at the Met.  The company will celebrate the 40th anniversary of  Domingo's Met debut as part of the 125th Anniversary Gala on March 15, 2009.

The First Emperor will be carried live on the Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Channel 85) on May 14.

The Met: Live in HD The First Emperor will be released on DVD this fall to coincide with the start of the Met's 2008-09 season.
 
Historical Background of The First Emperor

The First Emperor is based on Historical Records by Sima Qian (c. 145 – c. 85 BCE) and on The Legend of the Bloody Zheng, a screenplay by Lu Wei. In 221 BCE, the ruler of Qin, a western province, united the warring states of China for the first time and proclaimed himself emperor, taking the name Shi Huangdi, or "first emperor."  As founder of the Qin Dynasty (221 BCE – 206 BCE), this controversial figure established the basis for the Chinese empire that would survive for 2,000 years.  Among his accomplishments were beginning the construction of the Great Wall to keep out invasions from the north; the standardization of writing, weights and measures, and currency; and a system of roads and fortifications.  Ruthless with adversaries, he notoriously ordered the burning of all books from previous regimes.

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company's repertory.  The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world.

The Met's current 2007-08 season boasts seven new productions, the most new productions the Met has presented in one season in 40 years. The Metropolitan Opera's 2008-09 season pays tribute to the company's extraordinary history on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, while also emphasizing the Met's renewed commitment to advancing the art form. The upcoming season includes six new productions, 18 revivals, the final performances of Otto Schenk's production of Wagner's Ring cycle, conducted by Levine, and two gala celebrations.

The company's groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York's Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), provides renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. The Met's partnership with LCT is part of the company's larger initiative to commission new operas from contemporary composers, present modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, and provide a venue for artists to nurture their work. Upcoming seasons include new productions of John Adams's Doctor Atomic (2008-09), John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles (2009-10), and Thomas Adčs's The Tempest (2011-12).

Building on its 76-year-old international radio broadcast history – heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network – the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world.  The Met: Live in HD, the company's series of live performance transmissions, shown in high definition (HD) in movie theaters around the world, expanded from six to eight opera transmissions in 2007-08 and includes distribution in New York City public schools. Global distribution of the series tripled this season, reaching over 600 participating venues in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. These performances began airing on PBS in March 2008, and a selection of these HD performances will be available on DVD. The Met's 2008-09 The Met: Live in HD series will expand from eight to eleven transmissions and will begin with the Opening Night gala featuring Renée Fleming on September 22.

Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Channel 85) is a subscription-based audio service broadcasting both live and rare historical performances.  In addition to providing audio recordings through the new Met on Rhapsody on-demand service, the company also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.

The Met has recently launched several audience development initiatives, such as Open House dress rehearsals, the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met, reduced ticket prices—including an immensely popular new rush ticket program, and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families.