Peking University, March 10, 2017: On the evening of 10th March, Peking University Hall witnessed a gorgeous Kunqu opera: the new version of Bailuoshan, whose nationwide tour started here. It was so popular that tickets were sold out within half an hour and many opera experts and audience were attracted.
Since the new version of the Peony Paviliongained great success in PKU 12 years ago, Bai Xianyong, the famous writer and also ”Volunteer for Kunqu”, started to work on adapting Bailuoshan and set PKU as the first stop of its tour.
Different from most well-known Kunqu repertories, Bailuoshan narrated the life experience of Xu Jizu, the main character, instead of telling a romantic story. The opera dramatized his struggle between love and hatred, meeting the obligation of being an official and being a son, when he found out that his father Xu Neng was the murderer of his biological parents. And the most impressive point lies in the adapted ending of this opera, which focused on the conflict between law and morality, nature and ethicality. Different from the original version where Xu Neng was sentenced to death by Xu Jizu, the new version ends with Xu Neng’s suicide. It is this ending that made the new version stand out of the previous one and earned recognition and a flood of favorable comments.
Ji Guoping, Vice President of China Theater Association, recognized the creative adaption of its ending. He thought the adaption is more suitable to show contemporary persons’ choice when facing the same situation, and will build up its popularity and makes it more touching. Tian Qing, pre-chairman of Music Institute of Chinese National Academy of Arts, highly praised the adaption for making a good remedy for classic version on its weakness of drawing a clear line between black and white. Xu Jizu’s mental struggles and hesitation show the true humanity. He called this new version “the third milestone in Kunqu”. Wang Kui, director of Academy Committee of National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, recalled the development of Kunqu from the Peony Pavilio to today’s Bailuoshan, and firmly believed in its prosperity in the future.
Yue Meiti, famous Kunqu artist who gave art direction to this opera, commented that the opera wouldn’t achieve such great success without efforts of the entire team. It is encouragement, persistence and teamwork that created this special and meaningful Bailuoshan.
Written by: Su Lan
Edited by: Yan Shengnan
