Bringing Henan's music scene to the hilt

Some 20 years ago at Beijing's Poly Theatre, tenor Dai Yuqiang starred as Alfredo Germont in La Traviata alongside soprano Yao Hong as Violetta Valery.

Zhengzhou University's Henan Conservatory of Music, where Dai serves as the dean, the Henan Art Center and Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co jointly produced a version of the classic opera last year, marking the first Western opera produced in Henan province.

From Nov 20 to 29, 10 consecutive performances were hosted in Zhengzhou, Henan's capital city. According to official statistics, the performances attracted nearly 20,000 audience members and 40 percent came from outside the province. All performances were streamed online, reaching more than 10 million views.

The Henan production of La Traviata will revive its performances in Beijing at the Poly Theatre from April 30 to May 3.

"A new generation of Violetta and Alfredo will take the stage, the same one we performed some 20 years ago, while we move backstage to support them. I think this represents a true artistic inheritance," Dai says.

In 1956, the classic opera composed by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi and based on French writer Alexandre Dumas fils's The Lady of the Camellias, was the first Western opera staged in China after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The tragic love story tells of courtesan Violetta Valery, who is forced to give up her love for nobleman Alfredo Germont under societal pressure. When the misunderstandings are resolved, the two reunite only briefly before Violetta dies of illness.

"As the first Western opera created and produced in Henan, we've also chosen La Traviata in hopes of faithfully reproducing this classic opera within our capabilities and establishing a preliminary impression of operatic art for our audience," Dai says.

According to him, the team has several main objectives in undertaking this project — facilitating the development of Henan's local music scene, cultivating talent and providing shows for opera lovers.

"First, as we build our conservatory, a beneficial environment is required. Just as a person or a tree needs a suitable environment to grow, we need to create a music environment for our students," Dai says.

Of the 200-plus-person cast, 90 percent are local artists. The Henan Symphony Orchestra provides live accompaniment and the Zaiyu Choir provides the singing. Many of the principal members of the orchestra and choir are faculty and students from the conservatory.

The Zaiyu Choir was established last September under the conservatory's guidance and is run by Henan Poly Art Center Management. Since many members lacked experience in large-scale productions, Dai encouraged them by sharing the methods he used in his early years and divided the choir into small groups, each led by an instructor to teach them the Italian lyrics and practice the songs.

"It was a tough process, but we are happy with the outcome. This is an important part of education: instilling confidence in the students and knowing they are capable," he says.

Through this initiative, Dai also hopes to cultivate musical talent while providing platforms for young opera singers in order to boost the development of the entire opera scene.

"La Traviata is the first attempt. Later, we will bring many more productions. We have a professional responsibility to provide better productions for opera enthusiasts in Central China and beyond," he adds.

He describes this production as a "youth version" of the classic opera, as the average age of the cast is under 30. Yet many of these young Chinese opera singers, such as soprano Dai Ziyi and tenor Zhang Long, are already active on the international stage.

Dai Ziyi says she wanted to play Violetta since she was in high school. Despite loving the opera, she felt her age and vocal ability were inadequate for the role.

"Now that I'm approaching my 30s, it feels like the right time to tackle this role. It's very challenging with many coloratura passages and extremely high notes. Without reaching a certain level of maturity and skill, it's impossible to perform this role properly," says the 29-year-old soprano.

To prepare herself for the role, she hosted a solo concert in Zhengzhou, for which she learned the aria "Sempre libera" from La Traviata.

"That was my first attempt at this character, but my understanding was superficial. It was through rehearsing the entire opera that I truly understood the role," she says.

"This character is a strong female figure. She is so noble, sacrificing her own happiness for others' sake. Few could match her selflessness and devotion. In my mind, she's an angel."

She says that her understanding of and empathy for the role deepened as rehearsals progressed, with the expert direction given by the production team and excellent scene partners who helped one another immerse in the characters.

Li Zhongdang, composer and deputy head of the China Musicians Association's chorus alliance, says that he and other local Henan musicians have long been calling for the establishment of a professional music conservatory in the province.

The Henan Conservatory of Music was finally established in 2022. While it is still part of Zhengzhou University, he has a vision that the conservatory will soon become an independent institution, cultivating music professionals for the province.

"Since its founding, despite the short time frame, the Henan music scene has gone through great changes, especially in music education and the integrated development of education and performance," Li says.

Before La Traviata, Dai Yuqiang was working on a concert that compiled excerpts from original Chinese opera productions. Li says that the concert toured universities within the province with almost 20 performances, providing platforms for young opera singers, students and teachers from the conservatory.

"The creation and performance of La Traviata play a pioneering role in advancing Henan's music scene, particularly in the opera realm. I hope that musicians will produce more original works, especially those that reflect our ethnic music traditions. I have high expectations for this," he adds.