Opera brings Song-era splendor to modern stage

"Opera is not just a tool for telling a story — it's an art of magnifying emotion," said director Jiang Weiguo, who rebuilt the stage language with the visual poise of Song-era art. His production infuses every gesture with the elegance of Song Dynasty painting, lifting a beloved TV drama into a work of universal artistic resonance.

Under the baton of conductor Zhang Chengjie, the Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra was joined by the rolling finger techniques of the pipa — not merely a layering of instruments, but a carefully crafted "sonic experience" by composer Lyu Liang, who also created the TV drama's original soundtrack.