The Bottom Line
Pros
- Music by Academy Award Winner, Tan Dun - famous for his score in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
- Flawless design, lighting, costumes, and performers
- A new class of music - East meets West
- Directed by the famous, Zhang Yimou - known for his work in Hero and Raise the Red Lantern
- A classic story befitting the opera stage
Cons
- I would have loved for it to be sung in Chinese instead of English, but that's hardly a con!
- Unlike the first half, the second tends to drag
Description
- Music by Tan Dun
- Directed by Zhang Yimou
- Libretto by Ha Jin and Tan Dun
Guide Review - Tan Dun - The First Emperor
Centered on China's first Emperor, Emperor Qin (known for his brutality in unifying China), The First Emperor tells the story of his quest to have China's first national anthem composed. However, as fortune would have it, love and betrayal stand in the way.
The Stage, Lighting, and Costumes
The stage design was unusual. Unlike other Met productions with multiple stage settings, The First Emperors's only setting was a 25,000 pound aluminium open staircase with stones suspended from 600+ ropes, symbolizing the Great Wall of China. Although it lacked the grandeur of sets like Tosca or Turandot, its originality and superb lighting made up for the lack thereof. The costumes were designed by Emi Wada, who won an Oscar for her work in the 1986 movie Ran. Over the course of a year and a half, Wada designed over 600 costumes. The time and effort involved was evident all the way down to the smallest details on each garment. The quality of Wada's work was apparent in the opening act.
The Performance
First off, hats off to the chorus as they played a major role in this opera. Secondly, the orchestra played phenomenally. As for the title roles, what more could you expect from the Met? If you closed your eyes while listening to Placido Domingo you'd swear you were listening to a man no older than 45! His voice is as vibrant today as it was 20 years ago. Soprano, Elizabeth Futral sang with clarity and conviction. Her high notes were flawless and her control was amazing. Tenor, Paul Groves gave an unwavering performance. His voice was full of warmth and body. As a whole, the entire cast, from stage hands to leading roles, was well rehearsed and prepared for this exciting new opera.
