Western opera in Chinese

List of works#

The following includes some operas which are considered closer to the Chinese opera traditional model than geju or western opera.

Experimental period, 1945-1956#

• 1945 - Ma Ke et al. White-Haired Girl at Yan’an Lu Xun Art Academy After founding of the PRC, 1949:
• 1954 - Chen Zi, Mao Yuan and Ge Guangrui: Liu Hulan 《刘胡兰》 Central Experimental Xin-geju Academy, Beijing
• • Ma Ke: Xiao’erhei jiehun
• 1955 - Luo Zongxian: Caoyuan zhi ge 《草原之歌》 “Song of the Prairies”

Second wave, 1956-1966#

A second wave followed National Music Week, 1956, which lasted till the last geju Ayiguli in 1966 on the eve of the Cultural Revolution. * 1956 - Chen Zi and Liang Kexiang: Spring Blossoms Yingchunhua kaile (libretto by Lu Cang, Wang Lie) * 1956 - Du Yu: Mongolian themed folk opera The Gada plum blossoms based on the Mongolian folk song Gada meilin * 1958 - Zhang Rui: Rosy Clouds Hong xia (libretto by Shi Han) * 1958 - Shu Tiemin and Ceng Fangke: The Red-cloud Cliff Hongyun ya (libretto by Liang Shangquan, Lu Peng, Jiang Shengtao, Su Mei) * 1958 - Zhang Dinghe: The Tale of Huai Yin Huai Yin ji (libretto by Lu Su, Huang Cengjiu, Guan Taiping) * 1959 - Zhang Jing’an: Honghu Chiweidui “Red Guards of Lake Hong Hu”, Wuhan * 1959 - Shi Lemeng: Two Women of the Red Army Liangge nv hongjun (libretto by Chen Qitong) * 1959 - Zhuang Ying and Lu Ming: Keshan hong ri “Red Sun over Mount Ke” PLA Opera Troupe * 1960 - Wang Xiren and Hu Shiping: Hong Shanhu “Red Coral” libretto by Zhao Zhong, PLA Opera Troupe - also filmed by Wang Shaoyan director of the film Red Coral (1961) * 1960 - Chen Zi and Du Yu: Dou E Yuan based on the play The Grievances of Dou E, also known as “Snow in Summer” * 1960 - Zhang Dinghe and Du Yu: Doushi Ting “The Poem Contest Pavilion” * 1961 - Chen Zi and Du Yu: Chun Lei “Spring Thunder” * 1962 - Zheng Lücheng: Longing for Husband Cloud (libretto by Xu Jiarui) * 1962 - Collective work: Liu Sanjie, filmed as “Third Sister Liu” the same year. * 1964 - Ge Guangrui: Zi you houlai ren “We have our own successors” * 1964 - Zhang Yu: Red Plum-Blossom Ridge Hongmei Ling, film version 1965 * 1964 - Chen Zi: Chunfeng yangliu “Willows in the spring breeze” * 1964 - Yang Ming and Jiang Chunyang: Jiang Jie “Sister Jiang” - libretto by Yan Su * 1965 - Du Yu: Ren huan ma jiao “A busy country scene” * 1966 - Shi Fu and Wusi Manjiang: Ayiguli * 1966 - Mao Yuan and Ma Fei: Nanhai Changcheng “The Great Wall of the South Seas”

1977 onward#

• Flower-Guardian (1979)
• Peng Dehuai Sits on the Sedan Chair (1980)
• 1980 - Wang Shiguang and Cai Kexiang: Di yibai ge xinniang “The Hundredth Bride”
• 1981 - Shi Guangnan: Shangshi “Mourning” - a folk opera based on a story by Lu Xun
• The Youth of Today (1982)
• The Wedding Sonata (1983)
• The Homeland (1984)
• 1983 - Wang Zujie and Zhang Zhuoya: Fangcaoxin “Fangfang, heart of grass”, first performance Nanjing, Frontline Song and Dance Troupe.
• 1987 - Jin Xiang: 原野 The Savage Land based on the play by Cao Yu.
• 1995 - Xu Zhanhai (徐占海 b.1945): Cangyuan “broad grasslands” Liaoning Geju Yuan, Shenyang production
• 2006 - Mo Fan: 雷雨 Thunderstorm (opera) - based on Cao Yu’s play Thunderstorm
• 2008 - Xiao Bai: Farewell My Concubine
• 2009 - Lei Lei: 《西施》Xi Shi to a libretto by Zou Jingzhi
• 2009 - Hao Weiya: 《山村女教师》A Village Teacher
• 2011 - Lei Lei:《赵氏孤儿》The Chinese Orphan
• 2012 - Yin Qing: 《运河谣》Yunheyao “Ballad of Canal”
• 2012 - Xu Zhanhai and others, Diaoyucheng - based on the story of Chongqing’s Diaoyu Fortress
• 2014 - Guo Wenjing :《骆驼祥子》Rickshaw Boy
• 2014 - Lei Lei: 《冰山上的来客》Visitors on the Icy Mountain after the 1963 film
• 2015 - Jin Xiang: 《日出》Sunrise after the 1936 play by Cao Yu
• 2017 - Zhang Qianyi: Lan Huahua
• 2017 - Lei Lei: Jinsha River (opera)
• 2022 - Minning Town
• 2022 - Gustav Mak: 《孔子傳》The Legend of Confucius

Taiwan#

Tenor William Wu (吴文修) directed 《万里长城》The Great Wall with music by Yang Yao-chang (楊耀章) and a libretto by Pi Kuo (碧果). Premiered by the Taiwan Metropolitan Opera (首都歌劇團) 1993, cross-straits production 1995.