Russian opera makes a comeback

Chinese fans have had their fill of the Italians-now the Russians are coming, bringing one of the country's classics to the Beijing stage. Chen Jie reports.

Chinese opera fans have watched enough Verdi and Puccini in recent years, and the producers of the National Center for the Performing Arts believe the time is right for Russian operas to make a comeback. Eugene Onegin, a co-production between Mariinsky Theater and the NCPA, will mark the opening of a three-month opera festival on March 14. Valery Gergiev will conduct the NCPA orchestra and choir. The Russian cast will perform on the opening night, the Chinese cast will perform on March 17 and a mixed cast will perform on March 15 and 16. "NCPA has tried to present a variety of operas since its opening in 2007, from the popular Carmen and Turandot to Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. Russian opera is not familiar to local audiences. People know Tchaikovsky's ballet but not his opera," NCPA's production director Wei Lanfen says.

She says the production is a challenge not only for the audience but also the performers because over the past 30 years Chinese conservatories seldom taught Russian operas.