Reviving Russian revelry

The Opera Center of the China Central Conservatory will join hands with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory to stage Tchaikovsky's riveting opera Eugene Onegin at the Tianqiao Theater from until Tuesday. The show will close the ninth Central Conservatory Music Festival.

Based on Pushkin's novel, one of the most treasured works of Russian literature, the opera follows the dashing and worldly gentleman Eugene Onegin, who comes to regret his blas rejection of the impressionable country girl Tatyana's love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend Lensky.

The opera was first performed in March 1879 by students of the Moscow Conservatory. Now, artists and students from both the prestigious conservatories will revive the classic production to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"Russian art and literature is world famous. Since the founding of New China, many Chinese, including me, have been sent to learn in Russia," says Guo Shuzhen, renowned Chinese soprano and director of the Opera Center, who studies vocals at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in the 1950s, and is artistic director of the production.

"Although the relationship between the two countries became sensitive in the 1960s and 1970s, cultural exchanges and people-to-people relations continued. Collaboration has been particularly strong in the past three decades, resulting in this production," says Guo.

The show spread over three nights will feature two casts - one all-Russian and the other all-Chinese. But director Nikolai Kuznetsov, from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, promises an opera that is essentially Russian.

"We learned much from the Russian artists who coached us not only in the language but also in Russian traditions and customs to help us understand the story and the characters well," says soprano Ke Luwa, who will sing the leading female role, Tatyana.

Well-known Chinese tenor Deng Xiaojun, founder of the Los Angeles-based American Angel's Vocal Arts Center, also helped coach the young cast and finance the production.

7:30 pm Dec 20-22. 21 Beiwei Lu, Xuanwu district. 5166-1145

宣武区北纬路21号