The recent premieres of two major opera productions in Shanghai have underscored audiences' growing enthusiasm for classic opera while highlighting the city's emergence as an international hub for opera creation and production.
From April 24 to 26, a new production of Richard Wagner's Die Walkure premiered at Shanghai Grand Theatre under the direction of Katharina Wagner, great-granddaughter of the composer and artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival, one of the world's most prestigious Wagner festivals.
The opera is the second installment of the Bayreuth in Shanghai Three-Year Opera Project, which will stage three major Wagner works — Tristan and Isolde, Die Walkure and Tannhauser — between 2025 and 2027.
Featuring a stage design inspired by video-game aesthetics, the production seeks to attract younger audiences by presenting the characters as players in The Ring Game. The physically demanding staging requires performers to climb structures as high as nine meters while maintaining vocal control throughout the five-hour opera.
Die Walkure, the second part of Wagner's monumental Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle, is conductor Xu Zhong's favorite Wagner opera.
"From the theatrical, musical and character perspectives, Die Walkure is my favorite as a conductor," says Xu, who also serves as artistic director of Shanghai Opera House. "The complex emotional dynamics among the characters provide immense space for collaboration between singers and orchestra."
According to Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of Shanghai Grand Theatre, the production signals a broader shift from being primarily a performance venue to becoming a center for opera creation and production.
The Bayreuth in Shanghai project was realized because the German festival is "optimistic about Shanghai", she says, "from the city's cultural temperament to the audience's familiarity with classical music, they believe the future opera market lies in China, in Shanghai".
At the same time, Shanghai Opera House staged three sold-out performances of Giacomo Puccini's Turandot at Shangyin Opera House to commemorate the centenary of the opera's premiere in Italy.
According to Zhang Qingxin, vice-president of Shanghai Opera House, even additional temporary seats sold out a week before opening night.
"I never expected this could happen with opera performances here," says Shi Yijie, president of Shanghai Opera House.
"It's just a coincidence that two big opera productions are staged in the city at the same time," he tells the media before the premiere. "I was told that both operas are sold out already. This is absolutely beyond expectations."
Such strong box-office performance not only confirms Shanghai audiences' passion for classic opera, but also reflects that high-quality coproductions between China and foreign countries are becoming an important driving force for the city's cultural vitality, he says.
The new Turandot retained the stage design created by Roberto Ando for the 2018 production and featured tenors and sopranos from China, Italy and Norway.
Director Marco Gandini describes the production as especially meaningful because the opera's story is set in China.
This is the fifth time Gandini has created a production of Turandot. "I brought together all the experience and knowledge I've gained over 40 years of opera production around the world," he says, praising the dynamic stage performance, passionate acting and depth of the interpretation.
