Nature's delicate balance
Groundbreaking opera examines a journalist's challenges in protecting the Tibetan antelope, calling out to audiences to value the wild, Chen Nan reports.
"At its heart, the opera is a celebration of life and an urgent call to protect what is still wild in the world," says Shi, who has crafted an experience where the animals are as much the protagonists as the human characters in the opera.
"The Tibetan antelopes are not mere background — they are the soul of this story," Shi adds. "Their lives and struggles mirror the struggles of all living beings who fight for survival in a world that often forgets the value of nature."
The opera makes innovative use of puppetry to represent Tibetan antelopes, eagles, and other creatures, to give them realistic movement and life. These puppets are imbued with a sense of humanity, capturing the grace, vulnerability, and strength of the animals they portray. The antelopes, with their elegant, fragile forms, become symbols of nature's delicate balance: vulnerable yet resilient, endangered yet capable of inspiring profound change, according to the director.
Composed by Laozai, the opera's music blends traditional Tibetan melodies with Western operatic techniques to create a unique and evocative soundscape. This blend of styles not only reflects the cultural richness of the region but also amplifies the production's emotional depth.
"I read many stories and watched many documentaries on Hoh Xil. For this opera, I used the music of Tibetan folk songs and local musical instruments, such as the dragonhead zither. I want to take the audience into the raw beauty and harsh realities of life in Hoh Xil through the music," says Laozai, whose real name is Wu Liqun and is known for his scores for the Chinese movie, Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, by director Lu Chuan. The movie, based on a true story, focuses on a volunteer patrol of civilians striving to protect the Tibetan antelope.
The star-studded cast includes tenors Li Shuang and Bian Jiaping and sopranos You Hongfei and Ruan Yuchun. Under the baton of conductor Yang Yang, the music captures the depth and complexity of the story, delivering an unforgettable emotional impact.
The script, written by Li Yukun, weaves Tibetan elements into the narrative, incorporating the Tibetan ethnic group's greetings, prayer rituals, and reverence for sacred mountains. These cultural symbols ground the story in a belief system that promotes ecological balance and the interconnectedness of all living things.
