Chang'E and the Moon
the opera
One remembers, one forgets….
In the mists of time and legend, Chang’E, Goddess of the Moon, waits to be reunited with her husband, Hou Yi, at the fullness of the moon. Emerging unto herself anew with every cycle, she must come to grips with a love locked in ceaseless eternity: to recall and forget the lover who waits patiently for her.
Chang’E and the Moon, the new full-length chamber opera by Rowen Fox, is an innovative new work which skilfully reinvents the genre in a fusion of classical and contemporary sounds. Inspired by Chinese legend and art, and encompassing musical influences from traditional opera, music-theatre and Chinese classical music, Chang’E and the Moon blurs the lines between theatre and ritual, opera and musical, and between East and West.
Duration: 105 minutes
Chang’E and the Moon premiered in concert at the Sydney Conservatorium Music Workshop on the 27th of February, 2016. It was subsequently presented over two nights on April 1st & 2nd, 2016 with limited staging at the Wentworth Falls School of Arts in the Blue Mountains, NSW. A cast of outstanding emerging artists was drawn from the Sydney Conservatorium School of Opera Studies and Vocal Performance, supported by an orchestra of nine talented local professional musicians.
Check out Chang'E and the Moon on Facebook and view pictures from the production. You can read John Shand's review of the performance here.
PREMIERE PRODUCTION CREDITS
Cast
Aimee O’Neill Chang’E
Michaella Ye Zhang Mother Pearl
Julie Paik Nightingale
Joshua Oxley Hou Yi
Tristan Entwistle Old Yue
Jeremy Dubé Imperial Envoy
Robert Adam Herald
Chorus
Libby Cooper, Lei Dai, Briony Davidson, Aleta Shang,
Lucy Temby, Vuong Ngoc Long
Orchestra
Catherine Barrett Flute, Piccolo
Linda Jane Stacy Oboe, Cor Anglais
Bronwyn Kirkpatrick Clarinets, Shakuhachi
Alison Egan French Horn
Rebecca Daniel Violin
Sam Harding Violin, Viola
Trish McMeekan Violoncello
Margo Adelson Piano
Kaylie Dunstan Vibraphone, Percussion
conducted by Rowen Fox