Ah, thank you! I didn't realise this was one of the the CR operas; I'm soon to be taking Chinese studies and I'm trying to learn the language, which is why I was a little (very) rude in my first comment, sorry! Just a little frustrated. Thank you very much for the info, though!
@Bethsticle This is one of seven such "Modern Chinese Operas" especially commissioned by Mao Tze Tung and his fourth wife Qing Jiang, who had a bit to do with the Red Guard and the Cultural Revolution. Their aim was to at once make Chinese opera accessible to the masses while channeling art into the service of communist propaganda. To get an idea, watch video 1, a couple in the middle, then the last one. Note that they use a Chinese musical scale, or modal scale, not the chromatic scale.
@Bethsticle Basically, "somewhere" in southern China a village needs water. The lead singer, the woman, played by Li Ping, organizes the citizens of her village to help build a dam in order for a neighboring waterless village so they may irrigate their crops and so on. In the final clip, Li Ping praises Mao Tze Tung's "Little Red Book" for giving her inspiration and guidance in the spirit of true communism, so of course all ends happily.
@grubelsucht
Ah, thank you! I didn't realise this was one of the the CR operas; I'm soon to be taking Chinese studies and I'm trying to learn the language, which is why I was a little (very) rude in my first comment, sorry! Just a little frustrated. Thank you very much for the info, though!
Bethsticle 6 months ago
It is lovely, though.
Bethsticle 6 months ago
@Bethsticle This is one of seven such "Modern Chinese Operas" especially commissioned by Mao Tze Tung and his fourth wife Qing Jiang, who had a bit to do with the Red Guard and the Cultural Revolution. Their aim was to at once make Chinese opera accessible to the masses while channeling art into the service of communist propaganda. To get an idea, watch video 1, a couple in the middle, then the last one. Note that they use a Chinese musical scale, or modal scale, not the chromatic scale.
grubelsucht 6 months ago
I have watched all of these and I still have no idea what the fuck is going on.
Bethsticle 6 months ago
@Bethsticle Basically, "somewhere" in southern China a village needs water. The lead singer, the woman, played by Li Ping, organizes the citizens of her village to help build a dam in order for a neighboring waterless village so they may irrigate their crops and so on. In the final clip, Li Ping praises Mao Tze Tung's "Little Red Book" for giving her inspiration and guidance in the spirit of true communism, so of course all ends happily.
grubelsucht 6 months ago
beautiful.
poopydroopydroopy 1 year ago