Soprano returns to classic role in landmark production, Zhang Kun reports.
Soprano He Hui during Tosca rehearsals. The opera will be performed at the Shanghai Grand Theatre until Sunday, then in June at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and in July at the Shaanxi Opera House in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. (NIU XIAOBEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)
The production of Tosca, which will premiere at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on Feb 24, will mark the 103rd time soprano He Hui portrays the title character of the beloved work by Giacomo Puccini, and the first time she is presenting the opera in China.
Jointly produced by the Shanghai Opera House, the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Shaanxi Opera House, Tosca will be shown at the Shanghai Grand Theatre until Sunday, then in June at the NCPA in Beijing and in July at the Shaanxi Opera House in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.
Standing on the side stage, I told myself that Floria Tosca was a diva, and so was my favorite singer Maria Callas. I would be Callas playing Tosca tonight.
He Hui, soprano
The production, which has brought together outstanding opera artists from the Shanghai Opera House, the NCPA and the Fujian Song and Dance Theatre, introduces a new model of collaboration among performing art groups around China.
Soprano He hosted a preshow talk at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on Saturday, and shared her experience of being involved in Tosca and other classical operas over the last 25 years.
One of the most renowned opera artists from China, He made her European debut in Parma, Italy, performing Tosca in 2002. Prior to this, she had little experience in major opera performances, except for Verdi's Aida, which was performed at the inauguration of the Shanghai Grand Theatre in 1998.
Aged 29 when she was first featured in Tosca, He felt she didn't possess enough experience for the role. New to the Italian opera scene, she could only speak English, and had to look up the dictionary to learn the Italian lyrics.
Soprano He Hui during Tosca rehearsals. The opera will be performed at the Shanghai Grand Theatre until Sunday, then in June at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and in July at the Shaanxi Opera House in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. (NIU XIAOBEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)
Fortunately, one of the best interpreters of the character, Bulgarian diva Raina Kabaivanska, was there to walk her through the entire piece, explaining the personality, temperament and motivation, and mapping out the detailed emotional response of Floria Tosca, a tempestuous opera singer fighting to save her lover Cavaradossi from an evil police chief named Scarpia.
"More than 20 years have passed, I still benefit from what she taught me," says He.
"It was the first time I spent the Chinese New Year abroad, all by myself," she adds, recalling the anxiety and loneliness she felt while getting ready for her first performance of the opera at the Teatro Regio di Parma.
Soprano He Hui during Tosca rehearsals. The opera will be performed at the Shanghai Grand Theatre until Sunday, then in June at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and in July at the Shaanxi Opera House in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. (NIU XIAOBEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)
"Standing on the side stage, I told myself that Floria Tosca was a diva, and so was my favorite singer Maria Callas. I would be Callas playing Tosca tonight. I was immature, and didn't have full control of the stage at that time, but I had a beautiful voice. Once I found this pivot of Callas in my mind, I gained confidence, and managed to give a good performance."
Asian opera singers in Europe were at that time often given exotic Eastern roles, such as Cho-cho-san in Madame Butterfly, or Liu in Turandot, but rarely given classical Italian characters.
Zhao Tiechun, vice-president of the NCPA. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
As such, her successful performance of Tosca in Parma kicked off a career as a lyric soprano in the Europe opera scene.
In 2006, He was named among the Cast B for Floria Tosca and performed at the esteemed Teatro alla Scala in Milan under the baton of maestro conductor Lorin Maazel. On the third night, when the Cast A member for the role Daniela Dessi became unwell, He rushed to the rescue and gave an outstanding performance.
After that moment, He went on to perform that role at places like the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Semperoper Dresden. In 2021, she celebrated her 100th performance of Tosca at the Staatsoper Hamburg in Germany.
Soprano He Hui. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The soprano lived in Verona, Italy, from 2005 to 2021, and performed regularly at the Arena di Verona, singing classical operas such as Tosca and Aida every year.
Built in the first century, the Arena di Verona is one of the best-preserved ancient structures in the world and plays host to a renowned opera festival every year. The open-air Roman amphitheater is known for its excellent natural acoustics that are made possible due to its elliptical shape.
She recalls that she used to remind herself to control her voice so as to ensure that even the weaker sounds could reach the audiences seated in the back row.
She says that once, after performing an aria, she heard someone in the audience exclaiming that she was wearing a microphone, which she wasn't. But the comment left her pleased instead of offended.
Xu Zhong, president of the Shanghai Opera House. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
"It proved that my voice did penetrate, and the stones did a wonderful job of spreading the sound," she says.
As an opera artist, He lives a disciplined life to protect her voice. In the past few years, she fell in love with painting, which has allowed her to express her understanding for opera and the beauty of music in a new dimension. She has since created artworks such as a portrait of Floria Tosca and an abstract painting named after the beloved aria Recondita armonia.
If you go
Tosca
7:30 pm, Friday-Saturday
2:30 pm, Sunday
Shanghai Grand Theatre, 300 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district, Shanghai
021-6386-8686
Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn
