Dear , oh dears!  

Can you believe it – the workshop is packing up! Because we actually finished what we set out to do, and more!

First of all, Guo Wenjing  dazzled us with his music, especially the final scene. The singers rushed to try out the notes with the pianist, like children trying on new clothes. The  sheets were also snatched up by the librettists, who have been chasing Guo from scene to scene. The director was tickled pink by the great space Guo left him to maneuver, discussing at length with us how to bring out the best visual and dramatic effect. When the costumes were tried on, we knew everything had finally come together.

Like all parties coming to a close, it is difficult to say good-bye to everyone. Martha and Tian’s apartment has been reverted to a normal living room, yet somehow changed by the days of dramatic energy in every corner of the room. Even the computers, the printers, the telephones closed down with a sigh. The driver is waiting, to take us back to our respective continents. Parting is such sweet sorrow!

No matter. In two weeks, the whole team will have the pleasure of working with all of you in Colorado, and that will be an event. Apart from the scores, the parts, the costumes…in short, the hardware that we’ll be bringing to you, we will also be sharing with you what we had learned here in Beijing -  the pleasure of having the poet in our midst, laughing, crying, living to the hilt what life has to offer.

Beijing is a lovely city. Perhaps you’d like to see Li Bai in his home country? Oct. 9th in Beijing and Oct. 18th in Shanghai – see you there!

Exhausted but elated,
Yours from Beijing.

Dear all of Li Bai’s lovers,

It’s been an emotional week since we arrived in Beijing. Forgive us for writing only now.

The singers, both A and B cast have been working every day, morning and afternoon, individually and collectively, with the pianists and assistant conductor, charmed by the music and overwhelmed with the intricacies of it all.

On Tuesday, we had a historic working dinner with the composer, the director, the librettists, the set designer, all six singers, the pianist, the assistant conductor, our resident cinematographer and our administrative assistants. The concept of the text and the music was meticulously explained to all present, for the benefit of the singers, all co-workers, as well as the director who is now plotting every single detail of the opera as a whole.

On Thursday, the whole Beijing team except the composer (who is busily revising the remaining score) met again to run through the first three scenes, with the A cast singing in full voice and expression. It was mesmerizing. Guo’s music painted the physical and emotional landscape with precision, delicacy and panache. Li Bai came alive, buoyed by his two alter egos: Moon and Wine. The director burst out in great enthusiasm and exclaimed: “Finally, China has its own western opera!” He called up the composer to congratulate him, firing him up to put the final touches on an already impressive work. The temperature was near boiling point in the room. All this has been recorded by our cinematographer in a video, and by the team of CCTV who had asked to make a documentary of the whole process.

In the meantime, apart from waiting for the rest of the music with abated breath but great optimism, the libretto is being updated, the synopsis finalized, the available scores transcribed, the costumes fitted, the travel plans followed up…

It is now 13:30 Friday May 18th, 2007. The Beijing apartment has been reconfigured into a stage with four separate entrances, as per the design. The singers have been fed. The camera is ready. The piano has not stopped…In half an hour, the whole team will congregate once more to run through the scenes for the first time for the director and the set designer. There are voices practicing in every room; there is fresh food being prepared in the kitchen around the clock; the driver is poised to pick up the art critics from three major newspapers in Beijing. We are ready for another intensive session of workshop on Poet Li Bai.

We are thinking of all of you doing so much in your respective corner of the earth. We are happy to share with you the wonderful vibes from working with a team full of energy, full of hope, full of dreams!

Missing you all, and wishing you were here,
More later,
Love from,
Diana Liao and all of Li Bai’s lovers in Beijing

The artists have been selected for Central City Opera’s historic 2007 75th Anniversary Festival. (See Press Release) This monumental year is celebrated with the world premiere of Chinese opera, Poet Li Bai, presented in partnership with the Asian Performing Arts of Colorado as a special offering with only six performances. The company’s regular 2007 festival season features three new productions, including Verdi’s La Traviata, Massenet’s Cinderella and Menotti’s The Saint of Bleecker Street. Four operas will be presented in one festival for the first time in the history of Central City Opera during the 2007 Festival.