NCPA to salute Verdi and Wagner

The stage is set for the 2013 opera festival at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing. Since its inauguration 5 years ago, this annual event has enlightened opera lovers with Western classics as well as home grown operas.

The year 2013 coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of two of the biggest names in opera: Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner. The National Center for Performing Arts will stage a series of classic pieces to honour these two masters.

Among them are Verdi's "Othello", "Nabucco" and "The Flying Dutchman". The festival, themed "Salute to Verdi and Wagner" will close with the latter's epic "Valkyrie".

Also hotly anticipated is the presence of one of the renowned three tenors, Placido Domingo. He will be playing the role of Nabucco, a part known to be particularly challenging for the baritone voice.

The opening piece will be "Othello". Luckily, Italian director Giancarlo Del Monaco, who has a long family connection to the Shakespearean play, is on board to direct.

Giancarlo Del Monaco said, "The story between my father and Othello is quite simple. He played Othello 27 times on different stages. And I've been influenced by his performance ever since I was a boy, so I know this opera like the back of my hand."

In addition to the classic pieces, this year's festival also plays host to a number of original operas from Chinese composers.

Xi Shi ,written by Chinese dramatist Zou Jingzhi, will be among them.

The production is more than a simple retread. This fresh, new version better portrays the life of Xi Shi, one of the four beauties of ancient China.

Another domestic original, "The Red Guards on Honghu Lake", is a centrepiece of a revolutionary opera which will debut in late June.

This year's opera festival, which includes 33 classic productions, runs from April 11th through July 7th.