MEDIATHEK

The opera describes how the main character Liu Quan, who was raised in the city by his mother, travels with her to her hometown. During this trip, a girl’s strange behaviour attracts their attention. They discover that the girl doesn’t belong here - she was abducted; they decide to help her escape. However, the villagers discover their plan and try to stop them. In their conversations, Liu’s mother tells of how she was also abducted from the city when she was young. The reason she escaped is because she was pregnant, so the man who she was being held by thought she wouldn’t run away and relaxed his vigilance. Liu’s mother couldn’t believe this same horrible thing had happened in her beloved hometown - she was  devastated, swearing to help the girl. The story doesn’t ultimately reveal whether they succeed or not, leaving space for the audience to imagine. The musical part of this opera is designed for chamber ensemble. Sometimes it keeps the delicate characteristics of chamber music, but sometimes it sounds like an orchestral band. It is written for 8 performers and 4 singers. The singers in the prelude and epilogue don't play their characters - they act as a four part choir to introduce the background of the plot. Each character has their own musical theme. There are two arias for soprano and one for tenor to express the character's feelings and describe their inner thought processes. There are also duet, trio and quartet segments for the singers throughout the opera.