SCO:Chinese Opera Meets Animation/Folklore and Legends

Since then last post, I haven't update yet due to my hoildays and house spring cleaning. But anyway, I'm going to post up the latest post now.
On 7th Feb,2009(two weeks ago), I went to Esplanade together with my parents to see the Singapore Chinese Orchestra's(SCO) performation(Chinese Opera Meets Animation). This time they were played the music together with the animation that was on the screen. Just before I went for their concert, I haven't see animation with the main orchestra on stage before so this was my first time to see that progamme.Here were the main list for the night's concert:
1)Orchestra Prelude(intro)
2)The Empty City Strategem-done by Huang Jun*
3)Ocrhestra Interlude I
4)Dream in the Spring Chambers-done by Chang Hong*
5)Ocrhestra Interlude II
6)Wu Song Taming the Tiger-done by Yang An and Chen Min*
7)The Flight of Lin Chong-done by Zhang Zhenxing and Li Jiajia*
8)Orchestra Prelude(2nd intro after intermission)
9)Concubine Yang's Drunken Stupor-done by Yang Mai and Yu Jin*
10)Orchestra Interlude III
11)Orchestra and Sand painting*
12)Legend of White Snake-done by Ruan Yun Ting(an artist and sand painter)*
*NOTE:All the animation were show in flat screen during the concert including of sand painting performation.
All the intro and the interlude were went through well together with the movie screen each time before the next show started.In"The Empty City Strategem", Wei general Sima Yi leads his troops into the streets of the Shu during the period of the Three Kingdoms. Ma Su, part of Zhuge Liang's troops fail to hold the fort. Sima Yi leads his troopss in pursuit and arrives at Xi Cheng. Zhuge Liang opens his gate wide without any troops in sight and calmly plays his 'zither' at the top of the gate tower. Sima Yi suspects this to be an ambush and abandons the attack. This was based on the Beijing Opera with the same name. The main animation was simple and short.Main theme was in plain and quick-tempo with colourfully characteristics in a traditional Chinese ink brush painting.The "Dream in the Sping Chambers" was a story about Mdarm Zhang's dream that she was waiting for her husband to be returned and their intimacy in bed but he was killed during the war thus he didn't made home for her and she became a widow.This work used in 2D and 3D graphics,freeze frames and photographs for portray Beijing opera singing and movement."Wu Song Taming the Tiger" was about main charather named Wu Song who went out from his home to pay a visit his brother.He just then stopped by to drink some wine at Jingyang Rigdge before going to across the rigdge in drunk. But he was told not to go there after three cups of wine as there was a tiger at the end of the rigdge.But he went off to the rigdge instead of heel advice. As he was reached at the other side and rest down there, the tiger jumped out from nowhere and somehow he managed to kill the beast with his skillful and valiant at the end.The animation was done in 3D while the background was only in 2D with ink brush painting and water colour painting. Later, "The Flight of Lin Chong" was based from one of the main story for Kun opera, 'The Chronicles of the Treasure Sword'. Once was a chief instructor of 800,000-strong imperial guards, Lin Chong was framed by main betrayed Gao Qiu who sent his assassinators to attack him. He took a detour as he able to escape from the guards and was finally forced himself to seek refuge at the Mount Liang to become a bandit.These animate creaters used the 2D hand-drawn animation combining with 3D animation effects for the main story.Adding mono-colour and using simple character model with action sequences gives the highlight of the protagonist's image of a highly-skilled and resolute martial arts exponent.Using traditional ink brush painting for illustration of the snow covered landscape as part of the story. Then the "Concubine Yang's Drunken Stupor" was story about this Concubine named Yang Yuhuan who had a date with Emperor Xuanzhong of Tang Dynasty at the Hundred Flower Pavilion. Hours later however, the eunuch arrived and announced that the Emperpor has departed for Western palace instead. She knew that she had fallen out of the Emperpor's favour and resorted to drink and gazed at blooming flowers for enterainment alone by herself. This piece of the Beijing opera is one of the most famous "drunken" sequence among the rest the operas. Using 3D animation with blending 2D animation and captured interpretation of Concubine Yang's dance movements along with 3D animation background for sets of moods.
After that, the Orchestra and Sand painting was performated on stage as laying out together from one picture from the start to the end.This lady worked out on 'drawing' onto white screen with sand and then later change from one picture to another before coming to end when she drew out a famous of Wall of China. Lastly, was the "Legend of the White Snake" as this story has been pasting for many generations as a old folk's talet. A white snake spirt changed into a beautiful maiden after years of meditation. She later chanced upon a gentle yet heartless scholar, Xu Xian at the lake. Thus they became fall in love within. Then Xu Xian began to mistrust Madam White Snake as he suspected of getting the better of romantic love and the battle between sexes causing to have a tragedy sparked by a patriarchal society's suppression of alternative ideals. In later part of the story, the monk, Fa Hai and Xu Xian merge into a single character.This sand painter used sand to create a story.The character styling is vivid and combining perfectly with the various colours and lighting effects. In perfectible grasp of sands as an artistic medium to bring modelling capabilities of the sand to full potential to create a rich visual experience onto the main screen.
Well I liked the last film which was using sand at most of the time. The rest of the show were very good and the orchestra was doing very well.Without the orchestra, there would be pointless without feeling of the main opera as it was originate done on the theater stage before for many years.
*NOTE:Mind you... the sand painter is a Chinese illustrator, a comic artist and independent director for films, Ruan Yun Ting. If you have any information about her, just let me know about her and I will post this blog later.

On last Saturday(21st of Feb,2009) I went to Concert Hall for the Chinese Orchestra's concert, Folklore and Legends. This time with the guest condutor,Choo Hoey who was famous for performating many concert with other orchestra is now becoming retirement. He was in Singapore for two-day concert with the SCO so that was my first time to see him at the concert.
Here were the list for the night's concert:
1)Festoon Drum of Fengyang
2)Impression of Malaysia
3)Legend of Luhuitou Village
4)Impressions of Russian Folk Song*
5)Reverie at the Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles
6)Four Scottish Dance*
7)Molly on the Shore*
NOTE:These songs might have played full on the first day of two-day concert(20th Feb,2009).
The "Festoon Drum of Fengyang" was rearranged from well known An Hui folk song of the same title which is a kind of folk song, dance and drum.From the local Yangko tune,has a strong accented rhythms. It was original first piece music in Fengyang therefore this song known as "Festoon Drum of Fengyang".
The "Impression of Malaysia" which was about the main colourful customs and culture of Malaysia and the long-house lodging of the yiban tribes.Thus this composer,Qian Zhao Xi,composed this piece based on the Malaysia folk tunes and rhythm. The interesting piece,"The Legend of the Luhuitou" was based about a touch love story when one of the village of Li went down for hunting and saw a golden deer in the forest. He was then bravily chased it along the valley and mountains until reached the southern end of the mountain range. As this hunter was about to release his arrow, the dear suddenly transformed into a beautiful Li maiden. He was astonishment as he dropped his bow and arrow and slowly took his flute out and performed together with her in love song.In later part, they resided at the place and bought barren hills under cultivation.The "Impressions of Russian Folk Song" was based the popular pieces of Russian folk songs which the composer,Kwok Hang Kei learnt from his Russian teacher in his youth days. After almost half of the century, he began to rearrange with some of the songs as the "Impressions of Russian Folk Song":
1)Lonely Guitar
2)Peaceful Country
3)Little Apple
4)Lotus in the Snow
5)Kamarinskaya
The "Reverie at the Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles" was based the main history of the Singapore when Sir Stamford Raffles went there for a short stay.As he seemed to bear a witness to the whole history, the people had struggled through many diffcult years and worked very hard to achieve a better standard of living. Thus this statue, is the main testimony to all these developments.
And the last two pieces,"Four Scottish Dances" which was based a inspirey of the Scottish dance and it was first played in BBC Light Music Festival in 1957. And the "Molly on the Shore", one of the composing pieces and the last piece for Percy Grainger which was based from the main song by Charles Stanford, "Temple Hill" and "Molly on the Shore". Althrough he had done his first piece for his mother, Rose as her birthday gift, this song was known for its rhythmic intensity and highly subtle usage of the original themes.Thus it was one of Grainger's signatures, the large number of chromatic lines and high level of veriation in the instrumentation givien "Molly on the Shore" unprecedented energy. The only thing was that why the music played went cut short as I though the orchestra people going to have two more pieces to play. But, I guessed that they had a long played on the first night of two-day concert so on the second night went shorther. That was what I had thinking.
Anyway, maybe next time, I should take a chance to listen in full version of the songs if any.
OK.... that's all I had enough in writing now. Unless, if I have other things to write, I will post new one to you guys. Later! ^_^
(Have a great year ahead for 2009! Sorry for denying.... x_x;)