SOUNDINGS: east asia monthly a newsletter for undergraduates VOLUME I, NUMBER 5: FEBRUARY 2007 WEATHERHEAD EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY COLUMBIA HOSTS PANEL DISCUSSION OF FIRST EMPEROR WORLD PREMIERE by Caroline Gilliam, CC’08 “If there is one thing in the world that can unify peoples’ hearts, it must be music,” remarked Tan Dun at a November 30th Columbia-sponsored discussion of his new opera, The First Emperor. Unification is a prominent theme in this opera, which made its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on December 21st and tells the story of Qin Shi Huang—the so-called “first” emperor of China who unified the country and started building the Great Wall. The Columbia event was organized as part of the World Leaders Forum and it brought Tan Dun together with his co-librettist, novelist Ha Jin, and his director, filmmaker Zhang Yimou, to discuss the work. Columbia’s own Lydia Liu, Professor of Chinese and Comparative Literature, and James Schamus, Professor in the School of the Arts’ Film Division as well as CEO of Focus Features, were also onstage to moderate the conversation and add insight. You will already be familiar with the story of Qin Shi Huang if you’ve seen Zhang Yimou’s film, Hero, which Professor Liu explained was actually based on a movie from the 1990s called The Emperor’s Shadow. According to Ha Jin, however, while these films and many other versions of the story focus most attention on the emperor, the musician who plots to assassinate the emperor plays a very important role in the new opera. The First Emperor’s creators displayed a delightful rapport, and they each drew on specific talents and backgrounds to develop the new opera. Qin Shi Huang comes from the Chinese city of Xi’an, and Zhang Yimou (also from Xi’an) said that the colors of the area—red, black, and white—were very influential in his design and staging. Tan Dun also traveled to Xi’an and said that local use of traditional “stone drums” and ceramic instruments shaped his composition. Ha Jin, (Continued on next page, left column) STAY INFORMED! JOIN THE WEAI UNDERGRAD E-MAIL LIST AT: www.columbia.edu/weai (click on “get on the mailing list”), or email us at [email protected] ONE MORE CHANCE FOR A NEW YEAR’S NEW START by Caroline Gilliam, CC’08 Gong xi fa cai! Gung hay fat choy! Happy new year! Sunday, February 18th marks the beginning of the Year of the Pig according to the lunar calendar, which is followed in many countries across East and Southeast Asia. The last in the 12-year lunar cycle, the Year of the Pig (or Boar) is supposed to be one of closure. Throughout the month of February, New York will host a variety of cultural events and celebrations to ring in the new year. Making a trip down to Chinatown is a great way to take part in the Lunar New Year festivities and a useful calendar of upcoming events can be found online at the Explore Chinatown website (explorechinatown.com). The celebration opens with the Lunar New Year Flower Market, which is organized and sponsored by the Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA; moca-nyc.org) on Friday, February 16th, and Saturday, February 17th. Also hosted by MoCA will be a Lunar Festival cooking demonstration on the 17th and a traditional Peking Duck Dinner on Wednesday the 21st. (Continued on next page, right column)FIRST EMPEROR (CON’T) who is no stranger to writing in English, stated that an important part of the libretto’s power is produced by the tension—sadness, even—of a Chinese story written and performed in another language. This opera represents a unification of worlds. Zhang Yimou told the audience that he hopes that the work will go “beyond translation” and show the American audience that at the core, all humans are the same. As Tan Dun explained, “My music is to dream without boundaries.” After premiering on December 21st, The First Emperor was performed eight more times through the end of January, drawing sold-out crowds. As part of a new Metropolitan Opera initiative to expand its audience and accessibility, on January 13th the production was also simulcast live to a limited selection of high definition movie theaters across North America, Europe, and Japan. There will be two encore broadcasts on March 7th and 11th. Tickets went on sale on February 10th. See www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/ hd_events.aspx for more information. SAVE THE DATE! THIRD ANNUAL CHINA SYMPOSIUM “BECOMING A STAKEHOLDER: CHINA IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS” FRIDAY, APRIL 20TH, 9:00AM-5:00PM REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Anticipated Speakers Include: • Lee C. Bollinger (President, Columbia University) • Myron L. Cohen (Director, WEAI, Columbia University) • Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) • Congressman Norm Dicks (D-Washington) • Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) • Congressman Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) • David Lampton (Director, China Studies Program, Johns Hopkins University) • Ken Lieberthal (Professor, University of Michigan) • Edward C. Luck (Director, Center on International Organization, Columbia University) • Senator George Mitchell (Symposium Co-Chair) • David Shambaugh (Director, China Policy Program, George Washington University) To register or for more info, please visit: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/china-symposium-2007.html NEW YEAR’S FESTIVITIES (CON’T) There will also be a number of parades and fireworks displays in Chinatown, beginning on Sunday the 18th. The New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival will feature dancing and cultural performances in the afternoon, and it will be followed by Illuminations: Lunar New Year Fireworks Spectacular at 7:00 pm. The following Sunday, February 25th, from 1:00-5:00pm, you can see the Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade, which features floats, beauty queens, acrobats, celebrities, and dancers. Lunar New Year is also a great opportunity to escape from Manhattan and explore Flushing, Queens, which is one of New York’s largest and most vibrant Asian communities. Flushing’s Lunar New Year Parade, which usually includes almost 4,000 people, takes place on Saturday, February, 17th, from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Viewing stands are located at Flushing Library (Main St and Kissena Blvd) and at the parade’s end (Main St and 37th Ave). Finally, if you are looking for an event that