A Night at the Chinese Opera
Music by Judith Weir · libretto by Judith Weir · premiered 1987
A Night at the Chinese Opera is an opera in three acts by Judith Weir, who also wrote the libretto. Aside from an earlier opera for children, this was Weir's first full-scale opera, written on commission from the BBC for performance by Kent Opera. Weir incorporated an early Chinese play of the Yuan dynasty, The Orphan of Zhao, as the centrepiece of Act 2 of her opera. The work received its premiere on 8 July 1987 at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, England. The Opera magazine critic noted that "few new operas have recently made so diverting a first impression as A Night at the Chinese Opera, partly on its intrinsic musico-dramatic merits, partly through the style of production". The outer acts are fully scored for the chamber orchestra in 'closed-forms' such as aria, sextet, seven-part motet but the Yuan play is mostly scored for flute, lower strings and percussion.
Text from the Wikipedia article "A Night at the Chinese Opera", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
Dame Judith Weir (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer. She served as Master of the King's Music from 2014 to 2024. Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir was the first woman to hold this office.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Judith Weir", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other Operas by Judith Weir
- Blond Eckbert (1993)
- Armida (2005)