While waiting for my Tosca companion in the NCPA foyer, I came across this poster, which is a call for auditions for next year’s opera festival. Everything looks normal, but one thing stands out: an audition call for Lohengrin. Perhaps the NCPA programmers finally feel that Beijing is ready for Wagner. Perhaps in not too distant a future, a Beijing Ring?
The NCPA audition calls, the complete list:
- Rossini’s La Cenerentola
- Mozart’s Figaro
- Verdi’s Traviata and Un Ballo
- Puccini’s Butterfly and Tosca
- Strauss’ Fledermaus
- Wagner’s Lohengrin
- Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci
- Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana
- China-themed operas: Xishi (西施), Zhaoshi Guer (赵氏孤儿), Yunhe Yao (运河遥).