Season 2015/16
Opera

Rickshaw boy

by Guo Wenjing

In a dark and ruthless Beijing, Xiang Zi undertakes a painful journey to freedom. He dreams to own a rickshaw in order to liberate himseld to the bonds of master Liu Sye and hopes for a future with his beloved Xiao Fuzi. But fate has other plans for the rickshaw boy. From the novel by Lao She, the work of the composer Guo Wenjing, which has been commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, where the opera made his debut in June 2014, now on the stage of the Opera di Firenze.

Luotuo Xiang zi (Rickshaw boy)
Opera in two acts
Music by Guo Wenjing
Libretto by Xu Ying from the novel by Lao She (1937)

Artists

Conductor
Zhang Guoyong

Director / Scenes
Yi Liming

Costumes
A’kuan

Light Design
Wang Qi
Xiang Zi
Han Peng/Jin Zhengjian

Hu Niu
Sun Xiuwei/Zhou Xiaolin

Xiao Fuzi
Song Yuanming/Li Xintong

Liu Siye
Tian Haojiang /Guan Zhijing

Er Gianzxi
Sun Li/Wang Hexiang

Sun Zhentan
Liang Yufeng

Rickshaw boy 1
Yang Guangmeng

Rickshaw boy 2
Liu Yang

Rickshaw boy 3
Chen Ran

Rickshaw boy 4
Yang Shuai

Gao's mother
Wang Zhihua

Maid
Wang Rongrong

Guest
Chen Shoukui

Policemen
Xu Da
Xiangzi, a robust and strong rickshaw puller, whose greatest ambition is to one day own his own rickshaw rental agency, works very hard, saves every penny he makes and finally buys a new rickshaw after three-year's painstaking efforts. Unfortunately, his new rickshaw is abducted by soldiers who are fighting for one of the warlords running Beijing in the 1920s. In great grief and indignation, Xiangzi has to go back to the rickshaw rental agency of Master Liu, trying to stage a comeback which is interrupted by Master Liu's daughter Huniu who seduces Xiangzi after getting him drunk. In order to get rid of Huniu, he runs away to work as a rickshaw puller for a scholar, Mr. Cao. However, his plan for saving to buy a new rickshaw is destroyed again when Detective Sun follows him home and robs him of all his savings. At this time, Huniu tracks him down, and Xaingzi has no choice but to go back again to the rickshaw rental agency of Master Liu. On the birthday party of Master Liu, Huniu falls out with his father and tricks Xiangzi into marriage by pretending to be pregnant, and they leave the agency together. He buys a new rickshaw with Huniu's money, but in a short while later, he has to sell it to bury Huniu who dies of dystocia. Finally, his dream and ambition are smashed completely when his beloved woman Xiaofuzi commits suicide under the humiliation-stricken life. At last, Xiangzi, an honest and pure young peasant surrenders to the dark society and finishes his short life from a positive and unflinching man to degeneration.

 
Dates

Mon 5 October, ore 20:00
Sun 4 October, ore 20:00

Prices
Stalls 1 € 50
Stalls 2 € 40
Stalls 3 € 30
Boxes € 20
Gallery € 15
Limited visibility € 10
Where

Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1
50144 Firenze

Dettagli e mappa