Love and hate weigh upon every decision Princess Magared makes in the French opera "Le Roi d'Ys." The princess must save her country while nursing a broken heart. After fearlessly pursuing love, she discovers that the man she loves is fond of her sister, Rozenn. In the end, she commits suicide by drowning herself in the deep, dark sea.
The classic French opera "Le Roi d'Ys" will run from April 3rd to 6th at Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts. The opera, composed by Lalo, premiered in 1888. Due to its complex staging requirements, the last two performances were held 23 years apart, in 1984 and 2007. The opera is considered a classic French production, but is seen as a mysterious pearl buried under the dust, Fan Yijiang, deputy president of the National Center for the Performing Arts, says. Fan is responsible for bringing the opera to the Beijing theater.
"'Le Roi d'Ys' is an excellent piece. It's limited performances in France have not affected its irreplaceable spot at all."
Robert Gonnella is the pianist and the vocal coach for "Le Roi d' Ys." He describes the opera as a an eternal fairy tale, full of truths about life and appealing characters who run the gamut from wicked to angelic. Compared the French opera "Carmen," the most frequently performed opera around the world, Gonnella says "Le Roi' d Ys" is more refined and less outdated.