Heart Sutra
VISION OF THE WORK
Chamber opera in 4 scenes and a prologue
My chamber opera Heart Sutra is based on the short story of the same name by legendary author Eileen Chang and is a mysterious love story set in 1930s Shanghai. I must confess that I am completely enamoured with Eileen Chang, arguably the most important author in the Chinese-speaking world of the 20th century. In her stories, she often explores fascinating female characters. The magic of her stories, most of which are set in Shanghai or Hong Kong in the 1930s and 1940s, offers exciting scope for a musical drama adaptation. Often, what is said, what is experienced, the plot lines, mostly characterised by love and eroticism, are veiled by an invisible tropical veil. I am overjoyed to be able to premiere Heart Sutra in Taipei myself, especially since my chamber opera is a self-contained work, but at the same time forms the prelude, a kind of overture to another grand opera, which will also be based on a story by Chang.
THE WORK IN THE MEDIA