Beijing News (Reporter Liu Zhen) On March 27, the original soundtrack album of the musical "Nankong" was officially launched, including a total of 27 selected tracks such as "The Great Journey to the South" and "The Gift in the Heart".
Stills from the musical "Nan Kong". Photo courtesy of Zhejiang Performing Arts Group
The musical "Nan Kong" is jointly produced by the Propaganda Department of the Quzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zhejiang Performing Arts Group (Zhejiang Song and Dance Theater Co., Ltd.), and Beijing Poly Theater Management Co., Ltd. It is China's first musical with the cultural theme of Nan Kong. The play is directed by Zhong Hao, written by Liu Chun, and composed by Lu Liang. It also brings together visual director Ren Dongsheng, styling director A Kuan, dance director Tian Tian and other domestic artists with strong new national style aesthetics. The work has been selected into the repertoire of the 2nd National Outstanding Musical Show, the 9th Beijing Confucius Temple and Confucius Institute Chinese Culture Festival, and was selected as a project funded by the Zhejiang Culture and Art Development Fund, a 2024 funding project by the National Arts Fund, and a 2023-2025 artistic creation project by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Three-year action plan support projects.
Stills from the musical "Nan Kong". Photo courtesy of Zhejiang Performing Arts Group
The play examines the new Chinese style musical "Nan Kong" that writes Confucian sentiments and aspirations for thousands of years from a contemporary perspective. Based on the classic historical event of "Kong Zhu's resignation", it tells the story of the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty who settled in Quzhou for a hundred years. The Southern Sect of Confucius returned to Qufu to worship. Kong Zhu, the 53rd eldest grandson of Confucius, gave up the title of "Shenggong Yan" to his younger brother in Qufu for the sake of protecting the world in his heart and the family temple, and then returned to Quzhou. The story of officials serving the people and promoting sage and Taoism. The creative team of the
musical "Nan Kong" positioned the play as a "new national style" - it must have both a classical image and a contemporary expression. Throughout the musical by composer Lu Liang, those classical musical instruments are constantly intertwined and blended. The new Chinese style music color and the strong Mongolian style form a unique musical vocabulary. Modern melody and ancient rhyme melody are blended and grafted. In the strong emotional tension, the graceful and profound ancient style is everywhere. What's important is that composer Lu Liang's music creation always runs through a very distinct theme of "rituals" - the linked thematic melodies in the play are pleasant and beautiful, and are both "new Chinese style" and unique. The style, and more importantly, is in line with the auditory aesthetics of the audience. It is rich in layering and history, and many classic arias are widely circulated.
It is reported that starting from April 5, the musical "Nan Kong" will open in Shanghai, Haimen, Wuxi, Taizhou, Zhuji, Lishui, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Zhuhai, Guangxi, Nanjing, Anhui, Hubei, Hangzhou, Quzhou and other places in 2024 National tour of the year.
editor, Xu Meilin
proofreader, Wang Xin
