More art, literature and music
The Dream of Red Mansions
A 2010 miniseries in Mandarin with English subtitles available
Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou meng) or The Story of the Stone (Shitou ji) is a Chinese novel composed by Cao Xueqin in the mid-18th century. One of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it is known for its psychological scope and its observation of the worldview, aesthetics, lifestyles, and social relations of 18th-century China. — Wikipedia
Yes, it is in my eBook Library on Calibre, but I confess I have merely browsed as it is very long. I did years ago see an earlier excellent Chinese miniseries of it on SBS.
Snatching it violently out of his hands, he walked away with the Taoist, under a lofty stone portal, on the face of which appeared in large type the four characters: “T’ai Hsü Huan Ching,” “The Visionary limits of the Great Void.” On each side was a scroll with the lines:
When falsehood stands for truth, truth likewise becomes false,
Where naught be made to aught, aught changes into naught.
Shih-yin meant also to follow them on the other side, but, as he was about to make one step forward, he suddenly heard a crash, just as if the mountains had fallen into ruins, and the earth sunk into destruction.
Opera Sets Steal Show at Dream of the Red Chamber World Premiere
A lot was riding on the recent world premiere of the new opera Dream of the Red Chamber in San Francisco.
For China, the colorful retelling of the Chinese classic novel was a chance to present a beloved classic to a Western audience. For Western opera, it was a chance to add a fresh work to the repertoire.
The dazzling sets, soaring voices, skillful orchestration, fine chorus and dancers all came together to tell a dramatic and touching story. It was a sold-out run that generated mixed to positive reviews around the world.
December 2016
The Journey to the West
Everyone of a certain age will remember the Japanese version of this great Chinese story.
Journey to the West (Chinese: 西遊記) is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng’en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. Arthur Waley‘s 1942 abridged translation, Monkey, is known in English-speaking countries. — Wikipedia
I have a copy of Waley’s Monkey as a real book!
Arthur Waley again — and the poet Bai Juyi
Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; Chinese: 白居易; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as governor of three different provinces. He achieved fame as a writer of verse in a low-key, near vernacular style that was popular throughout medieval East Asia. — Wikipedia
[47] WRITTEN WHEN GOVERNOR OF SOOCHOW
[a.d. 825]
A Government building, not my own home.
A Government garden, not my own trees.
But at Lo-yang I have a small house
And on Wei River I have built a thatched hut.
I am free from the ties of marrying and giving in marriage;
If I choose to retire, I have somewhere to end my days.
And though I have lingered long beyond my time,
To retire now would be better than not at all!
Michael — Suzhou (Soochow) 2019
These two are really successful artists! The interview is entertaining too.
Neil's Commonplace Book 