Marco Polo

 

Tan Dun Marco Polo opera to libretto by Paul Griffiths. Directed 2008 by Pierre Audi at Het Muziektheater Amsterdam. Stars Charles Workman (Polo), Sarah Castle (Marco), Stephen Richardson (Kublai Khan), Nancy Allen Lundy (Water), Zhang Jun (Shadow 1/Rustichello/Li Po), Tania Kross (Shadow 2/Sheherazada/Mahler/Queen), Stephen Bryant (Shadow 3/Dante/Shakespeare), and Mu Na (Chinese/Arabian Dancer). Tan Dun himself conducts the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Cappella Amsterdam (Chorus Master Daniel Reuss). Ya Dong plays pipa; Siddharth Kishna, sitar; Rupak Kumar Pandit, tabla.  Set and lighting by Jean Kalman; costumes by Angelo Figus; choreography by Nanine Linning. Directed for TV by Misjel Vermerien. Sung mostly in English. Released  2009, disc has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: C

This is a challenging modern work. The keepcase booklet has valuable information to help guide you through the journey.

Below is a trailer done by the Nederlandse Opera for the stage production. If gives you a good idea about the production even though the images may not be exactly the same as seen on the disc:

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