The Silver River

"The Silver River" is a musical theatre piece in one act composed by Bright Sheng in 1997, with libretto by playwright David Henry Hwang.

"The Silver River" combines Western opera, drama, and dance with Chinese opera and virtuosic solo playing of the pipa (Chinese lute). The duration of the work is approximately 75 minutes. The story is based on a 4,000-year-old Chinese folktale about the creation of day and night. The Silver River is the Milky Way which bathed heaven and earth in constant light and connected both realms together allowing earthly and celestial creatures to meet. The Jade Emperor, Lord of Heaven, dreams of a choas that plunges heaven and earth into darkness. His nightmare comes true when the mortal Cowherd falls in love with the immortal Goddess-Weaver. When love preoccupies the Goddess-Weaver from her duty to spin the stars of heaven, the skies begin to darken. The Jade Emperor turns the Silver River into a barrier separating heaven and earth. The lover's grief is so great that chaos reigns until the Jade Emperor allows the lovers to meet each other once a year (the seventh day of the seventh moon of the lunar calendar) on the banks of the Silver River.

oloists and orchestration

oloists

*African-American Actress (Western style)
*Asian Male Singer (Chinese Opera style)
*Baritone (Western Opera/Music Theater style)
*Asian Female Dancer
*2 Dancers
*Baritone

Orchestration

*Flute, doubling piccolo and alto flute
*Clarinet, doubling bass clarinet and percussion
*Pipa
*Percussion
*Violin, doubling percussion
*Violoncello, doubling percussion

The flutist appears onstage as a male cowherd, the pipa player appears onstage as a goddess-weaver

References

*G. Schimer