03.16.09
Tea: a Mirror of Soul - an opera with too much tea?
posted by Ifang Hsieh | 8 comments
Right after seeing the recent production of the New York Metropolitan Opera’s Orfeo ed Euridice, I had the urge to race to the nearest library and read everything I could find on the composer, Christoph Willibald von Gluck, and his masterpiece. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe sang beautifully as Orfeo, or Orpheus – a most exquisite, indelible “trouser role” performance that might have caused the audience to experience palpitations at moments! Dances choreographed by the famed Choreographer Mark Morris delightfully accompanied the mellifluous music. Probably because I was so moved by the production, I started researching other topics that might be linked to operas, such as “fuchsia and opera” or “Lolita and opera”. To my surprise, a “tea” opera had already been written and staged.
Tea: a Mirror of Soul, commissioned by Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan and premiered in 2002, is the work of the Chinese Composer Tan Dun, who is best known for his score for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Some of you might have seen the PBS broadcast of his other opera, The First Emperor, with Plácido Domingo singing the title role, at the Metropolitan Opera. 
Not surprisingly, when the curtain rises for Tea: a Mirror of Soul, a tea ceremony is in progress. While drinking tea from an empty bowl poured from an empty tea pot – symbolizing enduring emptiness perhaps - Japanese Monk Seikyo reminisces about his encounter with the love of his life, the Chinese Princess Lan, and their quest for the Book of Tea, penned by the Tea Sage LuYu. They eventually obtain the book from LuYu’s daughter, Lu, and promise to share the “tea” wisdom with the world. Unfortunately and somewhat predictably, Princess Lan is fatally wounded by her own brother during his duel with Seikyo over the Book of Tea.
Tea: a Mirror of Soul premiered in North America at Santa Fe Opera in 2007. Merely an opera aficionado, not an opera doyen, I am yet to find a contemporary opera that touches me like Orfeo ed Euridice or The Coronation of Poppea. And after seeing the tea ceremony scene on You Tube, I will not comment further on Tea: a Mirror of Soul. Perhaps I’ll do some more research on tea in classical operas.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Hi Ifang,
Interesting post! Hope to see more writing about tea in classical operas from you!
March 16th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Who knew there was an Opera dedicated to tea and the pursuit of Lu Yu’s Book of Tea. Fantastic. Thanks for bringing this out. I would love to see it. BTW, a friend of mine gave me a copy of Lu Yu’s book as a gift. A beautiful book, I just wish I could read Chinese.
March 16th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Tan Dun’s website
March 16th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
the opera combined with tea would be quite interesting to discuss about
March 16th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I would like to thank Erika, T Ching’s Managing Editor, for enriching my post with links to the relevant websites, including the YouTube video.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Wonderful piece.
Ifang,
Your unmistaken and undeniable love and passion for the Opera is truly felt in this piece. The vivid depiction of Orfeo ed Euridice coupled with your exquisite writing alerts the reader to the amazing degree of your full grasp in every element of the Opera.
Please continue on writing the wonderful commentaries.
March 21st, 2009 at 3:16 am
Sandy - there are some good english versions of Cha Ching - that is what Lu Yu’s book of tea called in chinese. And if you suceed in getting one please let me know - i would like to own one and then study it very very carefully - because classical chinese translation into english is a real difficult thing - so getting the real meanings is equally difficult.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Both tea and opera could bring pleasures to the senses, but in different dimensions.
Tea usually represents an important aspect of Oriental culture, while opera is Western for me.
This reminds me I should stop stereotyping.
Maybe I could start listening to Western pop music while drinking tea, not coffee?