Opera "Marco Polo" revives, GDToday Salon boosts cultural exchanges with over 200 global participants

GUANGZHOU, China, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from GDToday:

On May 3rd and 4th, the opera "Marco Polo" made its return at the Guangzhou Opera House. This three-act opera, sung in Chinese, takes the audience on a journey along the historic Silk Road, recounting the legendary adventures of the iconic Italian traveler Marco Polo and his companions and promoting friendship between China and Italy.

Marco Polo, who was born in Italy in the 13th century, traveled to China with his father and uncle. His travelogue, "The Travels of Marco Polo," provided a detailed account of his experiences in China, and sparked the Western people's interest in China.

A GDToday Salon "An Encounter with Marco Polo" series was held in conjunction with the opera "Marco Polo," including a global gathering with over 200 international participants and an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible culturing heritages.

"The opera 'Marco Polo' reminds me of the strong ties between China and Italy. I am pleased to announce that on May 5, the opera will air on GOLDTV channels across Italy," said Gianfranco Sciscione, President of Group Sciscione, at the GDToday Salon. He also invited the "Marco Polo" troupe to perform a series of shows in Italy. "This cultural exchange will offer Italian audiences a chance to experience the rich theatrical arts of China," he added. 

Opera inspires audiences with harmony and diversity

By portraying the adventure that Marco Polo, his father, Niccolò Polo, and his uncle Maffeo Polo along the ancient Silk Road in the 13th century, this opera recreates the rise and fall of the Song and Yuan dynasties as well as the communication and trade between the East and the West.

The opera premiered in Guangzhou in 2018 and was directed by Kasper Holten, winning four stars from Financial Times' critics and ranking as one of the "Top Ten Music Trends/Events in China, 2018" by Musical America. In 2019, it returned "home" and was staged at Teatro dal Verme in Milan and Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Italy. 

To commemorate the 700th anniversary of the passing of the legendary Italian traveler Marco Polo, the opera returns with a stellar cast and conductor after its debut in 2018. The opera has dazzled audiences with the performance of "Marco Polo," a captivating opera commissioned by the esteemed venue.

Many lyrics in the opera are profound and impressive, such as "One's happiness does not cause misfortune to others. One's palace does not ruin others' roofs". "In the beginning, the characters in the opera seems to be unable to change each other, but in fact, civilizations have subtly blended and merged through exchanges and collisions," said Wei Jin, the librettist of opera Marco Polo and Distinguished Professor of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. He hopes that this opera can promote the concepts of openness, inclusiveness, and harmony without uniformity, and contribute to the friendship between China and Italy as well as the progress of human civilization.

Following the performance, attendees expressed awe and appreciation for the opera's artistic brilliance and thematic depth. "Actually, I feel a connection with the show because Marco Polo was a foreigner to China, and then the whole love took place in China. And I'm in love with a beautiful Chinese girl now," said Rei, an audience member from Venezuela.

Gianluca Zoppa, an Italian playwright, producer, director, and actor who has resided in Guangdong for a long time, said after watching the opera that it reflected the integration of Chinese and Western cultural elements in many aspects. "This opera tells the story of Marco Polo's travels in China, which is a very appealing theme for Western audiences. It not only resonates with the aesthetic preferences of Western viewers but also stimulates their imagination about the East through its narrative, music, costumes, and stage design."

Hoping to invite Marco Polo to explore the GBA 

The series of GDToday Salon "An Encounter with Marco Polo" was highlighted with a global gathering, aiming to boost global cultural exchanges with over 200 participants from consulates general and chambers of commerce from 29 countries in Guangzhou, as well as guests from home and abroad. 

"I think it's a wonderful initiative to bring people with different backgrounds together, recounting a legendary figure and paying tribute to the friendly messenger, Marco Polo," Valerio De Parolis, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, told GDToday that he was impressed by the fact that Marco Polo still touches the lives of so many people. He expected to focus on some cultural projects that can enhance the cooperation between universities and promote student exchanges in the future.

Alessandro Lamantia, a board member of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, shared with GDToday his excitement about Guangdong's dynamic atmosphere and the potential for fostering cultural exchange and business collaboration between the two nations. Reflecting on his journey since 1999 in China, he expressed enthusiasm for the city's energy and highlighted the importance of building strong ties between local and Italian communities. 

"If I had the honor to meet with Marco Polo today, I would humbly recommend him to explore the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with me to appreciate the ongoing changes, growth, and innovation, and perhaps he would even be able to witness a new edition of IL MILIONE written by artificial intelligence made in China!" Alessandro Lamantia added.

Sandro Trotti's oil painting series "The Reverie of Marco Polo", curated by Professor Lei, was also exhibited during the event. Sandro Trotti is a contemporary Italian painter, who has portrayed Marco Polo's travels in a new era with his paintbrush, depicting the journey from Italy to China. 

The event also included an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible culturing heritages, part of exchanges through the ancient Silk Road that Marco Polo traveled along. The exhibition displayed over 30 masterpieces of Guangzhou painted porcelain (Guangcai) and Guangzhou embroidery (Guangxiu), two significant commodities that were exported from the province to Europe through the ancient Silk Road.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2405240/video.mp4