Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist

Western opera is the embodiment of synthesis arts. While it’s so far impossible to stage the entire repertoire in Taiwan, the first concert rendition of Wagner’s classic, Tristan und Isolde, by the National Symphony Orchestra with Chien Wen-Pin as the conductor and Ching-chang Wang as the director and stage designer, was the best of the kind in recent years in terms of either the orchestra or the stage. Though the few foreign vocalists were kind of uneven in their performances, most of the domestic young singers were excellent. The minimalist stage design and eye-catching costume successfully accentuated the plots and the characters.

Artwork Introduction

Since Wen-Pin Chien assumed his post at NSO, he has continued to organize two operas in the same genre every season. By blended in theatrical elements, Chien has brought in a different taste on semi-staged opera and demonstrated his sensibility towards the arrangement of orchestra and the human voice. First two presentations of the series, Die Walke and Tosca, which nominated top ten performing art events of 2002 by art critics in Taiwan, have generated enthusiastic feedbacks in the arts scene of Taiwan.

In 2003 Wen-Pin Chien and NSO will enchant you with another wonderful opera work, Tristan und Isolde, a truly legendary work of Wagner’. It celebrated the timelessness of love and revealed the depth of love devotion. Artists and production crews from different disciplines in the performing arts will be invited to participate in the performance. The performance will be presented in its entirety and the length of this opera, including intermission, lasts over five hours. It is unquestionably a groundbreaking work in the performing arts history of Taiwan.

About the Artist

We have to appreciate the opera not only with our sense of hearing but also with our eyes. And the ideal venue for the opera should include the theater as well as the concert hall. Since the launch of NSO Opera Series, the display of its two operas each season has been an eagerly anticipated art event. With further contribution from the directors, including Lin Hwai-Min, Calvin Wang, Hung Hung and Stan Lai, the NSO Opera Series not only create new topics, but also encourage more injection of creativity.

Production Team

Production Company： National Symphony Orchestra