Butterfly Lovers updated for 60th anniversary

"The Butterfly Lovers," a violin concerto based on a popular Yueju Opera, is returning to celebrate its 60th anniversary. 

“The new arrangement of 'The Butterfly Lovers' incorporates various performances on stage, with musical theater as the main medium,” said Xu Jun, its director.

The project was commissioned by Yu Lina, the violinist who premiered the concerto when she was 19. It is expected to be in the theater in November.

In addition to the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai from the Yueju opera, the play will include three more couples and their love stories — contemporary writer Ba Jin and his wife Xiao Shan, Mogao grottoes former director Fan Jinshi and her husband Peng Jinzhang, as well as ancient couples Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo. 

"I want to re-innovate the classics, but I don't want to create a new form just for the sake of novelty," Xu explained.

"I want the new show to maintain the traditional value of the original and part of that is about true love, hence the love stories."

Shanghai native Fan Jinshi devoted her life to the study and preservation of the Dunhuang Grottoes in northwestern China. That meant being apart from her husband, Peng Jinzhang, for 19 years, before he joined her at the desert. Even after close to two decades of separation, Peng never uttered a word of complaint.

Author Ba Jin never thought of getting married till he met one of his readers, Xiao Shan, who accompanied him for all the ups and downs in the years to come. After she passed away, the writer kept her ashes by his bedside for the next 30 years. His last wish was to have their ashes mixed together.

The marriage between Han Princess Wencheng and Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo is a legendary tale of love through the centuries. Today it is difficult to differentiate between history and legend, but most believed the arranged marriage turned into true love. 

“This new composition makes use of love stories of different generations to explore the Chinese notion of love,” said violinist Yu. 

“No matter how long has passed, the Chinese still value ideals such as ‘one lifetime, one love’ or ‘till death part us’.”

In 1959, Yu Lina first performed the Butterfly Lovers concerto, composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang. The performance was a huge success, turning the composition into a national hit, and attracting many to learn to take up the violin.