Porgy and Bess is a triumph of international cooperation and technical expertise, Chen Nan reports.

Cape Town Opera's acclaimed production of American composer George Gershwin's 1935 masterpiece, Porgy and Bess, arrived at Beijing's Poly Theater with shows running on Saturday and Sunday. The Sunday show closed the 27th edition of the Beijing Music Festival — one of the largest music events in the capital first launched in 1998.

Performed by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under the baton of American conductor Kazem Abdullah, this semistaged (limited use of props and costumes) production was held in Shanghai on Oct 8 before its Beijing shows.

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With an English-language libretto written by DuBose Heyward (with lyrics by Heyward and Ira Gershwin), which was based on Heyward's novel, Porgy (1925), Porgy and Bess is set in the African-American community of Charleston, South Carolina, and tells a heartfelt story of love and struggle, portraying the lives of marginalized people searching for dignity amid poverty. Since its debut nearly a century ago, the opera has undergone various adaptations, serving as a powerful symbol of cultural exchange across the globe. It is considered to be the first great American opera.

One of the most famous and most covered songs in the opera is Summertime, which is a jazz-inspired lullaby, reprising several times throughout the opera.

"It is a great joy to have friends come from afar, goes the famous Confucian proverb," said Zou Shuang, artistic director of the festival in Beijing on Friday. "Beijing Music Festival has welcomed its most distant friends — the Cape Town Opera. The musicians traveled long distances from South Africa to meet with Beijing's audience, making the China premiere of Porgy and Bess happen."

The significance of this collaboration lies not only in its artistic achievement, but also in the spirit of international friendship it represents. The involvement of Cape Town Opera — a key institution in the preservation of South Africa's operatic heritage — demonstrates the power of art to transcend borders, Zou adds.

In this semi-staged version, involving the Beijing Music Festival, Cape Town Opera, and KT Wong Foundation, the production team used props and lighting effects to evoke the atmosphere of 1920s South Carolina, immersing the audience in the vibrant yet challenging world of Catfish Row, a dockside area of Charleston. The performances, complemented by the creative use of lighting to highlight key moments, captured the emotional depth of the story, while the orchestra played an integral role, interacting with both the singers and the narrative.

South African bass singer Otto Maidi plays the role of Porgy, a disabled beggar, who attempts to save Bess, played by South African soprano Nonhlanhla Yende, from her possessive and violent ex-lover.

"Porgy and Bess was George Gershwin's attempt to write an opera that showcased the true depth and range of African-American voices. This production of Porgy and Bess reflects the particular intensity and energy of South African singers," says Abdullah, the conductor. "From the first rehearsal after we arrived in China, I had smiles on my face. Despite different languages, the singers and the orchestra worked well together. There are beautiful folk songs, jazz music and symphonic music.

"Bess is a troubled woman, who lives in the darkness under the thumb of her violent former boyfriend. When she meets Porgy, she sees hope and falls in love. In her case, I believe that within her heart, she wants to do the right thing, but she struggles a lot while doing that. Then there is the man, Porgy, who overlooks all her faults, and just loves her," says Yende. "She is driven by the idea of love."

According to Magdalene Minnaar, artistic director of the Cape Town Opera, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the opera company, and since 2005 it has produced different versions of Porgy and Bess, touring over 15 countries.

"These musicians, who perform in China in this new version, have played in our previous versions of the opera. It's wonderful to see this team interpreting this opera again, telling the story in a fresh and innovative way," she says.

Besides the opera, the Cape Town Opera Chorus staged a concert in Beijing on Oct 10. The outdoor concert took place in a special venue inside the Temple of Heaven — the Divine Music Administration. First built in 1420, it is one of the five major structures at the Temple of Heaven, an imperial sacrificial altar and was the highest ritual music academy for training and practicing imperial sacrificial music.

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Under the baton of Portuguese-born conductor and pianist Jose Dias, the chorus performed both classic South African songs and newly composed music pieces.

"It's quite an exciting experience for the singers to perform at the venue," says Minnaar. "We have such a rich heritage of singing in South Africa, which is filled with different music traditions. We have 12 official languages, celebrating different cultures."

Further enriching this cultural exchange, the Beijing Music Festival also presents an exhibition focusing on contemporary African photography. The exhibition, featuring works of several African photographers, offered Chinese audiences an intimate look into the diverse landscapes, cultures, and people of Africa, highlighting the growing relationship between China and Africa through the lens of artistic expression, according to Zou.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn