Tan Dun’s The First Emperor and the Expectations of Exoticism

Abstract

Thrice upon a time … First, an experiment: three approaches to the questions raised by Tan Dun’s The First Emperor. *** The First Emperor, by Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House in December 2006. A commission from the Met and a co-production with the Los Angeles Opera, the opera included an enormous cast and massive sets. The First Emperor of the title is the real-life Qin Shi Huang, whose history and mythology is befitting of a grandiose production even millennia later: Emperor Qin ruled from 220 to 210 BCE; he embarked upon large-scale projects, including the Great Wall, that were thought to unite China during a time of unrest. Known for his brutal force on small and large scales, Emperor Qin was buried with his army of terracotta soldiers. The opera opens with the Yin-Yang master, who invites the audience into a tale of long ago. The Yin-Yang master sings in Peking opera style and is dressed accordingly. Soon, the Emperor enters with his wife and daughter and his entourage, including the General. The Emperor Qin commands the General to find Gao Jianli—a childhood friend of the Emperor who he wants to write the anthem for a new and united China. When Gao Jianli is found and brought to the Emperor, his resistance to this task is palpable—after all, the Emperor has ordered the pillaging of his home village among many others and has caused large-scale destruction and displacement.

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