Tan Dun: Marco Polo

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Tan Dun: Marco Polo
Review added by
Alan Titherington

Live performance from Amsterdam
Certificate: None
Running Time: 156 mins
Retail Price: £24.99
Release Date: 01/05/2009
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
In 'Marco Polo, an opera within an opera', composer Tan Dun portrays the Venetian explorer's travels to the Far East as a journey of both inner and physical discovery, a voyage depicting spiritual experiences as well as a geographical expedition. At the same time the work, on a libretto by Paul Griffiths, can be seen as a compositional adventure of the composer himself, unifying the various cultural worlds he occupies: a blend of Western avant garde and Oriental traditions. Pierre Audi's mythical staging and Jean Kalman's fabulous set design complement the composer's own musical direction, forging the dazzlingly versatile soloists, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Capella Amsterdam to a stunning symbiosis of elements across time and space, a true testimony to cultures intertwined in globalisation.

Polo: Charles Workman
Marco: Sarah Castle
Kublai Khan: Stephen Richardson
Water: Nancy Allen Lundy
Shadow 1/Rustichello/Li Po: Zhang Jun
Shadow 2/Sheherazada/Mahler/Queen: Tania Kross
Shadow3/Dante/Shakespeare: Stephen Bryant
Chinese/Arabian dancer: Mu Na

Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Cappella Amsterdam
Musical Director: Tan Dun
Stage Director: Pierre Audi

Recorded live at Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, on 13th and 18th November 2008.

Special Features:
Illustrated synopsis.
Cast gallery.
Documentary: The Music of Tomorrow - including interviews with the creative team and principle cast members.

Video Tracks:
16:9

Audio Tracks:
DTS 5.0
PCM Stereo

Subtitle Tracks:
English
French
German
Spanish
Italian
Dutch