Description

Translation: Paula Ehrenhaus Faimberg

Qingyi. Ópera de la luna is a short novel set in contemporary Beijing, within the framework of the Chinese opera. It describes the varied characters and nuances of this art and its deep roots in popular culture with great dramatic force. The stellar artists and the rigor of their craft contrast with the emerging culture of the image, with the struggles for power and the omnipresence of the Communist Party in all aspects of society. The main character is an actress that is given the opportunity to relaunch her career, twenty years after having abandoned it because of personal conflicts. When the opera Volar a la luna is staged, a complex relationship emerges between the former diva, her pupil and substitute, the director of the opera company and the company’s patron. These new strains raise questions about the purity of art and the unstoppable cultural and economic changes experienced by the People’s Republic of China.