Chinatown
Leaf, 2023
8/10
An opera composed by Alice Ping Yee Ho, with librettist Madeleine Thien and translator Paul Yee, these 2 discs tell the story of early Chinese newcomers in search of a brighter future
“Act I: Scene 1” starts the listen with cozy strings and percussion aligning with the expressive singing that tells of a young boy, Xon Pon, who in 1896 joins his father to work in Canada, and “Act I: Scene 2” follows with a conversational tone that also uses a choir amid the twinkling instrumentation that soundtracks the tale of men who died building the railway- a home to their villages in China.
Further along, “Act I: Scene 5” displays harmonic string gestures amid the baritone voices that describe how Saihin can’t save enough to pay the Head Tax for Lingling, while “Act II: Scene 1” finds a highly intimate place to reside with its stirring strings and deep vocals discussing how the girls are in high school, and Anna’s boyfriend, Eugene, is a paper son.
Close to the end, “Act II: Scene 3” details how police raids continue all night, where Uncle Toy, Xon Pon, Anna, and Wenli protect Eugene via the use of the bright winds for a very radiant highlight track, and “Act II: Scene 5” exits with both talking and singing that suit the animated spirit which spotlights Wenli and Anna imagining the future of Chinatown.
A project that was 2 years in the making, the exploration of the roots and history of Chinatown communities and all the love, hope and courage they embrace is quite admirable. It makes for a highly complicated story of found family, and the music is equally compelling, too.
Travels well with: Alice Ping Yee Ho- Blaze; Rich Pellegrin- Passage