??Among the operas of the 2017 “China National Opera Inheritance and Development Project”supported by the Ministry of Culture, Ma Xiangyang in Countryside, created and rehearsed by Qingdao Song and Dance Theatre, is quite eye-catching. It is not only the sole realistic work, but also a national opera that seldom performed by theaters in other areas. Not to mention that it is a light comedy. When he was interviewed on August 14th, ZangYunfei, the opera composer and famous military song writer said that “only by learning from life can I create down-to-earth works with true feelings.”ZangYunfei revealed that he found inspiration for composing Ma Xiangyang in Countryside while living in Qingdao, eating seafood, appreciating the sea and listening to Qingdao dialect.

“I had the chance of working with an excellent team: we ate delicacies in Qingdao and created beautiful music. We must take this chance to make Ma Xiangyang in Countrysidegreat.”ZangYunfei said since the opera has been chosen by the Ministry of Culture as one of the nine key operas, it should deserve the great attention. “I hope people will check the music I composed. I wrote it with my heart.”ZangYunfei said Ma Xiangyang in Countryside is not only a work of Qingdao and of Shandong Province, but also a work of the nation and even “a work of the world if we do it well”.

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