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Chao-Kang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chao-Kang
Native titleChao-Kang
ChoreographerLouis Henry
MusicLuigi Carlini
Premiere16 October 1834 (1834-10-16)
GenrePantomime
TypeBallet

Chao-Kang is a French ballet-pantomime created in 1834 and performed in Paris during the Romantic period.

Background

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Chao-Kang was directed by French choreographer Louis Henry with music arranged by Italian composer Luigi Carlini. Henry authored the work and developed the choreography.[1] The ballet, presented in three acts, was in the pantomime genre and concluded with an epilogue by Louis Henry.[2] Henry appears to have undertaken a detailed study of the customs and ways of life among China's people.[2]

On 16 October 1834, Chao-Kang was premiered at the Théâtre Nautique, with Louis Henry in the title role and Madame Laurent as Chao-Kang's fiancée.[3] The cast also featured Louis-François Gosselin as Han-Tsou and Télémaque, a dancer, in the role of a young Mandarin.[4] The set and costume design drew inspiration from Ancient China and the Xia dynasty, recognized as China's first recorded dynasty.

Characters

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  • Chao Kang (Louis Henry)
  • Chao Kang's fiancee (Madame Laurent)
  • Han-Tsou (Louis Gosselin)
  • Young Mandarin (Télémaque)
  • Old Mandarin (Laurent)

Plot

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The ballet combines moral and political themes, celebrating the triumph of rightful rule over usurpation.[2] Chao-Kang follows the story of Chao Kang, the son of the dethroned Tai Kang of the Yu dynasty. The antagonist is a wealthy Chinese lord who, despite controlling vast provinces and treasures, desires the crown. Lacking the bravery to win it in battle, he seizes it deceitfully, forcing the emperor into exile.[2] After his mother, Empress Ming, escapes a massacre, she raises him in hiding as a shepherd boy. When his identity is discovered, the governor seeks to restore him to the throne. At 30, Chao Kang leads a successful conspiracy against the usurper, restoring him as the legitimate ruler.[5] As punishment, the illegitimate ruler is publicly displayed in an iron cage to the people's satisfaction.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Gazette musicale de Paris. (1835). France: Gazette.
  2. ^ a b c d e La mode de Paris. (1834). France: Éversat.
  3. ^ Digital Collections, The New York Public Library. "(still image) Costume de Mme. Laurent, rôle de la Fiancée, dans Chao-King. Ballet, (1834)". The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Chao-Kang - Spectacle - 1834. (n.d.). data.bnf.fr. https://data.bnf.fr/fr/ark:/12148/cb396847753
  5. ^ Interlude, & Interlude. (2019, January 17). Chinoiserie in Motion: Chao Kang. Interlude HK Limited. https://interlude.hk/chinoiserie-motion-chao-kang/