“Sound is, in fact, a very fragile instrument.”

Release date:

2023-05-25 14:16

Author:

Beginning with the two concerts that have just concluded, He Hui will launch a year-long residency series of performances at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Her story with the city of Beijing is set to unfold in many more compelling chapters to come.

“Sound is, in fact, a very fragile ‘instrument’; speaking too much or being too easily distracted will prevent it from reaching an ideally perfect state,” He Hui said.
　　He Hui has a keen understanding of her own voice, which is also why many music lovers were surprised by the repertoire she chose for this concert—Wagner’s operas are a genre she has rarely tackled before. She is typically categorized as a lyric‑dramatic soprano who excels in Italian opera. Her singing is round and resonant, her stage presence finely nuanced, and her repertory centers on Puccini, Verdi, and verismo works; Wagner, by contrast, has been a relatively unexplored territory for her.
　　Wagnerian operas are renowned for their “difficulty,” with the sheer scale and technical demands placing exacting requirements on singers’ vocal technique—and even their physical stature. “Once your voice has been stretched beyond its limits, it’s very hard to return to its original range,” He Hui says. “But as my technique has refined and my body has undergone hormonal changes, I feel that the depth and power of my voice have now reached a point where I can take on Wagner.” Following two concerts at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, He Hui will hurry to Shanghai to join rehearsals for Wagner’s opera The Flying Dutchman.
　　“Lately, I’ve been performing works in German.” He Wei’s preparations have already begun; she and her vocal coach and artistic director spend each day searching for a singing style that suits her. German is rich in consonants, markedly different from Italian. “How to articulate clearly without compromising the vocal resonance—this is a delicate balance that demands careful attention.”
　　He Hui, deeply immersed in her German-language studies, remains the earnest and tenacious young woman from Shaanxi. She vividly recalls performing Puccini’s “Tosca” at the Teatro Regio in Parma, Italy, in 2002—the moment that marked her European stage debut. “At the time, I still couldn’t speak much Italian; I had to look up each word in the dictionary and learn the lyrics one by one.”
　　In Italy, the birthplace of opera, audiences are discerning down to the smallest detail. Just before stepping onto the stage, the pressure had reached its breaking point. “What am I going to do?” Hehui fretted, rubbing her hands together in nervousness. Suddenly, she thought of Maria Callas, the singer she admired most. She had watched countless recordings of Callas, and the way she moved—every gesture, every nuance—seemed to hold the key that opened the door to the very heart of a character. “Mario! Mario!” Hehui called out the first line of Tosca, and with that, she walked onto the stage.
　　What an unforgettable night it was. “For the first time, I felt the audience’s cheers and experienced the recognition and success of being in a foreign land.” As she stepped off the stage, even the stagehands couldn’t help but applaud enthusiastically for He Hui’s brilliant performance.
　　Beginning with the two concerts that have just concluded, He Hui will launch a year-long residency series of performances at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Her story with the city of Beijing is sure to unfold in many more compelling chapters to come.

Keywords:

Haiyi Musical Instruments

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