Minh To's famous horse saddle poem was re-enacted by Hanoi's reformed opera.

Artist Thanh Loc (left, in the role of Ly Dao Thanh) and his sister, artist Bach Le (in the role of Imperial Concubine Y Lan) in the play Saddle Poetry at Ben Thanh Theater in 2010 - Photo: HOANG DUNG

In the script published by director Quynh Mai, the play's official name is Ly Thuong Kiet . Author: Hoang Yen and reformed into opera: Thanh Tong.

However, the southern audience is very familiar with the play with the name Saddle Poem .

The poem "The Saddle" - a lesson of solidarity against invasion

Hoang Quynh Mai shared that this is one of the plays in the plan to restore exemplary, successful and popular scripts of Hanoi Opera House.

This script was staged by People's Artist Manh Tuong of the theater several decades ago.

Quynh Mai was moved: "After 18 years, I met again the character I admired so much."

Quynh Mai said that more than ten years ago, she was lucky to stage a play about the hero Ly Thuong Kiet in A Lifetime of Loyalty to Thang Long . In this play, the author and director portrayed the character from birth, then became a eunuch, sacrificing personal feelings for a greater cause...

With the play Ly Thuong Kiet is the period of the famous general, the talented leader of the battle on the Nhu Nguyet River against the Song army with the divine poem, considered the first declaration of independence, the poem Nam Quoc Son Ha .

Quynh Mai excitedly said that she is currently staging the play Ly Thuong Kiet and preparing to perform the play Mat troi dem the ky by author Le Duy Hanh for the Vietnam Cai Luong Theater.

The late People's Artist Thanh Tong (left, as Ly Dao Thanh) and the late artist Huu Canh (as Ly Thuong Kiet) in the recording of the play "The Poem of the Saddle" by Ho Chi Minh City Television - Screenshot: LINH DOAN

"When we read your script, we really liked it. The writing is good, profound, and still has contemporary value today. The script structure is tight. So, the director's job is to breathe new life into it and tell the story in an attractive way" - Quynh Mai said that the play Ly Thuong Kiet will be released in about a month.

The pride of the Minh To family

The poem "Saddle Horse" is a Vietnamese historical play that is not only the pride of the Minh To ancient opera family but also of the Ho Chi Minh City stage after 1975.

Artist Bach Long, who played Chieu Van in the first production by Doan Minh To, said the play was created around 1982. On the remaining recordings of the play, the work's title is clearly written: The poem on the saddle (author: Hoang Yen, adapted by: Ngoc Van, Thanh Tong).

The first crew performing the play included many famous artists of the Minh To family such as Thanh Tong, Huu Canh, Bach Le (artist Thanh Loc's sister), Thanh Loan, Dien Thanh, Bach Long, Thuy Duong, Cong Minh, Thanh Son...

After that, there were many recordings with other crews such as Ngoc Giau, Phuong Lien, Thanh Kim Hue, Thanh Sang, Phuong Quang, Bao Quoc... Tay Do Film Studio also worked with younger crews such as Que Tran, Trinh Trinh, Vu Luan...

In 2010, the late director Vu Minh produced the program "Gin vang giu ngoc" with the plays "Cau tho yen ngua " and "Dieu Tam Xuan bao phu cuu" which gathered members of the Minh To family when artists Bach Le, Thanh Bach, Dien Thanh... returned to visit their homeland.

The late artist Huu Canh (playing the role of Ly Thuong Kiet) is the husband of the late artist Xuan Yen, brother-in-law of artist Thanh Tong and father of artist Trinh Trinh - Screenshot: LINH DOAN

The poem "Saddle Horse" is always considered a typical case in the conferences on reformed opera. It is an effort with a great mark of artist Thanh Tong in searching for Vietnamese historical scripts to put into ancient opera because at that time people were familiar with the image of Minh To in Chinese plays.

With the poem of the saddle , and a series of plays such as Thanh Kiem Nu Tuong, Tran Quoc Toan, Bao Tap Nguyen Phong ..., artist Thanh Tong and his family have proven that the traditional opera troupe can still sing Vietnamese historical plays very well and heroically.

To do that, the "captain" People's Artist Thanh Tong had to constantly research and change. Beside him were the family's skilled artists.

Musician Duc Phu has created and composed new and Vietnamese songs, making the music of the poem "Sword of the Horse" highly appreciated and received professional awards.

Quynh Mai said that when hearing the name Thanh Tong, people thought the script would be full of traditional opera. "But Ly Thuong Kiet 's script is very pure cai luong. There are many cai luong songs such as Xuan Tinh, Suong Chieu, Tu Anh..." - Quynh Mai said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cau-tho-yen-ngua-noi-tieng-cua-minh-to-duoc-cai-luong-ha-noi-dung-lai-20240327130056312.htm