From N.V. Gogol to Lu Xun and the opera libretto by Zeng Li and Guo Wenjing
The subject analyzed in this study is the origin of the libretto to Guo Wenjing's opera Notes of a Madman (Wolf Cub Village). The object of this article is to examine the interplay between Gogol's novel Notes of a Madman and the short story by the classical Chinese author Lu Xun. The article looks at the reasons for the popularity of both Gogol's novel and Lu Xun's short story in the late 20th century's operatic art. It is noted that the Chinese composer, being unfamiliar with Gogol's novel that Lu Xun had been inspired by, based his work only on the latter's short story. The libretto was written with the assistance of the composer's friend, art historian and writer Zeng Li. The key idea of this article consists in the attempt to reveal the chain of interpretation connecting Gogol's novel, Lu Xun's short story, and the libretto by Zeng Li and Guo Wenjing. Our description of the origin of the opera is based on the interview we conducted with Guo Wenjing in July 2015. Thus, it becomes clear that Gogol's novel possesses the qualities that are so sought-after in the operatic genre nowadays. With the help of the librettist's and composer's interpretation and via the medium of Lu Xun's short story, its ideas can be actualized within any contemporary national culture. This statement finds its proof in the opera by Guo Wenjing and Zeng Li.