All Is Heard in Water: Tan Dun's Water Passion

Tan Dun's Water Passion after St. Matthew, performed in The Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing, November 14, 2015. All photos by Kelley McGuire

«Why does Tan Dun's Water Passion after St. Matthew matter so much?

I had the opportunity to speak with the Academy Award–winning composer (Best Original Score, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2001) just before the performance of Water Passion on Saturday, November 14, at The Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing, and I asked him what motivates him to compose this great work. Mr. Tan threw me faint smile, and placed a piece of paper in my hand: it was a fortune he was given the night before, which said, "Your emotional nature is strong and sensitive." I realized that being sensitive and emotional is, indeed, his strength.»

Tan Dun recalls a romantic relationship with water since childhood. Growing up in Hunan Province, the "lakes and rivers" region of south-central China, Tan Dun enjoyed watching people wash vegetables and prepare rice, as well as clean and beat clothes alongside the river. Therefore, the idea of water has become one of Tan Dun's most significant inspirations. Mr. Tan precisely chose water as a subject and even came up with his own metaphor for water's chemical properties: H2O—an Oriental baptism for Humans with Hope. As such, Water Passion after St. Matthew deeply combines soloists, a chorus, and a "water instruments orchestra" to express a renewal and resurrection from Eastern culture.

Experiencing Tan Dun's eighty-five-minute Water Passion journey myself, I was deeply touched by the rhythm of the words and the work's structure. It's such a special memory for me to see this work performed here at the Met, as Mr. Tan and I share a hometown. I even felt connected to some scenes he composed; when the whole chorus is singing and playing with the Chinese temple bells to tell the story of the Passion, it reminded me of a high, tinkling sound I used to hear from the countryside.

Tan Dun began thinking of how to stage Water Passion in The Temple of Dendur three years ago. After the 2012 performance of his opera The Peony Pavilion in the Met's Astor Chinese Garden Court, Mr. Tan was amazed by the brilliant Egyptian culture on display within the Temple's spacious gallery. It was in that moment when he made up his mind to have the work performed in that space. Tan recalled: "I felt that I was having a profound conversation with the pharaoh about my excitement as well as my anxiety."

Watch the performance of Water Passion here, and let us know how the work affects you in the comments section below.

Related Links
Suggested Itineraries—Live Arts at the Met: A Site-Specific Performance Itinerary
MetMedia: The Peony Pavilion (November 30, 2012)