Tan Dun portrays the Venetian explorer's travels to the Far East as a journey of both inner and physical discovery, a voyage depicting spiritual experiences as well as a geographical expedition. Pierre Audi's mythical staging and Jean Kalman's fabulous set design complement the composer's own musical direction, forging the dazzlingly versatile soloists, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Cappella Amsterdam to a stunning symbiosis of elements across time and space, a true testimony to cultures intertwined in globalization.

Cast

Charles Workman

Polo

Sarah Castle

Marco

Stephen Richardson

Kublai Khan

Nancy Allen Lundy

Water

Zhang Jun

Shadow 1 / Rustichello / Li Po

Tania Kress

Shadow 2 / Sheherazada / Mahler / Queen

Stephen Bryant

Shadow 3 / Dante / Shakespeare