In 1978, two years after the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) ended, Zheng discussed with Huang the idea of writing a Chinese opera based on the story of Yue Fei (1103-42), a legendary general of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

For Huang, who was 29 that year, it was a quite a challenge. He had composed a few works but he had never written a full operatic work on a big theme.

With the help of Zheng, he, along with the late scriptwriter Xu Qingdong, did lots of research on Yue and listened to many Western operatic works.

According to Huang, Chinese-language, Western-style opera should be rooted in Chinese culture. Early operatic works, such as The White-Haired Girl and Liu Hulan, contained traditional Chinese folk music elements and singing style, he says.

Huang and Zheng focused on the last two years of Yue's life, when he not only fought against invaders but was also disappointed by the corruption among his own government officials. Finally, he was killed by people who betrayed his trust.

The score and script had been revised several times and it wasn't finished until Huang received his master's degree in music from Yale University in 1986.

"Yue Fei contains all the key elements of an opera－dramatic plot, grand symphonic tunes and vocal production," Zheng says. "It's a timeless work."

If you go

7 pm, Thursday. Concert hall of Tianjin Conservatory Of Music, 57 Shiyijing Lu (Road), Hedong district, Tianjin. 022-2416-0076.

7 pm, Saturday. Tian Jiabing concert hall of Nankai University, 92 Weijing Lu (Road), Nankai district, Tianjin. 022-2350-1326.