calendar>>March 1. 2013 Juch 102
Many "Sea of Blood"-style Operas Produced in Four Decades
Pyongyang, March 1 (KCNA) -- 40 years have passed since general secretary Kim Jong Il made public the work "On Consolidating and Developing the Successes Achieved in Creating Revolutionary Operas".

This historic concluding speech made by him on March 1, Juche 62 (1973), at the meeting for the study of the idea of President Kim Il Sung on literature and art related to creation of revolutionary operas serves as important guidelines as it indicates clear ways for the development of the Juche-oriented opera art.

Since then many "Sea of Blood"-style operas have been created and the five revolutionary operas staged more than 7 000 times.

Under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il the revolutionary operas "Sea of Blood", "The Flower Girl", "Tell the Story, Forest" and "The Story of A Nurse" were successfully produced in a short span of time. And after the publication of the above-said work, opera "Song of Mt. Kumgang" was created to record in history the five revolutionary operas.

They, run through with profound philosophy, teach the truth of the class struggle and revolutionary outlook on life. They indicate new ways for opera representation in a unique manner as they properly embody popular character and simplicity and introduce verse-songs, pangchang, dances and three-dimensional moving stage decor. These are valuable experience gained in the opera creation of Korean style.

The production of the five revolutionary operas brought about a dramatic turn in the development of opera art.

Operas on diverse themes including the revolutionary operas "Victory of the Revolution Is in Sight", "Sea of Love" and "Under the Bright Sun" and folklore operas "The Tale of Chun Hyang" and "The Tale of Sim Chong" clearly showed progress made in the creation of "Sea of Blood"-style operas which reached a new phase.

The North Hamgyong and Kangwon provincial art troupes and other local art troupes also created such revolutionary operas as "Morning Glow at Tuman Riverside" and "Women of Namgang Village".

The successes made in the opera revolution served as a foundation for producing "Mountain Shrine"-style dramas and source of other new art forms including music and dance tale.

The significance of the creation of "Sea of Blood"-style operas was brought into bolder relief in the new century.

The grand gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang" is based on the successes made in the opera revolution.

The Phibada (Sea of Blood) Opera Troupe adapted the Chinese famous classic story "A Dream of Red Mansions" and Chinese legend "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" into operas to be listed as flawless art pieces.

The Russian classic opera "Evgeni Onegin" was represented by Korean artistes as a flawless art work.

The 1 600th performance of the revolutionary opera "Sea of Blood" was given on its 40th anniversary of its premiere and the 1 500th performance of the revolutionary opera "The Flower Girl" was given since its start. Their history has proved the vitality of the Juche-oriented opera art glorified down through generations as masterpieces of the era.

The revolutionary operas of the DPRK were staged in different countries of Asia, Europe and Latin America.

The revolutionary opera "The Flower Girl" was presented hundreds of times in more than 40 countries including Russia, Cuba, Italy and Japan.
