|The Harbour Scene in Glière's The Red Poppy|
Glière's The Red Poppy is set in China. Nothing unusual about that given western taste for exotic locales. Significantly, Turandot premiered in 1927, around the same time as The Red Poppy. Since a huge part of Asia was in fact part of the Russian Empire, it was perfectly natural for Russian composers and artists to incorporate "eastern" themes. Hence Borodin's Prince Igor, and much else. Yet there's more to The Red Poppy. It's poltical, and connects to a wider context of Soviet expansionism. The film, Storm over Asia (Vsevolod Pudokin, 1928) depicts a Mongolian herdsman mistreated by the British (generic capitalist) who eventually drives them from his land. The timing of The Red Poppy is worth noting. It's no accident either that the title is "red" poppy, since the "white" poppy produces the opium which caused the Opium Wars and the Unequal Treaties. China was in the throes of modernizing after thousands of years of feudalism, and the young Republic forced to call on help from outside. The Chinese couldn't really rely on western powers who had an interest in keeping China subservient, so they called in the Soviets. The Chinese Communist Party was minute, founded only in 1921, so it didn't seem a threat. But by 1924, Comintern had such influence that it could organize massive strikes in the main Treaty Ports, threatening the control of western powers. The leader of the Comintern in China was codenamed Borodin, a name familiar to many Chinese since his music was well known in China. Hanns Eisler's elder brother was also involved, lower down the scale. The Chinese soon got rid of the Comintern, but eventually the CCP took hold.
Glière's The Red Poppy depicts the harbour in a Treaty Port (as sen in the photo above, taken from the original production). Coolies, working on a pittance, are unloading goods for foreigners and the rich. In the Bratislava production the cargo is marked "From the USA" and contains guns. The workers are mistreated, not only by western capitalism but by Chinese collaborators, depicted - alas - like Fu Man Chu stereotypes. Glière incorporates many different musical styles to emphasize the contrast between cultures - foxtrots and jazz for the capitalists, bizarre pastiche Chinoiserie for the Chinese, and The Internationale for the Soviets and "good" Chines partisans. The original, being a ballet, contains numerous set pieces for dance, including passages where notes flutter breathlessly, so the dancers do a lot of en pointe, their feet arched as if they had bound feet (another western stereotype of Chinese culture). In ballet, dance tells the story, so plots don't need much depth. A Chinese nightclub dancer called Tai-Choa notices how nice the Soviet sailors are (they have a famous dance number). There are "Malay" dancers too, who have no function but to add another element of exotic soft porn - "Malays" no real Malay would recognize. In a protracted dream sequence, induced by smoking dope (as stereotype Chinese were expected to do), Tai-Choa finds herself in a temple with a giant Buddha. Demons dressed like generals in Beijing opera threaten her, but she's saved by good guy warriors in white (!) commanded by a Chinese partisan. The Chinese villian tries to get Tai-Choa to poison the Soviet Captain (whom she loves) but she won't do it. The temple/courtyard is raided and the Captain and his men enter. The Chinese villain raises his gun and shoots, but Taï-Choa sees what's happening and takes the shot, and dies.