Goethe Scenes

Legendary Music

Vietnam and Germany are getting to work to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their diplomatic relations through innovative music. Vietnamese composer Tran Thi Kim Ngoc had a special gift for the occasion; she wrote her new piece My Chau’s World especially for the Cologne musikFabrik. The German soloist ensemble and Kim Nogc collaborated on the piece of contemporary music and premiered it this summer at the Hanoi Opera House. My Chau’s World presents an old Vietnamese legend in the form of modern musical theatre. This cultural cooperation allowed the artists from Germany and Vietnam to get to know one another and present themselves to the public. The work was commissioned by the Goethe-Institut Vietnam for the year of events Deutschland in Vietnam 2010, with which Germany and Vietnam are showcasing their diversified relationship. For the event, German author Juli Zeh is travelling through Vietnam for three weeks and blogging her impressions and encounters.