Tales of enduring romance

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Butterfly Lovers premiere, Yu performed the concerto in Beijing along with other Chinese violinists of different generations, including Sheng Zhongguo and his wife, Japanese pianist Hiroko Seta.

Directed by Xu Jun, the new show gathers together a group of songwriters, including lyricist Liang Mang and Chinese-American composer David Fang, to tell three Chinese love stories in one program.

Chinese dancer-choreographer Wang Yabin and dancer Zhang Yapeng will perform the section devoted to Fan and Peng.

The second story will center on Ba Jin, one of the most prominent Chinese writers of the 20th century, and his wife, Xiao Shan. Chinese actor Wang Zhifei and his wife, actress Zhang Dinghan, will play the couple.

The final story centers on Princess Wencheng (628-680), who was sent by a Tang Dynasty (618-907) emperor to marry the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo to forge an alliance. Liao Changyong, an operatic baritone, who is also head of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, will play the role of the Tibetan king.

At the end of the show, Yu will perform the violin concerto once again.

"Each story will be told through a different art form-a contemporary dance work, a play and a musical," says director Xu. "What we want to present to the audience are stories about true love, which is not an outdated concept, even nowadays."