The MET Opera and the Modern/Contemporary World

"The Met first approached Mr. Tan [Dun] about writing a
new American opera in 1996. [His new opera -- The First Emperor
-- will receive its MET premiere on December 21, 2006.]
He offered three ideas. One was about the Jews who fled to
Shanghai in the 1930's and 1940's, another about Freud
and dreams. The ultimate choice was the saga of Qin Shi Huangdi,
the visionary and brutal warlord who unified China and
proclaimed himself the country's first emperor in 221 B.C.
The dynasty he founded was eventually brought down by
rebels from Hunan - Mr. Tan's home province,
he proudly notes."

Robert Lipsyte and Lois B. Morris
"Tan Dun's Opera: Special Delivery From the Spirit World"
New York Times, June 26, 2005.