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Mirjana Jovetic

Power  of three

MUSIC. THE FOOD of love. The universal language. The Olympic trump card? It may well turn out to be for Beijing, whose quest to win the 2008 Games has led it to the world's singing heavyweights - the Three Tenors.

What may be the most exciting arts event to be held in China could also prove to be the winning ticket. Opera's most saleable commodities are using their vocal and marketing talents to put Beijing's Games bid firmly under the spotlight - to an audience of 100,000 fans in the historic venue, the Forbidden City, and an estimated two billion television viewers worldwide.

On June 23, International Oly-mpic Day, at the Forbidden City's Wumen Gate, where emperors once made proclamations to their subjects, Puccini's Nessun Dorma will herald a new China, a country determined not to allow the history of losing an Olympic bid (to Sydney for the 2000 Games) repeat itself. The historic landmark will make an impressive backdrop for the Three Tenors - Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras - for what may be their last performance together. Their timing couldn't be more appropriate, just three weeks before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets in Moscow to announce where the 29th Oly-mpiad will be staged.

The power of music, it seems, has no boundaries. While the eyes of the world will be on the Chinese capital - as they were for the tenors' football World Cup extravaganzas in Rome in 1990, Los Angeles in 1994 and Paris in 1998 - the opera giants are expected to announce their support for China's quest.

This will be their first appearance together in China and the one with the most significance as far as Bejing is concerned. On a recent visit to the city, the Three Tenors' agent, Tibor Rudas, said that the trio were fully behind the bid and happy to say so.

'On stage the Three Tenors will say how much they support Beijing's bid for the Olympics,' Rudas said. 'They are sports people and anything to do with sports they will support.'

But why Beijing? 'Because of the incredible performance of the Chinese athletes in Sydney,' Rudas said of China's best Olympic performance last year which left it in second place overall with 28 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Never has a public event held such importance for China's leaders. During a visit to Hong Kong to promote the concert to the SAR's business and social elite, Jiang Xiaoyu, vice-chairman of the Beijing Bid Committee, the organiser of the concert, said the event was the fruition of two dreams.

'It is a great dream for the Three Tenors to play the Forbidden City and it is also a great dream [of China's] to be able to host the Olympic Games. We hope this concert will bring both dreams to a reality,' he said.

'The concert puts Beijing under the spotlight of the world during the critical bidding stage. It is also integral to sustaining China's image with regard to economic reform and open policy. The campaign also aptly shows Beijing's capability in staging international events.'

That capability will include a workforce of as many as 10,000 to ensure the show runs smoothly, Jiang says.

A spokesman for co-organiser China National Culture and Arts Company (CNCAC), Chen Jixin, says the concert will be a deciding factor for the bid.

'They've [the tenors] all been to China to perform individually. Their support means they think China can successfully host the Olympics. Their words will be very influential.'

Certainly its rivals for the Games - Toronto, Istanbul, Osaka and Paris are taking it seriously. Web site torontosummergames.com says: 'The International Olympic Com-mittee will award the games to one of the cities in July. This makes the timing of the concert even more important.'

Another reason the trio is so keen is their passion for sport, Rudas said. 'Pavarotti as a young man was a professional football player. Anything I pay Carreras, he puts into the purse of football teams and the same for Domingo.'

Indeed, it has been the tenors' association with sport which has helped push classical music out of the black-tie echelons of the world's most prestigious opera houses and into popular culture - helping them rack up 23 million album sales in the process. The performances also made them more famous as a group than for their incredible individual careers which, many say, are coming to an end because of advancing years.

Domingo, 60, who has taken on 111 different roles and is an accomplished conductor and administrator, has said 65 is the limit for opera singers. Perhaps the most popular of the three, Pavarotti, 68 - who will also perform at the Hong Kong Conven-tion and Exhibition Centre on June 16 - is believed to have marked this as his last year for performing, leaving the youngest of the trio, Carreras, 50, to continue solo.

Italian Pavarotti and his Spanish partners will not be the first foreigners to perform at the 600-year-old Forbidden City. Pianist Yanni and the Florence Opera House Com-pany beat them to it, in 1997 and 1998 respectively, but to audiences of just 6,000.

An audience of 30,000 is expected in the 300-metre long plaza between Wumen Gate - where the stage will be erected - and Tiananmen Square, with a spill of 70,000 watching on giant screens at neighbouring Zhongshan Park and Tai Temple.

Acknowledging the fragility of the UN World Heritage-listed Forbidden City, Jiang says measures

'. . . if you haven't reached the finish line, you can't just think, 'I've won' and slow down before you've crossed it'

The Three Tenors, from left, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti perform during a concert in Las Vegas. Photo: Reuters

are being taken to ensure that it is not damaged by the crowds.

'I can assure you that we are not going to damage a bit of the Forbidden City. We have preservation laws and will strictly follow the regulations and pay attention to that,' the vice-chairman says. 'For example, the floor will be covered with wood because we do not want to damage the bricks.'

Chinese dignitaries, IOC members and fans with US$60 to US$2,200 (HK$467-$17,140) to spare are expected to fill the seats. Many of Hong Kong's elite are also expected to attend following a recent meet-and-greet event staged here by the bid committee, attended by business and government officials including Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun and Hong Kong Olympic Committee member Timothy Fok Tsun-ting.

Explaining why the SAR was important to the bid, Jiang says: 'Hong Kong is a city where we have gained a lot of support and much attention through the media. It is also the window of China.'

Ho, who had yet to buy a ticket, told the South China Morning Post: 'China is certainly trying its best to accommodate the 2008 Olympics. It is only two months until they announce the successful bidder and, being Chinese, I fully support them.'

The committee is also aiming to attract big numbers of local Chinese to highlight the people's support of the Games bid and love of arts. 'Of course we hope as many local guests as possible will take part in this concert. That's why the lowest ticket is only US$60 and why we have sub venues - to give more access to the general public,' Jiang says.

Accompanied by the National Opera of China symphony orchestra and conducted by Hungarian Jacob Acs, the tenors' programme will feature operatic classics, an 'Around The World Medley' including Be My Love, a tribute to Hollywood with popular songs such as My Way and possibly an audience favourite O Sole Mio. In a salute to their hosts, they will also perform a traditional Chinese number.

The extravaganza will be televised live by co-organiser cable network Asia Plus throughout the region, except in China where China Central Television holds the rights.

But what of Beijing's chances of avoiding another failure? So far the signs are good. In a preliminary report the IOC says it is confident Beijing can successfully tackle what it sees as the city's biggest hurdles - such as air pollution and lack of transport. In an age of the new, enlightened IOC - in which cultural events and good sportsmanship play an equal part in the Games - China's 'ancient culture' is another plus in Beijing's bid. 'The overall concept [of the bid] is sound and well-planned,' the IOC report reads.

Of the 37 venues which will form the planned 'Olympic Green', 22 have yet to be built. But the IOC report says: 'Although the construction programme is large, it appears to be achievable.'

Some of the work has already been undertaken in preparation for the 21st Universiade to be held in Beijing from August 22, in which more than 5,700 university athletes from across the globe will compete. The Universi-ade, for which seven new gymnasiums have been built and a further 45 existing facilities renovated, is another bonus for the Olympic bid, highlighting the city's ability to cope with international events. A total of 30,000 locals will work to ensure the sporting spectacular runs smoothly.

Although confident, particularly with the assistance of 'the world's top cultural' act, Jiang says Beijing can't make any assumptions about how the 199 IOC members will vote on July 13.

He says: 'It's very promising but, if you haven't reached the finish line, you can't just think, 'I've won' and slow down before you've crossed it.'

Three Tenors In Concert, the Forbidden City, Beijing. June 23, 8pm. Tickets from US$60 to US$2,200. International telephone booking in Hong Kong: 3128 8288. Internet booking at www.ticketmaster.com or ticket.com.hk



Power  of three