The Butterfly Lovers Concerto is a 1959 musical work by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao based on the Chinese legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, similar to Romeo and Juliet. It tells the story of two scholars who fall in love but cannot be together. Though initially censored, the concerto became popular in China in the 1970s and was later performed around the world. The legend it is based on involves two young scholars who study together in disguise and fall in love, but social conventions prevent them from being together. In despair, Zhu commits suicide to join Liang, and their spirits are transformed into butterflies flying together.

1. Butterfly
Lovers
Concerto

2. composed in 1959 by
Chen Gang (born 1935)
and
He Zhanhao (born 1933)

3. performed by
violinist
Takako Nishizaki
and the
Czecho-Slovak Radio
Symphony Orchestra
Kenneth Jean,
conductor

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6. The Butterfly Lovers
Concerto is a
programmatic musical
work based on the
ancient Chinese Legend
of
Liang Shanbo and
Zhu Yingtai, also known
as the
“Legend of
Liang-Zhu.”

7. It is a tragic
story of a pair
of young
lovers which is
regarded as
the Chinese
equivalent of
Shakespeare’s
Romeo and
Juliet.

8. The Butterfly Lovers Concerto was written
while the two composers were students
together at the Shanghai Conservatory of
Music in the 1950s.
Old Shanghai
Conservatory of
Music Building

9. Once released from censorship, the
Butterfly Lovers Concerto became
a musical embodiment of China in transition.
The music did not
acquire popularity
until the late 1970s,
when China
loosened its
restrictions after
the Cultural
Revolution. New Shanghai Conservatory Building

10. But the concerto was still
virtually unknown to
audiences outside of China
until 1998, when the
champion Chinese figure
skater Lu Chen used part of
the concerto as the musical
accompaniment for her the
final performance of her
career as figure skater at the
Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Skater Lu Chen

11. Since 1998, the Butterfly Lovers
Concerto has been performed hundreds
of times by leading orchestras at concert
halls throughout the world.
The story of the “Legend of Liang Zhu”
is as follows:

12. Zhu Yingtai is a beautiful and intelligent young
woman, the ninth child and only daughter of the
wealthy Zhu family. Although traditions of that
era prevented females from going to school, Zhu
manages to convince her father to allow her to
attend classes in disguise as a young man.
During her journey to Hangzhou, she meets
Liang Shanbo, a young scholar. They chat and
feel a strong affinity for each other at their first
meeting. Later, they swear
an oath of fraternity.

13. They study together for the next three years in school
and Zhu gradually falls in love
with Liang. Although Liang equals
Zhu in their studies, he is still a bookworm and fails
to notice the feminine characteristics
exhibited by his classmate.
One day, Zhu receives a letter from her father,
asking her to return home as soon as possible. Zhu
has no choice but to pack her belongings immediately
and bid Liang farewell. However, in her heart, she is
determined to be with him for all eternity.

14. Liang accompanies his "sworn brother" for 18
miles to see her off. During the journey, Zhu
hints to Liang that she is actually a woman, but
Liang does not catch her hints and does not have
even the slightest suspicion that his companion is
a woman in disguise. Zhu finally comes up with
an idea and tells Liang that she will act as a
matchmaker for him and her "sister." As they
part, Zhu reminds Liang to visit her residence
later so he can propose to marry her "sister."
Liang and Zhu reluctantly part ways.

15. Months later, when Liang visits Zhu, he
discovers that she is actually a woman.
They immediately become devoted to and
passionate about each other and they make
a vow of "till death do us part."
But the joy of their reunion is short-lived as
Zhu's parents have already arranged for her to
marry another man from a rich family. Liang is
heartbroken when he hears the news and his
health gradually deteriorates until he becomes
critically ill and eventually dies.

16. On the day of Ma and Zhu's marriage,
mysterious whirlwinds prevent the wedding
procession from escorting the bride beyond
Liang's grave, which lies along the journey.
Zhu leaves the procession to pay her respects
to Liang. In bitter despair,
she begs for the grave to open up.

17. Suddenly, the grave opens with a clap of
thunder. Without further hesitation, Zhu
throws herself into the grave to join Liang.
Their spirits then are transformed
into a pair of beautiful butterflies
and emerge from the grave.
They fly together as a pair,
never to be separated again.

18. The story of the Butterfly Lovers has been made
into many stage plays, operas and musical
theatre productions in China, one of which was
made into a film in the 1950s.
Additionally, the story has had three film
adaptations in China, one of which had a martial
arts theme. There has also been an animated
film and three television series and a ballet based
on the story. There have also been many popular
songs based on the story
(including one by the famous 12 Girls Band.)