娱乐英语新闻:Bregenz Festival to present opera "Andre Chenier" at floating stage

VIENNA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- A topping out ceremony for the " Andre Chenier"set on the floating stage was held Wednesday at the Bregenz Festival of Austria.

The lake stage this year will be endowed with the background of the French Revolution, the opera Andre Chenier by Italian composer Umberto Giordano.

Andre Chenier is an opera in four acts, which is famous for its magnificent lyric-dramatic music. The opera is based on the life of the French poet Andre Chenier, who was executed during the French Revolution.

Festival organizers frequently use the waters of the lake as an extension of the stage, with a theme change each year. A total amount of some 7 million euros (about 10.14 million U.S. dollars) was invested for a completely new stage each time.

The end version of the stage design this year is a 24-meter- high Marat-sculpture, which is the figure from "The Death of Marat", a 1793 painting in the neoclassic style by Jacques-Louis David. The painting is also one of the most famous images of the French Revolution, which refers to the assassination of radical journalist Jean-Paul Marat.

Many other elements of the stage design include a gold mirror, an old book or a letter held in the hands of Marat. The 19-meter- wide and 7-meter-high gold mirror plays a role not only as decoration but also as a venue for extras and stuntmen.

The construction work of the fascinating stage is expected to be completed in June.

The Bregenz Festival is a festival held every July and August in Austrian western province Bregenz, presenting a wide variety of musical and theatrical events in several venues. In 2010, the festival offered about 100 performances and attracted some 200,000 audience.