Inexplicably, “model operas” dating from the time of the cultural revolution have become popular again in China. “The term ‘model opera’ is a loose one, referring to two sets of “model” musical and theatrical works that include ballet, symphony and a reformed version of Beijing opera. As highly visible relics of an era that is officially condemned — a 10-year period of chaos in which much of China’s traditional culture was destroyed and countless artists and intellectuals were humiliated, tortured, jailed and killed — model operas are understandably controversial. – New York Times