Bright Sheng, whose highly anticipated "Madame Mao" had its premiere on Saturday night, July 26, 2003, at Santa Fe Opera in Sant Fe, New Mexico. The action begins in 1991 on the day Madame Mao, having been condemned to life in prison for fomenting civil unrest, hangs herself in her cell. Reviewed Anthony Tommasini (The New York Times, July 28), not many composers boast a background of Mr. Sheng that includes seven years as a pianist and percussionist in a folk music troupe in China during the Cultural Revolution and, after Mr. Sheng moved to the United States in 1982 . "I wish I could report that "Madame Mao," Mr. Sheng's most ambitious work, succeeds as well. That he has formidable technical skills and an intriguing musical voice was not once in doubt during this two-hour opera about Jiang Ching, the ruthless wife of Mao Zedong. But you also sensed Mr. Sheng trying to honor the populist tradition of opera by writing music with visceral dramatic impact and lyrical allure. Perhaps he tried too hard, for "Madame Mao" never completely shakes off a quality of melodrama," wrote Tommasini..