The Monkey King is one of the most popular characters in Chinese mythology. In a highly ritualized and hierarchical culture, he is the scamp, the imp, the rebel everyone secretly admires even as he wreaks havoc amongst the carefully maintained order of society. This first movement of a series of three, uses several themes adapted from Beijing opera melodies and rhythms. It begins with Monkey’s birth from a giant stone egg on the top of a mountain at sunrise; his dancing with his subjects- a group of monkeys he meets; and their celebrating the home he finds for them in a cave behind a waterfall. In a second section Monkey studies with a martial arts master to learn the secrets of his magic. After listening to the ritual chanting for a while the overly clever Monkey quickly learns the spells and departs to find his magic weapon, a giant iron staff. Finally Monkey returns to his subjects and all celebrate in front of the waterfall cave.
Havoc On High continues the tale, with Monkey guarding the peaches of immortality among the mists of the heavens. Upon realizing he has not been invited to a banquet, Monkey steals and eats the peaches, calling forth the wrath of the guardians. A battle begins, getting wilder and wilder as Monkey, with his magical martial arts skills, takes on and defeats the forces of the Jade Emperor. Only the cosmic intervention of the Buddha succeeds (after several tries!) in defeating the Monkey and his minions, finally pinning him under a mountain to hold him until he is ready to learn wisdom.