Dongyi’s new performance season brings together famous Chinese and foreign artists and troupes
Pianist Zimmerman makes his debut in Shanghai
Xinmin Evening News reporter Zhu Guang
The Polish piano master Christian Zimmerman, who was sold out as soon as the tickets were opened, held his first concert in Shanghai last night – thus unveiling Dongyi’s “Youli” 2023/24 spring and summer performance season.
Zimmerman starts the theme of “courtesy”
The Polish pianist Zimmerman, who inherited the romantic tradition and “bloodline”, looked quite similar to Chopin when he was young. Nowadays, even with snowy hair and a beautiful beard, he still has the temperament of Chopin. Zimmerman rarely performs on stage and is quite demanding about the performance environment – and of course, he is also very strict about himself. Therefore, the “high quality” and “treasure” of his concerts contributed to the situation where tickets were sold out as soon as they were sold out. He himself believes that “music is the flow of emotions through time and space”, so he expresses his strong personal style and precise control of details. He would thoroughly research a work for decades before performing it live or recording it. He participated in piano making at an early age and learned the difference in timbre and vibration caused by slight differences in playing. Since 1989, he has only played and maintained his own pianos. During this trip to China, Zimmerman brought his piano across the ocean as always. He also believed that “the greatest achievements of art are found in the concert hall”, so he also looked forward to the audience to “test” his performances. The works he presented include masterpieces by Chopin, Debussy and Szymanowski.
The reason why Zimmerman was chosen as the opening concert of the new performance season is that it is highly consistent with the theme – “Courtesy” from the inside out. This two-way concert also demonstrated the “courtesy” of the audience – being silent when silent, and “exploding” with applause when it breaks out, which can be described as “courtesy and harmony”. The ancients emphasized the “way of etiquette and music”. If etiquette is lost, “rituals and music will collapse”. The public’s heated discussion on the etiquette for attending concerts such as Yuja Wang’s and Zimmermann’s has triggered Dongyi to hold a new music season with this theme, and gain a perceptual understanding of “ritual and music” through exquisite works from ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad.
Tuminas and others bring dramatic masterpieces
From the night before to August 25, there will be 77 exciting performances on 51 channels. The closing performance will be directed by Tuminas and the Russian Vakhtangov Theater’s 100th anniversary drama “War and Peace” will be performed for 4 performances from August 22 to 25. The Vakhtangov Theater, founded by the “Troika” of Gorky, Chekhov and Stanislavsky, occupies a lofty position in the history of Russian theater. Tuminas is a Lithuanian dramatist who was appointed artistic director of Russia’s Vakhtangov Theater in 2007. His precise and creative interpretation of the works of literary giants has long made Chinese audiences fall in love with him at first sight in “Onegin” which was previously staged in Shanghai. This time, “War and Peace” adapted from Tolstoy’s original work will be five hours long and artistically reproduce the spirit of the million-word masterpiece.
During the season, theater troupes from many countries will take the stage one after another. The star dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet will take the lead in presenting the top ballet Gala, presenting the wonderful passages of 10 classic works from romantic, classical to modern. The Bordeaux National Opera Ballet, as one of the most prestigious ballet companies in France, will appear on the Chinese stage with two classic dance dramas: the originator of pointe dance, the opening work of the romantic ballet “La Sylphide” and “La Sylphide” based on Cervantes The third act of “Don Quixote” adapted from the famous novel.
On the Chinese local creative stage, the Dongyi Festival exhibition brand outlines the cultural blend of dialogue between ancient and modern times. At the beginning of the new year, the 14th Oriental Famous Drama Month will meet the audience as scheduled. High-quality plays performed by Shangkun, Shangjing, Huai Opera Troupe, Yue Opera Troupe, Shanghai Opera Troupe and Henan Opera Troupe will be performed in turn.
Top celebrities and superstars shine in Dongyi
Top artists and superstars from Chinese and foreign classical music circles will gather on Dongyi Stage again this year. Competition champion Yuliana Avdeeva, German-Austrian “piano master” Rudolf Buchbinder, Russian piano master Andrei Pisarev, and Dutch twin-piano stars the Yossen brothers will all perform again. Pounds coming. In addition to the piano solo concert, violin queen Anne-Sophie Mutter will team up with pianist Lambert Orkis to interpret classics; violin master Pinchas Zuckerman will present Beethoven’s works; Horn player Chris Botti will return to his original jazz roots and lead an all-star orchestra. Every name is enough to inspire the enthusiasm of music fans.
This season, Dongyi has also prepared two famous European orchestras – the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of special conductor Wayne Marshall, will present a performance of George Gershwin and composer John of the same period. Williams’ classic film scores. The West German Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform a complete set of Brahms symphonies under the leadership of its chief conductor Christian Mesela.
Complementing it is the symphonic sound of China. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra joins hands with the famous cellist Wang Jian and the new generation violinist Su Qianxun to perform famous Chinese and foreign music. Pianist Chen Sa will join hands with three young pianists, Sun Yutong, Guo Xu and Chang Le, under the leadership of conductor Sun Yifan, to complete a special Bach concert with the National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra. Violinist Ning Feng will join forces with the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music Chamber Orchestra conducted by German-based conductor Jiao Yang to take on the ultimate challenge of the complete set of Mozart violin concertos in one day.