The National Centre for the Performing Arts Debuts the National Music Festival
2022-04-18 11:51:05Source: People’s Daily Overseas Edition
Five tones and eight tones, twelve rhythms, and elegant rhythm of the country. In the early spring when spring is warm and all things recover, the first “Spring of Chinese Music” of the National Centre for the Performing Arts opened on April 8. This is the first national music-themed art festival launched by the National Centre for the Performing Arts after the successful hosting of the 7th “China Symphony Spring”.
The opening concert of “Spring of Chinese Music”.
Photo by Niu Xiaobei
During the 21-day period, nearly 10 Chinese national orchestras and more than 30 famous contemporary Chinese music masters from China gathered together to play colorful Chinese music of various styles on the land of the motherland, in order to integrate traditional and modern interpretations. Show the artistic inheritance and the development of the times of national music culture.
Li Xincao (first from right), Lv Jia (middle), and Liu Sha conduct the opening concert of “Spring of Chinese Music” on the same stage.
Photo by Niu Xiaobei
Bright and refreshing
The opening concert of the first “Spring of Chinese Music” was jointly planned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the China National Orchestra. As the first concert, it has been carefully designed in terms of guest lineup, performance repertoire or architectural design, which is refreshing.
The concert specially invited Li Xincao, the head and chief conductor of the China Symphony Orchestra, Lv Jia, the artistic director of music of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and Liu Sha, the chief conductor of the Central Chinese Orchestra, on the same stage. Li Xincao and Lv Jia, two famous conductors in the Chinese symphony world, presented their “First Show of Folk Music” to the audience on the same stage this time.
Lv Jia opened with a song “Yan Miao in Yunshan”. As the helm of the NCPA Orchestra, Lv Jia has conducted nearly 2,000 operas and concerts in Europe and the United States. He is the first Asian conductor to serve as the music director of a famous opera house in Italy, and the first Chinese conductor to conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In his many years of artistic career, he has never conducted a national orchestra. This is the first time to join hands with the Central Chinese Orchestra. In terms of music selection, Lv Jia intends to highlight the rhythm and beauty of folk music.
“This is my first time conducting a folk orchestra, and I am both apprehensive and delighted. It is a new challenge and joy to cooperate with folk music performers. It is a great achievement to interpret the colors, lines and rhythms of folk music works. Although I have never conducted a folk orchestra before, I am very concerned about folk music. How to promote and develop folk music is a major issue before us. As a conductor, I will definitely do my part. Thin power.” Lu Jia said.
Also conducting folk music for the first time, conductor Li Xincao received thunderous applause as soon as he took the stage in the second half. Under the command of Li Xincao, the ensemble has rich and varied timbres, progressive and well-distributed, and fully interprets the spirit of the country and the spirit of the nation. Li Xincao became famous at a young age, and his musical footprints have spread all over the world on five continents. His achievements in the field of symphony and opera have attracted much attention, and he has served as the chief music conductor in the theatrical performances of national diplomatic activities more often. Talking about conducting folk music for the first time, Li Xincao said: “I have little experience in large-scale ethnic orchestral music. This is the first time I have conducted a complete large-scale ethnic orchestral work in Beijing. Eastern and Western music are interlinked. The requirements of musical character also apply to Chinese folk music.”
Famous and famous groups, showing accumulated achievements
To build an entire concert with a large-scale Chinese orchestra is a difficult challenge to the conductor’s artistic level, as well as a high-intensity test of the orchestra’s quality, skills and coordination. “The symphony conductor is invited to conduct folk music this time, hoping to achieve a combination of breadth and depth.” said Zhao Cong, head of the Central Chinese Orchestra and pipa player.
According to reports, in order to fully demonstrate the profound accumulation of the century-old development of folk music and the fruitful achievements after entering the new era, the opening concert selected 12 very representative pieces in the field of folk music in recent years: the opening song “Yunshan” Yan Miao” is developed, changed and reconstructed around the theme of Chaozhou zheng piece “Eighteen Beats of Hu Jia”. The tune with the legacy of Han and Tang dynasties also has the grand and atmospheric beauty of Chaozhou music, bringing the audience back to the prosperous times of Han and Tang Dynasties; “General’s Order” shows the spirit of Chinese music, which is at the right time; the commissioned work “Guofeng” shows the Chinese character and national spirit with its distinctive musical character…
“China’s national orchestra has been developing for 100 years, especially in the past 20 years. It has developed rapidly in terms of musical instrument production technology, the level of contemporary performers and orchestras, and the requirements for composition creation. Before, there was no such thing as a A platform to communicate and learn from each other, this ‘Spring of National Music’ has provided us with a good platform, which is of great significance to the development and popularization of Chinese folk music.” Liu Sha said.
It is understood that in this “Spring of Chinese Music” Art Festival, in addition to the Central Chinese Orchestra, the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra, the China Coal Mine Art Troupe, the Beijing Chinese Orchestra, the Chinese Orchestra of the China Conservatory of Music and other Chinese orchestras in Beijing, as well as the Suzhou National Orchestra The troupe, Hebei National Orchestra, Jilin Provincial National Orchestra and other local Chinese orchestras will also appear one after another.
In terms of artistic lineup, more than 30 famous Chinese music masters from three generations, including Jiang Kemei, Zhou Dongchao, Cui Junzhi, Tang Junqiao, Han Lei, Zhang Weiliang, Song Fei, Wang Zhongshan, Wu Yuxia, and Zhao Cong, will perform on stage. The repertoire includes ancient songs that have been passed down for many years, such as “Spring River Flower Moon Night” and “The Overlord Unloads Armor”, the classics written by the older generation composers such as Peng Xiuwen, Hu Dengtiao, Liu Dehai, and Gu Guanren, and the contemporary composers such as Shi Wanchun, Zhao Jiping and Zhang Qianyi. The masterpieces of the home and the works of young composers, the classics and the innovative coexist. In form, it includes solo, concerto, ensemble, folk chamber music, etc.
“We will strive to make the ‘Spring of Chinese Music’ a folk music event where famous artists and troupes gather, and show the audience the heritage, ductility and artistry of folk music,” said Wang Luli, deputy director of the National Centre for the Performing Arts. According to her, in addition to highlights such as conductors’ cross-border baton and folk music adaptation of Western classical music, starting from this year, each “Spring of Chinese Music” will also explore and present a special closing performance, that is, around a A variety of national musical instruments have formed a planned concert with a sense of ceremony and famous artists. This year’s closing special concert has been determined to be the “Pipa Night” where famous Pipa players gather.
“In the more than 20 days from the opening to the closing, the launch of ‘Spring of Chinese Music’ as a music season reflects everyone’s confidence in the folk music market. In recent years, the national style and national trend have received more and more attention. I hope that ‘Spring of Chinese Music’ can grow rapidly relying on the mature brand operation mechanism of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, in order to promote the integrity and innovation of folk music, enhance the artistic level and social influence of folk music, and gather famous folk music troupes to play a better role Great effect.” Zhao Cong said.
(Text/Reporter Zheng Na)