The super-large weaving set off the Wagner frenzy in Beijing again. Zhang Yi led the Shanghai Philharmonic and presented the wordless “Ring”.
At 7:30, the entrance to the concert hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts opened, and performers from the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra filed in to the applause. This unusual session took a little longer than usual, and the stage that could have easily accommodated dozens of musicians and still left a lot of room was gradually filled with an ever-increasing number of figures: 8 French horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 timpani, 4 harps, 36 violins… The super-large weave visible to the naked eye brought the atmosphere of the theater into an extremely grand atmosphere. Zhang Yi, the conductor and artistic director of the orchestra, then came on stage. He waved his hands vigorously, and the double bass played solemnly. Then each part joined in in turn. Wagner’s majestic melody was like a giant ship slowly setting sail. Last night, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2022-2023 music season ushered in the “Twin Cities Opening” postponed for half a year in Beijing, and the wordless version of “The Ring of the Nibelungen” was staged shockingly.
“Maybe some people can’t watch the complete ‘Ring’ in their whole life. All the quadruple dramas are staged, and the challenge is arduous for both the orchestra and the audience.” Zhang Yi said. Looking around the world, every time “The Ring” is staged, it can be called a grand event in the music world. In 2005, the Beijing International Music Festival once presented a full set of “The Ring”, which caused a sensation in Asia. “Wagner has greatly promoted the progress of music history. I think his influence on later generations is more than that of other contemporaries.” As a person who is engaged in music and loves music, Zhang Yi can’t find a reason not to love Wagner. He and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra look forward to bringing this feast to the audience in Beijing. “We must bring Wagner’s works to Beijing. Everyone is very positive about this performance.”
At the scene, Zhang Yi led the orchestra and completed the wordless “ring” in one go. The continuous music, the motives that echoed back and forth, and the dramatic structure of climaxes can be called “high energy throughout the whole process”. Breathtaking. At the same time, Zhang Yi’s heart is full of respectful memories: 10 years ago, in 2013, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth, Master Maazel personally led 12 musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra to play a concert with the National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra There is no word “Ring”, Zhang Yi was deeply shocked at the scene that night. After the performance, he ran to the backstage and said to Maazel excitedly like a star chasing fan: “Tonight you are the reincarnation of Wagner. !” Regrettably, in 2014, the master passed away suddenly. “The audience in Beijing not only has a soft spot for Maazel, but also appreciates and likes Wagner’s works more and more. I think this work should be presented to everyone.” Zhang Yi said.
In 75 minutes, the surging wordless “Ring” returned to calm after experiencing glory. As soon as Zhang Yi stopped, the audience erupted into warm applause. Performers of different voices took turns to stand up and greet the audience. The nearly 10-minute curtain call was full of applause. Wagner’s music frenzy ignited Beijing’s early spring night. (Photographed by reporter Gao Qian and reporter Fang Fei)
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no word “ring”
Wagner’s operas have always been famous for their large length, especially “The Ring of the Nibelung”, which includes four works of “Rhinegold”, “Valkyrie”, “Siegfried” and “Twilight of the Gods”. The show is about 15 hours long. Later, the maestro Lorraine Maazel personally refined this masterpiece to the length of a concert. He extracted all the musical essence of the original work except for the vocal music, followed Wagner’s huge orchestra arrangement, and reproduced the magnificent momentum of the “Ring” to the greatest extent, starting from the first note of “Rhinegold” to “Twilight of the Gods” The last chord ends and all the music comes from Wagner. Because there is no vocal part, this adapted large-scale orchestral divertimento is also known as “Wordless ‘Ring'”.