Conductor Huang Yi, composer Zhou Long and erhu player Lu Yiwen greet the audience during the concert by the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in Beijing on Tuesday. CHINA DAILY
Beijing audiences receive auditory feast as Western techniques enhance Chinese traditions, Chen Nan reports.
In 2010, composer Zhou Long was commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival and Boston Opera House to write Madame White Snake, an opera based on a famous Chinese folk tale that earned him the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2011.
Soon after, when Zhou met his old friend maestro Yu Long, founder of the Beijing Music Festival, Yu initiated the idea of commissioning the composer to write a new piece based on Jiu Ge, or Nine Songs, a classical Chinese poem series by patriotic Chu state poet Qu Yuan during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
"Yu showed great passion for the idea sparked by Jiu Ge, an ancient text that has long fascinated him. As our conversation went deeper, I was equally enthralled," recalls Zhou, who is known for using traditional Chinese motifs while applying the techniques and structures of Western opera traditions, a combination that defines his international reputation.
French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and cellist Gautier Capucon perform in the concert. CHINA DAILY
Trained in Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music and moving to the United States in 1985 under a fellowship to attend Columbia University in New York and receiving a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1993, the composer is deeply grounded in the spectrum of his Chinese heritage and is a pioneer in transferring the sounds and techniques of ancient Chinese musical traditions to modern Western instruments and ensembles.
Jiu Ge is a series of ritualistic songs intended for religious ceremonies and sacrifices. The poems in Jiu Ge are notable for invocating deities, nature spirits and mythical figures, blending religious devotion with human emotions. They reflect a combination of spiritual reverence, human longing and natural imagery typical of Qu Yuan's style, particularly his deep concern for the fate of his country and his exile.
In 2013, the music piece Nine Odes, written for a symphony orchestra and solo singers, premiered during the 16th Beijing Music Festival by the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Lin Daye and singers including soprano Huang Ying and tenor Warren Mok.
Last year, Zhou readapted the music piece and turned it into a symphonic poem of the same title, debuting it in Guangzhou. On Tuesday, during the recent 27th Beijing Music Festival, it premiered in Beijing, performed by the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Huang Yi and accompanied by erhu player Lu Yiwen.
Also consisting of 11 chapters, the new version, without human voices, sees a conversation between Western symphonic music and the Chinese erhu (two-stringed fiddle).
Conductor Huang (left) and composer Zhou. CHINA DAILY
"Again, it was the idea of Yu to create this new piece based on the 2013's Nine Odes. Without lyrics and therefore no language barrier, the music will travel to more places, allowing the world to enjoy the poems, which hold an important place in classical Chinese literature," says Zhou.
In the new version, Yu says, the erhu plays a key role, like a narrator telling the audience about the different characters portrayed in the poems, such as the Lord and Lady of the Xiang River and the Mountain Spirit.
"Dedicated to gods, many poems express human emotions, particularly themes of love, longing, separation and the transient nature of life," says Yu. "These poems provide valuable insights into the culture, beliefs and rituals of ancient Chinese people."
Erhu virtuoso Lu is known for performing contemporary music pieces using the traditional instrument. For the 54-minute-long Nine Odes, Lu says that it is a test of physical strength and endurance.
"The composer wrote the music in a unique way, allowing the erhu to have a conversation with other classical musical instruments. These instruments work together harmoniously while also 'confronting' one another," says Lu, adding that for traditional Chinese musical instruments like the erhu, new contemporary pieces are valuable since they inspire creativity in the players based on their solid techniques, which keep the old instruments alive and fresh.
Launching the Beijing Music Festival in 1998, now considered one of the largest classical music events in the capital every autumn, Yu is devoted to commissioning new music works and supporting young musicians.
The first commissioned work was a cello concerto by American composer Philip Glass, which premiered on Oct 21, 2001, with British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and the China Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yu.
Zou Shuang, artistic director of the Beijing Music Festival, Chen Qing, director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, and Yu, founder of the Beijing Music Festival, pose with other musicians. CHINA DAILY
The Beijing Music Festival has commissioned and premiered new works collaborating with composers from home and abroad. For example, at the festival's 10th anniversary, Polish composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki performed his Symphony No 8, Songs of Transience. In 2017, the festival premiered the violin concerto La Joie de la Souffrance (The Joy of Suffering) by composer Chen Qigang.
"Commissioning new music allows festivals to push the boundaries of artistic expression and introduce innovative ideas. It provides composers and musicians the opportunity to explore fresh concepts, sounds and forms. By encouraging creativity, the festival stays at the forefront of musical development and remains relevant to contemporary audiences," says Yu.
During the concert on Tuesday, another commissioned work premiered in Beijing — Eros Athanatos Op 69 — a concerto for piano, cello and orchestra composed by French-Swiss composer Richard Dubugnon.
Performed by French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and cellist Gautier Capucon, the music piece had its world debut in 2018.
"We have been friends for 24 years and this music piece is a gift for us," says Capucon, referring to Thibaudet.
Erhu player Lu plays during the concert. CHINA DAILY
"We once asked the composer, also a great friend, to write something for the cello and piano. We love the idea and here we are," Thibaudet says.
Thibaudet and Capucon are old friends of the Beijing Music Festival. Thibaudet can still recall the first time he played an outdoor concert during the festival in the city in 2005, "which was very cold", the pianist says.
Capucon also notes that premiering a new piece creates excitement and anticipation among audiences. It offers a one-of-a-kind experience. This sense of discovery helps draw in both seasoned concertgoers and new audiences curious about novel music.
"I enjoyed Jiu Ge when I watched the performance in Guangzhou and I particularly like the sound of the erhu, an instrument I adore. Maybe there will be a new piece for the cello and erhu," Capucon says. "For us instrumentalists, it's our mission to play music pieces. These new pieces often foster collaboration between composers, performers and the audiences, creating bonds between cultures."
