The Shanghai Philharmonic returned to the theater to perform "The Duty of Spring" with a special audience

Violinist Huang Bin performed Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor under the direction of Zhang Yi. Photo by reporter Jiang Diwen

After saying goodbye to 155 days and canceling and postponing more than 10 performances, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra returned to the theater last night to restart the music season. The concert, conducted by the orchestra's artistic director Zhang Yi, staged Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring". A special audience came to the concert site, including medical personnel who have fought in the frontline of the fight against the epidemic and friends in Shanghai and international, to pay tribute to the perseverants of different positions in the epidemic.

In 1913, the ballet "The Charity of Spring" premiered at the Paris Theatre on the Champs-Elysées in France. The incomprehensible and complex rhythms, the unconventional large orchestration, and the original and mysterious dissonance sound made the music of the "Spring Festival" seem too avant-garde at the time. Zhang Yi has conducted The Charity of Spring many times, but this is his first performance of the work with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. He said: "The music of 'The Rite of Spring' has a strong primitivist color, with complex orchestration and varied rhythms. I don't want to make this work too heavy, but let it be lighthearted and cheerful. Spring is the season of revival of all things, symbolizing buds and hope. ”

In addition to the "Charity of Spring", the concert also performed composer Chen Shuxi's "Tong Hua Suite", and the difficult Paganini 'Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor' was performed by violinist Huang Bin.

According to the requirements of epidemic prevention, the concert has only a 30% attendance rate, and 361 people with 1203 seats are open. But Zhang Yi believes that China's ability to gradually resume theater performances is also giving the world confidence. "Foreign artists can't come for the time being, so we postponed the performance for a year. This is both a challenge and an opportunity, and the stage is left to domestic musicians, especially young conductors and performers, which is a good opportunity for them to come to the fore. ”

The concert is presented in the form of "online + offline" and broadcast live on Youku, YouTube, Facebook, classical music platforms amadeus.tv, Austrian music channels and other platforms at home and abroad. (Reporter Wu Tong)

Original title: Shanghai Philharmonic Returns to theater to perform "Spring Festival"

A special audience came to the scene, including medical workers who had fought in the frontline of the fight against the epidemic