Source: Overseas Network
The performance scene of the symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous". Courtesy of the producer
"Ice and Snow Journey" Winter Olympics theme concert scene. Courtesy of the producer
Stills from the children's musical "Ice And Snow Dream of Ice and Snow Melting". Courtesy of the producer
The five large circle light box installations on the stage symbolize both the five snowflakes and the five Olympic rings, and the design is exquisite and unique. The colors of the lights change freely, from the white of winter to the gold of autumn, and then back to the white of winter... On the afternoon of February 26, in the "Taihu WeekLy Concert" at the Taihu Theater of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Meet" of the Beijing Winter Olympics was played. The stage integrated into modern art design makes the symphony, which has always been serious, easy and full of fun. Under the artist's wonderful interpretation, the notes are like snowflakes falling from the sky, leading the audience to appreciate the passion and beauty of the Beijing Winter Olympic Symphony.
Winter Olympics-themed works reach more audiences
The symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous" is a 2020 funded project of the Beijing Culture and Art Foundation, co-composed by composers Zheng Junsheng and Zheng Junli, and premiered at the Zhongshan Music Hall in Beijing on February 8. The work consists of 5 parts, including the overture "Ice and Snow Dream" and "Ice and Snow Flying", "Passionate Dream", "Ice and Snow Rendezvous" three movements, and the final song "World Family", which aims to praise and disseminate human civilization and the Olympic spirit through the musical art form of symphonic suite, and use music to convey the "Voice of the Winter Olympics" in Beijing to the world.
"This suite consists of 14 sub-sections, each of which has a theme, some related to the Winter Olympics and some related to the Olympic sentiments." Zheng Junsheng said. The work has both majestic symphonic unison and romantic and poetic dream melodies; it preserves the classics and essence of Western music while incorporating Chinese tunes and elements. For example, some passages use strings to imitate the timbre of Jinghu, and some passages borrow ethnic minority folk songs, full of Chinese charm and oriental colors.
At the premiere on February 8, more than 50 journalists from 27 media from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries listened to the concert through the "New Atmosphere of the City of the Two Olympics - 2022 Chinese and Foreign Media Beijing Tour" "City Image Feature Interview Activity" sponsored by the Beijing News Center in 2022. Since then, the concert has entered Shunyi, Tongzhou and other districts on February 12 and 26, and has been included in the public welfare performance sections of Shunyi Grand Theatre and Taihu Theater of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
According to Li Jiao, the operation and coordination group of the Taihu Theater of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the "Taihu Weekly Concert" is a public welfare brand project focused on by the Taihu Dance Art Center of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, which is usually arranged to perform at the Taihu Theater on weekends, with a combination of lectures and performances, and ticket prices to benefit the people. The symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous" was placed in the "Taihu Weekly Concert" section in order to allow more people to enjoy the literary and artistic works themed after the Winter Olympics.
After the concert, the audience erupted in unceasing applause. Feng Rongtao, a first-year junior high school student, said with inexhaustibility: "During the Winter Olympics, I have been paying attention to the events, and when I listen to the concert, all that comes to mind is the wonderful pictures of the athletes. I like the song 'Ice Pier and Snow Melt' very much, it is particularly graphic and cute, as if they really appear in front of you! Citizen Jiang Wenqi also praised the concert: "The quality of this cultural performance for the benefit of the people is very high, I did not expect to be able to contact the Winter Olympic Symphony at zero distance, feel the impact and strength brought by the symphony, and feel the greatness of the Olympic spirit and the charm of traditional Chinese culture!" I am proud and proud of China! ”
It is understood that the symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous" will be toured across the country from February to August this year, allowing more audiences to listen to the audiovisual symphony of the Winter Olympics with music and ice and snow at close range. The works will also convey Beijing's "Voice of the Winter Olympics" to the world through the online platform of the Sino-foreign Cultural Exchange Center, which has been promoted to more than 60 countries around the world. Some overseas netizens said that although they could not personally attend the Winter Olympic Games, listening to the symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous", the passion of the Winter Olympics in their hearts was completely ignited.
Continue to inherit the Olympic spirit of ice and snow culture
The symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous" is a new practice for Beijing to play a leading role in the demonstration of the national cultural center and create a new cultural business card of "big drama to see Beijing". Relying on the "Big Drama to See Beijing" brand, Beijing integrates and brings together the strength of all parties to promote a series of key tasks in the aspects of creative performances, theater construction, utilization of new performance space, talent training, cultural consumption, publicity and promotion, etc., and launched a series of high-quality creations to promote the high-quality development of the capital's culture and better empower the city.
The wonderful Beijing drama has added a strong Winter Olympic atmosphere to the "city of the two Olympics" Beijing. In addition to the symphonic suite "Ice and Snow Rendezvous", in the past two years, the Winter Olympics-themed stage works supported by the Beijing Culture and Art Foundation have met or will soon meet with the audience. For example, the drama "Sapporo Ice Blood" based on the real events of the Chinese team's first entry into Group B at the 1981 World Ice Hockey Group C World Championships, "Ice Elite", which first integrated ice hockey and the Olympic spirit into musicals, and "Stray Elvis of the Ski Resort", a children's drama about the gorgeous adventures of magical ski resorts, etc.
The Beijing Municipal Literary and Art Academy troupe also made every effort to dedicate a number of high-quality works to the Winter Olympic Games. The Beijing Opera House launched a series of online exhibition and broadcast activities of Peking Opera with the theme of "Clouds on the Clouds - Beijing Cavity Beijing Rhymes and Celebrating the Winter Olympics", using the art of Peking Opera to build a bridge of interaction and exchange between the Chinese people and people around the world. Based on the plot of the Kunqu opera "Peony Pavilion Dream", the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater joined hands with the national team of figure skating players to record "Little Dream" at the ice rink, integrating Kunqu opera with figure skating to create a creative performance. The "Ice and Snow Journey" Winter Olympics theme concert performed by the Beijing Chinese Orchestra gathers the musical elements of 13 countries hosting the Winter Olympics and presents them in the form of large-scale national orchestral ensembles and concertos, which vividly sets off the theme of the Winter Olympics of "pure ice and snow, passionate dating". Beijing Children's Art Theatre's children's musical "Ice and Snow Dream of Melting Snow on the Ice Pier" presents the visual effect of ice and snow science fiction with lively and jubilant song and dance scenes, adding a beautiful fairy tale color to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
"A number of excellent stage works have emerged before and after the Beijing Winter Olympics, which interpret the ice and snow culture, tell the story of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and highlight the Olympic spirit. These works will become part of the cultural heritage of the Winter Olympics. Zhang Peng of the Art Department of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism said. He said that in the future, in accordance with the work requirements of "big drama to see Beijing", we will continue to promote the dissemination and exchange of outstanding winter Olympic theme stage art works, guide theater troupes to increase the performance of winter Olympic theme works through the introduction of important municipal exhibition and performance brand activities, promote excellent winter Olympic theme works into campuses, grass-roots level, etc., and pass on the ice and snow culture, Olympic spirit and urban spirit in the form that the people like to hear. (Reporter Zheng Na)
People's Daily Overseas Edition ( 2022-03-11 Edition 10)