Charles Dutoita + Gautier Capuçon, what kind of chemistry will such a "king bomb" group contract stage produce? On the evening of December 16, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra gave the answer with a season performance.
The 87-year-old maestro Dutois came to China for the 35th time, and performed Faure's "Pereas et Mélisande" suite and Dvořák's "Symphony No. 9 in E minor", and together with cellist Gautier Capuçon, he presented Saint-Saëns' "Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor".
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As one of the most versatile conductors of the century, Dutoit has recorded more than 200 albums and won many international awards and honors, including the Royal Philharmonic Society's highest honor in classical music, the RPS Gold Award, and the Grammy Award. He is known for his interpretations of both Romantic and modern works, especially French music.
In this concert, the three works performed by this old friend of Shanghai music fans are his "specialties". For example, Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor is considered by many composers such as Shostakovich and Rachmaninov to be the greatest of all cello concertos. Performers often perform this piece as a way to demonstrate their skills. The work has extremely high requirements for soloists, and it has also become an important reason why the public loves it.
Maestro Dutois and cellist Capuçon perform the "masterpiece". Courtesy of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
The Ninth Symphony, also known as "From the New World" and familiar to Chinese classical music fans, was composed by Dvořák in his first year in the United States, expressing a Czech person's impression and feelings of the "New World" of the United States. In his works, the composer tried to express the cultural characteristics of American ethnic fusion with the spirit of black and Indian music, as well as a variety of traditional world style elements such as bohemia, Germany, France, and Scotland. "It's a piece that is often performed in concerts, just as we often play works by Beethoven and Mahler," Dutoit said. ”
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It is worth mentioning that this night was the first time in four years that Dutoit joined forces with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. "We are old friends, and I have been working with SCC since 1996. I've been to China many times, and I remember the first time I came to Shanghai, Pudong was still a wasteland, and I watched Shanghai grow taller and taller, and many buildings rose from the ground. Especially when I went to the Shanghai Tower, I was even more impressed to see the amazing changes in the city. ”
Over the years, Dutoit has joined hands with Shanghai to present the Chinese premieres of such difficult works as Benjamin Britten's "Requiem for War" and Richard Strauss's "Elektra" and "Salome", which have also impressed many audiences. It is reported that the joint performance of Dutoit, Capuçon and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was quickly sold out, and the audience enthusiasm was evident in the second after the additional seats were added.
Capuçon leads Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1 as soloist. Courtesy of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
At the concert, Capuçon also prepared a surprise for the audience. Eagle-eyed fans will find that after completing the cello concerto in the first half, he quietly "sneaked" into the big orchestra in the second half, and completed "From the New World" with his new colleagues.
In fact, as the resident artist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the 42-year-old cellist Capuçon also has a deep connection with Shanghai. This year, he has performed with the orchestra some of Elgar's and Saint-Saëns' most iconic cello concertos. In May next year, Capuçon will return to Shanghai for the premiere of French contemporary composer Dietier's enigmatic and poetic cello concerto "Distant Worlds".
Capuçon, who almost always comes to Shanghai and talks about "hairy crabs", said with a smile that although he missed the crab season perfectly this year, he still misses the food in Shanghai, "I am now an artist-in-residence, and I believe that I will have more opportunities to come to Shanghai in the future and taste the seasonal food of different seasons here." Capuçon said.
The header picture shows Dutois handing in the performance of "From the New World". Courtesy of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra