Concert scene. Courtesy of the correspondent
Last night, the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra joined hands with young conductor Yu Ji and jazz piano rookie Abu to bring a wonderful "Modern Era" concert to music fans at the Ningbo Grand Theatre.
Concert scene
The "Modern Era" crossed over to Ningbo
The theme of the concert is "Modern Times", and the selection of jazz-style piano pieces created in the 1920s is selected.
Samuel Barber's cheerful "School of Rumors" overture kicked off the concert. The whole song is solemn and witty, extremely ironic and impressive.
Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto by outstanding young jazz pianist and composer Abu and the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra was the highlight of the first half of the concert. Commenting on Abu, born in 1999, Grammy Award-winning Latin jazz pianist Michel Camilo said: "He was an accomplished and creative jazz pianist, as well as a talented composer. I liken him to a promising young lion who will have a brilliant career ahead of him and he will certainly be in the spotlight. ”
Flexible fingertips, passionate playing, extraordinary skills, and infrequent repertoire made the audience refreshed and won the applause of the audience.
The finale of the concert is Bartók's Concerto for the Orchestra, Bartók's only orchestral work, full of passion. The Concerto for Bands leaves room for the various instruments that play it, and is a test of the entire band's technique.
Last night, the two post-90s artists joined hands with the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra to bring this musical feast, which made the audience addicted. "I'm very excited that this time there's actually a Concerto for Bands, which isn't much performed, and it's so much fun to be able to enjoy it here!" A live audience member told reporters.
"I had the pleasure of listening to Samuel Barber's piece of music that I love today and hope to perform Barber's First Symphony next time." Citizen Ms. Li said.
Dialogue artists
Many of the tracks were performed for the first time in China
Abu, a young jazz pianist, said in an interview with reporters that the cooperative performance form of jazz piano music and symphony is the first time in China, and he has only performed similarly with some symphony orchestras abroad before.
"The repertoire performed today is very special, it has not been performed much in China before, it can be said that Ningbo premiered many works." Abu is working with the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra for the first time, and he is impressed by the young music team, "I was looking forward to a concert with the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra before, and we quickly found the status when we were rehearsing. Abu revealed that two years ago, when he and Yu Ji were in New York, they began planning this concert, "Today I finally got my wish and I am very happy." ”
Abu said that he hopes that through this concert, Ningbo audiences will understand jazz and modern music. Last night was also the first time Abu played Barber's Piano Concerto, the only piano and orchestral ensemble in the composer's life, "For me, it is still very challenging to play, this piece was born in the 'modern era' of the 1920s, representing the late romanticism, I believe everyone also feels that it is different from modern music." 」 ”
"This is also the first time I have really cooperated with Yu Ji." The duo collided completely from an artistic point of view during the performance, and neither of them catered to each other, "It was a really great experience!" Abu said. In this concert, the selection of tracks in the first and second halves is still very outstanding. Yu Ji told reporters that the American composer Barber's "Ballad School" overture was performed in China for the first time, and "Piano Concerto" won the Pulitzer Prize, "I am very happy to bring these two pieces to Ningbo and complete its first performance in China."
Yu Ji said that his friend Abu became famous as a jazz pianist at an early age, and he was influenced by American jazz music since he was a child, so his skills in this area are very deep, "letting him play as a soloist is a highlight of the concert." ”
The artistic standards of the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra also amazed the two young artists, "This is a first-class orchestra, so we are very happy in all three parties." Yu Ji said.
The theme of this concert is "Modern Era", and in Yu Ji's view, many of the repertoire in the performance attach great importance to the construction and combination of musical materials, "the sense of design and the degree of close fit are very high, which is the embodiment of the modernity of the concert." He said that he believes that what this concert brings to the audience in Ningbo is a very wonderful listening enjoyment.
Reporter Shi Daiwei Correspondent Bi Qiuying