Opatija, Croatia, 9 Jan (Xinhua) -- At the behest of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Theater presented a national symphony concert entitled "Charming Silk Road, Long Shangxing" in the famous Croatian coastal resort city of Opatija on the 8th.
That night, the Jervis Center Theater in Opatija city lit up "Chinese Red", hung with big red lanterns and the Year of the Rat mascot. About 600 people attended the meeting, including Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Xu Erwen, former Croatian President Mesic, Croatian central and local government officials, diplomats from many countries in Croatia, as well as Opatija citizens and overseas Chinese.
The concert is divided into two parts: the first part "Colorful Gansu" and the next part "Silk Road", and the artists of the Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Troupe performed national orchestral repertoire such as "Celebration" and "Alam Khan" and "Loess Love" and "Grapes Are Ripe" and other erhu and So na solo repertoire. With the scenery of western China projected on the stage background, more than a dozen pieces of music are sometimes noisy and cheerful, sometimes sentimental like tears, conveying emotions with borderless artistic language. When the Chinese bamboo flute sounded the famous Italian song "Ah Friends Goodbye", and when various ancient Chinese instruments sang in unison for Croatian singers, the atmosphere was pushed to a climax again and again.
After the performance, a number of Croatian audiences took to the stage to observe traditional Chinese instruments up close. Li Jinjiang, president of the Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Theater, and Xiao Jing, chief of Erhu, believe that the Croatian audience has a high musical literacy and can fully understand the rhythm and mood of Chinese folk music and respond appropriately. Vesna, an Opatija citizen dressed up for the concert, told reporters that she noticed that the band also had a Western instrument cello, which made her refreshed.
The concert is part of the 2020 "Happy Spring Festival" series of performances co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Croatia and the Opatija Municipal Government, and hosted by the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. According to an official from the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Croatia is the first stop of the "Happy Spring Festival" performance of the provincial song and dance troupe, and they will also perform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Poland.
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