2018年CRI Classical music season kicks off in Beijing

 

The Beijing Concert Hall has recently launched its classical music season which will run through November.

Their opening performance came from an orchestra from Switzerland along with a young Chinese American pianist George Li.

CRI's Shen Ting has more.

During this year's classical music season, some 20 concerts will be held at the Beijing Concert Hall.

According to Zhou Jiayi (周佳毅), deputy head of the concert hall, at least one fifth of these concerts could see collaborations between Chinese and western musicians.

"The Beijing Concert Hall is not only a stage for international classical music, but will also present to the Chinese fans of classical music as many pleasant surprises as possible. The stage performances which combine both the Chinese and western musicians remain an important highlight of this year's music season. For example, we'll also arrange a joint² performance made from pipe organ and small gourd-shaped musical instrument. A German pipe organ player and a Chinese musician will join hands. Actually the two instruments present a quite similar way of making sound."

The opening concert held at the end of March serves as a strong example of the collaboration¹ among musicians from different nations.

An orchestra from Switzerland, which is the resident chamber³ orchestra at the Verbier Festival and one of the most influential⁴ musical events in Europe, performed with American-born Chinese concert artist George Li, who is seen as one of the world's most talented and creative young pianists, as well as young violinist Daniel Lozakovich.

A veteran Hungarian violinist and conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy is the chief conductor.

"I love different cultures, because it's always bringing something new, fresh approach; this kind of things. I'm sure the public will feel it in a second after they first know what excellent, talented people they are. So I like to be with them on stage."

George Li performed pieces by Bach, highlighted by one of his his favorite pieces that he plays at nearly every concert.

"I'm playing Saint-Saens piano concerto⁵. It's such a wonderful piece. There are so many varieties within the piece. The first movement is very dark; it's almost like a fantasy. And it's very much contrast(ing) with the second and third movement. The second movement is just very light. It's almost like Mendelsohn. And you'll have this very bright, champagne⁶ kind of sound throughout the entire piece. And the third movement: it's just non-stop, technically⁷ hard but also very dramatic and very energetic. It's one of my favorites. It's something I play for a long time. I feel like very childhood emotions but also I feel new things as well."

Other highlights include French harpist Xavier de Maistre performing in April, followed by flute⁸ quartet playing Wiener Mozart Konzerte in May.

Zhou Jiayi felt quite delighted to give more details on their 8-month long program schedule.

"We adhere to promoting innovative⁹ and up-to-the time music performances. Thus we have a show by Robot-Pianist Teo Tronico, who has recorded a program with Chinese pianist Lang Lang at CCTV. Also, we invited Trevor David Pinnock, an English harpsichordist¹⁰ to give a show closing the season. His show is worth our utmost anticipation¹¹."

72-year-old Trevor David Pinnock is due to perform in Beijing in November. It will be his first time performing in the city.

His show kicks off a national concert tour of China. The Beijing Concert Hall's classical music season is due to close on Nov 23.

For CRI, I'm Shen Ting.

1 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

5 concerto   

n.协奏曲

参考例句：

• The piano concerto was well rendered.钢琴协奏曲演奏得很好。
• The concert ended with a Mozart violin concerto.音乐会在莫扎特的小提琴协奏曲中结束。

6 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

7 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

8 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

9 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

10 harpsichordist   

演奏大键琴者

参考例句：

11 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。