DISTANT VOICES: XU ZHONG & SZS

2023.03.04（SAT）19:30

Jinji Lake Concert Hall SCAC 2nd Floor

Conductor XU Zhong

Piano HAO Duanduan

CHEN             Wu Xing

LISZT             Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S. 125

DVOŘÁK       Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”

*Program is subject to change

NOTICE TO AUDIENCE

1. DURATION Approximately 86 minutes with a 15-min intermission.  2. SUGGESTED AGE 8 and above.  3. Minimum Height For Children : 1.3m (Jinji Lake Concert Hall). Except For Performances Specially Arranged For Children.

It is Chen Qigang’ s Wu Xing that injects a splash of colour of contemporary China into this bill featuring East European Romantic composers. This dazzlingly imaginative work is a small orchestral sketch of the five Chinese elements constituting the universe. With his magical sonic palette, Chen visualizes the shapeless water, the warmness of fire, the strength of metal, the limitless variations of wood, and the earth that creates vast landscapes and lonely, nostalgic songs.

With the pianist Hao Duanduan, we then jump into a time travel tunnel that leads us to Liszt’ s Weimar where the composer conducted the premiere of his Second Piano Concerto in 1857. Unlike the First, the Second shows Liszt attempting to confirm his compositional talent while distancing himself from his virtuoso performance origins. A further experiment with the technique of generating material by refashioning old ones----the so-called thematic transformation----is the agenda here.

In Dvořák’ s masterpiece, his trademark Czech style is tinged with the spirit of Native American and African American music. The symphony packs drama, excitement and hope into one unforgettable work. From the quietly optimistic melody of the Largo to the blazing finale, it is easy to see why this piece has been hugely popular ever since its New York premiere in 1893.