XU ZHONG CONDUCTS WAGNER:
SUZHOU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
2026.04.18（SAT）19 : 30
Jinji Lake Concert Hall SCAC
Conductor XU Zhong
Wagner
Overture from DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG
Overture from DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER
Overture from TANNHÄUSER
Overture from PARSIFAL
Overture from LOHENGRIN
Die Walkure (act III)
NOTICE TO AUDIENCE
1. DURATION Approximately 126 minutes with a 15-min intermission.
2. SUGGESTED AGE 8 and above.
3. Minimum height for children :1.3m.
Tonight, we will be on a journey into the colorful ocean of musical drama constructed by Wagner. Here, musical notes are not just melodies, they are carrying the soul. Unique “leitmotifs” are like celestial stars, guiding the paths of characters, emotions, thoughts, and even scenes. At first, we have the Overture from DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG. Wagner demonstrates his extraordinary skill here, revealing his sense of humor and flexibility within its grand and magnificent music structure. This piece is an ideal introduction to understanding his genius in musical architecture. After this, the Overture from DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER immediately transports us to the abyss of the North Sea. Howling strings and woodwinds are portraying the storm’s wrath and the solemn brass intonating the fatefully heavy theme of the cursed Dutch captain. TANNHÄUSER’s Overture begins with the solemn, choral-like strains of the pilgrims and then descending into the wild vortex of sensual temptation in the Venusberg, where chromatic melodies surge. Following intense conflict, it ends with a glorious hymn of redemption, displaying incredible emotional tension. The Overture from PARSIFAL has deep harmonies that emerges layer by layer, and its colors are constantly changing. They are creating an ethereal atmosphere, as if holy light is whispering through the mist, speaking out the eternal themes of redemption and resurrection. The Overture from LOHENGRIN captivates from its opening, holding our breath in silent awe. The faint harmonics and harmonies played by violins in the high register cascade like celestial light, and the Grail theme rises brilliantly within the strings’ halo, demonstrating Wagner’s ultimate pursuit for string timbre and the idea of “endless melody”. Music are flowing like an unstoppable river, constantly guiding the listener towards an unknown shore. Finally, we have the Act III from Die Walkure, the second part of the tetralogy DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN. Chromatic melodies, constantly shifting tonalities, and unresolved chords weave together a musical world of immense dramatic tension. Within it, the thunderous and universally recognizable theme, “Ride of the Valkyries”, will fully unleash the earth-shattering, epic grandeur inherent in Wagner’s music.
