People from all walks of life in Beijing are preparing for the 2008 Olympics in their own ways. The Beijing Symphony Orchestra is no exception.
After the short Spring Festival break, the orchestra resumed the 2005-06 season with a concert featuring two thrilling Olympic pieces at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on Saturday night.
Under the baton of its artistic director Tan Linhua, the orchestra began the concert with "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" written by the US composer John Williams for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The trumpets played out a very agitated and exciting fanfare with lots of motion and accent.
Following the music for the 1984 Olympic Games, the orchestra premiered Chinese composer Tang Jianping's percussion concerto "The Sacred Fire 2008" featuring the talented 35-year-old percussionist Li Biao.
The first section of the percussion work featured the drums, interpreting the fate of Prometheus punished by Zeus, suffering horribly and stealing fire for mankind. Though it is a Greek myth, you could figure out some Chinese melodies in this section.
Li's performance deserved the audience's applause. Especially the last section, his playing on the marimba kindled the flame of freedom and love fire in people's minds.
"The Sacred Fire 2008" was commissioned by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra last year. Tang's first percussion work "Cang Cai" written for Li in 2003 has received wide acclaim and become one of the must-play works of the orchestra and Li when they tour abroad.
The second half of the concert was dedicated to the Russian composer Shostakovitch (1906-75) for his 100th birthday.
Shostakovitch's 12th Symphony "Year of 1917" is arguably the weakest of all his symphonies, though the orchestra's performances gave the piece the benefit of the doubt. Under the baton of Tan, the orchestra managed to make even the contrived finale sound convincing.
The orchestra's next two concerts will be on March 10 and 11 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall, featuring Rakhamaninov's "Third Symphony in A Minor," Sibelius' "Second Symphony in D Major," Mozart's "Jupiter Symphony" and works by Chinese composers including Yang Liqing, Fang Kejie and Cao Yuande.
Then the orchestra will set out on their third European tour. From March 24 to April 2, they will bring Tang's "Sacred Fire 2008," Yang Liqing's "Tibetan Dance" as well as some Western pieces to six cities in Germany and Austria.
Besides touring abroad, the capital's leading orchestra focuses on playing for Beijingers and fostering their interest in classical music. "Attracting more and more audience to classic musical is always one of the three principles I follow while directing the orchestra," Tan said.
Last season, he took the orchestra to play a couple of educational concerts at high schools. And in April and May, he will give some concerts at universities.
As for Tan's other two principles, one is to improve the artistic level of the orchestra by playing a wide range of pieces, the other, which he spends more efforts on, is to commission Chinese composers and promote Chinese music.
(China Daily February 27, 2006)
