A still from the National Center for the Performing Arts’ original folk dance drama “The Road to Heaven”.Photo by reporter Fang Fei
During the double festival holidays, Beijing’s stage is full of grand events: the 2023 performance season of “Seeing Beijing in a Big Drama” continues, the 7th Chinese Opera Culture Week is in full swing, and the 25th/26th Beijing International Music Festival returns with a bang… Busy schedule The schedule, rich performance types, landmark theaters in full swing, and corners and spaces re-lit by performing arts have all become exceptionally beautiful scenery in the city.
It is reported that during the Double Festival holidays, 1,129 offline performances on 268 channels were performed continuously. While presenting a performing arts feast to the citizens, it also made the cultural gold card of “See Beijing in a Big Show” shine even more brightly.
Highlights
Masterpieces by famous artists appear on stage one after another
Zhuang Zhou’s Dream of Butterflies is a romantic and philosophical Chinese story that has evolved on the Western bowstring. The ancients’ exploration of illusion and reality, dreaming and waking has been introduced to the world in a modern and common vocabulary. On the evening of October 3rd and 4th, “Butterfly Change”, a work jointly commissioned by composer Huang Ruo and composed by the National Center for the Performing Arts, the Netherlands Radio Music Foundation, the Dutch Public Broadcasting Company, the Essen Theater in Germany, and the Philharmonic Orchestra, will have its world premiere. play. Under the leadership of the famous conductor Li Biao, the National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra gave a full interpretation to this new work, which has been postponed many times due to the epidemic.
Such grand occasions have always continued on the Beijing stage during the double holiday: in the Zhongshan Park Concert Hall, on the evening of October 1st, the 80-year-old Yin Chengzong went on stage with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and the older generation of artists performed the piano concerto “Yellow River”. The interpretation is precise and in place, echoing Li Zhuoyu and becoming the continuous thread of Chinese music. At the National Center for the Performing Arts, the original national opera “Mountains and Seas” adapted from the TV series of the same name gathered powerful singers such as Wang Hongwei and Gong Shuang and won the Wenhua Award The award-winning dance drama “The Road to Heaven” returns to the stage. On September 30 and October 1, all four theaters in the National Center for the Performing Arts opened their doors to welcome guests, with a large flow of people and a lively atmosphere; in the Poly Theater, the 25th/26th Beijing International Music Festival invited Lavra Avant-garde Theater Company from Spain , Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Quartet, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and other famous groups came on stage one after another to showcase the history and future of classical music…
Watch the drama in Beijing, and the show will never end. As a national cultural center and a center for international exchanges, Beijing attracts artists from all over the world to come and work together to lift the brightest moments of the “Performing City”.
Art for the people
The theater space is constantly warm
The curtain opened, and more sounds sounded. The New Culture Movement, the May 4th Movement, the establishment of the Communist Party of China… the grand historical picture is slowly unfolding. From September 28th to October 5th, the musical “The Age of Awakening” will once again be staged at Century Theater. On the stage, revolutionary pioneers such as Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao spoke sonorously and forcefully about their ideals and beliefs. Off the stage, Zhang Xizhong, captain of the veteran flood control team and “Beijing role model”, felt waves of passion surge in his chest.
“The performance was particularly shocking. It reminded me of the spirit of the revolutionary martyrs who fought hard for New China and were not afraid of sacrifice.” Zhang Xizhong said, “As veterans, we will still remember our oath and defend the motherland in peacetime!” September 30 this year It is my country’s 10th Martyrs’ Day. On this special day, the crew of the musical “The Age of Awakening” specially invited the Veteran Flood Control Team, which is composed of retired soldiers and has participated in many flood fighting and rescue operations, and the Beijing Ginkgo Choir, which has spread the red spirit across the country. and retired college soldiers entering the theater. When they neatly saluted the military salute, the quiet auditorium was instantly swept away by applause. Those who had devoted their youth and blood for the motherland in national defense construction positions received the warmest respect.
During this holiday, stage art becomes a link between the wonderful performances on stage and the warm hearts off stage. On the opening night of the new performance of the original national opera “Mountains and Seas”, the National Center for the Performing Arts’ “Public Seat” event specially invited representatives of street workers and flood prevention work participants in Beijing to watch the performance. From Xihaigu, where no grass grows in the wind and sand, to Minning Village, which can be called the “fortress of Jiangnan”, the opera “Mountains and Seas” reproduces the touching poverty alleviation story in a unique way, Xicheng District People’s Congress Representative, Weiying Community Service Cao Yaou, the station manager and deputy director of the neighborhood committee, not only clearly sees the difficulty and significance of poverty alleviation, but also cherishes this opportunity to enter the art palace. In the past few years, as a grassroots worker, Cao Yaou has been very busy. Although his workplace is not far from the National Center for the Performing Arts, he rarely has the opportunity to walk in and experience the excitement and shock of the rising and falling of the curtain. “It is possible to appreciate such an excellent performance.” , relax our body and mind, we are all very happy.” Cao Yaou said.
Performing Arts City
Continue to empower cultural life
After walking up the long stairs and pushing open the heavy door, in the Divine Music Department of the Temple of Heaven Park, a rich history is accumulated among the carved beams and painted pillars, lingering in every breath of the audience. On the stage surrounded by bells and chimes, a gust of cold wind “blown”, and the sound of the guqin sounded low and melancholy. The famous singer Gong Linna closed her eyes with bated breath and sang about Cai Wenji’s desolate and courageous life.
“I am looking forward to and happy to share with you Qinge, an expression of ancient literati music, at the Divine Music Department.” Gong Linna said. Yesterday afternoon, in this unique world, Gong Linna, guqin player Lin Chen and many other friends jointly presented the premiere of the complete version of “Eighteen Beats of Hujia”. The stories handed down from the Han Dynasty and the music scores inherited from the Ming Dynasty resonate with the ancient architecture. With this as a starting point, the 25th/26th Beijing International Music Festival’s “Music Garden” series of performances officially begins. Next, the chamber music ensemble and the famous singer Mo Hualun will continue to witness the relationship between music and the city of Beijing here. More interaction.
Since its opening on September 28, the 7th Chinese Opera Culture Week has held nearly 200 activities. The extensive and profound opera culture has been transformed into close encounters in the garden time and time again, allowing tourists to enjoy the festival.
At present, stage art is constantly breaking through regional restrictions and integrating into the pulse of urban life. (Reporter Gao Qian)
(Original title: 1,129 performances on 268 channels continue to be staged during the Double Festival holidays in Beijing with a series of grand events)
