A wonderful Mendelssohn night, Dutch conductor, Beijing girl, Hong Kong band in Shanghai
On the evening of September 2nd, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Renowned conductor Van Zhiden teamed up with violinist Yang Tianwa to present a romantic "Mendelssohn" night. In his final season as the Music Director of the Hong Kong Orchestra, which was also the milestone 50th professional season of the orchestra, Van Zhideng teamed up with the orchestra to present a memorable concert venue for audiences in Shanghai.
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
Born in Amsterdam in 1960, Van Zhiden began learning the violin at the age of 5 and became the youngest violin principal in the history of the Royal Dutch Concert Hall Orchestra at the age of 19. However, the violinist did not become his ultimate destination. During a rehearsal of the band, Van Zhideng took on the role of conductor. At the end of the rehearsal, the guest conductor and famous conductor Bernstein "mercilessly" commented, "Your level of conductor is really bad, but you should seriously consider becoming a professional conductor." This sentence completely changed Van Zhideng's career direction. In 2008, Van Zhiden served as the Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and since 2012, he has also served as the Music Director of the Hong Kong Orchestra. In the same year, he was also selected as the conductor of the year by Music America. In 2016, Van Zhideng became the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 2024, he will soon become the Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
Commander Fan Zhideng ascends the stage, photographed by Dong Tianye
When it comes to the opportunity to collaborate with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Van Zhiden said, "Our collaboration started in 2012, and I knew about this orchestra before that. I think they have the ability to become one of the best orchestras in the world, and they have the willingness and desire to advance to a higher level." Under Van Zhiden's leadership, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra completed the recording of Wagner's opera masterpiece "The Ring of Nibelungen", which was released by the world-renowned record company Nasos and became known as "Hong Kong music" in the Western music world. In 2019, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra won the "Orchestra of the Year Award" at the annual awards of the "Classical Music Oscar" magazine, becoming the first orchestra in Asia to receive this honor.
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
At this concert, Yang Tianwa, a Beijing girl, collaborated with the Hong Kong Orchestra. At the age of 11, she was invited to collaborate with major symphony orchestras both domestically and internationally. At 13, she recorded Paganini's "24 Rhapsody Songs". At 16, she went to Germany for further studies. At 24, she was hired as a professor by two music schools in Germany. At 28, she won the German Echo Classical Record Award for "Performer of the Year" and "Little Pianist of the Year".
Photo by Yang Tianwa and Dong Tianye, a violinist dressed in red
That evening, Fan Zhideng, together with Yang Tianwa and the Hong Kong Orchestra, presented three classic German Austrian symphonic works by Mendelssohn to audiences in Shanghai, including the Hebrides Overture, Violin Concerto in E minor, and Symphony No. 4 in A major, "Italy". Mendelssohn is known for his exquisite, elegant, and magnificent work style, and is hailed as an outstanding "lyrical landscape painter" of Romanticism. Wagner once praised Mendelssohn as a "first-class landscape painter". The Prelude to the Hebrides was created by Mendelssohn during his summer trip to Scotland in 1829. There are naturally formed giant stone pillars in the cave, and when the waves hit, it sounds like "a pipe organ roaring". The first eight bars of this work are imitations of the waves. Unlike the Romantic Prelude to the Hebrides, the Symphony No. 4 in A major "Italy" presents a "retro" Mendelssohn. This work was created between 1831 and 1833, and was created by the composer during his travels to Italy, feeling the beautiful scenery and strong religious atmosphere, using some Italian folk materials.
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
Yang Tianwa, dressed in red, performed the "Violin Concerto in E minor", which is the most famous of Mendelssohn's violin concertos. The work is full of romantic emotions and a uniform and orderly form of beauty, requiring the performer to handle the technique of violin playing with moderation. "It's so beautiful, it sounds even more wonderful than in the album, and that's the charm of the theater," said one audience member excitedly after the concert.
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
Photo taken by Dong Tianye at the concert venue
