What did you bring to Shanghai?, Berlin Philharmonic Resident

Release time:Jun 24, 2024 16:17 PM

“The most powerful orchestra on earth” Berlin Philharmonic is finally here.

With a history of 142 years, it has witnessed two world wars and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is firmly in the top spot in the ranking of symphony orchestras in various countries in the world and rarely falls to second place. Since the reform and opening up, it has visited China six times and influenced generations of Chinese musicians and classical music fans. In Chaoyang District, Beijing, there is even a community named "Berlin Philharmonic"...

From June 24 to July 2, artistic director Kirill Petrenko led the Berlin Philharmonic to participate in the special project "Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai" of the Shanghai International Arts Festival in China. This was the first time that the Berlin Philharmonic had performed in China.

Two months ago, the 6,000 tickets for the four symphony concerts of the Berlin Philharmonic set a record of being sold out in five minutes. More than 40% of the ticket buyers came from overseas and 21 other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country. Many audiences flew to listen to the concert, proving the influence of this "super group". The four symphonies with different repertoires, seven chamber music performances, and art education activities throughout the campus and community have made great breakthroughs in terms of performances, scope, and coverage, which shows the attraction of Shanghai to the Berlin Philharmonic.

What exactly makes the Berlin Philharmonic? What can the Berlin Philharmonic's Shanghai residency bring to this city?

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Kirill PetrenkoPhoto by Monika Rittershaus

A "super group" and a city's two-way journey

At 11:50 noon on June 24, nearly 140 musicians and staff of the Berlin Philharmonic took a chartered flight and arrived at Shanghai Pudong Airport after 11 and a half hours. Without a moment's rest, Andrea Zitzschmann, general manager of the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation, rushed to the Shanghai International Arts Festival Center.

“Like all the other members of the orchestra, I can’t wait to start this trip to Shanghai,” said Andrea Zitzschmann with a smile. “This is the orchestra’s sixth visit to China since 1979 and its fourth visit to Shanghai. Shanghai is a charming international metropolis with open, enthusiastic and curious people. Classical music has fertile soil in Shanghai and is deeply loved by young people. I hope that the 11 performances and a series of cultural exchange activities of the Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai will bring surprises to the audience and citizens of Shanghai.”

Andrea Zitzschmann, General Manager of the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation Photo by Jiang Diwen

"This will become a 'two-way' music legend." Li Ming, president of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, likened the "Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai" performance to a "deep date". "Shanghai's increasingly strong cultural and artistic atmosphere has provided fertile soil for classical music to take root and flourish in China. The influx of world-famous orchestras represented by the Berlin Philharmonic has sown more seeds of art in this city of music. This time, everyone from senior music fans to ordinary citizens, professional musicians to young pianists can have an encounter with the artists of the Berlin Philharmonic."

The most excited people in Shanghai are the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra's fans, who can now hear the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at their doorstep. Earlier this year, Shanghai music fan Jun Shi attended two Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra concerts in succession at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall and the Vienna Golden Hall, both conducted by Kirill Petrenko.

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Kirill PetrenkoPhoto by Monika Rittershaus

"I have been listening to the Berlin Philharmonic's records since I was a child. Listening to it live for the first time gave me a feeling of 'pilgrimage'. They are worthy of being the 'strongest orchestra on the planet', with impeccable skills. Each musician has top-notch personal ability, but in the orchestra they can listen to each other and cooperate tacitly, bringing an accurate presentation of the works." Jun Shi said.

Many people are curious about Kirill Petrenko, the mysterious and low-key chief conductor and artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic. After the performance in Vienna, Jun Shi met Kirill Petrenko. "Petrenko came out alone with a suitcase, lowered his head, smiled, spoke very softly, and had a low personality, but he was very good at handling complex and dramatic works. During his years at the Bavarian State Opera, he conducted the premieres of many heavyweight contemporary operas. After coming to the Berlin Philharmonic, the proportion of contemporary works in the orchestra has increased."

Yang Jialu, vice president of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, revealed that in order to perfectly present the "Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai", the festival team worked "extra long" from negotiation to implementation and then to detail assurance. As there are currently no direct flights between Shanghai and Berlin, a round-trip charter flight was eventually used to allow the musicians to go directly to Shanghai and face the audience in the best condition, while also solving the problem of transporting musical instruments. "I hope that the 'Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai' can boost cultural and tourism consumption, make culture and art the 'traffic entrance' of the city, and help Shanghai become the first stop for inbound tourism in China."

Musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic at the Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, China. Photo by Jiang Diwen

What else can the Berlin Philharmonic bring to Shanghai during its residency? Jun Shi believes: "At least, everyone is talking about the Berlin Philharmonic now, which is a good thing. This is not just a performance, but also a cultural event. I hope that the Berlin Philharmonic's residency can promote Shanghai to become a must-visit destination for famous artists and orchestras from all over the world, and can also inspire Chinese symphony orchestras to catch up, continuously improve their strength, and compete with world-famous orchestras, drive the entire art ecology, and make Shanghai the 'source' of art."

In October 1979, maestro Karajan led the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on a visit to China, giving three consecutive concerts in Beijing. This created a whirlwind of Western symphony music in China, promoted the exchange of Chinese and foreign music after the reform and opening up, and deeply influenced a generation of Chinese musicians and classical music fans.

The performance was held at the Beijing Stadium, with more than 5,000 spectators. Cao Peng, then the permanent conductor of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, was sitting in the audience. What impressed him most was that Karajan stood "like a bell" on the podium, without moving from the beginning to the end of the movement. Huang Yijun, the director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, also sat in the back seat of the stadium: "I felt Karajan's superb image from a distance and was amazed by his superb conducting art."

Karajan shakes hands with Chinese conductor Li Delun in Beijing in 1979

Two years later, Huang Yijun flew to Berlin and became the first Chinese conductor to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The baton he used at that time is now "lying" in the display cabinet of the Shanghai Symphony Music Museum at No. 3 Baoqing Road.

At that time, Huang Yijun conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in three consecutive concerts, performing not only Western classics but also the Pipa Concerto "Heroic Sisters of the Prairie" by Chinese composer Wu Zuqiang. After the performance, local media commented: "He is tall and energetic, and with his steady conducting skills and bold movements, he showed the demeanor of a true musician."

The first time the Berlin Philharmonic came to Shanghai was in November 2005. At that time, the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, which had been in operation for only four months, resolutely invited the Berlin Philharmonic to Shanghai at a "sky-high price" of 12 million yuan. The highest ticket price of 4,000 yuan did not stop the enthusiasm of music fans, and tickets for the performance were hard to come by, becoming one of the "Top Ten Cultural News in Shanghai" that year.

Simon Rattle, the then music director, said: "The audience's education is admirable, and it is not difficult to see their passion for classical music. 'Such a focused and quiet audience is hard to find anywhere.'"

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the Oriental Art Center in 2005. Photo by Kim Jung-geun

In 2011, the Berlin Philharmonic came to Shanghai for the second time and performed only one symphony at the Shanghai Grand Theater. Tickets were even more in short supply. The festival broadcast the performance live on the big screen at Century Square on Nanjing East Road. Fans who didn't get tickets could watch it for free. After the performance, Simon Rattle led some musicians to Century Square to meet with fans.

In 2017, the Berlin Philharmonic returned to Shanghai for the third time, returning to the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Taking into account the ticket purchasing habits of audiences of all ages, the Oriental Art Center also specially divided the tickets into time periods and combined online and offline sales. In order to grab tickets, the earliest fans waited for two nights, and the Oriental Art Center specially opened the 330-seat concert hall for fans who queued all night to rest.

In 2017, Simon Rattle led the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra to visit Shanghai again. Photo by Jiang Diwen

Today, the Berlin Philharmonic is visiting Shanghai for the fourth time, dedicating its first residency in China to Shanghai, with the entire itinerary and repertoire "deeply customized" for Shanghai. From Beethoven to Wagner, Brahms, Strauss, Ravel to Mussorgsky and Prokofiev, the repertoire of the "Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai" covers classical, romantic and Russian music.

It is worth mentioning that in the first symphony concert in Shanghai, Kirill Petrenko "transferred" the repertoire of the world-famous large-scale open-air concert Berlin Forest Concert to Shanghai, allowing music fans to enjoy the same musical feast as the Berlin Forest Concert while in Shanghai.

This year marks the 160th anniversary of Richard Strauss' birth. To pay tribute to this great composer, this concert will also present his masterpiece "A Hero's Life", which was at the peak of his career. In 1959, Karajan conducted the Berlin Philharmonic to record the first stereo album for DG Records, which was Richard Strauss's "A Hero's Life".

"This time, you will see a younger Berlin Philharmonic," Olaf Manninger, deputy chief cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic, told reporters. "The Berlin Philharmonic has completed a generational change in recent years, and many young talents have emerged. Many musicians of the orchestra are coming to Shanghai for the first or second time. When I came to Shanghai 20 years ago, there were not so many classical music fans in Shanghai. But in the past 20 years, the Chinese classical music market has grown very fast, and many fans who love and understand the music have emerged. With them sitting in the audience, we will perform more vigorously!"

Olaf Manninger, Deputy Principal Cello of the Berlin Philharmonic Photo by Jiang Diwen

Make your own voice in a band full of masters

Among the young talents mentioned by Olaf Manninger is the first Chinese performer in the history of the Berlin Philharmonic, the 30-year-old viola player Mediyan.

On October 1, 2020, he officially took up the post of principal viola player of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Prior to this, the position had been vacant for three years. Conductor Yu Long described it this way: "This is no less than a world-class Chinese football star joining a top club."

Mediyan recalled to reporters the four rounds of rigorous assessments he went through to join the Berlin Philharmonic, each of which required more than 100 members of the orchestra to vote. The Berlin Philharmonic has a special voting machine and the voting process is very rigorous. After the fourth round of assessment, more than 100 performers also held a closed-door discussion.

"I was a little nervous before I went because their selection process is very different from other orchestras. In addition, every musician present is a soloist and they all have their own personality and artistic insights." After each round of assessment, Mediyan could hear the performers applauding him. Generally speaking, there would be no applause in such a serious interview. "Their applause made me feel respected."

Photo by Mediyan Jiang Diwen, Principal Viola Player of the Berlin Philharmonic

Violinist Raimar Orlovsky, founder of the Berlin Philharmonic Baroque Soloists Ensemble, praised his Chinese colleague: "He is a great artist and a very kind and friendly person. We are very happy that he has joined the Berlin Philharmonic family."

In Medijan's opinion, the individual quality of the Berlin Philharmonic is absolutely strong, even the strongest, and there are many star musicians who have very successful careers as orchestra members or soloists. "When we sit together, everyone weakens their own importance, and everyone will set off others to make the orchestra better. I think this is also a necessary factor for the orchestra's success over the years."

After Mediyan, good news came last November: Chinese horn player Zeng Yun also successfully passed the test and became the second Chinese player to knock on the door of the band. Zeng Yun recalled that although she had participated in many competitions and exams along the way, she thought she would not be nervous. But when she walked into the examination room of the Berlin Philharmonic and looked at the hundreds of judges in the audience, she couldn't help shaking.

Zeng Yun, who is in the Berlin Philharmonic, which is full of masters, said that he is ready to go back to school. The one that impressed him the most was Shostakovich's "Fourth Symphony" with a solo bassoon. He rehearsed three times and performed three times. The principal bassoonist played it differently every time, with different speeds, playing methods, and contrast between strong and weak, but each time sounded good. "The world is so vast that I can never learn enough," Zeng Yun said.

During the Berlin Philharmonic's stay in Shanghai, performers will also walk into the streets and alleys of Shanghai, and penetrate into the capillaries, bringing "diversified, high-density, and high-level" art education activities, covering open rehearsals, master classes, art lectures, rehearsal visits and other forms, bringing high-quality culture and art to the citizens.

The orchestra will visit Fudan University, ShanghaiTech University, Pudong Zhuqiao Experimental Primary School and other institutions to bring "interest classes" about classical music to teachers and students; performers from multiple sections of the orchestra will go to the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra to give master classes, and start a number of professional dialogues between professional musicians; in addition, the orchestra will also open the rehearsals of the Shanghai Grand Theater to youth art troupes... According to preliminary calculations, the "Berlin Philharmonic in Shanghai" will reach nearly 30,000 audiences of all kinds.

"The nearly ten-day journey has condensed the essence of the entire Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. You can get a comprehensive and three-dimensional understanding of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra through four concerts, seven chamber music performances, and a variety of art education activities. We can also get to know Shanghai more deeply and immersively during this journey." said Noah Bendix-Bagley, concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bagley's wife is Chinese, and he last visited Shanghai last fall. "I like Shanghai very much. It is a very dynamic international metropolis where history and reality, new and old meet. My colleagues all hope that I can be their guide to explore this city."

Bagley also strongly recommended the Berlin Philharmonic's chamber music concerts in Shanghai. In his opinion, the formation of a top orchestra is closely related to the chamber music performances of its members. For example, the Berlin Philharmonic's oldest chamber music group, the "Berlin Philharmonic Twelve Cellos".

Noah Bendix-Balgley, concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraPhotographed by Diwen Jiang

Over the past 50 years since its establishment, the "Berlin Philharmonic Twelve Cellos" have been constantly trying to surpass themselves and push the cello to a self-sufficient and perfect instrument. In 2017, the Berlin Philharmonic Twelve Cellos won the "Best Crossover Album of the Year" at the "German Echo Music Award".

This time, the “Twelve Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic” will feature French chanson singer Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose”, Leo DiCaprio’s theme song for the movie “Catch Me If You Can”, and Argentinian composer Michelle Piazzolla’s tango music full of South American style, which will appeal to both the elite and the masses.

On June 24, two students from Shanghai School for the Blind, 18-year-old Chen Zheyu and 10-year-old Wang Yining, received special tickets for the "Music Meets Light" performance from Andrea Zitzschmann, General Manager of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and Ben Min, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Bright Dairy Co., Ltd. Holding up the tickets in his hand, Wang Yining smiled and said, "I love music very much. I heard that the Berlin Philharmonic is the best orchestra in the world. It's great to be able to go and listen to it live."

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