Xu Zhong coached a luxurious lineup of nearly 200 people to perform Mahler's "Third Symphony", one of the greatest symphonies in history, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra | Singer | Mahler
"Symphony must be like the whole world, encompassing everything." In order to turn his "wild talk" into reality, composer Mahler's works, in terms of length, structure, band organization, and performance scale, are unprecedented. Mahler's symphonies, known for their high difficulty and challenge, often become eye-catching musical events. The tickets for Mahler's Third Symphony, which was performed at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center on the evening of June 30th, were sold out early on.
This performance was jointly performed by Xu Zhong, the director of Shanghai Opera House and the chief conductor of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, along with European soprano singer Zhu Huiling, Shanghai Opera House Choir, Shanghai Spring Youth Choir, and Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. The 100 minute epic showcases Mahler's intricate symphonic world. On site, a super band of nearly 120 people and a choir of over 70 people brought grand yet delicate performances.
Xu Zhong said, "Nearly 200 artists from different art troupes gathered together because of a classic and great work in human civilization. Isn't it a music world of tacit cooperation and mutual appreciation? This may also be the biggest gain and insight we gained from today's conversation with Mahler and the Third Symphony."
Dialogue with Music on Everything in the Universe
Years ago, the BBC invited 151 conductors to vote for the world's best symphony rankings, and Mahler's Symphony No. 3 ranked in the top 10, becoming one of the "Top 10 Symphonies in the World". This work, with its grand structure, massive organization, and exquisite orchestration, has become the touchstone for conductor and orchestra.
The grand structure of Mahler III is not only reflected in the length of the six movements, but also in the unusual layout of the six movements and their inherent logical connections. The duration of the first movement "The awakening of the shepherd god and the arrival of summer" alone is equivalent to the entire Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. In the work, Mahler fully utilizes the characteristics of various musical instruments to showcase the dialogue between humans and plants, humans and animals, humans and humans, and humans and angels, expressing equality and universal love for all things in the universe.
"This is my most personalized and diverse work," Mahler once said. "The Third Symphony" is the ideal world he yearns for after facing confusion, experiencing difficulties, and overcoming difficulties. Reproducing this "ideal world" requires a large and powerful performance lineup, ample rehearsal time between conductors and bands, choirs, and singers, as well as a patient and enthusiastic audience.
As the conductor of this concert, Xu Zhong collaborated with the Italian Bellini Opera Symphony Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra to rehearse Mahler's "Third Symphony" in his early years. This was his first time directing a domestic symphony orchestra to perform this masterpiece.
Xu Zhong said, "Mahler's Three is one of the longest symphonies, which requires a great deal of physical exertion. The greater challenge comes from the complex structure and splendid yet detailed musical language, especially the exquisite use of the timbre of the band's various parts, including the use of human voices. I hope to lead the master to restore Mahler's' wish 'as much as possible and present his ideal music world to the audience."
200 person lineup to build brilliance together
Although Mahler was not the first composer to introduce human voice into symphonies, he gave new meaning and expressive power to human voice in symphonies. As an important factor in Mahler's symphonies, "human voice" has been regarded as an instrument that integrates with other instruments. On site, a lineup of over 70 singers added a touch of brilliance to the performance.
As one of the few Chinese soprano singers active on mainstream European opera stages, Zhu Huiling has previously appeared in Mahler's Second, Third, and Eighth Symphonies, and has a profound understanding and emotional attachment to Mahler's works. As a leading professional choir in China, the Shanghai Opera House Choir has a deep accumulation in the field of symphonic choir. Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony", "Braun's Poetry", and Mahler's "Eighth Symphony" have all won praise. The Shanghai Spring Children's Choir has collaborated with the Shanghai Opera House multiple times, demonstrating a high level of excellence.
Xu Zhong said, "Mahler incorporated everything from nature into his" Third Symphony "and, with his superb compositional skills and profound philosophy, allowed it to coexist harmoniously in music, creating a grand world that depicts nature and concerns the universe. I hope to turn the baton in my hand into a magic wand, allowing the various musical instruments that depict this natural world to showcase their abilities and complement each other, creating a brilliant symphonic world together. I look forward to dialogue with more excellent works, artists, and versions in the future, and rehearsing more excellent works from both China and abroad for the audience."
