This is the first "New Year's file" after the release of the "Class B and B Tube" performances, and the popularity of China's New Year's market is beyond people's imagination. From the point of view of time, the domestic audience after the epidemic will be extremely eager to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, and from a horizontal point of view, geopolitical factors have led to the influx of a large number of foreign orchestras. Focusing on the New Year's files that have just passed, it can be found that the rampant "water group" is attracting attention, the quality of the domestic orchestra's New Year's party is improving, and the audience's aesthetic ability is constantly strengthening.
The water mass is "outrageous."
There are water masses every year, and this year there are especially many of them.
This has to do with the media, of course. On December 22, 2023, the Royal Belgian Philharmonic Orchestra staged a New Year's ** meeting at the Shijiazhuang Grand Theater in Hebei Province, after the audience shouted for a refund, firing the first shot of boycotting the "water group", and then the related ** spread on the Internet caused a great response. The Chinese audience showed an extraordinary solidarity at this moment. At 19:40, the performance began with a cello solo for 13 minutes, followed by four violinists, followed by a harp solo, during which the conductor did not appear. The conductor and orchestra did not take the stage until 8:20 p.m., and the full performance ended at 8:50 p.m., with only four of the 12 pieces on the program actually performed, and the "Drinking Song" was sung and played twice. The band was founded in 2007 and is known as "Frascati Symphonic" overseas**. Through searching, the author found that the cello soloist of that night was named "Shuya Tanaka", and he did mark himself as the principal cello of the orchestra on his personal ** and listed some of the performances. Late at night that day, Shijiazhuang Grand Theater issued a statement on its official Weibo saying that it would refund tickets for all audiences who purchased the 2024 New Year's ** meeting of the Royal Belgian Philharmonic Orchestra on December 22.
Coincidentally, on December 31, 2023, the promotion of the "2024 New Year's Party of the Berlin German Symphony Orchestra" held in the Golden Hall of the Beijing Hotel was impressively printed with the ten characters "The Berliner Philharmoniker's First Visit to China Tour". In fact, this is not even a serious Deutsches Symphonie-orchester Berlin, but a "bulk orchestra" with conductors, soloists, and orchestra resumes. Interestingly, the real Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin was in Berlin at the time of writing this article to record the Chinese composer Ye Xiaogang's "Fifth Symphony "Lu Xun".
Music critic Macondo said: "The so-called 'water mass' is on the one hand in strength, and on the other hand, false propaganda and inflated ticket prices. In Europe and the United States, there are many low-level professional, amateur and community orchestras, and some are even incomplete, but they are not impossible to take the stage. The problem is that after they enter China, they often raise the ticket price to the level of first-tier orchestras through misrepresentation packaging, and the mistake of the 'water group' is that it is 'not worthy of virtue'. Behind this is the fact that many performers have introduced orchestras to China after registering them abroad, and after they have submitted various official websites, registration documents and other information, there is a lack of relevant supervision in China on the actual translation and promotion of these orchestras. ”
In fact, this year, the intensity of supervision has been partially increased. According to a person in charge who did not want to be named, this year, the department in charge of approving performances in Beijing strictly restricts orchestras with the word "Vienna" from performing in Beijing. As the birthplace of the New Year's party, the orchestra with the word Vienna has the most water. It must be known that the area of forty Vienna is worth one Beijing, and there are so many orchestras from Beijing. Unfortunately, these orchestras will not be able to enter Beijing and will still "run amok" in other provinces and cities.
Fake is not just propaganda, many performances are fake, and even the "water group" itself has been deceived. On the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, December 31, 2023, the "Austrian Vienna Sound Symphony New Year's Meeting" held in Dadukou District, Chongqing, caused the orchestra to strike due to the venue not meeting the standards - the "water group" was "watered" with the audience. *Two New Year's Eve parties were originally scheduled to be held at the Chongqing Industrial Museum in Chongqing's Dadukou District, but the performance venue was open-air, and the orchestra refused to take the stage because it couldn't stand the cold. An audience member said: "Later, the orchestra was going to perform at the Chongqing Ganghuaying Theater, but when they arrived, they found that the lighting equipment of the theater was broken and the performance was not completed. ”
According to the author's investigation, the only official Vienna orchestra's ** meeting in this "New Year's file" is the New Year's Eve ** meeting of the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra held in the ** Hall of Shanghai on December 31, 2023. The orchestra is conducted by Johannes Wildner, professor of conducting at the University of the Arts in Vienna and former violinist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (he was also a jury member of the recent Katowice Conducting Competition in Poland). Johannes Wildner not only carried on the tradition of Johann Strauss the Younger, sometimes playing the violin with the orchestra, but also reciting the score. The program details the evening's performances in a scholarly manner, and concludes with a list of all the orchestra members.
After investigation, the members of the orchestra did include members of various Vienna orchestras, and the orchestra will go to Japan for the 39th tour of Japan after the Chinese tour, and will perform in South Korea later. In fact, such an orchestra can only tour four or five performances in China, which is closely related to the cost of the orchestra.
The "genuine" are more Russian and Eastern European orchestras. The political situation means that Russian orchestras can only tour China almost exclusively, while Eastern European orchestras, although limited in their level, are basically real professional orchestras. In this "New Year's File" performance, the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Li Biao should be of the highest quality among Russian orchestras. The orchestra's string music is full of sound and has a strong Russian timbre, and they bring different compositions in different cities. In the first half of the NCPA's performance, Glinka's "Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture" was performed under the baton of Li Biao, followed by Tchaikovsky's Waltz of Flowers, where the excellent balance of the orchestral instruments reflects the cultivation of the conductor and the orchestra. In the world premiere of Emmanuel Sejonna's "Marimba Fantasy Concerto" in the first half, Chinese percussionist Lin Zhe conquered the audience with his outstanding character and exquisite technique. In the second half of Mussorgsky's Picture Exhibition, the magnificent sound of the last movement theme for the last time shows unreserved devotion, a passion characteristic of Russian orchestras.
In addition, the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, the second largest orchestra in St. Petersburg, toured China with major works such as "Chai Wu"; The Nizhny Novgorod (former Gorky) Academic Philharmonic Orchestra has toured many places under the baton of four conductors: Vladimir Poukin, Xiao Ming, Berendyov and Peng Yingfa, under the baton of the Russian Symphony Philharmonic Orchestra. The Siberian Symphony Orchestra, whose real name should be the Omsk Symphony Orchestra, also toured China. Interestingly, while the famous Russian State Model Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra, that is, the Soviet State Model Symphony Orchestra, was touring China, an orchestra that had nothing to do with Svetlanov but also signed the "Russian National Model Symphony Orchestra" was also performing in China. Music fan Lao Xi said: "The name of the same orchestra is not uniform in various places, which gives 'Li Gui' an opportunity." "To sum up, there are many Russian orchestras, and although the name is sometimes a little watery, the level of performance is basically guaranteed, because Russia itself is a vast territory and there are many orchestras, and there are more than 20 orchestras in Moscow alone.
Another phenomenon worth paying attention to is that the "two-dimensional" ** will encounter more and more cases of counterfeiting. According to music critic Macondo's investigation, Beijing's "Game-themed New Year's Symphony", Tianjin's "Attack on Titan", and Baoding Zhili Grand Theater's New Year's Symposium all encountered the audience's shouts for refunds. He said: "After *suffocating, I found that the standard of these performances really shouldn't sell tickets. In addition, animations such as "Attack on Titan" were on the first batch of online animation products 'blacklist' announced by the Ministry of Culture in June 2015, and it stands to reason that they should not be allowed to perform. During the performance in Tianjin, a big brother's shout expressed the hearts of many people: "The money of the second yuan is not so easy to earn!" ”
The national group is improving.
It's not that the "water group" can't afford to listen to, but the national group is more cost-effective.
It is safe to say that there are first-class symphony orchestras in China, and their level and quality are stronger than those of foreign "water troupes". In addition, the ticket price has to be a lot more conscientious, and the author listened to the following performances.
On December 26 and 27, 2023, the China Symphony Orchestra held two New Year's parties with the same music at the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Beijing ** Hall respectively. These pieces are not the "vulgar songs" that will be performed regularly in the New Year, but they are still very festive: Austrian composer Johann Strauss's "Gypsy Baron Overture", German composer Brahms's "Hungarian Dance No. 6", Russian composer Borodin's "Borowitz Dance", Rossini's "Wilhelm Dyer" overture, the delicate Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" interlude, and the magnificent Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". A touching orchestral music for the upcoming New Year. **There was no waltz or polka chosen at the meeting, but the atmosphere of the New Year was vividly expressed. On the stage of the second day's ** hall in Beijing, there was a moving scene after the ** meeting, and the conductor Li Xincao, who memorized the music in the audience, greeted the audience emotionally at the last moment of the return, and then brought an unexpected second encore. He did not choose to perform Offen**'s Cancan at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, but to perform the most famous ninth variation "Nimrod" from Elgar's Riddle Variations. Li Xincao said to the audience: "Cheerful ** often makes people happy, but such memories may be short-lived, but lyrical and slow ** can hit the deepest part of people's hearts." After the encore, Li Xincao shook hands with all the musicians on the stage one by one. From 2024, Li Xincao will be transferred to the honorary chief conductor of the State Exchange and devote more time to the work of the president of the first college in China. Everything is in plain sight, and this moment has become the most touching scene of the New Year's **.
From the perspective of "coffee position", the most heavyweight performance is the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's New Year's Party on December 31, 2023. This ** meeting gathered two of the busiest "** pilots" in the world - conductor Daniel Harding and pianist Lang Lang. Lang Lang had 150 ** meetings a year at his peak, and he was a well-deserved trapeze; Another, even more "fake" is Daniel Harding, a conductor with a pilot's license. The five pieces are composed by composers from Italy, China, the Czech Republic, Norway and France, and the audience is like riding a plane flying by Harding to travel around the world. The selection of songs handed in is admirable, several tracks are popular but not blindly noisy, it can be described as "high not arrogant, low not vulgar", quite tone. **The meeting will open with Rossini's "William Dyer Overture", and Harding's treatment is very clear. Lang Lang and Harding's coordination in Grieg's "Piano Concerto in A minor" is almost perfect in terms of both quality and completion.
In the New Year, two orchestras – the Wuxi Symphony Orchestra and the Tai'an Grand Theatre Orchestra – will premiere on January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2023 on the occasion of the alternation of the old and the new; The Chengdu Symphony Orchestra chose to move the New Year's meeting on December 31, 2023 into its own hall - the newly completed Chengdu Symphony Orchestra Hall. The Chengdu Symphony Orchestra was originally scheduled to perform a very important New Year's performance, and Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" has a long tradition of New Year's performances in Europe, and the first meeting sold out quickly. The orchestra added a number of Chinese works to the original programme as the first half, which is a testament to the audience's dedication to giving back to the audience. The orchestra's choice to perform on the New Year's Day also means that the New Year's Party will be their birthday party every year in the future.
The Wuxi Symphony Orchestra invited international first-line performers Matsuyev and Wang Jian to come to help in the New Year's party, and the pianist Matsuyev's technique was as clean as chopping melons and vegetables, as if Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 2" was processed into "Piano Concerto No. 3". In the second half of the "Variations on a Rococo Theme", cellist Wang Jian's unique kneading and restrained and sincere handling show an intellectual temperament. In the final "1812 Overture", conductor and orchestra director Lin Daye seems to incarnate the most popular conductor of today, Cullenzis, who asks the whole orchestra to stand up and play, and the sound difference caused by the two performance postures can indeed be felt on the spot, both the musicians and the audience are ignited by his passionate conducting. After the four songs, the ** will not end until 22 o'clock. Interestingly, after walking on stage in the afternoon, Mazuev said that this was the first time in his life that he would perform on January 1, and that the busy and thriving performance market is a reflection of China's cultural strength today.
Of course, as in previous years, this year has also seen some accidents caused by negligent rehearsals in the New Year of some domestic orchestras, such as the conductor of an orchestra who missed a tenor aria, so the recording sent out later deleted this one. However, on the whole, the level of domestic orchestras has improved a lot. Among them, there is not only the improvement of the level and seriousness of the orchestra, but also a certain competitive factor - in the same form, who is more impressive, will have a more effective effect on the reputation of the orchestra.
The audience's aesthetics are improving.
With the popularity of classical ** in China in recent years, it can be clearly found that the ** literacy of Chinese audiences has improved.
On December 29 and 30, 2023, the Beijing Youth Symphony Orchestra performed the New Year's Party in Anqing, Anhui Province. Surprisingly, audiences in a city where almost no symphony has ever performed have a high level of acceptance of this nearly twenty-minute "masterpiece". On the first day, the conductor led the audience and the orchestra to sing "Singing the Motherland". After the performance, in the audience's ** return video, the author found that the children who looked like primary school students were singing loudly with a very loud timbre and a very precise pitch, and even the final slowing of the whole song He could accurately make it with the conductor's gestures, which shows that the classical ** popularization education has achieved certain results.
On the other hand, it can be found that the audience is not blindly following, but gradually more clearly understands the artistic level of the New Year's party under the improvement of their own taste and the prompting of netizens on social platforms. For example, the Ballet Symphony Orchestra sold out quickly after the New Year's Party at the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the aforementioned Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's New Year's Meeting, while the box office performance of the "Water Troupe" was not good. On the evening of December 25, 2023, the ticket price of a "water group" for the New Year's party even "dived" from 1,200 yuan to 90 yuan in the community.
The imprint of "locality" is increasingly reflected in the New Year's party, which is inseparable from the current situation of the vigorous development of China's leading cause. More and more foreign orchestras are choosing to perform Chinese works to attract audiences. On January 2nd, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra held a meeting in the **Hall of Zhongshan Park), and the Chinese works "Honghu Water, Waves Hitting the Waves" and "Dragon Boat Tune" conducted by conductor Shabado resonated strongly with the audience. On the other hand, the quality of foreign orchestras' interpretations of Chinese works still needs to be improved, and some viewers have complained that a symphony orchestra from Eastern Europe is playing "Ode to the Red Flag" too slowly, or even arbitrarily abridged. And the trombone portamento in "Good News from Beijing to the Border Village" is not played by many orchestras.
Beijing University of Technology does not offer ** majors, but they booked the venue a year in advance and chose to hold the New Year's ** meeting of the school symphony orchestra and Chinese orchestra on December 29, 2023, and the repertoire even has the complete Dvořák "Eighth Symphony". Orchestra conductor Xin Mucong said: "The purpose of holding the New Year's Party at the most tense time is to give these enthusiastic children a stage to show off at this most high-profile moment and show the results of our training in the first semester. ”
More and more popularization work has made the audience's aesthetics improve year by year, and more and more transparent social ** evaluations have made good money begin to drive out bad money. I hope that the market of the New Year's party will become more and more standardized, and the audience can enjoy the real high quality of the event at this happy moment.
Zhang Tingyuwen.