In the past few years, Gergiev has left many marks on the NCPA stage, and every time during a return visit, he brings audiences a brand new surprise. Performed at the concert on the evening of the 24th were works including two large-scale ones by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, which feature strong and abundant emotions with a distinct Russian style. In the first half, the Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor was played by Denis Matsuev. He played daunting and demanding passages effortlessly with his consummate skills. Meanwhile, Matsuev kept the singing quality of Rachmaninoff’s work and focused on delicate harmonic color changes, faultlessly revealing connotations of the work, namely its sensibility and rationality.

The Symphony No. 6 in B minor “Pathétique” performed in the second half is one of Tchaikovsky’s representative works popular with Chinese audiences. From beginning to end, the piece was cloaked in a tragedy filled with sadness, pain, reverie and struggles, and Gergiev interpreted the work authentically. In the first movement, the solemn theme was educed on the bassoon as the double bass spoke in a melancholy tone. The theme flowed to and fro between the woodwind and string voices, creating a sense of bitterness and as the theme expanded, the melody gradually sounded like a rainstorm. Following the storm was the second theme, a nostalgic one, which sounded as if sunshine had spread all over the ground after the storm and had delivered light to people.

In the second movement, an allegro grazioso was played, which featured elegant and bright melodies dancing in the audience’s minds, slipping away from gloominess in the first movement from their memory for the time being. Then along came a familiar theme on the clarinet, and the orchestra disclosed the composer’s inmost lofty sentiments. As an adagio was played in the last movement, the orchestra drew the outline of deep grief in the melody, as the title “Pathétique” would indicate. Under Gergiev’s baton, every subtle movement delivered the profound power of music that touched the audience so much.

On 25th, Gergiev had given a second amazing performance with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra is considered one of the world’s finest orchestras that can play Bruckner’s works to the best effect. Bruckner’s grand Symphony No. 3 in D minor was performed, followed by Beethoven’s Overture Leonore No. 3 Overture, Weber’s Oberon Overture, and Wagner’s Tannhauser Overture for the first half. The opera overtures of different styles by three composers of different times had demonstrated to the audience an evolution of German and Austrian music styles that come with diverse charms of classical music at its best.

From NCPA , Photo by NIU Xiaobei