Staatskapelle Dresden boasts a 469-year-long history. In the past decade, it had successively performed at the NCPA under the baton of Fabio Luisi, Nikolaj Znaider, Christian Thielemann, Myung-whun Chung and Rudolf Buchbinder. This concert was under the baton of US conductor Alan Gilbert.

The first half of the concert began with Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major (by Mozart) under joint efforts from Alan Gilbert and pianist YUNDI. After a lyrical theme was highlighted by string music and woodwind, YUNDI radiated vigor and happiness unique to Mozart on the black and white keys. In the Second Movement, the piano carries on calm, beautiful and somewhat sentimental melody so the entire concert hall was absorbed in the soft and tranquil atmosphere. The brisk theme leads to Allegro Movement as a finale, while piano and orchestra jointly mirrored the bright and cheerful music full of vitality. In the second half of the concert, Staatskapelle Dresden presented Symphonia Domestica (by Richard Strauss), which was rarely performed in domestic concerts. Although Symphonia domestica describes daily life, it features a huge orchestra framework and complex musical structure. With focus on “jolly controversy in the morning” and felicity of husband and wife, sweet parent-child time and good wish for life, a wide range of sound effects and expressive hierarchies are demonstrated to depict the happiness and romance of family life.

If someone loves pure German and Austrian music, the NCPA will not disappoint him/her, as the Münchener Philharmonic, another prestigious German orchestra with a glorious history and tradition, will hold the spotlight on November 24th-25th, 2017. By then, it will cooperate with conductor Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev to present Russian masterpieces and German-Austrian classics. Diana Damrau will also immerse audiences with classical coloratura aria on November 29th.

From NCPA, photos by WANG Xiaojing