- Review of the Opening Ceremony of the 31st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival

　　On April 28th 2014, the‘31st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival’had drawn its curtain in Shanghai Grand Theater. This festival was co-organized by Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture Radio Film, Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group. And it was supported by Shanghai Musicians Association, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Radio and Television Shanghai. Before the opening ceremony, China renowned artist Jiao Huang, with the background music of‘Butterfly Loves’and‘the Ode to the Red Flag’from 1st Shanghai Spring Festival, started the whole evening with his poem recital of‘Tribute to the Dream, with Music’. Accompanied by Xu Peidong, Party Secretary and Executive Vice Chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association, together with conductor Cao Peng, Wu Husheng, a young ballet dancer from Shanghai Ballet activated the Gramophone, a device as symbol of the opening of Shanghai Spring. With the beginning of the 31st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, the Shining Star of the Golden Bell concert brought together top young and middle-aged musicians nationwide, as a re-emphasis of the‘Shanghai Spring’festival theme , which is to promote the new works and new musicians.

　　Stick to the Theme of‘China Dream’

　　Xu Peidong, the Artistic Director of the Opening Ceremony concert had followed closely to the theme of‘China Dream’. He selected the programs for 11 golden prize winners in person. The theme of the times‘China Dream’had been blended with the Musical feature of the‘Golden Bell’. The whole concert possessed not only the artistry and ornamental value, it promoted also the distinctive national characteristics and the features of the times.‘Love in China’sung by Wu Na, the golden prize winner of Folk Singing from the 5th Golden Bell Award,‘Kiss the Motherland’by Wang Lida, the golden prize winner of Folk Singing from the 7th Golden Bell Award, as well as‘I Love You, China’presented by Wang Chuanyue, the golden prize winner of Vocal Singing from the 9th Golden Bell Award, were connecting the whole concert, and they served as tight bound to the them of‘China Dream’!

　　Close to everyone, Appreciation from Professionalism and Popularity

　　Not only did the music concert sticked to the theme of‘China Dream’, it included also musical works with local ethic features, awe to the nature, environmental protection themes and so on, which were close to every day life.‘A Flower’was performed fully and delightfully, euphemistical in high and low pitch, by Zhang Qianyuan, young Suo Na player, and the golden prize winner of the 7th Golden Bell Award, created with a combination of local opera from Shandong Province and musical tunes from other regions.‘The Broken Bridge and the Dream’one of the best song from Wu Na, the golden prize winner of Folk Singing Contest from the 5th Golden Bell Award, was performed by her gorgeously and out of convention. With his board range and sonorous voice, Huang Xunguo, the golden prize winner of Folk Singing Contest from the 9th Golden Bell Award had brought to audience‘Father’s Grassland and Mother’s River’, a song of Mongolia Prairie style and‘Road to Heaven’, a song of Tibetan style. With her phonologically enriched voice, Zheng Jie, the golden prize winner of Vocal Singing Contest from the 8th Golden Bell Award had sung‘A Glass of Wine’, a song of Uyghur style as perfect depiction of Uyghur people’s love to their life. Gu Zheng Concerto‘Prelude of Song of Cang’had been played in hard and soft strokes by Song Xinxin, the golden prize winner of Gu Zhen Contest from the 6th Golden Bell Award, as a love toward the spring.‘Fishing Women on the Yellow River’sung by Wang Lida, the golden prize winner of Folk Singing Contest from the 7th Golden Bell Award was a song of gratitude towards the cultivation out of the yellow river. The eye-catching feature in the opening ceremony in view of songs selected was the‘the Blue Planet’, composed by composer Wang Yiyu from Taiwan. It first debut was from Yan Guowei, the golden prize winner from the 9th Golden Bell Award. With his skillful techniques, Yan Guowei had pushed the first half of the concert to its climax. The opening ceremony had also picked two songs which express the longing and missing towards the lover and motherland far away. Wang Hongxing, the golden prize winner of Vocal Singing Contest from the 5th Golden Bell Award had presented his hit song of‘Song from Two Lands’, a song to express the missing and love towards the beloved girl far away. Special guest baritone Liao Changyong, had sung‘It’s Me’, a song of nostalgia toward the motherland, in an affectionate, and delicate way to express the voices of those who are away from the homeland. At the same time, the concert had presented several western classical masterpieces. The first movement of‘the 3rd Piano Concerto in D minor”from Rachmaninoff was played with a string of powerfulness and bright hits by Zhu Hao, the golden prize winner of Piano Contest from the 7th Golden Bell Award. The classical violin concerto‘Zigeunerweisen(Sounds of Wanders)’was performed by Zhang Jinru, the golden prize winner of Violin Contest from the 8th Golden Bell Award.‘La donnaèMobile’, extract from‘Rigoletto’, opera from Verdi was present by Wang Hongxing, the golden prize winner of Vocal Contest from the 5th Golden Bell Award. Female Solo of‘Vissi d’Arte, vissi d’Amore’, extract from‘Tosca’, opera from Puccini, was performed by Zheng Jie, the golden prize winner of Vocal Contest from the 8th Golden Bell Award. Wang Chuanyue, the golden prize winner of Vocal Singing Contest from the 9th Golden Bell Award had brought his interpretation of ‘Nessun Dorma’, extract from classical opera‘Tourando’. The song had sent the audience for a long time into indulgence by his high pitched and majestic voices. At last,‘Largo Al Factotum’sung by Liao Changyong had moved the audience and brought the whole concert to its very climax.

　　Not only did the opening ceremony succeeded in program selection, it also paid lots of attention on the contents of the programs. The programs were mainly vocal pieces, while the latest creativity from national folk songs was also merged in. It helps to keep the musical learners up with the new development and new orientation of national folk music. And this concert is truly a combination of the professionalism and popularity.

　　To Create Platform for the Youngs

　　The structure of program selection of the opening ceremony concert was also quite refined. The first half showed the national characteristics by means of folk instruments and folk singings. While the second half was a show of exotic flavors with western instruments and vocal singings. The theme of the first half was focused on‘To Promote National Uniqueness’. Through the grand performances of 6 young musicians, the concert presented national rhyme and elegance of China by means of folk instruments and folk singings. The second half was full of exotic flavors, by using western instruments and vocal singings, several classical pieces of western were presented. If one took a close look, in the vocal songs performances of the second half , one western masterpiece was combined with one Chinese piece to create a dialogue between eastern and western music. There seemed to be opposites but the dialectical unity of thinking out of unified opposites existed as well. From the arrangement of the programs out of entire concert, there existed well-known works as well as big hit of new works. In view of selection of performers, one saw new comer of early 20s, together with famous national composers. It is no doubt an exchange of classical and creativity, and a good interpretation of the concept of‘Heritage of the Classics, Promotion of the New’.

　　The Shanghai Spring International Music Festival of this year will last for three weeks’time. During the festival, there will be 57 brilliant musical and dance performances presented by musicians, dancers and groups from over dozen counties such as China, America, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Poland, Austria, Singapore and Holland. In addition, there will be 2‘festival of festival’, 2 musical forums, 5 artistic contests and mass cultural activities which will cover each towns and regions of the city. Let us look forward to the grand performances of Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. Stepping on the rhythm of beautiful melodies and walk onto the journey of spring dream of 2014. Let’s promote our national characteristics and play the sound of‘China Dream’!