SALUTE TO ZHU JIAN−ER——SZS 7TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONCERT
CENTURY REVIEW OF CHINESE SYMPHONY & THE 8TH CHINA SYMPHONY FESTIVAL
2023.11.18（SAT）19:30
SCAC Grand Theatre
Conductor CHEN Xieyang
Musical Saw DU Enwu
ZHU JIANER In Memory of the Martyrs for Truth Symphonic Fantasia, Op. 21
Symphony No. 2, Op. 28
Musical Saw：DU Enwu
Symphony No. 1, Op. 27
*Program is subject to change
NOTICE TO AUDIENCE
1. DURATION Approximately 101 minutes with a 15-min intermission. 2. SUGGESTED AGE 6 and above. 3. Minimum Height For Children : 1.1m (Jinji Lake Concert Hall). Except For Performances Specially Arranged For Children.
Under the baton of our Maestro CHEN Xieyang, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to Zhu Jian-er, the most revered contemporary Chinese composer, with a programme of his symphonic masterpieces. Chen is the most important interpreter and promoter of Zhu’s works. The two musicians had cherished each other’s talent and passion for music, and their constantly overlapping artistic trajectories have become the epitome of the century-long history of Chinese symphonic music. Central to the ethos of the musical works we are hearing tonight are Zhu’s quest for an independent, autonomous human subjectivity and his devotion to the country as his homeland. When composing the Second Symphony in 1987, the composer said: “A nation that can recognize its own tragedies is a civilized and self-respecting nation. A magnificent tomorrow is being conceived in sorrow.” The creative use of the modernist compositional techniques is integrated with the weeping sound of the musical saw; the anger and pathos of the music give rise to an awakening and uplifting force.
The First Symphony can be regarded as a prequel, with its grim depiction of silent pain and human alienation contrasted with the ironic tones of the songs and the mournful cries and sobbing in the lyrical slow movement. The concert opens with Zhu’s Symphonic Fantasia. Zhang Zhixin, a martyr who gave her life for justice and truth, serves as the inspiration for Zhu’s unforgettable elegy, which combines a fierce, resolute musical language with the kind of gentle power that emanates from the heroine.
