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Presenter: China National Symphony Orchestra
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts- Concert Hall
Dates: May 23, 2009    19:30

Programme Introduction

The Flying Dutchman is one of Wagner’s milestone-like works that show clearly his unique style. It is also a psychological play about isolated lonely heroes and artists, a fantastic play that takes a drawing room as its perspective. This imaginative story is still heart-thrilling today, because to a great extent it shows and depicts the contradictive relationship between two persons who are doomed to be strangers. Is it to be a dream or a mental illness? Even at the end of his life Wagner was still doing his best to revise the whole structure of this opera and discuss this topic.

Synopsis
Dutch voyager swears that he will cross the Cape of Good Hope at the cost of his whole life despite the severe storm. Hearing his vow, the Demon imposes punishment on the Dutchman, making him drift on the sea till the end of the world. The Dutchman can be released only if he could find a girl who loves him wholeheartedly till his death. The Demon allows him to land every seven years so that he can find the girl to save him with her faithful love.

Another seven years passed, the Dutchman had his ship stop at a harbor along the Norwegian coast where he met a ship-owner named Daland. During their conversation, the Dutchman learned that Daland had a daughter who hadn’t got married, so that he asked Daland to agree with his proposal for her. Senta, Daland’s daughter, was emotional, and the story of the Flying Dutchman had had impressed her a lot. She fell in love with the Dutchman at the first sight.

Later, the Dutchman happened to hear that Eric expressed his love to Senta. Thinking that Senta might break up with him, he left without any hesitate. When Senta tried to chase him, she was seized by Eric, Daland and other friends. Unwilling to cause any trouble to Senta, the Dutchman told his story to Senta and started his ship right away. However, Senta insisted on to love him faithfully. She wriggled herself free and jumped into the sea. The ship sank and waves rose. In the glow of the setting sun, the shadows of Senta and the Dutchman embracing each other emerged on the sea.

Conductor: Li Xincao
Li Xincao is one of the most well-known conductors in the contemporary musical circle, and he is at present the chief permanent conductor of China National Symphony Orchestra. He has achieved prizes for many times in both national and international competitions and was once praised by China Youth as one of the one hundred youth who could influence the 21st-century China. The young conductor has visited all the five continents, besides cooperative performances with national orchestras, he also cooperates with tens of orchestras of other countries and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and receives great praise.

China National Symphony Orchestra
China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) is one of the most outstanding professional symphony orchestras in China. Originally founded as the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China in 1956, the orchestra was restructured and renamed in 1996. Leading the CNSO into the future are Director Guan Xia (Composer), Laureate Conductor Muhai Tang, Principal Resident Conductor Li Xincao, and Principal Guest Conductor En Shao.

For almost half a century, the CNSO has introduced Chinese audiences to a vast repertoire of classical, romantic, modern and contemporary orchestral works by both Western and Asian composers.

Throughout its history, the CNSO has collaborated with many world famous artists in order to bring excellence to its audiences. CNSO audiences have been thrilled by famous conductors such as Ormandy, Herbert von Karajan, Seiji Ozawa, Charles Dutoit, Kurt Masur, Slatkin, Rozhestvendsky, Schwarz and Peress. Other well-known guest artists have included composer and conductor Krzystof Penderecki, instrumentalists David Oistrakh, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Mutter, Martha Argerich, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Shaham, Wang Jian, Lang Lang, Li Yundi, Lin Choliang and Lindemann.

The CNSO has toured throughout the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Australia, Mexico, Japan, DPR of Korea, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand, giving successful performances to critical acclaim by the international press. In London, a music critic for The Times praised the CNSO as “a mature group with a vital sound”. American music critics noted that “the CNSO is an honorable member of the world music stage”. In Europe, critics headlined the orchestra as “a great orchestra appears among the Kings of Orchestral Music “.

(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)