The Beijing Art Center, lying quietly on the south bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and adjacent to the city's Green Heart Forest Park, is nicknamed the "Cultural Granary" because its design was inspired by the ancient granary of Tongzhou. As the last pillar of the National Center for the Performing Arts' new development pattern of "one theater and three sites", this building, which carries historical memories and embodies the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, finally welcomed the opening drama "The Ballad of the Canal" on December 22.
Beijing Youth Daily’s cultural video live broadcast column “Watching Beijing’s Backstage Drama”, under the guidance of Sun Hui, senior director of the Beijing Art Center Operations and Management Department, visited this cultural space in advance and echoed the National Center for the Performing Arts. Differentiated positioning gives this building its own identity and personality.
It is reported that this building with an area of approximately 125,000 square meters includes a 1,760-seat opera house, a 1,500-seat concert hall, a 1,000-seat theater, a 500-seat small theater, and a 650-seat Green Heart Amphitheater. and other theater function spaces.
The caisson design of the Opera House reflects traditional cultural ingenuity
According to Sun Hui, the architectural design concept of this magnificent opera house presents three major characteristics:
First, the size of the stage and the magical settings of mechanical equipment, both of which are in line with the main theater of the Grand Theater very close. "This is to achieve quick change of costumes for self-made plays and rotating plays, so that self-made plays and invited plays can adapt to the stage of the Beijing Art Center in the shortest time without spending a long time for debugging and running-in, thereby improving the theater's quality. Usage rate." The second feature is the immersive sound system composed of 148 speakers. "There are many speakers installed in the auditorium and stage area. This setup is also the world's leading configuration and can be adapted to operas, musicals or The performance of the musical provides the audience with the best sense of hearing and immersive sound effects." The third feature is the design of the ceiling. "This shape imitates the traditional Chinese caisson design and is also decorated with auspicious cloud patterns, which means happy reunion and happiness. It is festive and auspicious, and the design concept reflects the ingenuity of traditional Chinese culture."
The size, area, mechanical devices and suspension rod settings of the backstage are very similar to those of the Grand Theater. Among them, the configuration of 65 suspension rods is more than that of the main theater. Out of two. Even for a play like "Canal Ballad" with a large stage set and many props, the wide sub-stage will not look crowded and messy. As for the choice of "Canal Ballad" as the opening drama, it is because the play also tells the story of canal families and canal children during the Beijing-Hangzhou Universiade, and it is very consistent with the unique and superior geographical location of the Beijing Art Center.
Sun Hui said that in the future, the Beijing Art Center will differentiate itself from the National Center for the Performing Arts in terms of program content. “It will be more in line with the needs of young audiences and families, highlight modernity, and be like the favorites of young audiences.” Musicals and large-scale dance dramas, etc., will all be performed in the opera house."
The "mountain vineyard-style" layout is comparable to the world-renowned concert hall
The color and layout of the concert hall are more elegant, and the audience seats are divided like European mountain vineyards. Structure. Sun Hui said, "We call this design 'mountain vineyard style'. The purpose is to make the performance experience between the conductor, musicians and the audience more intimate, without such a sense of distance. In addition, from the sound effect Look, this kind of design is also the most balanced sound effect. The Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall, Japan's Suntory Concert Hall, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, etc., which are widely loved by audiences around the world, all use this design."
in In the early stages of construction, two top teams in the industry, the Belgian Carl Acoustic Design Office and the Acoustic Research Institute of Shanghai East China Architectural Design Institute, were invited to provide suggestions for the acoustic design of the concert hall. "On September 27th and 28th this year, the National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra, conducted by conductor Zhang Xian, and violinist Ning Feng, presented two test concerts in the concert hall, and specially invited Shanghai East China Architecture Several experts from the Institute of Acoustics of the Design Institute came to conduct acoustic tests for the performance in both empty and full venues. From the data point of view, it is very satisfactory and has reached the level of the world's leading concert halls. Even the musicians are very satisfied with the performance. The acoustics are amazing."
On October 25, conductor Gergiev led the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra to perform an international exchange performance in the concert hall. Sun Hui said, "The master loved the concert hall very much. He personally went to every corner to listen to the sound effects. , used several exclamations and praised: The stage of the Beijing Art Center Concert Hall will definitely empower talented artists from all over the world in the future, allowing them to show their most glorious side here! "
The sound of the organ is softer than that of the Grand Theater.
The treasure of the concert hall is undoubtedly the pipe organ from the Austrian Rieger brand. This pipe organ has 86 sound stops and is equipped with echo organs on both sides. December 2023 On the 31st and January 1, 2024, the concert hall is about to usher in the New Year's concert. For this reason, the art center invited experts from the manufacturer and domestic organ players to make adjustments.
It is the center who is sitting on the mobile band stage. Shen Fanxiu, an organ professor at the Conservatory of Music, is known as “the first person to popularize the pipe organ in China.” After the test, she said, “At the beginning of the design, this pipe organ was decided to have a certain difference in timbre from the pipe organ in the Grand Theater. The organ in the hospital is more German-style and has a louder tone, while this organ is softer in style and can play more works from the French Romantic period. When I tried it, I could already feel the softness of its tone, and the touch was very comfortable when playing. The Austrian wood color is not only environmentally friendly, but also visually beautiful. "
According to Shen Fanxiu, "The reason why the pipe organ is called the 'King of Instruments' is because its sound is magnificent and shocking. The timbres on the left and right sides are like the layout of a symphony orchestra, with trumpets, tubas, and string instruments. , oboe, and flute. They can play solo on different keyboards, or they can play accompaniment with their left hand and melody with their right hand. Because of its rich timbre, by switching the timbre of the keyboard, the instrument can emit rich and changing colors. Although it will be easier to play the organ after having a piano foundation, the difference is that the piano is a percussion instrument and its keyboard is developed from the pipe organ. Therefore, the pipe organ is the originator of keyboard instruments; but the pipe organ, as its name implies, must have pipes and wind. , so it is not a percussion instrument, but a wind instrument. The intensity of pressing the keys is completely different from that of a piano, and it also requires cooperation with the pedalboard. "
Using pipe organs to create surround sound effects is our pioneering work
Although pipe organs are not yet very popular in China, organist Shen Yuan, who also teaches at the Central Conservatory of Music, is very confident that Chinese audiences will love this instrument in the future. "Many European scholars believe that the pipe organ originated from the Chinese sheng, one of which has a strong connection with China. The organ at the Beijing Art Center is shaped like a rose, and it also looks like splashing water. It also represents the moment of unrestrained musical thought. In addition, it is very similar to the facial makeup of Peking Opera, and Beijing-style elements have also been designed into this pipe organ. "
After trying to play music of different genres, Shen Yuan said, "A pipe organ is like a symphony orchestra. The violin and the cello 'talk', the trumpet and the flute...the players interact through the keyboard. In exchange for completing this series of 'dialogues', changes in strength and weakness can be achieved. This pipe organ is a very majestic and symphonic pipe organ. The two auxiliary instruments are loud and sonorous, and the performer can let the left and right sides have a dialogue. The installation of an auxiliary piano ensemble is the first in China. It is also a pioneering work for us to use a pipe organ to create a surround sound effect in a concert hall. At the same time, this piano also has Asia's first high-tech design, which uses an electronic bandstand to imitate the feel of a mechanical bandstand. Although there are several precedents in the United States, the Beijing Art Center is the first in Asia, and This will also be a reason for organ masters to come here to perform. "
Under Shen Yuan's playing, the grand and loud organ in the usual impression produced a lovely sound like the ones in the works of Bach and Mozart. Shen Yuan said, "It was even like whispering, as if singing a lullaby to a baby. , this piano can perform everything, which is very exciting for musicians.”
The small theater is a space with the most flexible viewing and performance relationships
In addition, in the public spaces of the Opera House and Concert Hall areas, more than 50 sculptures from the National Center for the Performing Arts are on display at the same time, and the audience can drink coffee while taking a break. Enjoy these works in the sunshine. From the shared hall on the b1 floor, through the East Hall and West Hall, you can reach the theater. "In the future, immersive dramas, local dramas, parent-child family dramas, cross-border fusion dramas and small musicals will be staged here." etc., the performance forms will be very rich," Sun Hui said. Also referring to the stage setting and size design of the National Grand Theater, the theater's repertoire can also be quickly changed to improve usage efficiency. It is reported that the National Center for the Performing Arts produces dramas "Lin Zexu" will be staged here in January next year.
The lively and warm seats with different shades and a small theater with 500 auditoriums are the most flexible viewing relationship among the performance spaces of the Beijing Art Center. "Audience Seats It can be extended to allow close-end viewing, or it can be made into an island stage, a T-shaped stage, or the auditorium can be removed and turned into an event venue. Starting from December 27, the NCPA’s own drama “Sherlock Holmes” will be staged here. "
At present, the Beijing Art Center is well prepared and will uphold the National Center for the Performing Arts' double high artistic standards of "high quality and high standard" and wait for the audience to "enjoy" the art space. Sun Hui said, "I hope to open my eyes on the weekend. , the audience can think of bringing their families to the Beijing Art Center to have a cup of coffee, attend an art salon, and watch a performance. This will be a scene we are looking forward to very much. "
text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Guo Jia
photography/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Chai Cheng
editor/Cui Wei
