For the audience of "Friendly Trio", April 20th was undoubtedly an extraordinary night. On this cool spring night, three musicians from China, Japan and South Korea, Zheng Mingxun, Takezawa Kyoko and Wang Jian, three old friends who have known each other for many years, played Brave in the Shanghai Concert Hall with piano, violin and cello. Musée and Tchaikovsky movements.
"Friendship Trio" scene Photo provided by the organizer
This concert is not only a tribute to the classics by three contemporary music masters, but also a tribute to friendship, the audience, music, and even the world.
Wang Jian, Takezawa Kyoko and Zheng Mingxun. The Paper reporter Li Sijie's picture
Zheng Mingxun turned into a pianist again, and the three masters "joined together" for the first time.
When asked why they came to watch the "Friendship Trio", many viewers told The Paper reporter that they I am very curious about Jung Myung-hun who appears as a pianist.
Conductor and pianist Jung Myung-hun from South Korea is an Asian conductor recognized by music fans and top troupes from all over the world, but his accomplishments in the piano field are often overlooked. In fact, Zheng Mingxun's music career began with piano performance, and he won the silver medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1974. In 2016, he also performed as a soloist in the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall in the dual capacity of "conductor and soloist".
"They (Wang Jian and Takezawa Kyoko) played very well, so I wasn't worried at all. I just hid behind them. This is what I mean." Zheng Mingxun said modestly in an interview.
Japanese "veteran" violinist Kyoko Takezawa said with a smile that this collaboration with pianist Zheng Mingxun "has the effect of playing a big band". "He can see many important issues in the music score, and then put these into Click to pass it on.”
Photo provided by the organizer of Takezawa Kyoko and Zheng Mingxun. Although the three have collaborated many times in pairs, this “Friendly Trio” is the first time that the three old friends have collaborated on chamber music as a trio.
What are the characteristics of chamber music performances? Zheng Mingxun believes that chamber music is a precious form of playing classical music, which can explore the deepest and truest emotions between individuals. "Listening to each other and appreciating each other, this is what I think is the most important thing in chamber music."
The concert was divided into two halves. The three musicians performed Brahms' "Piano Trio No. 1 in B major" (op. .8) (revised version) "In memory of a great artist" with Tchaikovsky's "Piano Trio in A minor" (op.50). The selection of songs this time is undoubtedly quite clever. The two pieces are not only the composer's classics, but the stories behind them coincide with the theme of "friendship".
Brahms' "Piano Trio No. 1 in B major" (op. 8) was composed in 1853-1854. During this year, he met the violinist Joseph Joachim and established a deep friendship. He also got acquainted with the Schumann family, and was appreciated and recommended by Schumann. Under such circumstances, Brahms composed "Piano Trio No. 1 in B major" in one go. This was the first piano trio he composed and the first published chamber music work.
Tchaikovsky's "Piano Trio in A Minor" (op. 50) was composed in 1882. The "Great Artist" in the subtitle pays tribute to the composer's mentor and helpful friend, the great pianist, composer and music educator of the 19th century. Gula Rubinstein. This trio is arranged in a rare two-movement format. The first movement expresses complex emotions such as mourning, respect, and gratitude. The twelve variations of the second movement are based on Russian folk songs, recalling the good times the two spent together.
"This work has a strong flavor. It can be said to be the strongest trio work. His joyful praise and heartbreaking sorrow create a very extreme contrast." Cellist Wang Jian expressed his appreciation for Tchaikovsky's "Piano Trio in A Minor" 》has high praise. In Wang Jian's view, this work is not only a mourning for his friend, but also a celebration of his life. For example, many of the piano melodies can be heard at celebration ceremonies in Russia. “Although his friend has passed away, his life is worthy of our celebration and worthy of our enthusiastic praise."
An audience member told reporters that chamber music is usually performed by several friends together. It is probably because the friends can communicate with each other. During the performance, the three musicians often make eye contact, look at each other, and smile knowingly. How to cooperate in the next step.
During the performance, the three people often made eye contact. The Paper reporter Li Sijie said
“The life of art is that it is reborn every time. "As early as 1996, cellist Wang Jian played "Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major", but for him, working with different musicians will stimulate different imaginations, and their personalities and playing styles will create own changes. Even if it is the same group, it will have a different feeling every time it is played. "So classical music can be played for a long time, and it has a strong vitality. "The most touching thing about
is the music and the interaction.
crystal is from Suzhou. She went to South Korea to watch many performances at the beginning of this month. She was also the only audience member on the first floor who brought telescopes to watch the performances. She watched nearly 2 hours of the whole process through telescopes. During the hour-long performance, "I was thinking that they must have a very good relationship to get together again at this age. "
Of course, as a fan of Zheng Mingxun, Crystal also bluntly pointed out the small problems of his "idol". Compared with the two violinists who practice piano all year round, Zheng Mingxun, as a conductor, may not have so much time to practice. Different from his main direction of conducting, the piano requires precise muscle control. “I don’t think he can keep up with the violinist (Kyoko Takezawa) if he is a little faster. "But the final encore moved Crystal very much, "I think he might be getting back to his original intention and playing happily with his friends. "
Photo courtesy of the organizer Zheng Mingxun
During the interview, some students majoring in piano took the initiative to express their love for tonight's concert to the reporter. Their excitement and admiration were beyond words, "Especially during the finale of Lao Chai, the piano... As soon as the bass sound came out, it matched well with the whole thing, which left a deep impression on me with his (Zheng Mingxun) piano playing. "
Taking advantage of his position as a photojournalist, the reporter was able to view the stage from all directions, and thus saw many details - what was touching was not only the interaction of the three musicians, but also the audience's response to the music.
The concert not only had There were young children, gray-haired old men, students and "community animals", music fans and laymen. During the nearly two-hour performance, every audience expressed their respect for the music - no one came in or out during the performance. Even the sound of coughing was not heard until the end of the complete chapter, so as not to disturb the birth of art.
When Tchaikovsky's "Piano Trio in A Minor" reached the compact and exciting chapter, the audience was in a state of emotion. Almost all of them were moved by the sound of the piano, and many of the audience's bodies rose and fell with the rhythm of the music, and their fingers subconsciously waved.
When the final chapter ended with the deep and slow notes of the piano, after a few breaths of silence, violent applause broke out, and even more. A sporadic audience stood up and applauded (of course, they were immediately stopped by the audience behind them) to show their highest appreciation.
The audience that had not dispersed for a long time outside the venue was pictured by The Paper reporter Li Sijie.
Music is a force that transcends borders.
Music has no boundaries. And communication is the spirit that the three masters want to convey to the audience through the three domestic performances (Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing).
Zheng Mingxun told The Paper that this "Friendship Trio" is full of humanistic spirit. In-depth concert. Although the three musicians are from China, Japan and South Korea, and their languages are different, they can communicate through music, because music, musicians, or music works themselves are boundless and transcendent. "No language or visual art can compare to this, only music can do it." "
" If it weren't for such a music that transcends national boundaries, then Teacher Wang Jian can only play Chinese music, Ms. Takezawa can only play Japanese music, and I can only play Korean music. There would be nothing between us. There is no communication at all."
Many media have reported recently that there are more foreigners on the streets of Shanghai. More foreigners are actively exploring Chinese culture and using their personal experiences to promote exchanges of civilizations. Tolerance of art, acceptance and exchange of culture , has always been Shanghai's cultural calling card, and it is most appropriate to hold such a cross-border concert in Shanghai.
Musicians from three countries, through the bond of music, will bring their best to the international stage in Shanghai. "It is very beneficial not only to music, but also to the entire society, humanities and international exchanges. " Zheng Mingxun said.
This chamber music trio is relaxed and friendly in a sense. The friendship and mutual appreciation between the musicians flow through the notes, and the audience is attracted by it; its music is also solemn and solemn. In addition to its artistry, it also has Get rid of the burden of language and multi-national cultural barriers, use the power of music to spread beauty across borders.
At the end of the interview, Zheng Mingxun said, "I think each of us has this desire to do our best throughout our lives through musical instruments. Deliver the truest voice from your heart to the audience. "During the Hangzhou concert, Wang Jian also said in an interview that music is abstract, and art forms such as chamber music bring a "sense of ritual" to it, allowing musicians to see their inner world and true emotions. .
"Many people think that music is 'beauty', but as a classical musician, 'beauty' is just the beginning, not the end. Any good art starts from "beauty", but it has to go a long way from "beauty" to reach the realm of true art. The emotion expressed in art goes far beyond ‘beauty’. "Wang Jian said.
There is no doubt that in this concert, we heard the voices of the three masters.
The three embraced during the curtain call. Photo provided by the organizer
