Beijing News (Reporter Liu Zhen) With the high-energy opening of "Bow String Feast IV", the National Center for the Performing Arts May Music Festival will have more famous groups to meet the Beijing audience. On May 3, the world-renowned soprano Cao Xiumei returned to the stage after eight years and joined an Italian musician ensemble to lead the audience to enjoy the "Flowers of the Four Seasons" with a baroque music performance. During the rehearsal break, Cao Xiumei accepted a group interview with the media and shared her understanding of music and her interpretation of this concert with reporters.
Cao Xiumei accepted a group interview with the media and shared her understanding of music and her interpretation of this concert. Photography Wang Xiaojing
When it comes to soprano Cao Xiumei, everyone is fascinated by her warm and delicate coloratura. In the 1980s, Cao Xiumei was appreciated by conductor Karajan and praised her as "a voice from heaven", which launched her almost legendary singing career. Cao Xiumei has won many opera roles along the way, from Italian operas to German and French operas. With her strong singing talent and acting skills, she has continuously broadened her acting career and become the "Asia's No. 1 Coloratura Soprano" in the hearts of the audience. .
met the audience of the National Center for the Performing Arts again after eight years. Cao Xiumei happily said, "In many fields such as culture and music, China has always played a decisive role. It can be said to be a powerhouse in art and music. Countless artists around the world dream of being able to I feel extremely happy to come to China to perform this concert with the Italian Musicians Ensemble.”
The Italian Musicians Ensemble who collaborated with Cao Xiumei for this concert is an ensemble with great talent. An excellent chamber orchestra with a history of 70 years. "The orchestra's musicians, now in their second or even third generation, continue the musical tradition like a 'family business' to this day, and they have always maintained authoritative performance standards. Although the orchestra specializes in music from the Baroque period, it does not lack flexibility. And full of modernity."
In recent years, Cao Xiumei, who is good at opera, has focused on distant ancient music. The noble and mysterious Baroque music has also provided her with a wider stage for display. The Baroque records she recorded also opened a new artistic door for the audience. The timbre and musical atmosphere of a hundred years ago gave people in modern society supreme purification and comfort. "Compared with the vocal music of the classical and romantic periods, Baroque music has a distinctive purity. In terms of musical skills, it is the most basic but also the most difficult. My personal personality is passionate and romantic, and I am more suitable for performing 18 and 19 Century works, so you need to control yourself when singing Baroque music and move closer to the Baroque style. For me, Baroque music can better hone the singer's singing skills."
Stage rehearsal photo. Photography by Wang Xiaojing
In this concert, Cao Xiumei will perform "The Four Seasons" performed by the Italian Musicians Ensemble, interspersed with Handel's operas "Alsina" and "Caesar in Egypt", Vivaldi's opera "Ottoman" ", Bach cantata "Quiet, Don't Whisper" and other aria selections. The slightly unfamiliar repertoire made Cao Xiumei a little worried, but she hoped that the audience would be equally moved by the niche works. "Many of the Baroque music that everyone hears now is familiar, but I prefer to choose some niche works that are not often heard. Just like when we eat salad, we can't just choose our favorite fruits and vegetables, we should try some that we have never eaten before. Maybe there will be something you like among them. The same goes for music. I believe everyone will love classical art more as time goes by. "
Cao Xiumei, a classical music singer, never sticks to her "comfort zone". She likes to innovate. , always looking for breakthroughs. Talking about what surprises she will bring to the audience next time, she said excitedly, "After arriving in Beijing, I experienced the bamboo flute and became very interested. If there is a chance, I hope to combine traditional Chinese instruments with classical music. , bringing different performances to the audience, and making its best contribution to the integration and exchange of Eastern and Western cultures."
Editor Huang Jialing
Proofreading by Lu Qian
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