A 'Miniature Yet Complete' Tragic Loop: Shanghai Symphony Takes on Wagner's 'Die Walküre'
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yu Feng, will perform selections from Wagner's "Die Walküre" (The Valkyrie) on May 10.
It hasn't been long since Shanghai audiences last heard this Wagner classic: the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Xu Zhong, joined the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra musicians to perform a new production of "Die Walküre" at Shanghai Grand Theater last month as part of the "Bayreuth in Shanghai" opera project.
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's Sunday concert has been labeled as "a miniature yet complete tragic loop." The orchestra will perform Act I (65 minutes), Scene 1 of Act II (25 minutes), and Act III (70 minutes).
"For a concert of excerpts, a sense of fragmentation is the last thing you want," said conductor Yu. "How to avoid narrative disconnection and maintain dramatic tension is the challenge for me and the orchestra when jumping from the clash of the gods in Scene 1 of Act II to the 'Ride of the Valkyries' in Act III."
The sustained, tension-filled rhythmic propulsion of the "Ride of the Valkyries" is highly anticipated by many Wagner enthusiasts. It requires the orchestra to transition seamlessly between explosive power and controlled restraint.
On the vocal side, tenor Zhang Xueliang and soprano Li Xiuying portray Siegmund and Sieglinde, respectively. Soprano Wang Wei performs as Brünnhilde, while bass Zhang Wenwei takes on the role of Hunding.
The connection between the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Wagner's works dates back to 1999, when they collaborated with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein and the Choir of the Central Opera and Ballet Theater to present the Chinese mainland premiere of Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" at the Shanghai Grand Theater.
Performance info
Date: May 10, 7:30pm
Tickets: 80-880 yuan
Venue: Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall 上海交响音乐厅
Address: 1380 Fuxing Rd M. 复兴中路1380号
