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March 25, 2012

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Masur conducts all-Beethoven concert


CLASSICAL music lovers will be treated to two concerts next month at Shanghai Concert Hall - Kurt Masur conducts Beethoven and Austrian pianist Ingolf Wunder plays Chopin, Mozart and Liszt.

Wunder will stage a recital on April 6 and Masur will collaborate with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Masur, who is German, has chosen Beethoven's earlier works, including "Symphony No. 1 in C Major," "Symphony No. 2 in D Major" and the "Egmont" Overture. He is noted for his performance in the German-Austrian classics.

"His conducting style is usually rigorous, clear, dignified and controlling," says Zhang Jiemin, conductor-in-residence of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Masur puts great effort into understanding Beethoven's mood and spirit while he composed particular works.

For example, Beethoven's "Second Symphony" was mostly written during his stay at Heiligenstadt in 1802, when his hearing loss was becoming more apparent and he began to realize that it might be incurable. He wrote the symphony without a standard minuet, composing a scherzo instead and giving the composition even greater scope and energy. The scherzo and the finale are filled with Beethovenian musical jokes.

Wunder will play Chopin's "Andanate Spianato," "Grande Polonaise" and "Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor," as well as Mozart's "Sonata KV 333" and Liszt's "Transcendental Etude No. 4" ("Mazeppa") and "Transcendental Etude No. 11" ("Harmonies du Soir").

If properly played, the emotion within Chopin's work flows perfectly within the construction, but his works can easily be ruined with improper interpretation, Wunder says.

"Chopin is always the composer closest to my heart, but I am also happy and honored to bring works of two of my other favorite composers to China," he says. "It is very important not to limit myself to Chopin, since my love of music determines that I cannot be someone who only plays the works of one composer."

Wunder was the second prize winner of the 2010 International Chopin Competition and won the prize for Best Performance of the Polonaise-Fantasy. Judges disagreed over whether he should receive first prize, some arguing that he should.

Pianist Fou Tsong, one of the judges, said that though Wunder had marvelous playing skills, especially in letting the melody flow from his right hand, his changes in chord were relatively ordinary.

But Wunder has been praised for his performance of the two Liszt works on the upcoming program, both of which are technically difficult.

Born in 1985, Wunder began playing the violin at age 4 and piano at age 14.



? Chopin recital

Date: April 6, 7:30pm

Tickets: 80-380 yuan



? Kurt Masur - Beethoven

Date: April 7, 7:30pm

Tickets: 60-480 yuan



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Tel: 962-388


 

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