Xu Ke and Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet
4/10｜Tuesday｜20:00
Dom Pedro V Theatre
Tickets: MOP 300, 250
“Performed by the world renowned Chinese erhu player Xu Ke, the Erhu Paganini of the East, with passion and unparalleled artistry..." - Der Tagesspiegel, Germany
With his exceptional skills and novel creativity in arts, international huqinMaestro Xu Ke is regarded as a pathfinder of the modern erhu music development. Not only does he amble between the East and the West but also between classical and contemporary music. Having excelled in interpretation of Western classics with erhu, Maestro Xu Ke has unambiguously elevated the possibilities of erhu and achieved crucial breakthroughs in performance techniques, subverting the imagination of huqin in general.
Active on the world stage, Maestro Xu joined hands with a great many esteemed artists and groups. In this year’s Festival, he will once again share the stage with his old partner Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet to present a splendid musical feast featuring both Chinese and Western styles. Audiences can feel the distinctive integration of Chinese and Gypsy qualities in Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs and the original works of contemporary Chinese composers Chen Yi, Zhou Long and so forth. The cooperation between Maestro Xu and Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet has continued for almost a decade. How will the counterparts converse with strings in this evening? We’re looking forward to finding out.
Luiz Felipe Coelho, First Violin
Romano Tommasini, Second Violin
Wolfgang Talirz, Viola
David Riniker, Cello
Janusz Widzyk, Double Bass
Xu Ke, Huqin
Programme
F. Mendelssohn: String Symphony No. 10 in B Minor
H. Wolf: Italian Serenade in G Major, for String Quartet
Xu Ke: Erhu and String Quintet Think of (Sehnsucht)
Chen Yi: Erhu and String Quintet Fiddle Suite
L. Boccherini: String Quintet No. 9 in C Major, G. 453 (“La Ritirata di Madrid”)
G. Bottesini: Fantasia on Bellini’s “Sonnambula” for Double Bass and Strings
Zhou Long: Erhu and String Quintet Taiping Drum (World premiere)
P. Sarasate: Erhu and String Quintet Zigeunerweisen, op. 20 (“Gypsy Airs”) (Short version)
Xu Ke: Banhu and String Quintet Enjoy the Countryside(World premiere)
Duration: 2 hours, including one interval