At Lotte Concert Hall on the 28th and 29th of this month
Ray Chen, a world-renowned violinist born in Taiwan, will perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto as a soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at their regular concerts held at Lotte Concert Hall on the 28th and 29th. Ray Chen will play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto on the first day and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto on the second day.
In addition to the collaboration with Ray Chen, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Weber's opera overture "Euryanthe" and Strauss's symphonic poem "Ein Heldenleben" (A Hero's Life). Vasily Petrenko, music director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK, will conduct the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra for two consecutive weeks, following the regular concerts on the 20th and 21st.
"Euryanthe" is an opera based on a 13th-century French romance titled "The Very Noble and Knightly Lord Gerard of Nevers and the Very Noble and Pure Princess Euryanthe of Savoy." Although the opera itself is rarely performed today, its overture is frequently played in concerts.
Following the overture of "Euryanthe," Ray Chen's violin solo performance will take place. Last year, Ray Chen collaborated with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Brahms' concerto at the Classic Revolution organized by the Lotte Cultural Foundation. Ray Chen gained international attention by winning the Yehudi Menuhin Competition in 2008 and the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009. He was also selected by Forbes as one of the most influential Asians under 30 and actively performs with leading orchestras worldwide.
Both Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky left only one violin concerto each. Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is a work that highlights passionate and beautiful violin melodies along with agile and brilliant playing. It was dedicated to the outstanding violinist Ferdinand David of the time, who performed the violin part at the premiere held at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The piece is unique in form, as the solo violin immediately introduces the theme without a lengthy orchestral introduction, and all three movements are connected seamlessly.
Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto was inspired strongly by Lalo's "Symphonie espagnole." At the time of composition, it was considered unplayable due to its technical difficulty. Although completed in 1878, its premiere was delayed until 1881 and initially received harsh criticism. However, today it is beloved as a representative masterpiece of the violin concerto repertoire. It begins with a lyrical melody and gradually unfolds into dazzling violin virtuosity, featuring a poignant and expressive violin line.
The second half of the concert will feature Strauss's symphonic poem "Ein Heldenleben," his last tone poem. Conductor Petrenko described "Ein Heldenleben" as "one of Richard Strauss's most autobiographical works. This piece encompasses all of Strauss's hopes, actions, and dreams throughout his life within about 50 minutes and showcases the orchestra's capabilities."
"Ein Heldenleben" consists of six scenes: Part 1 "The Hero," Part 2 "The Hero's Adversaries," Part 3 "The Hero's Companion," Part 4 "The Hero on the Battlefield," Part 5 "The Hero's Achievements," and Part 6 "The Hero's Retirement and Fulfillment." It is a grand work scored for quadruple woodwinds, eight horns, two harps, offstage trumpets, and numerous percussion instruments.
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