AU NOM DE L’ AMITIÉ SINO - FRANÇAISE 2025
SUZHOU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
2025.10.17（FRI）19 : 30
Jinji Lake Concert Hall SCAC
Conductor Victor Jacob
Countertenor Théo Imart
Jules Massenet
Overture from Cendrillon
Gluck / Berlioz ARR.
Che farò senza Euridice from Orfeo ed Euridice
Offenbach
Overture from Orphée aux Enfers
Mozart
Ii padre adorato from Idomeneo
Thomas
Mignon Overture
Non ne la suivons pas from Psyché
Bizet
Intermezzo from Carmen
Mozart
Parto, ma tu ben mio from La clemenza di Tito
Debussy
Ibéria from Images pour orchestre
Ravel
Boléro
NOTICE TO AUDIENCE
1. DURATION Approximately 84 minutes with a 15-min intermission.
2. SUGGESTED AGE 8 and above.
3. Minimum height for children :1.3m.
The concert tonight explores wonderful selections of French music from the late Classical period to the early 20th century, showcasing its distinct artistic charm and significant influence through a selection of symphonic masterpieces and operatic extracts. The program opens with the Overture from Massenet’s Cendrillon, showcasing the elegance and poetic grace of late 19th-century French lyric opera. Then, we come across two masterpieces that are based on the “Orpheus” theme: Berlioz’s 1859 orchestration of Gluck’s aria Che farò senza Euridice? and the Overture from Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers. J’ai perdu mon Eurydice’s rich orchestral colors give this ancient opera new life while Offenbach’s Overture’s well-known Can-can finale has transcended the opera itself to an internationally recognizable sign of joy. Mozart’s two arias, Il padre adorato from Idomeneo and Parto, ma tu ben mio from La clemenza di Tito combined French and Italian operatic themes while maintaining classical elegance and restraint. Thomas’s aria Non ne la suivons pas from Psyché possesses the hallmark of sophisticated French poetry; and the beautiful Mignon Overture, which represent French opera from the mid-19th century. The heartfelt Intermezzo from Bizet’s CARMEN has lyrical tune that expresses some of the most intense emotions. After intermission, we travel to the early 20th century to discover creative ways in which French Impressionist masters interpreted exoticism. Debussy’s Ibéria from Images pour orchestre is an orchestral masterpiece in musical representations of Spain; with kaleidoscopic instrumental combinations and complex rhythmic patterns, the composer crafts a sensory tapestry of shimmering light and shadow that evokes Iberian landscapes. The concert ends with Ravel’s immortal Boléro, renowned for its impeccable orchestration. Built upon a single recurring motif and persistent rhythmic pattern, the work masterfully layers instrumental timbres—beginning pianissimo and building continually to a profound climax—showcasing the immense tension and unique soundscape that can be achieved through pure musical form.
