SZS NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT
2025.12.31 （WED）19 : 30
SCAC Grand Theatre
Conductor CHEN Xieyang
Soprano ZHAO Lili
Tenor HAN Peng
SHOSTAKOVICH
March from Jazz Suite No. 2
JOHANN STRAUSS JR.
Roses from the South
Egyptischer Marsch
BERNSTEIN
Overture from CANDIDE
JOHANN STRAUSS JR.
An der Schönen Blauen Donau
Vergnügungszug Polka
Bauern Polka
Overture from DER ZIGEUNERBARON
Persischer Marsch
Kaiser Walzer
JOSEF STRAUSS
Feuerfest Polka Francaise
GOUNOD
Je Veux Vivre from ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
The Jewel Song from Faust
PUCCINI
Nessun Dorma from TURANDOT
CAPUA
'O Sole Mio
VERDI
Libiamo Ne' lieti Calici from LA TRAVIATA
*Program is subject to change
NOTICE TO AUDIENCE
1. DURATION Approximately 92 minutes with a 15-min intermission.
2. SUGGESTED AGE 8 and above.
3. Minimum height for children :1.1m.
As the New Year bells awaken the starlit city, tonight’s concert will offer a feast from the Viennese musical culture, inviting all of us into the world of 19th-century’s Romantic vocal creation. The concert opens with the famous March from Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No. 2, its unique rhythms and vivid wind colors conveys a distinct modern style. We then enter the world of Johann Strauss JR’s Viennese music. Filled with beautiful passion, the graceful Roses from the South Waltz unfold like fragrant petals. The exotic Egyptischer Marsch creates an imagined Eastern scene with its unique rhythms and tonal effects. Then the atmosphere is immediately sparked by the lively and humorous Overture from Candide, which combines jazz playfulness with classical rigidity. An der Schönen Blauen Donau, the cherished “second national anthem of Austria”, would sing freely with its well-known melody carrying the soul of Vienna through generations. Beloved polkas of the Strauss family will follow in succession: the lively Vergnügungszug Polka, which evokes the joy of travel by mimicking a steam train’s journey with its floating rhythm; Bauern Polka, which bursts with rural charm, woodwinds and percussion vividly recreating the lively scenes of a folk festival. The second half begins with the dramatic Overture from operetta masterpiece Der Zigeunerbaron, blending European elegance with fiery Gypsy passion. Following is the Persischer Marsch, which has an exotic feeling; and the Kaiser Walzer displays its imperial grandeur through sweeping melodies. Josef Strauss’s Feuerfest Polka Francaise delights with its playful musical imitation of rhythmic clanging in a blacksmith’s forge. The concert’s final chapter is dedicated to the most brilliant arias from opera. A young girl’s naive desires are expressed in Juliet’s Je Veux Vivre from Gounod' s Roméo et Juliette, which rises with coloratura soprano brightness. The Jewel Song from Faust reveals Marguerite’s obsession when she sees jewels. The tenor’s touchstone, Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot, touches people’s soul with its uplifting lyrics and intense emotions. Like sunshine, the timeless Neapolitan tune O sole Mio evokes Mediterranean warmth. Lastly, Libiamo Ne’ lieti Calici from La Traviata will lift the evening to a glorious conclusion with its upbeat waltz rhythm and passionate vocal exchanges between soprano and tenor. Let’s cheers to this endlessly entertaining musical evening! In an atmosphere of pure joy, the symphony of 2026 has already started its magnificent voyage!
