On the evenings of June 2nd and 3rd, as night fell, the 2023 Beijing Great Wall Concert opened at the Wangjing Culture Square in Badaling Great Wall. Valery Gergiev, a familiar friend to Chinese audiences who had performed in Beijing just over two months ago, led the Mariinsky Orchestra to the foot of the Great Wall, taking Beijing audiences on a wonderful musical journey. This was also Gergiev's first time conducting an outdoor classical concert in Asia.

The Grand Great Wall Sounded with World-Renowned Classics

At the end of March, Gergiev appeared on stage at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, leaving a beautiful memory for the audience. Now, he has once again come to Beijing, wielding his "toothpick" baton at the foot of the Great Wall, bringing surprise to the audience.

At the two Beijing Great Wall Concerts, Gergiev not only led the orchestra in performances of masterpieces by Russian composers such as the Overture to "Ruslan and Ludmila" and selections from "The Nutcracker", but also specially performed "The Red Flag Song," which is loved by Chinese audiences.

This is also the first collaboration between the famous baritone singer Liao Changyong and Gergiev. Before this, Liao Changyong had listened to many recordings of Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, but had never heard Gergiev perform live or collaborated with him before. Fortunately, this concert created their fate. The day before the performance, Liao Changyong and Gergiev met and rehearsed together. "Although it was our first collaboration, we played very smoothly, without many details that needed adjustment. We had good chemistry," said Liao. During the singing of "Father's Grassland, Mother's River" on the Great Wall at night, Liao Changyong saw the towering mountains and felt deeply moved. He said, "People say that one who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero. Singing here, I suddenly felt much taller and stronger, and became a hero!"

"Gergiev's return to Beijing after such a short time shows that it has become common for Chinese and foreign artists to take the stage together and present various extraordinary performances on the Beijing stage", said music critic Zhang Xuejun after watching the concert. What surprised him the most was that there was a huge screen behind the stage that played Gergiev's conducting in real-time. "The vivid details such as his facial expressions, finger tremors, and 'toothpick' waving were magnified infinitely, revealing another side of the maestro. This is an unique experience in classical music appreciation."

Translator: TANG Yingqi

Reviewer: LIU Yu