A "blind-box" concert and a magnificent interpretation of Bach—on January 1 and 2, one of the world's most renowned contemporary pianists, Hungarian piano virtuoso András Schiff, graced the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, bringing a stellar start to Beijing's 2025 music scene.
On January 1, the first day of the new year, Schiff walked on stage to the astonished anticipation of the audience—he has long been pondering the relationship between the stage, the performer, and the audience. In his view, "predictable" performances stifle the audience's imagination for music, so he decided to keep the suspense of the program until the moment of performance. Before the concert, Schiff arrived early at the concert hall to find inspiration, selecting and combining pieces from many masterpieces based on the environment, acoustics, the instrument, and his mood. Once the lights were fully dimmed, Schiff announced the program—Bach's Goldberg Variations, followed by sonatas by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. The performance was poetic and dreamlike, followed by seven encores, with Schiff humorously closing the piano lid amidst the audience's cheers. The nearly three-hour musical journey finally came to an end.
On January 2, Bach's The Art of Fugue dominated the evening, stunning the entire audience. This large set consists of 14 technically rigorous fugues and 4 canons, systematically demonstrating and summarizing all types of fugue writing. About ten years ago, Schiff had mentioned in an interview regarding The Art of Fugue, "I am almost 60 years old, and I didn't have the courage to tackle this piece. I played it for myself at home, but I wasn't sure whether I should perform it publicly, whether it should appear in a concert." A decade later, at the age of 70, Schiff, with his profound skill, performed what he considered "the best work ever" with flowing ease and precision. Particularly touching was when Schiff's playing of Bach's unfinished Contrapunctus XIV came to an abrupt halt at the composer's unfinished point. The audience, holding their breath, shared a moment of pure, tender homage, with nearly a minute of silence completing the tribute. Just like the first day, Schiff was repeatedly called back to the stage by applause and played encore pieces for almost an hour. The typically "calm" Beijing audience rose to their feet to applaud, and Schiff gave his repeated thanks. The piano night, marked by a mutual journey between the performer and the audience, ended with a lingering sense of departure.
"Two concerts of the highest aesthetic caliber at the start of the year make one feel that 2025 holds even greater promise," wrote one audience member on their social media. Beijing, a city that communicates with the world, is ushering in a new chapter, and just a day later, on January 4 and 5, the internationally renowned conductor Paavo Järvi will return to lead the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The year of brilliant performances, filled with renowned artists, has already begun.
Translator: FENG Haoxuan
Reviewer: BAI Jing
