Concert Opera Fidelio by China National Symphony Orchestra July 6, 2008

Time: 2008/7/6-2008/7/8
Venue: NCPA-Concer Hall
Price: 50/80/120/180/280/380
Tel: 86-10-64177845
Web: www.piao.com.cn

Performed by China National Symphony Orchestra

Fidelio(Op. 72) is an opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It isBeethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph vonSonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. The opera tellshow Leonore, disguised as a prison guard named "Fidelio", rescues herhusband Florestan from death in a political prison.

China's national symphony, the China National Symphony Orchestra, is one of the most outstanding professional symphony orchestras in China.Originally founded as the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China in1956, the orchestra was restructured and renamed in 1996 to reflect thechanges which had taken place over forty years. Leading the CNSO intothe future are Executive Director Guan Xia, a well-known composer, andResident Conductor Li Xincao.

TheCNSO owes its growth and development in the past 50 years to itssuccessive leaders and artists such as famous musician Li Lin andfamous conductors LiDelun, Yan Liangkun, Han Zhongjie, Qiu Li, ChenZuohuang, and Tang Muhai. The orchestra is made up of an outstandingteam of instrumentalists, many of whom have won prizes in national andinternational competitions. The combination of consummate artistry,dedication and professionalism of the orchestra's players has enabledthe CNSO to maintain a consistently high level of performance and tocreate an orchestral tradition unique to China.Affiliated with the CNSO is the China National Symphony Chorus, whichwas also founded in 1956. The Chorus' members are all graduates of China'svarious music conservatories. The Chorus regularly undertakes nationaland international tours, visiting festivals and competitions around theworld. They have received many awards as well as outstanding criticalacclaim. From its founding, the CNSO has been the major force in theintroduction of western music to Chinaand in the development of Chinese symphonic music. In its previous formas the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China, the CNSO gave the PRC'sfirst performances of a wide range of orchestral repertoire includingBeethoven's 9th Symphony, Dvorak's 9th Symphony, Berlioz's “SinfonieFantastique” as well as Mahler's 2nd Symphony.

Foralmost half a century, the CNSO has introduced Chinese audiences to avast repertoire of classical, romantic, modern and contemporaryorchestral works by both Western and Asian composers. It continues tofoster a tradition of the People's Republic of China's first performances and world premieres. Many recordings of theCNSO's performances have been made and published worldwide with thecooperation from the French Record Company and Philips Record Company.

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