They presented two stunning feasts of music, once again kindling the enthusiasm of Beijing music lovers with their incomparable timbre and virtuoso performance.

Dubbed a “conductor with smart talent” by the international media, Currentzis has developed a school of his own in the field of classical music with refreshing unique insights into the art of conducting, as well as his appealing style of conducting. Last autumn, Currentzis made his first visit to Beijing with musicAeterna and performed at the NCPA “Pure Classical”. They stood all the time while performing with a meticulous attitude. This unique style of acting brought an enduringly impressive, ultimate music experience to the audience. This year, they once again performed live at their best, with classics by Wagner, Mahler, Brahms and Shostakovich presented at their two concerts.

On the evening of November 23^rd, Currentzis and musicAeterna began their first concert at the NCPA Concert Hall. Currentzis took the stage wearing all black, looking like a dancer. That day, the orchestra did not stand while performing, and there was no podium at the center of the stage or a baton in Currentzis’ hand. Under his watchable gestures, the orchestra first played the Prelude and Love’s Death from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. So soft and smooth like silk, the string music took the audience to the depths of a poignant and tragic tale together with deep, whimpering wind music.

In its second half, the concert reached a climax with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, conducted by Currentzis with passion and power. His distinctive outfits were complemented by his dynamic conducting movements, with the language of his body, which curled up and straightened drastically from time to time, often extending into the orchestra pit. Different parts of the orchestra seemed to be extensions of his body - all the musicians acted in perfect unison for precise control over the rhythm. From the famous trumpet quadruplet at the beginning to the best-known adagietto movement in Mahler’s music, and to the final movement, one seeming to be filled with a furious storm blowing across the world, the sonorous timbre of brasses and the great vigour of percussion music, sounding as if the fate were questioning the heart overwhelmingly, took the audience to a stormy, spectacular world of music.

Curtain call taken, the entire audience cheered and applauded for nearly ten minutes. In response, Currentzis and musicAeterna delivered an encore, Dance of the Knights from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, once again demonstrating the orchestra’s amazing strength.

A similarly fantastic performance was given on November 24^th. The concertmaster, Olga Volkova, was the first to take the stage. She played as a soloist in Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major by working in harmony with the orchestra under Currentzis’ baton, precisely reproducing Brahms’ musical style.

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 was staged as the grand finale, revealing Currentzis and musicAeterna’s perfect mastery of Russian music again. Shostakovich had just turned 30 when he composed this piece, but then, he had experienced the ups and downs of life. As is audible to the audience, this four-movement symphony features a rigorous structure common in Beethoven’s music, an extensive theme typical of Mahler’s music and a profound, complex connotation unique to Shostakovich’s music. And once again, Currentzis marked this classic work with something belonging to him only. His performance, given together with musicAeterna, is veritably a paradigm of the combination of contemporary music performing arts and “historically informative performance”, providing the audience a new method to enjoy classical music audio-visually.

Both concerts were packed to the rafters, each coming under heated discussion on social media after end. Many music fans sighed with feeling at the strong “delayed effect” - they were still immersed in the amazing and touching music. They also expressed the hope to enjoy such evocative live music again. Currentzis said in an interview that the way classical music is performed, in his opinion, is not so constant, and they stand during performance in order to make a more appealing sound, but the key is to hold a young and open attitude towards art and maintain its excellence.

The NCPA “Pure Classical” 2024 began on October 17^th and will end on December 19^th, with 14 groups of artists to give 23 classical music performances featuring magnificent symphonies, colourful solos and excellent chamber music. The NCPA and Beijing Performing Arts Centre will jointly witness the “top lineup” of contemporary classical musicians. NING Feng and the Academy of Saint-Martin-in-the-Fields, pianist Zimmerman, Jaap van Zweden and the NCPA Orchestra, Sir Willard White and the Brodsky Quartet and other artists will also take the stage after virtuoso performances are given by Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, Nelsons and the Wiener Philharmoniker, Marin Alsop and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Tugan Sokhiev and the Munich Philharmonic, Currentzis and musicAeterna, etc.