On the night of April 14^th, the world-renowned Orchestre de Paris returned to the NCPA, which it visited 15 years ago. Under Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen’s baton, the orchestra worked with the violinist Renaud Capuçon in presenting a feast of music to the Beijing audience. They showcased the ultimate charm of “French melodies” in masterpieces by Debussy, Bartók and Ravel.

Founded in 1967, the Orchestre de Paris is a leading symphony orchestra of France, carrying on a longstanding historical tradition dating back to the early 19^th century. Each of its previous music directors was a maestro, too, such as Karajan, Solti and Barenboim. In 2011, the orchestra made its stunning debut at the NCPA under the leadership of then Music Director, Paavo Järvi. Salonen, who led the orchestra that night, will take up the post of Principal Conductor in 2027. As such, the Beijing audience has previewed the artistic brilliance of this all-star duo.


The concert began with French composer Debussy’s Prelude A L’Apres-midi D’un Faune, a piece hailed by musicologist Paul Henry Lang as the birth of modern music age. Amidst the melodious, ethereal sound of the flute, the musical theme, built on a diatonic scale, floated in a gossamer haze. Layer upon layer, there came soft tremolos of the strings, then seemingly distant calls of the horn and finally dulcet pizzicatos of the harp, with the musical tones shifting dramatically alongside harmonies. In their brilliant performance, the musicians gave an exceptionally exciting rendition of this piece, “the first one of Impressionist music”, especially its poetic charm.


For several times violinist Renaud Capuçon has graced the stage of the NCPA and delighted the audiences with his performance. He gave solo recitals in 2023 and 2024, leaving a lasting impression on music lovers. This time, he performed Hungarian composer Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestre de Paris. As the first movement just started, its broad theme was expressed on the violin, quite gripping with the accompaniment of harp music. Then complex syncopations and dazzling pitch intervals began to leap nimbly on Capuçon’s bowstrings. Following introspective and lyrical variations in adagio, the music ended in vigorous, fiery liquids. The soloist received enthusiastic applause from the entire audience for his virtuosity and perfect cooperation with the orchestra. After that, violinist Renaud Capuçon returned together with the harpist, giving a brilliant encore - Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances.

In the second half of the concert, Salonen and the Orchestre de Paris performed French composer Ravel’s childish Ma mère l’Oye Suite. As a renowned contemporary composer, Salonen initiated a dialogue with the musical predecessor through his unique creative vision, and in a meticulous, stunning approach, he gave full play to Ravel’s extraordinary talent for orchestration. A faintly melancholic atmosphere was created on the soft woodwinds and serene strings for “Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant‌” and “Petit Poucet”. To the accompaniment of clear plucked strings, “Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes” was given a strong Oriental charm on the piccolo in its pentatonic scale. Two strikingly different musical characters were vividly portrayed in “Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête”. When interpreting “Le Jardin féerique‌”, the orchestra drew emotionally moving melodic lines and created consistent crescendos in the finale, pushing the piece to its climax.