Seven years after their last visit, the world-renowned Gewandhausorchester Leipzig returned to the NCPA Concert Hall on May 29th, under the baton of its Music Director, the acclaimed conductor Andris Nelsons. Joined by pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, the orchestra dedicated a concert to the theme “Russian Masterpieces”. Their masterful readings of two iconic works, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, were met with resounding, sustained applause.
As the world’s oldest civic symphony orchestra, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig traces its illustrious history back to 1743, a legacy shaped by many eminent figures, including Mendelssohn and Schumann, who played pivotal roles in its development. Over nearly three centuries, the orchestra has amassed countless “firsts”: it was the first to perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies and the first to present Bruckner’s symphonies within a single season. Moreover, it gave the world premieres of a host of masterpieces by Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms, and is renowned worldwide for its uniquely mellow, rich, and profound sound. The orchestra first performed at the NCPA in 2009 under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Chailly, and again in 2019 with Andris Nelsons. Now, their much-anticipated return has sparked great excitement among music lovers in Beijing and beyond.
The concert opened with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, featuring pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, the Gold Medalist of the 2010 International Chopin Piano Competition. Her exquisite touch brought the work’s famous opening—bell-like chords emerging from afar with striking dramatic tension, while the orchestra rendered the first movement’s majestic theme with profound depth and power. In the ensuing slow movement, the woodwinds, especially the flutes and clarinets, created a serene, enchanting atmosphere with their fresh, lyrical playing, while the piano’s delicate broken chords engaged in an expressive dialogue with the orchestra. When the finale arrived, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Nelsons and pianist Avdeeva performed with seamless coordination, unfolding the simple, song-like theme before building into a grand, triumphant conclusion.
The second half of the concert, a tribute to the 120th anniversary of Shostakovich’s birth, saw conductor Andris Nelsons lead the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig in a powerful account of the composer’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor. Maestro Nelsons, one of today’s foremost authorities on Shostakovich, has long been celebrated for his interpretations of the “Tenth,” by both critics and audiences. In this performance, he wielded a commanding mastery over the work, navigating its intricacies with unflinching confidence and ease. The musicians of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig rose to the occasion, pouring their full artistry into this monumental, nearly hour-long symphony.
The first movement opens with a hesitant, lumbering theme in the lower strings, over which a clarinet melody floats, gradually surging into a powerful climax. A flute then leads to a secondary subject with an almost waltz-like character, expansive in phrasing and lending a sense of symmetry. Unfolding with a relentlessly driven allegro motif, the second movement, under the strings’ sharp, unified bowing, unleashes a tempestuous, howling force. Then comes the third movement, where Shostakovich famously employs his “DSCH” signature motif. Here, under Nelsons’ precise guidance, the orchestra pushed the music’s grotesque, sardonic character to its extreme, while the horn’s echoing solos imbued the work with added introspection and bitterness. As the symphony concludes amid blazing brass and snare-drum beats, the sheer sonic presence of this world-class orchestra found its most perfect alignment with a great work of art.
The audience’s enthusiastic cheers and applause continued unabated. Maestro Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig then returned to the stage for an encore: Shostakovich’s lighthearted and spirited
A Spin Through Moscow (from the operetta
Moscow, Cheryomushki), rounding off the evening on a splendid note.
On May 30
th and 31
st, Andris Nelsons will once again lead the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig back to the NCPA stage for two themed concerts: “Tenderness and Majesty” and “Ode to Spring.” The programme on the 31
st features two cornerstones of the repertoire that the orchestra itself brought into the world: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E‑flat Major “Emperor”, and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in B‑flat Major “Spring”. The concert on the 30
th brings together three of today’s finest operatic voices—tenor Klaus Florian Vogt, soprano Sarah Wegener, and bass Vitalij Kowaljow—for Act I of Wagner’s
Die Walküre. Both programmes offer unforgettable musical experiences, and we look forward to welcoming our audience.
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