Following the performance of Mahler's "Symphony No.5" conducted by Austrian Johannes Wildner, the China Philharmonic Orchestra will go on to perform another important work by Mahler: "Song of the Earth" (Das Lied von der Erde).

Composed of six movements, "Song of the Earth" could perhaps be described as a song, a symphony, or a vocal suite. On April 30, the China Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at the Poly Theater in Beijing with tenor Ding Yi and mezzo-soprano Yang Jie.

In addition, to display the relationship between "Song of the Earth" and ancient Chinese poetry, the China Philharmonic Orchestra will invite well-known actor Pu Cunxi to recite works by Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) poets such as Li Bai, Qian Qi, Meng Haoran and Wang Wei. This will be the first time for this work to be performed in such form.

For the Chinese audience, "Song of the Earth" is a unique work, a fruit of the cultural exchange between the East and the West. It was several Chinese poems translated by German poet Hans Bethge (1876-1946) that inspired Mahler to compose the work. Seven poems of Li Bai, Qian Qi, Meng Haoran and Wang Wei were the basis of the text of "Song of the Earth."

This year marks the 1,300th anniversary of the birth of Li Bai. The China Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of the work is a tribute to the great Chinese poet.

Coincidentally, Li Bai is one of the roles Pu Cunxi has played. A distinguished actor of the Beijing People's Art Theater, Pu has created a number of resonant protagonists such as Hamlet, Li Yu in "Wilderness," Chang Siye in "Teahouse" and Zhou Ping in "Thunderstorm."

In recent years, Pu has appeared in a variety of musical poetry recitals, in which his impressive performances have been warmly received by audiences.

"Song of the Earth" is a challenge for the two soloists in terms of singing skills, understanding and expressive force. The two vocalists to perform at the concert are both well-established Chinese singers.

Besides her much-applauded performance of Verdi's "Requiem" with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, mezzo-soprano Yang Jie has performed in Singapore, Malaysia and China's Taiwan in recent years.

Tenor Ding Yi has been active on the world stage too, winning the second prize at the International Opera Competition in Marseille, France, in 1997.

The program of the concert will also include Sibelius' "Violin Concert in D major," which will feature famous violinist Kyoko Takezawa. Yu Long, the artistic director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, will conduct the concert.

It will also be a warm-up for the China Philharmonic Orchestra before its tour of America. In June, the orchestra will take part in the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, and will then perform in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States.

(China Daily April 26, 2002)