Show Details

On September 30, Spain’s premier avant-garde theater troupe brings the visual spectacle Pastoral for the Planet to the Beijing Music Festival, featuring the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its new Music Director, Huang Yi.

Pastoral for the Planet was initially inspired by Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, widely celebrated as the composer’s “Pastoral.” From there, the troupe extends its imagination to supplement other works in the program, including Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and Creatures of Prometheus, Carl Maria von Weber’s Oberon and Battle and Victory, even folk songs from Africa and Europe, all connected under the rubric of ecology and preservation encompassing the rich context that is musical culture. The entire production fuses both classical and modern music, combining musical materials with live visual effects in an immersive world as we explore the complex relationship between man and nature, delving into such contemporary conflicts and issues as environmental protection, consumerism and ecological harmony. The fourth wall breaks as the show unfolds, with audiences interacting with the performers on stage through a phone app, deepening their understanding of sustainability. Everyone constantly reacts and responds as the performance proceeds, determining different endings and emotional outcomes.

The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Sino-Spanish diplomatic relations, and this production co-created by La Fura dels Baus and France’s Insula Orchestra and Grand Théâtre de Provence bears testament to a new chapter of cultural exchange between the two countries as well as BMF as an effective platform connecting China with the world. Founded in 1979, La Fura dels Baus has made a succession of artistic breakthroughs since the 1990s. In 1992, the company produced the Opening Ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics, attracting more than 500 million viewers worldwide. This marks the debut of La Fura dels Baus on any festival stage in China.

Thack:
Ludwig van Beethoven: Introduction (La Tempesta), from Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, Op. 43
Anton Reicha: Orage, from Lenore
Jota, traditional song from Aragon, Spain
Julius Rietz, Overture to Hero und Leander, Op. 11
Traditional song from Fang ethnic group, Equatorial Guinea
Carl Maria von Weber: Schlacht Musik, from Kampf und Sieg, Op. 44
Bulgarian Folklore Song (arr. Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares): Отиде мома Русанка
Ludwig van Beethoven: 2nd Movement, from Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Fanny Mendelssonhn-Hensel: Hero und Leander

—Intermission (2 minutes)—

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68

Artist/Group:

Laurence Equilbey, musical direction/dramaturgy
Carlus Padrissa, artistic/stage director
Mireia Romero, choreographer
Mihael Milunović, scenography/illustration
Zamira Pasceri, direction assistant
Tamara Joksimovic, costumes and set assistant
Eyesberg Studio, José Vaaliña, immersive video/audiovisual creator
Pol Marquès, video direction
Jordi Massó, Miquel Donat, CG artists
Damià Duran, Kalliope App
Wang Chengjie, multimedia Technical Support
Marcel Riu Bonvehí, producer
Jaume Grau, riggers
Meritxell Viñas, management
Sophie Karthäuser, soprano
Quico Torrent, Guillermina Brandauer, Adriana de Montserrat, Luis Garcia, dancers

Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
Huang Yi, conductor

Co-production by Grand Théâtre de Provence,
La Fura dels Baus and Insula Orchestra