A multitude of colors welcomes in the 11th Chenshan Grassland Music Festival as it opens in the Chenshan Botanical Garden. [Photo/WeChat account: sh_songjiang]
The 11th Chenshan Grassland Music Festival – the largest outdoor classical music festival in the country – was held on June 3-4 to great fanfare in the Chenshan Botanical Garden in East China's Shanghai city after a two-year hiatus.
The first day of the festival featured "The Sounds of Vienna". The world-renowned Vienna Symphony Orchestra, led by 74-year-old conductor Adam Fischer, joined hands with top violinist Julian Rachlin to present a joyful and rhythmic waltz night.
The concert began with the overture of the operetta Die Fledermaus. Then, works with rich rhythms and lively melodies such as the Kaiser Walzer and the Waldmeister Overture were staged, much to the delight of the audience. The atmosphere reached a climax when the beloved Fruhlingsstimmen Walzer and The Blue Danube were played.
The Vienna Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Adam Fischer, presents a wonderful waltz night. [Photo/WeChat account: sh_songjiang]
Amid thunderous applause, Adam Fischer took to the stage several times to thank the audience, returning with the orchestra to play three more melodies.
A conductor of international repute, this was Fischer's first visit to Shanghai. "I feel that there are many people in Shanghai who love classical music and I am full of hope for the future of classical music," Fischer said.
For Julian Rachlin, playing on outdoor grassland was a novel and unique experience. "China has the youngest classical music audience in the world," he said in an interview, adding that he was enchanted to play with the orchestra in Shanghai.
"Everything is perfect, this is I think the best outdoor classical music festival," he added.
