THE Shanghai Symphony Hall will play host to dozens of exciting performances once its new season starts in October.

Highlights of the venue’s fall calendar include a complete staging of Wagner’s epic “Der Ring Des Nibelungen” cycle, the Chinese premiere of Schoenberg’s “Gurre-Lieder” and a collaboration between legendary conductor Sir Neville Marriner and pianist Menahem Pressler.

According to Zhou Ping, the president of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, one of the top goals of the hall’s planners is to bring new classical works to local audiences.

“It is never a good idea to only feed the audience what they are familiar with already,” says Zhou.

“Der Ring Des Nibelungen” is a grand work based on Norse folklore which took Wagner 26 years to complete. Beginning on October 16, Austria’s Tiroler Festspiele Orchestra and Chorus will stage their innovative rendering of the cycle’s four operas over a 24-hour period.

This unique production also modernizes the characters and the settings. The gods are depicted as hedonists drinking cocktails, while the giants become baseball and hockey players and the Valkyries ride mountain bikes.

Schoenberg’s “Gurre-Lieder,” a work often described as the last masterpiece of Romanticism, will be staged on October 22. The show will involve an orchestra of more than 400 members, five solo singers, three male choirs and a chorus of eight voice parts.

“This is the first time such a big symphony production will be staged in our hall. It is a challenge for everyone involved,” says Zhou.

The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Estonian National Male Choir, International Choral Academy Lubeck, Shanghai Opera House Chorus Female Choir and Shanghai Orchestra Academy will all participate in the show.

In early December, Sir Neville Marriner and Menahem Pressler — both in their 90s — will collaborate on three Mozart works: “Haffner,” Piano Concerto No.17 in G major and Symphony No.40 in G minor.

A number of Chinese-themed performances will also be featured in the new season. Chinese composer Chen Qigang’s “Instants d’un Opera de Pekin,” Zhu Jian’er’s Suona Concerto “The Heavenly Music” and Guo Wenjin’s Flute Concerto “Wildfire” are all on the calendar.

‘Der Ring Des Nibelungen’

Date: October 16–18, 5pm

 

“Gurre-lieder”

Date: October 22, 8pm

 

Sir Neville with Menahem Pressler

Date: December 4-5, 8pm

 

Tickets: 80-580 yuan

Tel: 4008-210-522

Venue: Shanghai Symphony Hall

Address: 1380 Fuxing Rd M.