SHENZHEN Symphony Or-chestra (SSO) will dedicate their first concert in 2017 to classical masters Schumann and Beethoven this Friday night.

    Conducted by Austrian conductor Ernst Theis, SSO will bring Schumann's "Manfred Overture," "Piano Concerto in A Minor" and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 6 in F Major." Young pianist Wang Lu will collaborate.

    Based on "Manfred," a poem by Lord Byron, Schumann's work about the titular character consists of an overture, an entracte, melodramas, and several solos and choruses. The overture is the most highly regarded piece of the work, which according to music historian Peter Ostwald was written during a time when Schumann was facing "exquisite suffering" from "inner voices."

    "Piano Concerto in A Minor," also the only piano concerto by Romantic composer Schumann, premiered on New Year's Day in 1846 with his wife Clara playing the solo part. This piece appeals with its drama, lyrical style and wild fantasy.

    "Schumann suffered devastating contradictions between his dreams and reality," said Wang, "which, combined with his melancholy temperament, led to his depression. He wanted to be a pianist, but started too late and was not a talented performer; his parents hoped he would be a lawyer, but he had passions for music; he dreamed of recognition from the public, but his works were beyond people's understanding in his time."

    Written in the happy years after marrying Clara, the piano concerto reflected the life Schumann wanted and the beliefs he fought for.

    "The first movement is full of sadness and despair; the second movement gives the impression of the shyness and tender feelings of being in love; the third movement is straightforward joy," Wang explained. "Schumann's works may not have the strong passions and momentum you hear from Rachmaninoff, they are not as delicate and elegant as Mozart. However, they touch my heart with the authenticity of a struggling soul."

    Beethoven's "Symphony No. 6," also known as the "Pastoral," is one of only two symphonies he intentionally named. Fully titled as "Pastoral Symphony, or Recollections of Country Life," the piece offers eloquent testimony to the importance and power of nature in the composer's life.

    Born in 1961, Theis was chief conductor of the Staatsoper Dresden between 2003 and 2013. Now he works regularly as a guest conductor. He took trumpet and percussion lessons at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts and studied conducting with Otmar Zuytner and Peter Keyshing. In the past few years, he has recorded many albums conducting the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra.

    Wang was the first Chinese person to be awarded a doctor's degree in performing arts at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University after graduating from The Julliard. A first prize winner of the Stravinsky Awards International Piano Competition and the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, Wang performed Chopin's "Piano Concerto No. 1" collaborating with the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center at 16.

    Time: 8 p.m., Jan. 13

    Tickets: 50-380 yuan

    Booking: 400-610-3721

    Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)

    Metro: Line 3 or 4, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D

    (Li Dan)