The Chinese premiere of the 24-hour version of Richard Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelungs" has won the hearts of local audiences as the performance, which was presented by the Tyrolean Festival, had a 70-percent occupancy rate at the Shanghai Symphony Hall.
Typically 16 hours long and presented over four days, the epic opera is composed of four chapters: The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods.
The 24-hour version was created by conductor Gustav Kuhn in 2003 for the said festival. The masterpiece has since been regarded as a challenging performance because of its length and intensity.
For the Shanghai premiere, the second and third chapters were held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m., with only a 2-hour break in between. The performance ended Sunday afternoon.
"Many of my friends told me that I would be dead if I completed the whole work within 24 hours. But I survived, and did it well," Khun shared.
"I am very proud that we are still the only team in the world which is capable of presenting this version," the conductor added, revealing some of the preparations and special trainings musicians do prior to the performance.
The Chinese debut also serves as the opera's premiere in Asia.
Khun said, "It was not unusual for European or Chinese audiences to attend an eight-hour-long opera performance in the old times."
"But today long performances surprise people because we are living in a fast-paced world. I believe it will be good for us sometimes to try and return to the tradition of appreciating art and music with long-term concentration. That is why he (Wagner) initiated the piece in the first place," Khun added.
The Wagner masterpiece was performed by a 120-member orchestra, 80-member choir and 39 soloists.