- Hong Kong Sinfonietta joins hands with conductor Christoph Poppen and cellist Aurélien Pascal to perform a moving concert centred around the theme of "Per aspera ad astra" - from the dust to the stars - in the middle of a global pandemic.
- A concert film documenting musicians making music together while all seems bleak in the world, "Back On Stage III: DESTINY" was filmed by Hong Kong Sinfonietta in November 2020 at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall, during a brief period of the hall reopening after rounds of closures as part of the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conductor Christoph Poppen and cellist Aurélien Pascal made their way to Hong Kong from Munich and Paris respectively, when the two European cities were still very much in limbo. They went through 14 days of compulsory quarantine in a hotel before starting the rehearsals with the orchestra, and eventually performing a concert together to a live audience.
In the concert, the musicians take you on a journey through three great works of classical music, all tied to the theme of "destiny": Mendelssohn's Ruy Blas Overture - a tragic story of an illicit relationship; Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1 - a personal song of lonely hardship, struggles and dreams; and Beethoven's Symphony No 5 - which starts with fate knocking at the door, and ends in a wave of positive euphoria.
Through its music, images and dialogue, the film carries the message of "Per aspera ad astra" - from the dust to the stars. Destiny need not be gloom. Having hope in the midst of uncertainty is one of the most powerful aspects of life, and something that is particularly relevant during a global pandemic.
Concert programme - Mendelssohn: Ruy Blas Overture, Op 95 / Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No 1 in E-flat, Op 107 / Beethoven: Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op 67
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By what name was Back on Stage III: Destiny (2021) officially released in Canada in English?
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