French musician Jean Michel Jarre will help to open French
Culture Year in China with a concert?at the front gate of the
Forbidden
City that can be described as no less than fabulous.
The Meridian Gate has been closed for more than 10 days to
prepare for the performance, said Beijing municipal government
spokesperson Wang Hui, adding that more than 15,000 people are
expected to attend.
The concert will actually be presented on two separate open-air
stages. One, located within the Forbidden City, will be accessible
only to invited guests and VIP ticket-holders. The second stage
will be located just outside the Forbidden City, at Tian'anmen
Square.
The first part of the concert, scheduled to last about one and a
half hours, will be held on the inner stage. Jarre will then move
to the Tian'anmen Square stage for a 20-minute performance.
The Forbidden City audience will be completely surrounded by
sound as well as images. Ten giant inflatable screens of different
shapes, including cones and spheres, will present high-definition,
moving 3D images of such famous Parisian landmarks such as the
Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
Screen walls are also being erected at Xidan, Wangfujing and
Zhengyangmen, three downtown commercial or scenic areas.
For those who prefer to stay at home, live telecasts and
webcasts will also be run.
The Jarre team has flown in 300 cubic meters of equipment from
France for the event, including 600 projectors and a 100,000-watt
Dolby Digital surround sound system. Some 20 kilometers of cable
are being used to stage the extravaganza.
Jarre will be joined on stage by fellow keyboardist Francis
Rimbert and by Patrick Rondat on electric guitars.
In keeping with his practice of incorporating local talent into
his concerts, an 85-member Chinese symphony orchestra, a
traditional music orchestra and a choir of 72 Chinese singers will
accompany the innovative French artist.
Spokesperson Wang said the performance by a famous Western
artist at the Meridian Gate, a quintessential piece of classical
Chinese architecture, is intended to bring together the ancient
culture of China and the modern culture of France.
Alain Lombard, commissioner general of the French Culture Year,
said that the performance should help Chinese people better
understand France and French culture.
Jarre, who is credited with almost single-handedly establishing
modern French music on the international scene, last held a concert
in Beijing in 1981. He was the first Western musician to play in
China after the country implemented its reform and opening policy
in the late 1970s.
(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2004)