Teodor Currentzis. Photo by Bjoern Woll

Teodor Currentzis, a dazzling star in the classical music scene, will return to the Shenzhen Concert Hall this weekend with his musicAeterna Orchestra to present works by Wagner, Richard Strauss, and Tchaikovsky.

Saturday’s concert will feature Lorin Maazel’s adaptation of Wagner’s monumental “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (“The Ring of the Nibelung”). This imaginative operatic tetralogy, rooted in German and Norse mythology, explores the curse that follows the pursuit of absolute power for selfish ends. The cycle consists of four operas—or “music dramas,” as Wagner called them — “Das Rheingold” (1854), “Die Walküre” (1856), “Siegfried” (1857), and “Götterdämmerung” (1848). 

In 1987, the celebrated American conductor and composer Maazel was commissioned to create a symphonic synthesis of the four operas, which together span about 15 hours in the opera house. The result was “The Ring Without Words,” a breathtaking 75-minute orchestral suite that masterfully distills Wagner’s epic into pure instrumental narrative. The performance will be presented in one continuous sweep, without intermission.

Russian soprano Diana Nosyreva. File photo

Sunday’s program, centered on the theme of “fate,” will include Richard Strauss’s “Four Last Songs” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5.” 

Composed in 1948 when Strauss was 84, the song cycle is widely regarded as one of his most profound and beautiful works — a final love letter to his wife, soprano Pauline de Ahna, and a sublime swan song that reflects on love, nature, and the passage of time. The performance will feature award-winning Russian soprano Diana Nosyreva as soloist.

Tchaikovsky composed his fifth symphony in 1888 and conducted its premiere in St. Petersburg later that year. Often compared to Beethoven’s fifth, it remains one of the composer’s most appealing and emotionally compelling large-scale works.

European media have hailed musicAeterna’s interpretation of “The Ring Without Words” as Wagner’s “true utopia” — a performance the composer himself would not want to miss.

At 52, Currentzis is often described as a disruptive force in European classical music. Audiences are captivated not only by his compelling stage presence but also by his original and penetrating interpretations of the classics. Born in Greece, he moved to Russia in 1994 to study under the legendary pedagogue Ilya Musin at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory.

The MusicAeterna Orchestra. Photo by Alexandra Muravyeva

In 2004, Currentzis brought together musicians from 15 countries to form the musicAeterna Orchestra and Choir, serving as its artistic director from the start. Despite early challenges — limited funds, insufficient instruments, and scarce rehearsal space — the ensemble began with 39 instrumentalists and 27 choristers, including a 16-year-old music student. 

Under Currentzis’ visionary leadership, musicAeterna grew into an extraordinary artistic force, making its Berlin Philharmonic debut in 2014 and, in 2017, receiving an invitation to give 10 consecutive performances at the prestigious Salzburg Festival.

The ensemble’s repertoire spans medieval sacred music, Baroque opera, and experimental works by contemporary composers — often including new commissions.

This weekend, prepare to be swept into the storm of sound that only Currentzis and musicAeterna can conjure — a fluid, powerful epic of fate and force, told through music.

Tickets: 280-1,080 yuan

Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 29; 3 p.m., Nov. 30

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音乐厅)   

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