At 8pm on October 6, the Royal Opera House in the Palace of Versailles glowed during a France-Vietnam autumn concert held in honor of General Secretary, President To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation. The event also hosted over 400 guests, including diplomats and intellectuals from France and Vietnam.
The hour-long concert featured many classical music pieces performed by the Versailles Opera Orchestra, including two Vietnamese works: “Song of Hope” by late composer Van Ky and "Song of Ho Chi Minh" by British composer Ewan MacColl, sung by Vietnamese soprano Dao To Loan.
This musical event symbolized France's special respect and hospitality for General Secretary, President To Lam and the Vietnamese delegation.
Before the concert, Mr. To Lam presented a special gift to the director of the Royal Opera House of Versailles - a 300kg lithophone, over 2 meters long, meticulously crafted over four years.
The lithophone is a traditional Vietnamese musical instrument that produces sounds on a pentatonic scale, consisting of 13 stone bars. It was curated by People’s Artist Dong Van Minh, who gathered stones from different mountains and streams across Vietnam. Through his meticulous polishing and tuning, these rough stones were transformed into a musical instrument with a unique sound that embodies the spirit of Vietnam.
Sound of the lithophone resonates in Versailles
Expressing his gratitude, General Secretary, President To Lam said: “I am very thankful to the Royal Opera House for giving the Vietnamese delegation a special concert and warm hospitality. I am delighted to present the Opera House and its director with a very distinctive gift from Vietnam. I hope that when I return to the Royal Opera House, I will hear the orchestra playing on this lithophone.”
Laurent Bruner, Director of the Royal Opera House, expressed his honor at receiving such a meaningful gift from the leader of Vietnam. He mentioned, “The musicians of the Royal Opera House will create a wonderful blend of the traditional pentatonic scale of the Vietnamese lithophone with the Western scale of our orchestra.”
People’s Artist Dong Van Minh performed a Vietnamese piece on the lithophone presented by Party Chief, President To Lam, evoking a sense of pride among the Vietnamese guests in the audience. The musicians of the Versailles Orchestra were also fascinated by the unique sound of the lithophone.
Dong Van Minh, who crafted the lithophone and accompanied it to France, said: “The lithophone carries the soul of Vietnam’s mountains and rivers. I believe that this gift from the President is not only a diplomatic gesture but also a symbol of the enduring spirit of Vietnamese traditional music.”
A gift from the French President
Before the bilateral meeting on October 7 with President To Lam, French President Emmanuel Macron recalled the special moments of the autumn concert at the Palace of Versailles.
During the meeting, President Macron presented General Secretary, President To Lam with a music book. He expressed his hope that famous pieces from the book would be arranged and performed by Vietnamese artists at the Ho Guom Opera House - one of the top ten opera houses in the world.
Bridging friendships through music carries profound meaning. It would be a delightful prospect if, in the near future, compositions by French musicians for the lithophone were performed in the royal setting of the Royal Opera House of Versailles, while works from the French music book resonated through traditional Vietnamese instruments at the Ho Guom Opera House.
Hoai Anh & Hien Anh
Vietnamnet.vn
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