Look Back – 2026.09.24
The Rui Cunha Foundation presents on, September 24th at 6:30 pm, the “Look Back: Past Tense in Classical Music”.
Lecture‑Recital Explores Nostalgia in 19th‑ to Early‑20th‑Century Music
Presented jointly by the Macau Musicological Association and the Rui Cunha Foundation, Look Back — Past Tense in Classical Music is a free‑admission lecture‑recital curated by distinguished musicologist Dr. Sio Pan Leong, with performances by pianist Christy Pui Man Tong and soprano Sze‑Chi Chen. This immersive performance takes audiences on a reflective journey, evoking memories, lost childhood innocence and longing for the tranquility of pre‑industrial times captured in canonical musical works from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The surge of industrialisation, rapid urban expansion and technological innovation reshaped 19th‑century society and sparked widespread cultural fascination with the past. Originally a medical term for severe homesickness, “nostalgia” gradually evolved into a rich artistic sentiment — a tender, thoughtful reflection on bygone eras. This lecture‑recital identifies three compelling “past‑tense” thematic threads within the music: Remembrance, the sincere and restrained expression of memory and grief; Childhood, representing the paradise that can never be recovered; and the Pastoral, depicting the peace and serenity of the pre‑industrial world.
Blending live performance with scholarly commentary, the programme invites the audience to ponder timeless questions: Why do creators look back to the past through music? What emotional and philosophical meanings does remembrance carry in artistic creation?
Scheduled for 18:30, 24 September 2026, this free‑of‑charge event is brought to life by three accomplished artists: curator‑musicologist Dr. Sio Pan Leong, pianist Christy Pui Man Tong and soprano Sze‑Chi Chen.
The Macau Musicological Association is a local non‑profit organisation committed to advancing music scholarship in Macau. Through academic research, public lectures and high‑standard concerts, it builds an accessible cross‑disciplinary platform connecting music, fine arts and humanities.
Look Back — Past Tense in Classical Music is the latest instalment in the association’s well‑received event series held at the Rui Cunha Foundation. Three previous sold‑out programmes include: Songs of Wayfarers: Why Do You Wander? Wander Away… (18 March 2023), Nocturnal Tunes: The “Night” of 19th‑Century Art Music (15 April 2024), and Journey to the East: Classical Music and Fantasies of Distant Lands (24 September 2025).
Admission is free.
Don’t miss it!
For Macau, Further and Higher!
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