Sydney International Piano Competition 2008: Solo Highlights Discs

2008 Sydney International Piano Competition
Volume 1: Solo Highlights
ABC Classics 476 6929 (4 CDs)

TT: 5 hrs 9 mins

Here’s a piece self-indulgence and self-promotion, not amounting to a review.

The piano solo highlights recordings of the Sydney International Piano Competition 2008 recording have been released on ABC Classics in October 2008. More generous than ever, these selections now run into 4 CDs, as opposed to 3 discs from the 2004 competition. Featuring over five hours of music, this is a pianophile’s dream.

The 6 finalists,

and their playing times!

Sixteen pianists, including all the six finalists, are represented. Israel’s Ran Dank, who was awarded 3rd Prize, ironically garnered the most air time, with over an hour of music. His selections were also wide ranging – Bach’s Partita No.4, sonatas by Rachmaninov (No.2) and Scriabin (No.9), Debussy’s Feux d’artifice and Boulez’s Douze Notations – quite substantial and varied indeed. Perhaps someone thought he should have been the winner? By comparison, eventual winner Konstantin Shamray and runner-up Tatiana Kolesova were allotted just 43 and 19 minutes respectively.

Unlike the haphazardly compiled selections of 2004, there is actually thought and logic applied this time around. Each CD has a theme of its own. CD 1 features Baroque and Classical works. CD 2 covers the studies, preludes and fugues, toccatas and competition set pieces (by Andrew Ford and Roger Smalley). CD 3 includes sonatas and showpieces, while CD 4 has all the transcriptions, miniatures and odds and ends.

A little controversy, if you could call it that: young American Charlie Albright’s (pictured left) Beethoven Sonata in A major (Op.101) was stitched up from performances from two different days. He had split the movements over two stages of the competition! At any rate, it sounds rather seamless. Great musicians and their record labels “cheat” all the time, so why should this be any different?

Quite a number of the wicked bits have been kept for posterity: Fernando Altamura’s Prokofiev Sarcasms (Op.17), Mariangelo Vacatello’s two Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues (op.87, Nos. 2 & 15) Charlie Albright’s Menotti Ricercare and Toccata, Takashi Sato’s Poulenc Presto, Tatiana Kolesova’s Kapustin Intermezzo, and best of all, Hoang Pham’s own take on the Schulz-Evler Arabesques on the Blue Danube.

My little contributions to this collection? I wrote the programme notes, and picked the three Scarlatti Sonata performances, played by Balasz Fulei and Wojciech Wiesniewski.

The booklet and sleevenotes may be accessed here:

http://www.buywell.com/booklets/4766929.pdf

This set retails at AUD 45.40 (from http://www.buywell.com/).

Get it, while the exchange rate is still favourable!

Gramophone Full Page Ad: Sa Chen playing Chopin Piano Concertos

First, the good news: Something I wrote has finally appeared on the pages of Gramophone magazine (on page 38 of the November 2008 edition). Click on the above picture to read my quote about the wonderful Chinese pianist Sa Chen.

The less good news: Its not on the same page as Bryce Morrison's piano reviews.

The even less good news: Singapore's national newspaper had been named Strait Times (sic).

I do hope she gets a favourable review from the folks at Gramophone. Pending a review of this CD, my review of Sa Chen's 2007 Singapore recital at Esplanade (part of the Huayi Chinese Festival), from which the quote was extracted, is reproduced below.

Sa Chen Piano Recital (Huayi Chinese Festival 2007): Review

SA CHEN PIANO RECITAL
Huayi Chinese Festival

Esplanade Concert Hall

Sunday (4 March 2007)

An edited version of this review was published in The Straits Times on 8 March 2007.

Sa Chen has been named (by Fou Ts'ong) along with Lang Lang and Li Yundi as being the three most important Chinese pianists of the new generation. Her debut recital in Singapore suggests that she might even be the most exciting of the triumvirate.

Eschewing Lang's trademark mannerisms, Chen tops Li's technical brilliance by having that element of the personal human touch. She sports a girlish charm and winsome smile that immediately wins an audience. And she goes on to charm with a keyboard touch that radiates a wide palette of colours, and is both warm and whole-hearted.

Hers is not the cold, clinical, pugilistic kind of virtuosity that characterises today's piano competition winners. Some of her notes are fallible but these do not come in the way of poetically expressing the storms and stresses of Beethoven's Tempest Sonata (Op.31 No.2) alternating between restless agitation and uneasy calm.

Romantic repertoire is clearly her forté. In a handful of Chopin Waltzes often considered student fodder, she marries propulsive drive, a graceful lilt with just the right touch of rubato. Seldom have the hackneyed pair of Opus 64 waltzes (including the infamous "Minute" Waltz) sounded this fresh and untainted. In the broader canvas of the Polonaise-Fantasy Op.61, she never allowed the often-elaborate figurations and narrative asides get the better of the underlying rhythmic pulse, admirably holding this demanding masterpiece together.

If there were a faint hint of reticence in the first half of the programme, all the stops were pulled in the second. Four pieces from Flowers and Paintings by Young Chinese pianist-composer Wang Xiaohan (bom 1980, and who shared the same piano professor as Chen, that is Arie Vardi) displayed an eclectic smorgasbord of 20th century Chinese keyboard styles. Musical mimicry of Chinese instruments and influences of Debussy, Messiaen, Bartok, Ginastera, Cowell, you name it, were breathtakingly blended in these atmospheric tone poems in miniature.

Chen's repeated note technique was put to the test in Isaac Albeniz's El Corpus en Sevilla (from Iberia), a heady Spanish festival procession that spewed fireworks and penitence in equal quantum. Passing with flying colours, the grand finale remained in Iberia with Franz Liszt's even more fearsome Spanish Rhapsody.

Here no technical hurdle seemed beyond the reach of Chen's fingers, and despite the requisite barnstorming, there was nary a single harsh, ugly or missed note. Effortless pianism on ten fingers may be commonplace these days, but it is the heart and soul of an artist that make "live" recitals such as this one well worth attending.

Homecoming: Lee Chin & Friends / Review

HOMECOMING: LEE CHIN & FRIENDS

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall

Tuesday (18 November 2008 )

This review was published in The Straits Times on 20 November 2008.

It has been seven years since Singaporean violinist Siow Lee Chin last appeared in concert on our stages. (She was last heard performing Brahms' Violin Concerto with the Malaysian Philharmonic at the 2001 Singapore Arts Festival). In the interim, Singapore has gained a spanking new concert hall and a space-age conservatory, but it is gratifying to note that some things remain the same. Lee Chin, with her singing violin tone, disarming musicality and charm of the girl-next-door, is one of those things.

Her homecoming concert drew such a large throng at the Conservatory that hundreds without pre-assigned tickets had to be turned away. Was this a repeat of the Hello Kitty mania or Horowitz in Moscow? Thankfully it was mostly the latter, and Lee Chin's two-and-a-half hour concert had the audience lapping from her highly prized hands.

Yet it was not completely her show as the partners in concert were every bit deserving of the limelight. In Beethoven Piano Trio in B flat major (Op. 11, adapted from the Clarinet Trio), cellist Liwei Qin's sonorous utterances and Bernard Lanskey's big-hearted pianism (left) carried equal weight for a light-hearted opening act. Pianist Albert Tiu also covered multitudes of notes in Richard Strauss' Violin Sonata in E flat major with great aplomb, trading silky ornaments and resolute chords with Lee Chin's soaring melodic lines.

Even more sparks flew in the second half. Lee Chin's duo with Liwei Qin (left) in the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia ignited with absolute chemistry, and their take had the infectious spontaneity of a jam session. Albert Tiu returned as pianist-collaborator for the balance of the evening, beginning with the three-movement Suite for Violin and Piano by William Grant Still, the first important Afro-American classical composer.

The duo reveled in its Negro hymns, incessant syncopations, wicked blues notes and sexy slides, with Lee Chin's Guadagnini violin reaching heights of a full-throated soprano in the tender second piece, Mother and Child. There were also poignant moments aplenty in Amy Beach's Romance and the second of three encores, Estrellita by Manuel Ponce, especially after her announcement that she and her "little star", on loan from the National Arts Council, would soon be parted.

There was little time to be sentimental as out came the requisite fireworks in Wieniawski's Polonaise in D major (op.4) and the final encore Monti's Csardas, which sent the house into rapture. Welcome home, Lee Chin, and let us not wait another seven years for the next recital!

Varied Tellings / Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra Concert: Review

VARIED TELLINGS

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra

WANG YA-HUI, Conductor

Conservatory Concert Hall

Saturday (15 November 2008)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 17 November 2008.

Following Singapore's only conservatory orchestra has always been a pleasure, especially with the knowledge that it serves as a nursery for professional outfits, such as the Singapore Symphony and Singapore Festival Orchestras. The wealth of talent and potential is enormous, and every concert is a reminder of that fact.

Rossini's popular William Tell Overture gave its players many opportunities to shine, opening with a cello quintet led by Elizabeth Tan, whose gorgeous tone set a perfect tenor for the evening. The central pastoral episode showcased more lovely solos - from the flute and cor anglais - before the final swashbuckling gallop that never fails to set pulses racing.

The orchestra then played able partner to pianist Albert Tiu (left) in Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody. As proved on previous occasions, the Philippines-born Tiu is a virtuoso par excellence, one melding steel and satin with equal alacrity. Steel, because he packed the necessary power and punch to transcend the voluminous orchestra in much of this fearsome score, and satin in the sensitive manner he handled the famous 18th Variation, which was played as an encore as well. His second encore, the subtly taxing Earl Wild transcription of Rachmaninov's Vocalise also displayed this seamless long-breathed beauty.

A much smaller orchestra reappeared in the second half for Schubert's graceful little Fifth Symphony. Despite a sour woodwind entry on the outset, the performance was on a whole one of tautness, energy and unity of spirit. The well-disciplined ensemble was marshaled on tight but not suffocating leash by Wang Ya-Hui (left), who conducted without a baton. There were moments for the strings to soar, and they did so without reservation.

The slow movement was distinguished with warmth and breadth of feeling, which contrasted well with the earthy rumbles of the ensuing Minuet and quicksilver finale. There was always a kick in the step in the playing, and an enthusiasm always associated with young musicians. That final bit of polish and finesse will surely come; it is only a matter of time.

As a further show of single-mindedness, the strings sailed through Johann Strauss the Younger's Tritsch Tratsch Polka, this time without conductor. Look ma, no hands!

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory New Music Ensemble Concert: Magic Moments / Review

MODERN ICONS: MAGIC MOMENTS
Yong Slew Toh Conservatory New Music Ensemble

Chan Tze Law, Conductor

Esplanade Recital Studio

Tuesday (11 November 2008)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 13 November 2008

Attending a concert of new music, so-called avant-garde music, is much like a walk through an exhibition of modern art. One usually does not know what to expect, and when art hits, it does so with a sense of the amazement that leaves one reeling and asking, "What was that?"

The third of the conservatory's New Music Ensemble concerts was without doubt its most challenging for the audience. When what the traditional listener treasures as melody and harmony are desperately short in supply, the ear strains for other points of reference, like rhythm and sound colour. New music challenges the mind to take these further steps into the unknown, and discover new and hitherto untrodden territory.

The path is made more accessible when the composer communicates with openness and sincerity. American-Singaporean John Sharpley (left), in his experimental A Fantasy's Dream (1984), provides moments of aural beauty and reassuring harmony amid the sea of uncertain tonality and seeming thematic randomness. Despite being a continent away, his appearance for a short quip on video added a friendly familiarity.

Conductor Chan Tze Law's illustrations of pages from various scores also eased the swallowing of a pill that did not turn out as bitter as previously thought. Gerard Grisey's Periodes (1974) passed like a minimalist test pattern with its repeated textures which ambled towards terminal stasis. The late Karlheinz Stockhausen's Dr K-Sextett (1969) was pointillist, except that the points were distantly spaced, its silences as mystifying as the blotches of notes that were uttered.

By the time Pierre Boulez's Derive (1984) arrived, the ensemble of six sounded positively warm and fuzzy, despite its wall of relentless pulses and later fragments. Young Singaporean Diana Soh's Stolen Moments (2008) followed in the same vein, where whole passages of jazzy wind motifs lit up a near-barren canvas like sepia photos in an old volume.

French-based Chinese composer Chen Qigang's Extase II (1997), an oboe concerto in all but name, fell like proverbial manna from heaven, where its undisguised Chinese roots struck a clearly sympathetic chord with all present. Oboist Xue Shunjie was the excellent and fearless soloist, whose simulation of the suona not only sounded authentic but convincing.

All the paraphernalia of modernity were present, but melody, interesting harmonies and textures, clearly defined themes, a forward sense of drive, and a committed performance made this a quite enthralling journey. These are the very elements which make much of music — new or otherwise - well worth returning to.

Son Of Yellow River / Singapore Chinese Orchestra: Review

SON OF YELLOW RIVER

YIN CHENG ZONG, Piano

Singapore Chinese Orchestra

TSUNG YEH, Conductor

Esplanade Concert Hall

Friday (14 November 2008)

An edited version of this review appeared on The Straits Times on 17 November 2008.

Some things are lost in translation when an orchestra of Chinese instruments attempts to play Western music. This was never more evident in the first half of the SCO concert conducted by its Music Director Tsung Yeh (pictured below) featuring the renowned Chinese pianist Yin Cheng Zong. The opening work was Georges Bizet's L 'Arlesienne Suite No. 2, which lacked the necessary gravitas that a conventional Western symphony orchestra provides.

Yet the poignant flute solo in the 3rd movement Minuet was not missed, with the dizi as its successfully idiomatic replacement, beautifully accompanied by the harp. The bustling Farandole also reveled in its rhythmic glory, one easily achieved with percussion working overtime.

The experiment of performing Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major on Chinese instruments was a refreshingly bold, but one that blended like oil and water. It ultimately failed on this count: the French composer had very specific sonorities and instruments in mind, one in which no Chinese substitutes could emulate or even simulate.

The exotic sound and atmosphere conjured - in its pentatonic finery - was well realised, but when wind and brass solos were called for, the effect sounded like a comical caricature. The suona could never take the place of an oboe, and in the tender cor anglais solo of the slow movement, the sheng sounded piercing rather than mellow. All the beautiful playing that pianist Yin could muster was negated as a result, and the resultant applause was embarrassingly short. It had stopped even before both pianist and conductor had left the stage.

The second half was much better, when these same instruments had free rein in 5 movements of Amorous Feelings For The Yellow River by Jing Jian Shu. The dizi duet, guan and suona soloists were excellent. Suona player Jin Shi Yi stole the show in his virtuoso role, which required extemporising bird sounds on the reeds. And to think they had all been strait-jacketed by the Ravel.

The title Son of Yellow River may sound like some playground taunt (try pronouncing it in Singlish, it sounds like "son of yellow liver"), but it refers to Yin Cheng Zong's part in the committee of five (from the Central Philharmonic Society in Beijing) that composed the ubiquitous Yellow River Concerto. Whatever one might think of this work, it is an undeniably effective showpiece, marrying memorable melodies with luscious pianism and Romantic rhetoric.

Yin is virtually peerless in his role as pianist-composer, lapping up every Tchaikovskyan octave fusillade, Lisztian cadenza and Rachmaninovian climax with relish. One almost forgets its patriotic and Socialist agenda amid the feel-good factor. Tumultuous applause and a standing ovation greeted its final chord, which brought on a repeat of a bleeding chunk from the finale, this time accompanied by rhythmic clapping from the audience à la Strauss' Radetzky March.

Egged on by conductor Yeh, it was for this reviewer a truly bizarre and cringe-worthy moment. Cheesy as this pseudo-Rachmaninov concerto might have been, I never thought it subject to or deserved this further indignity.

Footnote:

During the autograph signing, pianist Yin declined to autograph his recording of the Yellow River Concerto with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra on the Hugo label. One wonders why. Was it issued without his permission or blessing? Was he disssatisfied with the result? Or did he not receive royalties from its release? The mind boggles.

Songs Without Singers / Lim Yan Piano Recital: Review

SONGS WITHOUT SINGERS

LIM YAN Piano Recital

Sunday (9 November 2008)

Esplanade Recital Studio

This review was published in The Straits Times on 11 November 2008

After romping through the 24 Préludes of Rachmaninov in a sitting in July, it was only appropriate for young Singaporean pianist Lim Yan to showcase a more intimate and poetic side to his musicianship. Songs Without Singers was a play on the title of Felix Mendelssohn's beloved cycle Songs Without Words, the First Book (Op. 19) of which opened his recital.

Demonstrating that this music isn't just Victorian drawing room fodder, Lim coaxed a gamut of varied shades from the six pieces. A singing line was evident throughout, one where his silky sense of legato was put to good use. There were undercurrents of tension, and even a passionate Brahmsian sweep in the turbulent fifth piece that added to the pathos.

Edvard Grieg's Lyric Pieces were similarly inspired. Lim played twelve of these bonbons from two books (Op.43 and 54), colouring them with so vivid an imagination that one just forgot about the time. Amid the apparent simplicity were harmonies that piqued the ear, and Lim was an ever-resourceful guide to these little surprises and twists.

One could only guess the words to the sensuous Erotikon, a cryptic love message, while the two marches (Norwegian March and March of the Trolls) seemed to emanate from different worlds despite their Norwegian origins. The familiar Nocturne famously alluded to Grieg's evergreen Piano Concerto in A minor (Op.16), while Bell Ringing, a droll sequence of tolls and peals without an actual melody closed this set with the freshness of mountain dew.

Such a recital could not have done without the master tunesmith Franz Schubert himself. His Sonata in A major (D.664 or Op. 120) smiled with the warmth of a morning sun in its three movements. A more virtuosic edge was called for in the finale, which Lim delivered with great fluency despite an uncharacteristic momentary lapse, the only cloud in an otherwise solid reading.

Three transcriptions of Schubert Lieder concluded the evening. Rachmaninov's fussy filigree to Wohin? (Whither?), Liszt's fearsome doubled-handed octaves in Erlkönig (The Erl King) and Godowsky's oh-so-naughty contrapuntal conflations of Die Forelle (The Trout) all brought a smile. None more so to the vocalists in the audience, whose applause was rewarded with two more lovely songs without words - by Quilter-Hough (Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal) and Mendelssohn (Spring Song) - as encores. Simply delicious.

Jin Li & Ong Lip Tat Recital: Review

DUO RECITAL

JIN LI, Violin

ONG LIP TAT, Piano

Victoria Concert Hall

Sunday (2 November 2008)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 4 November 2008

It was fascinating to wonder how two of Singapore's most talented and enigmatic musicians -violinist Jin Li and pianist Ong Lip Tat - would fare together in concert. The reality was not a marriage made in heaven. Plainly put, the partnership was less than the sum of both parts.

Mozart's violin sonatas were designated as "sonatas for piano with violin accompaniment". Thus the Sonata in C major (K.296) saw pianist in the dominant role, relishing the obviously more interesting part. Ong (pictured left)was a most tasteful protagonist, colouring the score with felicitous touches and savouring the bulk of the melodic lines. Meanwhile Jin was happy playing the bridesmaid, his small sound barely registering despite being more forwardly placed.

Some parity was restored in Cesar Franck's Sonata in A major, where Jin's violin began to soar without apology. It is no secret that the piano has the lion's share of the thrills and spills. Ong gratefully lapped up the opportunities, but was dogged with inaccuracies, some of which threatened to pull the ensemble apart. It was a credit that the duo finished together.

The second half of the recital belonged almost entirely to Jin Li, whose technical adroitness was never in doubt. In the hair-raising Paganini Moto Perpetuo and Tchaikovsky's joyous Waltz-Scherzo, his unerring control was breathtaking. On the more lyrical front, the transcription of a favourite Chopin Nocturne (Op.9 No.2) has some moments of wavering intonation but generally showcased a gorgeous legato line and a vertiginous little cadenza.

The World Premiere of Goh Toh Chai's Singapore Suite (composer pictured left), comprising three local songs, sounded under-rehearsed. These are not strictly transcriptions, but rather creative relooks at tunes like Lenggang Kangkong and Ikan Kekek, subjected to subtle harmonic and contrapuntal twists. These repay further listening, but in better performances.

The best outing was reserved for a rhapsodic Chinese showpiece by Chen Gang, one half of the combo that composed the Butterfly Lovers Concerto. Here the duo was happily in sync throughout, and one longed for this consistency. There were three encores, by Toselli (Serenata), Rimsky-Korsakov (Flight of the Bumble Bee) and Tchaikovsky (Melodie), which were vociferously received.

A few words about the audience: ail the worst traits of concert-going are returning. Latecoming, noisy children, a family that changes seats between pieces, people who rest their bare feet on the seats in front of them, and clapping inappropriately between movements, you name it. Don't people ever learn to be gracious? Perhaps it is time for yet another campaign on concert etiquette.

This concert was presented by Zechariah Music.

Jacques Rouvier Piano Recital: Review

JACQUES ROUVIER Piano Recital
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall

Thursday (30 October 2008)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 3 November 2008

Jacques Rouvier, professor at the Paris Conservatoire, is better known in pianophile circles as the teacher of the French firebrand Helene Grimaud. A well respected jury member in international competitions, he completely disproved the notion that those who stand in judgment of rising pianists are more often than not has-beens on the performing front.

His recital began with Haydn's Sonata No.23 in F major, which sounded over-pedalled in part, thus watering down the effect of crispness providing that lift the music needs. His dextrous fingers however served the outer movements well, especially the Presto finale, imbuing it with the right humour including its simple ironic ending.

When one expected languor and rubato galore in two Chopin Nocturnes - both in the key of C sharp minor - he played them relatively straight, however captured the undercurrents of disquiet well. In Liszt's barnstorming Funerailles, he generated much volume and clarity in the central episode of stampeding octaves, once thought to be a tribute to the late-lamented Chopin. Despite that, a certain epic quality seemed in want, and one would need to defer to a certain Horowitz to discover grand tragedy and the necessary hysterics.

French repertoire found Rouvier at his most sympathetic. His selection of Debussy Préludes was a joy to behold, vindicating the composer's dictum that his music was written for an instrument without hammers. Played without a break, the six short pieces merged as a seamless collage, with points and splashes of colour teasing the senses. Variegated gems like Feuilles mortes (Dead Leaves) and Ondine sat picturesquely with the more rhythmically incisive La puerta del vino (Gate Of Wine) and nonchalant swagger of General Lavine eccentric....

In the Ravel segment, the popular Pavane For The Dead Infanta came off with understated grace but sounded unsentimental. The valid question posed by Rouvier is whether we non-French have read too much into this slow and stately dance's supposed programme, and expect it to sound like some over-romanticised swansong.

Ravel's neoclassical Sonatine was a model of fine taste and technical exactitude, and in two pieces from Miroirs (Mirrors), the soft echoes in Oiseaux tristes (Sad Birds) and clicking castanets of the Spanish-inspired Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song Of The Jester) were judged to perfection. As the sole encore, Poulenc's bucolic little Pastorale provided a delectable end to an enthralling evening.

Anna Koor Vocal Recital: Review

A WOMAN'S LOVE & LIFE

ANNA KOOR, Mezzo-soprano

SHANE THIO, Piano

Tuesday (28 October 2008)

Esplanade Recital Studio

This review was published in The Straits Times on 3 November 2008.

The title of local mezzo-soprano Anna Koor's very demanding vocal recital comes from the song cycle in German (Frauenliebe und Leben) by Robert Schumann. In eight songs, Koor transcended a wide range of moods and emotions in the eventful course of a woman's love life. From the glow of youth, amorous tenderness, joy in motherhood to ultimate bereavement, this was an intimate and touching portrayal keenly felt by the performer, and well communicated to a receptive audience.

Her warm, well-schooled voice generated the volume necessary to surmount the challenges offered in Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer, better known in its orchestral version. Her projection within the confines of the Recital Studio was good, especially in the higher registers, ringing out in clearly enunciated German. Only in the third song Ich hab'ein glühen Messer (I Have A Gleaming Knife), was genuine terror and despair found in want. There was also some strain in the final song Dein zwei blauen Augen (Two Blind Eyes Of My Beloved); by now she had sung over 40 minutes with nary a rest in between.

Revitalised by the intermission, Koor found the right emotional temperature of three Rachmaninov songs, with the Russian romance In The Silence Of The Night reaching an ecstatic climax with aplomb. She was even better in three French songs in Spanish rhythm by de Falla, Ravel and Debussy. There was a beguiling and entrancing quality to the delivery of each of these that this pair of ears and eyes found particularly captivating.

Literally letting down her hair and armed with a black feather boa, Koor enjoyed further moments of aural decadence in four cabaret songs with W.H Auden's words set music by Benjamin Britten. In these, lounge music meets high art, with jazzy and popular idioms as the vehicle. Koor captured the mood with her gestures and slinking movements, but the vital ingredient - words delivered in quickfire succession - could have been better realised. A printed sheet of lyrics would have worked further marvels.

Through all this, veteran pianist-collaborator Shane Thio was the perfect and attentive partner, one who never overwhelmed and savoured every detail to be had. A short Spanish encore from Manuel de Falla completed this highly enjoyable after-eight soiree.

This vocal recital was presented by the Young Musicians Society.

Harp Fest 2008: Review of Concert on 26 October 2008

HARP FEST 2008
LYNNE ASPNES Harp Recital

Sunday (26 October 2008)
The Chamber, The Arts House

This review was published in The Straits Times on 30 October 2008.

It was a coincidence that one of the little gems of the Singapore arts calendar, the Harp Fest 08 (Singapore International Harp Festival), fell right in the midst of the blockbuster Singapore Sun Festival. Organised by Malaysia-born harpist Katryna Tan, recipient of the National Arts Council's Yong Artist Award, the closely-knit 3-day festival featured daily concerts, masterclasses and workshops, all held at the environs of Old Parliament House.

There is a small but growing harp-playing community in Singapore, mainly young women and their families, all of whom feasted on the riches on offer. The concerts included solo and double harp concertos by Katryna Tan and renowned French harpist Isabelle Moretti with The Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Lim Yau, a jazz soiree and a chamber evening.

American harpist Lynne Aspnes anchored the chamber evening, first with solo works by the great French-American harpist Marcel Grandjany and Benjamin Britten. The word celestial comes to mind whenever the gentle sound of plucked strings caresses the ears, one where dissonances, harshness and stridency seem almost foreign. Grandjany's Rhapsodie is a beautifully impressionist canvas, sharing a similar sound world as Faure, Debussy and Ravel.

Those who know Britten's A Ceremony of Carols will appreciate his Suite Op.83, which sounds more accessible than imagined. Its five movements pique the ear, yet provides the harpist opportunities to display technical prowess and sensitivity. Aspnes gratefully reciprocated with an understated show of virtuosity.

Lynne Aspnes (Harp) with Cindy Yan (Violin)

The second half saw the harp as accompanist in three movements from Astor Piazzolla's History of the Tango and William Bolcom's Graceful Ghost Rag. In these, Aspnes' transcriptions from the guitar and piano ably supported violinist Cindy Yan's highly agile musings. One might have preferred the mellower flute in the Piazzolla but that was a minor issue.

Guest harpists Gulya Mashurova and Huang Yu Hsin, both locally-based, added a further touch of glamour in two duets by Isaac Albeniz and Bernard Andres. Their chemistry was infectious and the music resounded with scintillating brilliance. Despite the smallish attendance, this festival with its excellent programmes and role models in place will go a long way to boosting harp appreciation in Singapore.