PUCCINI'S LA BOHEME by Singapore Lyric Opera / Review

PUCCINI La Bohème
Singapore Lyric Opera
Esplanade Theatre
Friday (29 January 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 1 February 2010.

No matter how many times one encounters Puccini’s verismo opera La Bohème, it never fails to engage the emotions and senses. The story, its characters and Puccini’s music all contribute to “making it stick”. The Singapore Lyric Opera’s third production of the veritable tear-jerker had most if not all the ingredients for a memorable 5-evening run.

Director Andrew Sinclair brought the setting a century ahead to Paris of the Depression years. The Bohemians’ garret, simply but splendidly designed by Priscil Poh, sported steel girders with rivets and was suitably grubby. Even the outdoor Café Momus scene allowed a vista of the Eiffel Tower in the background.

The plot of youth, poverty, love and loss however remained eternal and universal. Central to this was soprano Nancy Yuen’s (left) sympathetic Mimi. She has lost none of her youthful ardour and vocal purity over the years, totally capable of portraying a role half her age convincingly. Her distinctive timbre has become almost synonymous with Singapore opera itself.

Opposite her was Kota Murakami (left) as Rodolfo whose pleasant and bright tone was complementary, even if it was not the biggest on the tenement block. That belonged to Song Kee Chang’s angst-filled Marcello who was the glue that united the principal cast. His paramour Musetta, sung by Kristin Symes, had great physical presence as a Marilyn Monroe look-alike but limited by a miniscule voice in her Waltz Aria.

Singaporeans William Lim and Martin Ng sand their respective parts as the landlord cum sugar daddy and Colline with credit, with the latter having a shining moment in the “Overcoat” Aria of Act Four. An animated Brent Allcock as Schaunard completed the male foursome that bubbled with close camaraderie.

There were many musical highpoints. The love duet of Act One and the chorus-crowd scenes of Act Two that threatened to spill out over the stage were among them. However Act Three with the lovers reunited at the Barrier Gate held the most poignancy, reflected against the violent parting of Marcello and Musetta that resembled scenes from The Godfather.

The SLO Orchestra conducted by Wang Ya-Hui (left, incidentally the first woman to conduct an SLO production) supported marvelously with concertmaster Seah Huan Yuh’s violin solos a particular pleasure. If only the surtitles were this well coordinated; the sudden and heartbreaking entrance of a pale and ashen-faced Mimi in the final act was spoilt by the surtitles coming on too soon.

That the Singapore Lyric Opera has been able to mount a production of this quality on a shoestring budget is itself a remarkable achievement. Its future productions - The Magic Flute and Salomé – look very inviting indeed.

PUCCINI'S LA BOHEME: An opera to die for?

Here's a little piece I wrote for the Singapore Lyric Opera's

programme booklet for its production of Puccini's La Bohème.

(Click on image to enlarge)

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, January 2010)

HAYDN Piano Sonatas Vol.2
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, Piano
Hyperion 67710 (2 CDs)

Rating *****

This recording has unusually received the most diametrically polarised of reviews, raving praise in Gramophone but panned in International Piano. But which is right? Firstly, the French-Canadian pianist Hamelin is better known in technically complex repertoire but he does not regard Haydn as anything less. Even the “facile” Sonata No.35 in C major, bane of children learning the piano, is never academic fodder in his hands. Here it sounds like fun.

Next, there is no pretence to scholarship or so-called authenticity; instead he goes to the heart of the music. Haydn’s skittish humour is ever present and the slow movements display a lovely singing tone. Two of Haydn’s great late sonatas, No.48 (C major) and No.49 (E flat major) get the regal readings they deserve. In addition to the 9 sonatas, Haydn’s masterly Variations in F minor and Fantasia are also included. Hamelin shows how and why Haydn should never be neglected.

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Trio
RACHMANINOV Trio Elegiaque No.1
VADIM REPIN, Violin

MISCHA MAISKY, Cello

LANG LANG, Piano

Deutsche Grammophon 477 8099
*****

The big news is Lang Lang’s recorded début as a chamber musician, and there is no more appropriate repertoire than this. The Rachmaninov is an early single-movement work, heavily influenced by Tchaikovsky, not to be mistaken for his second and better known trio. The Tchaikovsky has been recorded many times, with a wonderful set of variations as its middle movement.

The potent mix of Slavic melancholy and digital virtuosity inherent both scores are eminently suited for Lang’s temperament. He is well matched by violinist Vadim Repin and cellist Mischa Maisky, old hands in chamber repertoire. For their big techniques and egos, there is never a sense of one-upmanship, instead they forge a common ground to make these overwrought works sound fresh and relevant. Like the legendary “Million Dollar Trios” of the last century peopled by the likes of Rubinstein, Horowitz, Heifetz and Piatigorsky, this threesome is destined for greatness.

SZYMANOWSKI Violin Works
ALINA IBRAGIMOVA, Violin
CEDRIC TIBERGHIEN, Piano
Hyperion 67703

****1/2

The violin works of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) are finally getting the attention they deserve. Most celebrated are the three Mythes, based on Greek mythology, which blend achingly beautiful melodies and perfumed harmonies with impressionistic hues. The shimmering textures in Fountain of Arethuse and eroticism of Narcissus are musical ambrosia, culminating with the ecstatic dance of Dryades and Pan. Even earthier is the Nocturne and Tarantella, alternating mystery with an exuberance bordering on violence.

The Sonata in D minor is more conventional but no less enjoyable. As a curiosity, three of Paganini’s Caprices are treated to Szymanowski’s quite ingenious piano accompaniment. The young Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova coaxes a beautiful ethereal sound for most part, possessing the full measure of this music’s overt sensuality and subtle nuances. French pianist Cedric Tiberghien – well known for his Debussy – is a most perceptive partner. Heartily recommended.

Chopin Celebration Concert / NAFA Piano Faculty / Review

CHOPIN CELEBRATION CONCERT 

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts 

Tuesday (26 January 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 29 January 2010.

The first concert in commemoration of Frederic Chopin’s bicentenary this year was delivered by piano faculty members of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Featuring seven pianists in nine works, there was fair polish (pardon the pun) and bounteous poetry, even if the passion quotient came up somewhat short.

The main draw was the four Ballades, exquisite tone poems and arguably Chopin’s finest essays. Performed in sequence, they amount to a substantial “fourth” sonata. The two most familiar, No.1 in G minor (Op.23) and No.4 in F minor (Op.52), received tasteful and unmannered accounts from Rena Phua and Benjamin Loh respectively. All went singingly until the tempestuous and treacherous codas, where both struggled and teetered on the edge of calamity and collapse.

Phua returned to better vibes in the less hazardous Ballade No.3 in A flat major (Op.47), which built up to a fine climax without hitting further speed bumps. It was left to the Montenegrin Boris Kraljevic to highlight the stark contrasts in Ballade No. 2 in F major (Op.38), alternating between a serene Siciliano rhythm and outright violence. His Slavic temperament to go for broke was a definite plus.

The recital’s first half showcased Chopin’s shorter but no less heartfelt pieces. The dark and meditative Nocturnes combined smooth bel canto lines with seething disquiet. These were apparent in Lena Ching’s reading of the C sharp minor Nocturne (Op.27 No.1), which was intimate although operating on a smallish sound palette. A pity that the auditorium’s air conditioning also displayed some Chopin-like behaviour by unpredictably droning noisily during the quiet passages. 

Lim Tshui Fang’s view of the C minor Nocturne (Op.48 No.1) lacked power and projection, while Ernest Lim’s Impromptu No.3 (Op.51) was a tad too deliberate. Both seemed to opt for safety first over fearless audacity. The lovely Berceuse (Op.57), with its unwavering left hand accompaniment and right hand ornaments, however found a sympathetic guide in Kraljevic.

The best all-round performance came from Ng Chong Lim, who invested a special alchemy to the Three Mazurkas (Op.59). Elegant and well articulated, these dance miniatures pulsated with life, with every detail lovingly brought out. Melancholy, exultation and agitation, all encapsulated within 9 vital minutes, were quintessential Chopin, sine qua non.

The NAFA piano faculty (from L): Kraljevic,

Phua, Ng, T.F.Lim, E.Lim, Ching & Loh.

If I may be permitted to play schoolmaster and grade the performances as if it were a term paper, here are the "grades" (not published in The Straits Times):

Op.27 No.1: B+

Op.48 No.1: C+

Op.51: C+

Op.57: B+

Op.59: A

Op.23: B- (C for coda)

Op.38: B+

Op.47: B+

Op.52: B (C for coda)

Do I get an apple for my efforts?

ABIGAIL SIN named Young Steinway Artist

17-year-old Singaporean pianist Abigail Sin has been named a Young Steinway Artist. A final-year student at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, she is only one of 13 Young Steinway Artists in the world, and the first in Southeast Asia. At a celebration reception at Robert Piano (Millenia Walk), she thanked her teachers and supporters over the years who have helped shape her young musical career. She now joins the ranks of Rachmaninov, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Schnabel, Fleisher and her teacher Thomas Hecht as an exclusive Steinway artist.

In a short recital, she performed Five Préludes from Chopin's Op.28 set and the ferociously thorny Sonata by Charles Griffes. Combining a natural virtuosity with the gift of tonal shadings encompassing a wide variety of shades and nuances, she made every note her own. Abigail is destined to be one of the brightest stars in the musical firmament.

Thomas Hecht presents Abigail with

a gift from Tiffany & Co, and it isn't a ring!

Abigail's teacher at the conservatory Thomas Hecht paid a tribute to her, citing the attributes she so bounteously possesses that make up her name:

Artist

Belief

Intellect

God

Attitude

Instinct

Love of music

Allow me to add three more to the acronym that makes up her surname:

Sincerity / Style

Integrity

Never say never

Go and conquer the world! We're all so proud of you, Abigail!

Abigail with her proud father Lye Kuen.

SSO Concert: Buried Treasure / Review

BURIED TREASURE
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Esplanade Concert Hall
Friday (22 January 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 25 January 2010.

This year marks the bicentenary of the German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856), as good as any reason for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to embark on a Schumann symphony cycle. Beginning with chronologically his last symphony, the “Rhenish” in E flat major, the orchestra generated an aura of pomp and majesty right from the outset.

Under the direction of the eminent American conductor Gerard Schwarz, it was easy to be swept away by the broad waves of sound that poured forth. But listening more attentively, one could discern a wealth of detail, not least in the intricate counterpoint weaved into the 2nd movement’s melody or the gentle rhythmic nuances of the intermezzo-like middle movement.

Most of all it was the force of personality of the music and interpretation that impressed. While Schumann’s musical vision of Cologne Cathedral in the slow movement was awe-inspiring, the performance captured the feeling of grandeur and magnificent antiquity, with sheer elation following in the closing pages.

The concert had however opened on a dour note, as Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture was taken at such a deliberate pace as to negate the drama arising from the opposing forces that tore the Roman general apart. Sustaining tension or attention became a tall order as the result.

No such fears surfaced for Shostakovich’s darkly-hewn First Violin Concerto in A minor (Op.99)from the young Belgian-Bulgarian violinist Yossif Ivanov (left). Just only 22, he has both the technical ability and depth of expression to transcend the 40-minute angst-laden score dedicated to the great David Oistrakh.

Projecting a bright, penetrating sound, he illuminated an unerring path through the ruminative Nocturne, and traded high jinks with various instrumental combinations in the Scherzo, a slalom on the razor’s edge with its ciphers and in-jokes. Ivanov came further into his own in the dead-serious Passacaglia, ripping fearlessly into its cadenza before the wild frenzied dance in the Klezmer-styled finale. His encore by Ysaye also proved one thing – here is a bona fide virtuoso equal to the best.

The fact that the concerto was suppressed by the composer for eight years was understandable. That and the discovery of precocious new talent in Ivanov probably go some way in the corny title of this concert: “Buried Treasure”. For classical concerts to be taken seriously, these kooky monikers and whoever is naming them, will just have to stop.

IT'S OFFICIAL: Singapore's Top Soprano Diva is LA YUEN!

IT'S OFFICIAL! After an online poll by The Mad Scene (http://themadscene.athenarts.com/), Singapore's premier opera blog, Singapore's top soprano Nancy Yuen has been christened LA YUEN.

This title is appropriately in Chinese, which celebrates the roundness of her tone (besides being her surname), although some have less kindly made references to body habitus (La Rotunda and La Ovale were not among the nominations). It was a closely contested poll, with La YUEN besting La Appasionata Voce (ungrammatical Italian) and La Boomza (Bimbotian).

So you have it: the soprano who will sing Mimi in Singapore Lyric Opera's production of La Bohème next week is LA YUEN!

What's the music in my MP3 player?

WHAT’S THE MUSIC IN MY MP3 PLAYER?

Way back in 2005, I bought myself my first MP3 player. Not an iPod, but an LG FM11 with a measly 256 MB, just 4 hours of listening capacity. What went into this portable jukebox? Piano music, of course, and here are the items which have remained more or less unchanged since 2008:

RACHMANINOFF-WILD 

Song Transcriptions
To The Children – Floods of Spring – In The Silent Night – Where Beauty Lies – Vocalise – O, Cease Thy Singing
EARL WILD

RACHMANINOFF-VOLODOS 

Andante from Cello Sonata, Op.19
ARCADI VOLODOS

Yes, I'm a complete sucker for Rachmaninoff's melodies and one will not find finer tunes than these, all dressed up in pianistic finery like Cinderella going to a ball. Both Wild and Volodos are great transcribers, as Rachmaninoff was himself.

GODOWSKY Java Suite
Gamelan – Wayang Purwa – Hari Besaar – Chattering Monkeys of Lake Wendit – Borobodur in Moonlight – Bromo Volcano and Sand Sea – Three Dances – The Gardens of Buitenzorg – Streets of Old Batavia – In the Kraton – Ruined Water Castle at Djokja – Court Pageant in Solo.
ESTHER BUDIARDJO

One of my all-time-favourite "concept discs", Oriental-flavoured and lusciously written music idiomatically and sensitively played by the wonderful Indonesian pianist Esther Budiardjo.

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No.2
VLADIMIR KRAINEV

with Frankfurt Radio Symphony 

DMITRI KITAENKO

A great if underrated piano concerto, a sort of Rachmaninov with teeth. Krainev has all the chops and that vital Russian essence; possibly greater than Ashkenazy's famous Decca recording, and definitely streets ahead of Li Yundi...

RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No.2
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
GARY GRAFFMAN 

with New York Philharmonic 

LEONARD BERNSTEIN

This was the Rach 2 that got me started on my road of discovery in classical music. As an impressionable 14-year-old in the 1970s, Rachmaninov can have the impact of being struck by a bolt of lightning. Even if it was on a made-in-Indonesia pirated cassette costing $2 sold at a roadside stall.

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No.3
JOHN CHEN with Sydney Symphony 

JANOS FURST

Recorded "live" in the finals of the Sydney International Piano Competition 2004. A passion-filled performance that captures the blood and guts of a "live" performance. A storm of bravos ensue, including a just audible vocal contribution from yours truly.

Solo highlights from the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition:

CHOPIN Étude in A minor, Op.10 No.2 

DANIIL TSVETKOV
KAPUSTIN Intermezzo TATIANA KOLESOVA
POULENC Presto TAKASHI SATO
RAVEL La Valse DAVID FUNG
SCHULZ-EVLER Arabesques on the Blue Danube 

HOANG PHAM
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude & Fugue in D flat major, Op.87 No.15 TATIANA KOLESOVA

Thrills and spills indelibly captured in the excitement of competition.

SSO 31st Anniversary Concert / Review

SSO 31ST ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
Esplanade Concert Hall
Friday (15 January 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 18 January 2010.

Has it been 31 years? It seemed not too long ago when the Singapore Symphony Orchestra turned 21. Then the public was divided about its new and youthful Music Director Lan Shui, some thrilled by his charisma and dynamism while others shocked by his super-fast speeds and seeming glossing over of details.

Today, there can be no doubt about the SSO and Shui’s prowess, as this concert amply proved. One major advance has been the quality of brass and woodwinds, none better illustrated in Richard Strauss’ tone poem Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks. Principal hornist Han Chang Chou’s whooping portrayal of the likeable rogue of German folklore could not have been better characterised.

Such audacity in its raucousness was matched by newcomer Li Xin’s pleading clarinet. This slick and well-oiled performance, surmounting a plethora of quixotic changes in dynamics and pacing, all made Till a sympathetic figure, one who would have a last laugh even after his execution.

Singaporean soloists always take centrestage in anniversary concerts, and it was the turn of T’ang Quartet (left), Singapore’s hip chamber outfit. Despite a change in personnel, with Oh Han Ling replacing Lionel Tan on viola, the foursome remains a cohesive and attitudinous force. Their contribution was only the second Asian performance of American Benjamin Lees’ Concerto For String Quartet & Orchestra (1964).

Written in an approachable neoclassical style that recalled Stravinsky, the concerto provided scope for ensemble and solo virtuosity. Bounding energy in outer movements contrasted with a lament-like slow movement that called for individual voices to be solidly projected. That these could have come through with greater incisiveness and volume was the only cavil to a largely enjoyable performance.

No reservations need apply to Sibelius’ Second Symphony in D major, conducted from memory by Shui (left). The opening measures were unusually broad, and the horn chorale radiated genuine warmth and largesse, putting paid to the notion that the Finn was all glacier and tundra. Rhythmic frigidity was never on the cards, with a malleability of tempos that stretched each idea and climax to almost unsupportable ends.

The slow movement demonstrated that not only was that possible, but also convincingly delivered. The restless 3rd movement’s subterranean struggle (marked Vivacissimo) rumbled and than bubbled over into the majestic finale which blazed with volcanic force. The nail-biting lead-up to the final gut-wrenching Tchaikovskian statement was quintessential Shui. He and his magnificent band, the SSO, are true masters of musical suspense.

BOLIVIAN BAROQUE / Florilegium & Bolivian Soloists / Review

BOLIVIAN BAROQUE
Florilegium & Bolivian Soloists
Esplanade Concert Hall
Thursday (14 January 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 18 January 2010.

Steering clear from the usual suspects of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the groundbreaking Baroque in Singapore series opened with a stiff dose of the obscure. British chamber group Florilegium with four Bolivian singers presented music from the Jesuit missions that operated deep in the Andes during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Indian natives were taught European music, composition and performance, resulting in a large corpus of works whose composers remain unknown or anonymous. Listening without preconceptions, these sounded much like Italian and continental music, without a trace of indigenous influences. Latin was used although some motets were sung in the Indian languages of the Chiquitos and Moxos.

However what distinguished was a lack of pretense and an unalloyed joy. The polyphony in Stella Coeli Extirpavit (Star Of Heaven Brought Forth) and Tota Pulchra (Mary Without Blemish) was uncomplicated, with all four voices (left) blending with a purity that was simple yet touching. In the secular number Si El Amor (If A Lover Falls Asleep), each singer took turns to sing a strophe followed by a chorus of Let Him Sleep, which lent a touch of the theatrical.

The solos were also impressive. Mezzo-soprano Gian-Carla Tisera negotiated treacherous Handelian runs in the florid motet Quis Me A Te (Who Will Part Me) while tenor Henry Villca exuded a casual, almost nonchalant, declaration of faith in Caima, Iyai Jesus (Today, Lord Jesus). Spinto-soprano Karina Troiano’s intimate refrain of thanksgiving in Aqui Ta Naqui Iyai (Here Our Father In Present) was hard to resist, contrasted with mezzo Katia Escalera’s fuller and voluptuous tone in an aria about food, In Hac Mensa (At This Table).

Escalera also starred Domenico Zipoli’s Beatus Vir (Blessed Is The Man), alternating lines beautifully with a chorus sung by her three colleagues. Blessed indeed was this Italian contemporary of J.S.Bach, a Jesuit missionary who ventured across the Atlantic and planted his roots in Argentina.

In between vocal numbers were trio sonatas from the 7-strong ensemble - two violins, baroque flute/recorder with Florilegium (left) director Ashley Solomon, and continuo. Their encore, an arrangement of a Bolivian folksong and variations, drew a standing ovation. This breath of fresh air deserved nothing less.

THE SINGAPORE EXPERIENCE: Impressions of the National Piano and Violin Competition 2009 by BRYCE MORRISON

Bryce Morrison with a

rather familiar brand name.

The world-renowned music critic and authority on piano performance BRYCE MORRISON was in Singapore last December as one of the judges at the National Piano & Violin Competition 2009. Here are his impressions on his musical visit to the “Lion City”.

Your last visit to Singapore was over 15 years ago. How has Singapore changed since then?

I could hardly recognise anything. Everything in Singapore changes with a rapidity that is a testament to a people of astonishing energy and discipline.

You have judged in over 50 international piano competitions in the United Kingdom and worldwide. Do you ever tire of this activity?

The answer is no. The minute you hear genuine quality or calibre (and sometimes you have to wait a long time for that minute!) it is like the sun coming out; a moment of musical and poetic revelation.

With young prize-winning pianists of NPVC 2009.

The National Piano & Violin Competition in Singapore featured a record 215 pianists heard in the space of one week. Pianists were grouped under 4 categories: Junior, Intermediate, Senior and Artist. In which of these did you see the most potential?

Great potential and more than potential in all four categories. Naturally, the standard varied, indeed dipped and soared wildly, but the challenge of listening to such an array of talent was rarely less than stimulating, ofton moving and sometimes deeply satisfying.

Li Zhen takes a bow

after her winning Liszt Piano Concerto No.1

Were there any performances that particularly touched you?

Many, but I should like to single out Amanda Lee Yun Yee (Junior category). Her performance of Chopin's F minor Waltz in particular showed a freshness and instinct for poetry astonishing in so young a pianist. Also Li Zhen (Artist category, above) whose expressive beauty in Brahms Fantasy Pieces (Op.116) was as remarkable as her unfaltering confidence, accuracy and glitter in her first prize winning Liszt First Piano Concerto. Her performance of the Second Intermezzo from the Brahms was the highlight of the entire competition for me. Special mention, too, for Shaun Choo Yung Sheng for his enviably stylish and brilliant performance of Chopin's 24 Préludes (Op.28). There were, of course, many other instances of major talent, but these performances left an indelible impression that has stayed with me long after the event.

Asian pianists have been accused of being “all fingers, no tradition and no soul”. Was this the case here in Singapore?

There are indeed many examples of this sort of limitation. But as I have pointed out above, there are always exceptions to such a crude generalisation. True, I found instances of 'forced feeding' the result of over-ambitious and sometimes perverse teaching, but the general impression in Singapore was awe-inspiring.

The piano jury: Bryce Morrison,

Rae de Lisle and Logan Skelton (from L)

What was your relationship with the other judges like? Were there any battle royales between the three of you?

I was blessed to have such sympathetic jury colleagues. Even in moments of rare disagreement the terms of the disagreement were always understandable (Never was there, "You think that is great, and I think it is awful.") As on all these occasions I feared sudden dissent, only to find ourselves in such harmony, accord and once more on the level. There were no battle royals; very disappointing!

Literally conducting a masterclass.

What do you look for in young pianists in your masterclasses? What are the most important messages you like them to take home? What can be done to help young Asian pianists go beyond merely mastering the notes?

A secure technical foundation that allows them freedom to express themselves. As Rudolf Serkin(a great if hardly natural pianist) once said, "You can never have enough technique." I also look for - to put it simply- a sheer joy in music making, a natural love rather than fear of the concert platform expressed in an imaginative, daring and individual artistry. This is something very different to imitation or the parrot-like repetition of a teacher's ideas.

What are your suggestions to improve the running and standard of this competition?

It was a hectic and intense two weeks, sometimes too intensive to make for realistic and accurate listening. I think you could cut down the numbers by having a preliminary round before the competition commences in earnest.

Pianomaniacs in Malacca

at the ruins of St Paul's Church.

Amid the busyness, did you get to do any sightseeing?

As much as time allowed - Singapore Zoo, Sentosa and Malacca (above). So much to think about, the entire experience often humbling and enriching.

A Few Words with ALAN GILBERT

A FEW WORDS WITH ALAN GILBERT
Music Director, New York Philharmonic Orchestra

This interview took place in October 2009, when the NYPO visited Singapore, and was used for an article in the January 2010 issue of Singapore Airlines inflight magazine Silver Kris.

The Japanese-American conductor Alan Gilbert has just begun his tenure as the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in its 2009/10 season. The first American-born maestro since Leonard Bernstein to head the prestigious orchestra, he is also the first native New Yorker. After completing its Asian tour in October, the NYPO heads to Europe in January-February 2010.

What was it like growing up in New York City?

Many people think it strange living in the Big Apple, but I loved it. I was a true New York kid. It has so much to offer in terms of cultural diversity and wealth of possibilities, like going to museums and concerts. I have lived in many cities, but miss its incredible range, and there is no place quite like it.

NYPO family: Alan Gilbert with his parents

Michael Gilbert and Yoko Takebe.

Best kept secrets? It isn’t true that New York is all expensive. You can get cheap tickets on the day of events, attend free concerts in Central Park and visit museums on their free days. I love the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) – it is always reinventing itself to present art in new ways – and the Frick Collection, which is small but exquisite, and will always have a fond place in my heart. I never thought we’d come to this, but Fairway (the 24-hour grocery store) on Broadway and 74th Street has a great organic food department on its second floor!

Factoid:

New Yorker Alan Gilbert has never visited the Statue of Liberty!

The NYPO has recently performed in North Korea and Vietnam, and there are plans afoot for Cuba. How do think music and politics can mix for the betterment of society?

We don’t sit down and discuss what taboos we’d like to break. We are musicians who play great music, and who hope to reach the widest audience possible. There is lots of talk about politics and the orchestra has not stayed away from it. However we want to create a bond between different cultures by connecting on a human level. We have a common heritage which can be found in our shared experiences. If something good can come out of these exchanges, it would be a great result for all.

What does it feel like performing in different venues and cities of the world?

Every place is different. Each has a different atmosphere, a “perfume” – the diffuse feeling which you cannot begin to describe. Yet one is struck by how similar these places are as well, whether it is Chicago, Tokyo, Hamburg, Paris or Hanoi. Music is able to transcend boundaries without you even saying a word.

What roles do you think classical musicians can play in contemporary society?

Classical musicians should be incredibly dedicated to education, to refresh and rejuvenate audiences by introducing music to kids, families and schools. We need to have a palpable influence, to go out, demonstrate and make them aware that we exist. Once in the concert hall, intellectually stimulating programmes will draw those who are curious about history and philosophy to see connections between the works. Classical music seems to be excluded from contemporary culture, so we have work of catching up to do.

Orchestras have been compared with museums, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as they are not just recycling old ideas. The great museums are repositories of art and centres for research, the ones which encourage young artists to present art in new and innovative ways.

Having performed there, what were your thoughts of Vietnam?

Hanoi was a fascinating place, presenting a kaleidoscope of impressions. The food was of an exotic nature and wonderfully unfamiliar. I remember people sitting by the streets and eating from roadside stands. We performed at the small but very charming Opera House (left) with terrific acoustics. The audience showed complete concentration, was very receptive and appreciative.

What do you remember as the most unusual location to have given a concert?

[He pauses long and hard for a thought.] That must have been a concert with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra which we did in a little town in the South of France near Monte Carlo. It was town square without a stage or amphitheatre, surrounded by sidewalk cafes, and we sat and performed on the cathedral steps. It had unbelievable acoustics and people peered out of windows to watch us perform, just the perfect summer night!

I feel very lucky that my job allows me to travel and to meet people. It is physically demanding, but keeping busy gives me the energy never to be tired!

Here is the Silver Kris article (co-written with Editor Pearl Lee), with some differences.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

AUTOGRAPHS: Music Directors of the New York Philharmonic

Fact: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is the American orchestra that has performed the most times in Singapore, led by its four most recent Music Directors. Here are what their autographs look like:

ALAN GILBERT (Music Director 2009 onwards)

conducted the NYPO at Esplanade Concert Hall

in his first season and Asian tour.

LORIN MAAZEL (Music Director 2002-2009)

visited Singapore twice, conducting the NYPO

at the Esplanade Opening Festival (2002)

and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (2006).

KURT MASUR (Music Director 1991-2002)
had a single visit with the NYPO in 1998

with a concert in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

ZUBIN MEHTA (Music Director 1979-1991)
led the NYPO to Singapore in 1984 and 1990,
with concerts at Victoria Concert Hall,
National Stadium and on the Padang.

POOMZ! Piano Prodigies by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts / Review

PIANO PRODIGIES
NAFA Auditorium
Tuesday (12 January 2010)

What does one make of a recital entitled Piano Prodigies? Hyperbole or mere wishful thinking? To the credit of the Department of Keyboard Studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art, neither; this hour-long recital by their foreign student talents came close to the real thing.

The 16-year-old whiz from Hainan Island (China), Zhao Yang Ming Tian (above), looks every bit of a keyboard veteran. Opening with a commanding account of Granados’ Allegro de Concierto, roulades of notes flew in its fanfare-like introduction, immaculately tossed off with a facility and lightness that impressed. Blessed with the ability to relax and withhold, and later pile on the notes upon demand, he strikes the listener as a thinking and feeling musician, not an automaton. Easily negotiating a variety of tricky octave passages, and with melodic interest never lost amid the busy guitar-like figurations, these were further plusses. Refreshing in his lack of mannerism, I would much sooner hear Zhao than some chap called Lang Lang.

Mop-topped Nguyen Tien Khai from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam, above), performed the Vivace third movement from Prokofiev’s Sonata No.8 in B flat major (Op.84). The least savage of his trilogy of War Sonatas, its finale was nonetheless a rapid-fire over barbed-wire exercise in keyboard prowess. Nguyen has the notes, and her Kalashnikov-like attack propelled the music forward with much impetus and volume. However this devilish perpetual motion needs to have more nuance and contour to mean something. A good build-up of momentum was maintained in the central goosestep of staccatos, but the grandstand ending was a mad scramble with missed notes aplenty. I would have much preferred to hear this personable young lady in the sonata’s far more expressive first movement.

All this served as the “undercard” to the “main event” from NAFA alumnus Poom Prommachart (Thailand, above), now a student at London’s Royal College of Music. With a boyish grin, he thanked the organisers of the recital and launched into Rachmaninov’s Étude-tableau in E flat minor (Op.39 No.5). Not the cleanest of readings, it nevertheless had the smouldering melodic line down pat, and reached a towering climax with the inner voice raging above the torrent of chords.

Schumann’s eight-movement Kreisleriana (Op.16) crowned a satisfying evening. A false start notwithstanding, his passionate and fearless leap into its thorny thickets showed he meant business. Combining nimble fingers and deeply felt emotions, he was deep within the heart of the hyper-Romantic music. To this, he brought wide-ranging colours and big gestures, reveling in its turbulent pages yet in always touch with a more tender side. This is a portrait of a poet madly in love, but can a mere 20-year-old be privy to that? Poom exercised that right with generosity and gusto, with the ability to quixotically shift and alternate moods being the secret to understanding this musical roller-coaster.

There were no Singaporeans featured in this recital. No matter, our schools are privileged to have been part of the musical education of these musical prodigies. POOMZ, and triple POOMZ!