SCHUMANN FANTASIES / Zara / Review

SCHUMANN FANTASIES
Zara
Esplanade Recital Studio
Sunday (28 November 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 30 November 2010.

In a year of music dominated by Chopin and Mahler, it is always gratifying to note that the underrated Robert Schumann (1810-1856) receiving due recognition by chamber music circles. After all, he wrote the best chamber music among the three composers whose anniversaries are being celebrated.

Zara is a young international chamber group formed by Singaporean violinist Tang Tee Khoon and her friends from Korea, Israel, Belgium and Britain. They have only performed together for one year but already sound like seasoned veterans. Every member is a true virtuoso, and it was immediately apparent in the opening work, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in A minor (Op.13). Mendelssohn was a close member of Schumann’s inner circle, which merited his inclusion.

The members of ZARA:

Tang Tee Khoon, Dimitri Murrath, Adi Tal,

Sam Armstrong & Julianne Lee (from L)

Refined playing, ultimate control and the ability to listen to each other distinguished its slow introduction, and that remained a hallmark and constant for the whole concert. Four string players breathed as one, led by Korean first violinist Julianne Lee, as they launched the Allegro with Beethovenian vigour. Commanding the full gamut of emotions and colours, the performance sang and sighed, contrasting declamatory salvoes with gossamer lightness, before closing in sublime stillness.

It was all Schumann after that. More passion flowed in the Piano Trio No.3 In G minor (Op.110), where British pianist Sam Armstrong partnered Tang and Israeli cellist Adi Tal. Here the tragically short-lived German’s Romantic heart and soul was laid bare, where its dark desires and impetuous surges gradually underwent a transformation to the sunny G major daylight of the joyous finale.

After the interval, Belgian violist Dimitri Murrath (with pianist Armstrong) than polished off the Adagio & Allegro (Op.70), with aching lyricism so typical of the composer giving way to ecstatic rapture. Such authority and conviction followed into the final offering, the rarely heard Piano Quartet in E flat major (Op.47).

It was Schumann’s heart-on-sleeve vulnerability that made his music so appealing and memorable. From Beethoven-influenced fist shaking gestures of the opening, the restless perpetual motion of the Scherzo, that lovely song without words with each of the string instruments taking turns on the melody, to the busy counterpoint of the finale, Zara’s performance showed what it meant to be alive and in love with life itself.

The audience in attendance must rank as one of the least initiated ever encountered for chamber music. It clapped inappropriately in between movements for all the works, trooped off after the first work thinking it was the intermission, leaving the hall half-filled for the second piece, and then re-entering in dribs and drabs with the music already in progress, in full view of the performers. Our international guests must think us a bunch of yokels and bumpkins. Pearls before swine come to mind, but one must not be unkind. Did they have any clue that they had just witnessed (and almost spoiled) easily the best chamber concert of the year?

Zara performs more Schumann on Tuesday (Tonight!) at 8pm in Esplanade Recital Studio. Do not miss it.

The members of Zara at their Youth Interactive event.

SSO Gala Concert: Virtuosos / Review

VIRTUOSOS
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Esplanade Concert Hall
Saturday (27 November 2010)

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

It seemed a strange quirk of fate that the Singapore Symphony Orchestra should perform a Mahler symphony just three days after one by the Berlin Philharmonic. On the evidence of the performance led by eminent Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, the national orchestra which recently performed at Berlin’s Philharmonie home, was in no way disgraced.

On a good evening, the disparity between the Goliath and David is much narrower than most imagine. This was one of those evenings. The Seventh Symphony, considered Mahler’s most problematic to interpret and one notoriously difficult for audiences, was on the cards. Allen Meek’s opening tenor horn solo was a tower of strength, so commanding as to set the tone for the first movement’s sequence of processionals to lean on.

The direction was taut, but its driven urgency also allowed for the narrative’s incessant ebbs and flows. Genuine tension was being accrued, but at that magical moment which ushered in the harps, there was a palpable sense of release with the music coming to full bloom. A confident swagger, boosted by excellent brass solos, also made most of the pent-up energy.

The middle three movements, two “night pieces” sandwiching a hellish carousel of a scherzo (arguably Mahler’s weirdest movement), were perfectly judged. The contrasts between country-spun innocence, with cowbells, guitar and mandolin entering the fray, and murky subterranean squeals, wails and groans made for some eventful listening.

The Rondo finale’s fanfares were exultant, but its overlong machinations may have sapped some of the immaculateness in the brass, resulting in some frayed corners. But past the 75th minute, the orchestra was still on even keel as chimes brought the symphony to a breathless conclusion. This qualified to be a close-to-great performance by any count.

The sweetener of the first half was delivered by Swiss flautist Emmanuel Pahud, a principal in the Berlin Philharmonic. Mozart’s Second Flute Concerto was graced by his sweet and gorgeous tone, the fluidity of which made every turn of phrase sound so natural and even easy. His cadenzas were idiomatic and built upon the simplicity of the themes. All stops were pulled for Francois Borne’s Carmen Fantasy, a veritable compendium of virtuoso tricks and devices.

Virtuosos was the apt title for the concert, describing to a tee flautist, conductor and one whole orchestra.

20 YEARS OF GRAND OPERA / Singapore Lyric Opera / Review

20 YEARS OF GRAND OPERA
Singapore Lyric Opera
Esplanade Concert Hall
Friday (26 November 2010)

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

For a nation with a negligible opera tradition, the Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO) has achieved a fair bit in its twenty years. Always cash-strapped and operating within wafer-thin budgets, its productions have often been a credit to its pluck and resourcefulness. For its 20th anniversary gala, highlights from twenty operas, operettas and musicals were packed into an eventful and largely enjoyable 160 minutes.

Using a cast that distinguished more recent productions was a wise choice. The faces were more familiar and voices fresher. The most outstanding moments came in love duets, with Singapore’s “First Lady of Opera” Nancy Yuen and Korean tenor Lee Jae Wook providing stellar performances from La Boheme and Madama Butterfly. Both radiated palpable chemistry and genuine sympathy, and one could be led into imagining this was taking place in a major opera house.

The pairing of Taiwanese soprano Jessica Chen and Korean baritone Song Kee Chang was also convincing in Leoncavallo’s E Allor Perche (I Pagliacci), while local mezzo-soprano Anna Koor and Korean soprano Choo Hi-Myung took the gloss to Offenbach’s Barcarolle (The Tales Of Hoffmann).

(From L) Anna Koor, Lemuel dela Cruz, Jessica Chen,

Leow Siak Fah, Yee Ee Ping, Eric Zhu & Nancy Yuen.

Solo arias also produced many moving minutes. London-based soprano Yee Ee Ping in Puccini’s Vissi D’Arte (Tosca) sounded like she meant every word of it. Veteran baritone William Lim was engaging in his opening introduction from I Pagliacci, and Filipino tenor Lemuel dela Cruz valiantly hit the highest notes of the Flower Song (Gounod’s Faust) despite nursing a cold.

Arias from Puccini’s Turandot registered the highest decibels. It seemed strange that Nessun Dorma was sung before In Questa Reggia, out of sequence in the opera, but the reason was soon apparent. Tenor Lee’s predictably heroic Calaf had to take second place to Chen’s ice-cold Turandot, her frightening intensity was one to raise goosebumps and chill blood.

In an effort to be inclusive, there was a nod to Singapore’s first and only opera to date, Leong Yoon Pin’s Bunga Mawar. Yuen and Lim did the honours for the lyrical duet Can I Believe The Sentiment Of Song.

A toast should be raised to Leow Siak Fah, (left) SLO’s founding Chairman who single-handedly bankrolled early productions while casting himself in leading tenor roles. In a final hurrah, he relived an imperious youth in Don Jose (Carmen), Count Danilo (The Merry Widow), Tevye (Fiddler On The Roof) and The Student Prince with great spirit if not in best voice. This septuagenarian businessman will at least go down as the greatest amateur opera singer in Singapore history.

Brindisi (La Traviata) - Let's drink to the SLO!

The SLO Orchestra conducted by Eric Zhu provided excellent support, with concertmaster Foo Say Ming playing several exquisite violin solos, and Marc Rochester dusting cobwebs off Esplanade’s underused Klais organ in excerpts from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Young voices from the SLO’s three choirs also contributed significantly to the sense of occasion.

As celebrations go, there were three drinking songs, from Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Romberg’s The Student Prince and to close on a high, Verdi’s La Traviata. There should be much to look forward to in SLO’s next twenty years.

NO AUTOGRAPHS PLEASE, We're from Berlin

Four hopeful young people, including two music students and a local composer (obviously fans of the great Sir Simon Rattle), had waited some 30 minutes outside the Esplanade stage door and loading bay in the hope of meeting the Music Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

As soon as that famous silver mop came into view, they were stopped by the Maestro’s manager and handler. “No autographs, no photographs, in order to avoid embarrassment,” said the German stuffed suit to the Esplanade staff on duty, and further added that “these people” should stay clear from the driveway when the official BPO limousine drove through. He was not rude but the officious tone sent a clear message: no one should even come close to or within presence of the grey eminence. Being in Sir Simon Rattle’s breathing space is verboten. So clear off, scram and be gone!

Twenty one years after the events of 9 November 1989, a Brit has successfully re-erected the Berlin Wall.

Perhaps some day, all public concerts by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker should be issued with this advisory:

ACHTUNG!

Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker seek your understanding that as an extremely important and busy man, and conductor of “one of the world’s best orchestras”, His Musical Highness does not wish to be in the company of riffraff, hoi polloi, paparazzi, H5N1 supercarriers, lepers und Untermensch. Therefore your chance of getting an autograph is as remote as Madalena Kozena bearing your children. Vielen dank.

Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Rattle

Berliner Philharmoniker with Sir Simon Rattle / Review

BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER
WITH SIR SIMON RATTLE
Esplanade Concert Hall
Tuesday & Wednesday (23 & 24 November 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 26 November 2010.

Few orchestras have come to perform in Singapore with such a burden of expectation as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, that any pre-concert hyperbole would have a hollow ring to it. Epithets such as “one of the world’s best orchestras” just does not seem to do any justice, and with at $680 a pop (the top-priced ticket), it had better be brilliant.

In its final leg of an Australasian tour, the German orchestra under chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle performed a mostly-Viennese programme on two sold-out evenings. Having no concertos on the programme was a bonus; good money was paid not to hear the orchestra accompany soloists. These precious minutes could not have been better spent on purely orchestral fare.

Haydn was the juicy opener on the first evening. Listeners might have lost count on his Symphony No.99 in E flat major, but this was no makeweight. The sound generated from a scaled-down band was full and beefy from the outset, an emphatic Beethovenian chord ushering in playing of both delicacy and refinement. This might sound paradoxical, but the music’s dynamics demanded playing from both ends of the spectrum, to which the orchestra duly obliged. Grace and humour, lightness and drive, were all part of the palette that made its Haydn alive and kicking.

Three Orchestral Pieces (revised 1929) by Alban Berg provided extremes of contrasts. Fast forward Mahler’s sound world by some twenty years and a world war, and one gets is angst compacted into unseeming angular forms. Bare percussion, a whiff of brass and woodwind, greeted a new world order of chaos and nihilism. Alternating between lushness and violence, the ensuing Reigen (Round Dance) and March built up in terrifying intensity, inexorably leading up to that most Mahlerian of dramatic devices, the hammer-blows of Fate.

Brahms’ sunny Second Symphony provided much familiarity but no contempt. Should one ever tire of old warhorses, the antidote was this performance. Perfection never seeks diversions, and it was a pleasure to behold a reading that simply had no weaknesses. From svelte strings, pristine woodwinds (with solo oboe as the shining standout) to brassy chorales, everything sounded as it was meant to be.

The gloom of the slow movement soon made way for the symphony’s most cathartic minutes, all judged to maximum impact. Yet neither exaggeration nor overstatement was necessary. Even in the finale’s rousing throes, the orchestra delighted shifting from sotto voce (a muted whisper) to full-throated roar in a matter of measures, making for an aural experience which the greatest of recordings can never hope to replicate.

Superlatives continued into Wednesday, the second evening. Although Russian music was never the Berlin Philharmonic’s strongest suit, its view of Rachmaninov’s late Symphonic Dances was polished to such a fine sheen as to defy most doubters. Exiled from his homeland, Rachmaninov’s aching nostalgia came through unequivocally. The first movement’s saxophone solo and quote from the First Symphony were delivered superbly, as was the second movement’s ghostly waltz. The most Slavic-coloured finale was stretched close to breaking point, and the clangourous close left several questions hanging. Did this music depict an outright triumph or a pyrrhic victory?

There was little to guess in Mahler’s First Symphony, that most exportable of showpieces of visiting orchestras. One marvelled at the fine degree of control in the audible opening, and its journey from a buzz of pianissimo to the gleam of a bright morning sun. The country dance of the second movement was suitably earthy, and if there were a minor quibble, the Klezmer-like episodes of the third movement’s funeral march could have been more unbuttoned, and less bloodless.

The finale’s trudge from the depths of despair to blazing redemption was deliberate, but one well worth waiting for. The brass had a field day, with the French horns holding court. The standing ovation and chorus of bravos that greeted its conclusion was the most spontaneous ever witnessed in this hall. On the strengths of what transpired over two glorious evenings, it was wholly and well-deserved.

Photographs courtesy of Esplanade Theatres on the Bay (close-up shots), Vincent Wang (sky shots) & PianoManiac (cheap shots).

Orchestra of the Music Makers on American Record Guide

Singapore's Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) has made news again, this time on the pages of the Nov-December 2010 edition of the American Record Guide. The article below is by the indefatigable Canadian Robert Markow, North America's most active music critic covering the rising Southeast Asian scene.

(Click on image to enlarge)

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, November 2010)

THE LIFE AND WORKS OF CHOPIN
Jeremy Siepmann, Narrator
Idil Biret, Piano
Naxos Audiobooks 445612 (4CDs)
****1/2

There are many books about Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) which one can indulge in during his bicentenary. However if reading takes too long, these five hours afforded by veteran ex-BBC broadcaster and writer Jeremy Siepmann are a handy substitute. He draws from many letters and contemporary accounts to paint a portrait of Chopin’s fragile genius, from his prodigious youth, rise to fame, to tragic and untimely demise. Casual listeners will be interested to learn that Chopin gave very few concerts, and despite his celebrity status was chronically short of cash. His chief source of income was through teaching, but would fritter it away through frivolities like daily visits to a hairstylist and making grand appearances in a horse-drawn carriage.

Many musical interludes provided by Turkish pianist Idil Biret separate Siepmann’s plain-speaking but erudite narrative, and quotes from four actors. One of few pianists to have recorded Chopin’s complete oeuvre, Biret’s faithful but staid interpretations may be an acquired taste for some. Ardently recommended for all piano students and pianophiles alike.

DON’T MISS:
INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION
Lee Foundation Theatre
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
1-5 December 2010

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No.11 “The Year 1905”
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
Mark Wigglesworth
BIS SACD- 1583

*****

When it comes to music for serious newsreels and war documentaries, no composer has been more imitated than Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975). His symphonies bear the brunt of widespread plagiarism because its emotional heft and sheer gravity is memorable and gripping. His Eleventh Symphony (1956) was written in memory of Bloody Sunday on 22 January 1905, when over a thousand peaceful demonstrators were massacred outside the Winter Palace, St Petersburg by the royal guard. This landmark event ultimately led to the Tsar’s overthrow and Russian Revolution some 12 years later.

In four movements, Shostakovich’s hour-long programme symphony relives a bleak wintry morning, the ensuing carnage, a memorial for the fallen and the resultant call to arms. All this may be derided as Communist propaganda but there is little denying the brilliant pacing and narrative which Shostakovich delivers. The solo playing, particularly the solitary trumpet (first heard in the eerily quiet opening) and cor anglais (aftermath of the finale), is particularly fine and the tumultuous climaxes vividly captured. The recorded sound on this hybrid SACD is in the demonstration class. So why hesitate?

TEA WITH MR.LEE by May Oon

As a tribute to 45 years of nationhood, local artist May Oon has come up with an exhibition of artworks based on historical photographs of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. She uses various media, including charcoal, oils and pastels, uncannily capturing the public persona and essence of the "Father of Modern Singapore". The artworks are also on sale. The name of the gallery, Evil Empire, on 48 Niven Road (off Wilkie Road and Mackenzie Road) is just a coincidence.

The artist, May Oon, with two iconic portraits of MM Lee.

Mr Lee with Tunku Abdul Rahman,
in happier times.

The exhibition runs till 28 November 2010.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, November 2010)

BRAHMS The Symphonies
Berliner Philharmoniker / SIR SIMON RATTLE
EMI Classics 2672542 (3 CDs)
*****

Listening through this cycle of four symphonies by Brahms, one pondered if there was actually a “golden age” of the Berlin Philharmonic. Older cognoscenti swear by Wilhelm Furtwängler of the 1940-50s. Others hail Herbert von Karajan’s discipline and pristine clarity, a partnership of longevity which ushered in the digital era of the compact disc. The present incarnation with Briton Rattle at the helm is not overawed by the weight of history and tradition.

The performances of these familiar works are strong and authoritative, as one might expect. The First Symphony in C minor (Op.68) projects tautness and urgency, turning tragedy into triumph, contrasted with the more breezy and pastoral Second Symphony in D major (Op.73) which has its own dark clouds. Rattle and company takes a broader view of the elusive Third Symphony in F major (Op.90), sympathetic to the fact it is the only one that ends on a quiet. Arguably the best reading goes to the Fourth Symphony in E minor (Op.98), where autumnal repose gives way to a passionate final hurrah. The closing Passacaglia gets a tour de force of great trenchancy.

More than ample consolation for those without Esplanade tickets, this splendid box-set retails at a very affordable budget price (just $29.95 at HMV).

Great Recordings by the Berlin Philharmonic

GREAT RECORDINGS
BY THE BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER

I was asked by The Straits Times to come up with a list of top recordings by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra which will be performing in Singapore next week. Here was my shortlist, and much as I would have liked to include others, I was limited to 3 recordings by Sir Simon Rattle and 3 from his predecessors. This list (obviously highly contentious) was published in the 4 November edition of Life! (as a sidebow to Akshita Nanda's main article).

It will be a cliché to restate that the Berlin Philharmonic and great audio recordings were made for each other. Under Herbert von Karajan, its chief conductor from 1955 to 1989, the orchestra became the world’s leading recording orchestra. Its recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label were synonymous with instrumental perfection, crystal clarity and interpretive authority, reproduced on state-of-the-art sound equipment, bringing the concert hall experience into the living room. Karajan’s recorded legacy with the Berliner Philharmoniker was continued by his successors Claudio Abbado (also on Deutsche Grammophon) and Sir Simon Rattle (on EMI Records).

3 Top Recordings from BPO & Sir Simon Rattle
(All on EMI Classics)

SCHOENBERG Gurrelieder (2001)

The Songs of Gurre, Arnold Schoenberg’s fin de siècle early symphonic choral masterpiece, calls for over 400 performers. This recording achieves the near perfect fusion of orchestral opulence and vocal magnificence, marshalled with unerring sense of drama and pacing.

MAHLER Symphony No.9 (2007)

Mahler’s swansong symphony, full of nostalgia and bittersweet regret, receives a moving performance that piques, stirs and ultimately overwhelms the senses.

BRAHMS Four Symphonies (2008)

As common as recorded Brahms symphony cycles are, this ranks at the summit. Recorded in concert, the spontaneity of a live event is never sacrificed in the quest for note-perfection. It retails at budget-price too.

3 Top Recordings from BPO & other conductors
(All on Deutsche Grammophon)

BEETHOVEN Symphony Cycle (Karajan, 1961-62)

Many collectors consider this to be Karajan’s finest of three recorded cycles with his beloved orchestra. Beethoven’s brio and fist-shaking angst are indelibly captured, unhindered by the slower speeds adopted in later cycles.

SECOND VIENNESE SCHOOL (Karajan, 1972-74)

The music of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern still represents to some an insurmountable hurdle, the triumph of musical objectivity over emotions and feelings. These recordings uncannily fuse unimpeachable intellect with aural beauty.

MAHLER Symphony No.6 (Abbado, 2005)

The choice pick from a crop that that reinforces the Berlin Philharmonic as the ultimate Mahler orchestra. The inexorable drive and sheer vehemence of tragic fate has seldom been better portrayed in this earth-shaking reading.

Season of Songs from the Heart / NUSS Choir / Review

SEASON OF SONGS FROM THE HEART
NUSS Choir
University Cultural Centre
Wednesday (17 November 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 19 November 2010.

It is never too old to join a choir and make a joyful noise. That is the message of the 50-strong National University of Singapore Society Choir, comprising singers of the senior citizen retiree category, many of whom prominent members of society.

One is struck by its sprightliness and attentiveness. Singing 18 songs mostly from memory, the singers obliged what choirmasters yearn for but do not often get – they all looked up. It was not too difficult, as its leader Darius Lim is a strapping youth who could have been their grandson. Choirs do not always have to be led by crusty old maids.

Opening with Zulu song Siyahamba, their robust a cappella voices were amplified to advantage. The song arrangements were friendly, opening with unison voices and later branching into simple divisi for harmonic variation. Singing in Latin, the choir sounded comfortable in Laudate Dominum and Gaudete, but Mediaeval Baebes (below) they were not.

There was rawness, as in Ave Verum Corpus / Agnus Dei where the choir struggled with pitch, and there were untrained voices standing out, but there was no doubting its commitment and enthusiasm. The women were a more homogeneous group, and their Japanese song Kimi O No Sete was a delight. The 12-men were weaker in Wherever You Are but held their own. Together they gave conductor Lim’s own Life (below), a new commission, a touch of Broadway glitz.

Christmas songs seemed appropriate, and the choir steered clear from the more commercial kind. Would You Bring A Song and Christmas Isn’t Chritsmas benefited from meaningful lyrics, while Voices of Winter had no words, the sound effects, oohs and aahs told an evocative story. The lighting for One Single Light was flawed on the outset, making this look like some Halloween number.

Songs from the heart featured popular favourites. While Memory (Cats) was tainted with overfamiliarity, Climb Every Mountain (The Sound of Music) was both uplifting and touching. The audience was also given a chance to sing along in You Raise Me Up and Mandarin song Peng You (Friends). Say A Little Prayer and encore Candle On The Water brought out giggles and chuckles with the simple choreography, and seven couples within the choir linking their hands in one united voice. Not highbrow stuff but plainly engaging.

Its Official, the world's music critics love OMM's Mahler!

For those who thought I had a soft spot for Singapore's Orchestra of the Music Makers, I am pleased that I 'm not alone in thinking that OMM is the best thing for Singapore classical music since the coming of Lan Shui, the Esplanade and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. Here are excerpts from the great reviews from three international music critics about OMM's Mahler Resurrection concert on 10 July 2010.

Robert Markow (Canada) writes authoritatively for a number of American-based music journals. He is the one North-American based critic who truly knows the music scene of this part of the world.

Singapore’s Orchestra of the Music Makers

“The opening notes of Mahler’s symphony set the tone for the entire work—startling contrasts of dynamics, rhythmic precision, controlled balance of forces and a pervasive spirit of driving energy. There were moments of beatific stasis and terrifying walls of sound. Never, in half a century of hearing dozens of performances of this symphony live and on disc, have I experienced such terror at that moment in the finale when drums make their agonizingly slow crescendo from the merest rumble to a deafening roar. Also in the finale, the initial presentation of the “resurrection” chorale in the brass was as close to perfection as I have heard anywhere.”...

“Tze Law Chan maintained a clear sense of purpose and direction throughout. Momentum never flagged, his approach had sensitivity without sentimentality, and there were numerous moments to relish in many of his exaggerated rubatos and dynamic contrasts. The sense of security and confidence shown by the orchestra belied the fact that probably not one member had ever played the Mahler Second before, yet it sounded as if it were in their blood.”...

“Imagine for a moment that you are about to graduate from high school. You have enjoyed playing in a good school orchestra for two or three years, but now you’re moving on in life. You’re set to pursue a career in medicine (or nanotechnology or communications or whatever) but you desperately want to continue playing in an orchestra. Where do you go? You go to Singapore.”

Robert Markow
(Fanfare)

Satoru Takaku (Japan) travels the world in search of great music. He's been to Singapore quite a few times, and OMM quite an impression on him.

Orchestra of the Music Makers in Singapore
Asian version of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra

“I happened to listen to Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony performed by the Asian version of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra (of Venezuela) while I was in Singapore… I was impressed with the technique of the individuals and the ensemble, and the enthusiasm of the musicians… Singapore has the potential to play a central role in the classical music of Asia, if they could have an Asian version of “El Sistema” in place, with financial support from international corporations and the nation, and gather countless gifted young musicians in China and Southeast Asia.”

Satoru Takaku
(Mostly Classic)

Dr Marc Rochester (UK), the only Gramophone reviewer resident in Southeast Asia, never minces his words in his interesting and highly readable blog (http://drmarcrochester.wordpress.com/). If he has anything good to say, he really means it!

Mahler Mania

The Orchestra of the Music Makers is, by any standards, an exceptional bunch. It plays with the polish and security of a fully professional band, small woodwind intonation problems and occasionally over-enthusiastic brass notwithstanding, and while there were small areas where ensemble might have been tighter, there were very many more areas where ensemble, balance and overall coordination were nigh-on perfect. I don’t recall ever having heard those great percussion crescendos so vividly delivered, the “Last Trump” and the “Nightingale” so potently evoked or, indeed, that one final magnificent chord so sublimely sustained. And as for the off-stage brass and the various players dotted around the hall, that was a moment of pure, unadulterated magic. This was, truly, an epic performance.

But the evening was all about Mahler and, if I feel I’ve had a surfeit of Mahler by the time the month is out, the performance of The Music Makers Orchestra will live in my memory for many years to come. I doubt that this anniversary year will throw up anything quite so rewarding again and if I ever claim to be “tired of Mahler”, just remind me of The Music Makers Orchestra of Singapore; guaranteed to inspire even the most jaded of critical palettes.

Marc Rochester
(Dr Marc’s Blog)

And finally, just to rehash what I had earlier written for The Straits Times.

Sonic youth conquer the world

The euphoric flush of youth had arrived, vociferously delivered by 350 young musicians and singers at the Esplanade. Never has there been a greater display of musical audacity, shored up by stoutest of hearts and truest of intentions. Putting things into perspective, it took the Singapore Symphony Orchestra 15 years before giving the Singapore premiere of Gustav Mahler’s monumental Second Symphony in 1994. Two years was all that was needed for the Orchestra of Music Makers (OMM) and its guiding light Chan Tze Law to pull off that same Olympian feat, and with some to spare...

The cataclysmic finale provided the tour de force of the evening, a hell-for-leather ride that skirted the abyss before the final choral apotheosis. Brass, on and off the stage, worked overtime and brilliantly. The 220-strong chorus’ collective whisper was rapt and mysterious, blending beautifully with soprano Jeong Ae Ree’s ethereal melismata. When they took to their feet for the valedictory proclamation of “Auferstehen” (Resurrection), it was to spine-tingling effect.

Tonight they have conquered the world. Goodness only knows what our sonic youth will accomplish in ten years’ time.

Chang Tou Liang
(The Straits Times)

SSO Concert: Unsurpassed Beauty / Review

SURPASSING BEAUTY
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Esplanade Concert Hall
Friday (12 November 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 15 November 2010.

It was eleven years ago when the Toronto-domiciled Singaporean composer Kam Kee Yong wrote a scathing letter to The Straits Times decrying the lack of support the national orchestra gave to local composers and musicians. In particular, he felt that his compositions and violinist daughter Kam Ning were being ignored.

Through the National Arts Council’s Cultural Medallion Grant, that bridge has been mended. The SSO performed an entire half-concert, about 40 minutes, of his music. No other local composer has enjoyed that honour since the performance of the late Tsao Chieh’s Singapore Suite in 2000.

The concert conducted by Darrell Ang began with Kam’s The River. No specifics were divulged, but the work bustled with urgent vitality, surging waters being the life-giver of civilisations. His idiom was accessible, gratifyingly tonal, with a scope that approximated biblical proportions and sound recalling the lush scores of Respighi. This could well be Singapore music’s version of Smetana’s Die Moldau.

Briefer was Fantasia of Insects, a furious symphonic scherzo which had a Central Asian flavour mixed in impressionist colours. Kam Ning was soloist in four concertante works, the first being Kuang Xiang Qu (Chinese Rhapsody), a virtuoso showpiece in the slow-fast format that had roots in the rhapsodies of Liszt, Bartok and Ravel’s gypsy fantasy Tzigane.

The Kams & Darrell Ang enjoy the applause.

Tang dynasty poets were the inspiration of The Surpassing Beauty (after Du Fu), A Tranquil Night (Li Bai) and The Old General (Wang Wei). The first two were lyrical nocturnes, where the violinist’s ability to sustain long seamless lines were testament to poetic sensibilities.

The latter was a symphonic poem with violin obbligato, alternating reflective moments with martial strides. Kam’s music found most sympathetic interpreters in Kam Junior and the SSO, a welcome gift for Singapore’s musical prodigal son.

The Kams were busily signing autographs during the interval.

The theme of nature continued into the second half, where Debussy’s languid Prelude to the Afternoon of the Fawn gave way to the virile vigour of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe Suite No.2. In both works, Jin Ta’s flute was the star standout, crafting erotic sinuous lines that gave the music irresistible sensuousness. Conducting from memory, Ang allowed the Debussy to breathe, and then whipped the Ravel to a frenzied climax and tumultuous close.

Playing its first concert following a triumphant European tour, the Singaporean audience had a taste of what the fuss and rave reviews were all about.

NUSS Choir 12th Anniversary Concert

The 12th anniversary concert of the NUSS Choir, entitled A Season of Songs from the Heart, takes place on Wednesday (17 November 2010) at University Cultural Centre at 7.30 pm. The choir will be conducted by the young choral conductor Darius Lim (left), who is also known to be an accomplished pianist.

Here is an interview article which Dr Maurine Tsakok, the NUSS Choir's Honorary Convenor and eminent obstetrician and gynaecologist, (left, seen on the right of Mrs Goh Chok Tong) wrote for Today.

How does choral singing benefit health?
The use of choral sound to improve health and especially the mind is not a novel idea, since it influences profoundly the behaviour of entire societies. It is a communication that accesses the emotions directly and improves the body's immunity. Choral singing makes one smarter by positively affecting the neural connections in the brain (the hippocampus) and increases the MRNA (Messenger DNA) involved in learning, memory formation and retention, enhances intelligence, and delays dementia (loss of brain functions, memory, thinking and behaviour). It is the choristers' vocal technique of producing the choral tone by sending the breath and sound energy through the hollow sinuses that stimulates the base of the brain to impact the neurons (nerve-cells). By developing the breath through correct posture, deep breathing, chest and diaphragm movements, physical health is improved through enhanced lung, heart, and circulation functions.

What are some of the benefits you have seen impact you have seen impacting yourself?

The discipline of listening to blend with fellow singers, improves my hearing functions . It has not only sharpened my acuity of hearing and appreciation of music but has led also to better sense of balance and coordination. The good vocal technique taught , going beyond the basics ,to include vocal warmups, proper nutrition to feed the voice , adequate rest and emotional commitment have contributed to my increased poise, self esteem and presentation skills. It has strengthened my memory. and concentration. It has improved my stamina, Qi, and breath control and, it has also improved my social interpersonal reaction.

How many people participate in choral singing here?

There are more than 200 school choirs a foresight of I believe the late Dr Goh Keng Swee benefitting from early vocal training . Most universities and tertiary education centres have choirs developed as an expressive art form. Then don't forget all the church choirs who sing with spiritual passion and the professional choruses who are selected to sing and to perform. Choral music is group art to which each chorister contributes his/her intelligence, skill, love, grateful for the contributions of his/her fellow singer.

Can we say how choral singing has benefited them healthwise?
Choral singing teaches choristers that through cooperation with each other, persistent hard work, discipline, harmony and interdependence will result in giving enjoyment, total sense of well-being, enhanced self-esteem for themselves and others. Since choral singing develops the lungs and promotes superior posture as well as boosts resistance there is less absenteeism from infection .Animation of of the body ,mind and spirit from together singing also prevents mood swings and depression and is ageless enjoyment.

How long have you been practicing choral singing?
At the end of 2007, I explored group singing opportunities when I learnt from a Medical Conference on Aging that choral singing was the most economical way to prevent /delay dementia. I sat in and sang along with the NUSS choir when introduced by gynaecological colleagues. Having never sung before ,I was surprised I could follow the song. However, I could never understand the conductor's explanation.of singing with a fish ball in the mouth. I joined NUSS in 2009 expressly to be in the choir. I only commenced to understand in 2010 what was required when instructed by a conductor used to teaching children. And it was really fun to achieve the choral tone, sense of achievement and satisfaction. The NUSS Choir is made up of a group enthusiastic amateurs from all walks of Graduate life led by a Music Director. We usually sing in four part harmony. In our upcoming 12th Anniversary Concert on the 17th Nov 2010 at UCC, our 50-strong, eclectic, graduate singers with their individual expressions would like to transcend age and time, and sing out their hearts and emotions to the audience. so that the magical beneficial effects of choral music on the singer can be transferred to their them especially should their emotions, feelings be on the same wavelength through facial expression and emotional synchrony.

What is your designation ?
I was catapulted into the Convenor's position this year in my absence. I did not know the functions of a Convenor but with the choristers' urging, I took on the challenge to lead and manage the expectations of the choir . I have activated the choir to take on more challenges in choral singing rather than to perform for entertainment's sake. With deeper research into the mechanism of the benefits of choral singing, I'd like for it to be recognized as an activity that can be utilized as an affordable health enhancement programme by prescription for all ages, starting from womb .