THE FIRST FIVE CDS I EVER BOUGHT

It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Thus, a collection of a thousand CDs begins with the first CD bought. I started my collection in late 1985 with just five CDs. Previously, I had collected vinyl LPs and before that, cassettes or tapes. Tapes proved to be unreliable, frequently subject to reels getting stuck or unraveled after multiple plays, or interminable tape squeak, and never lasted more than a few years. Vinyl is far more durable, but subject to surface noise from dust or static, and inevitable scratches. Plus, you have to turn a record over after hearing the first side.

Compact discs were supposed to be indestructible, having a lifetime guarantee, so I decided to listen to the very CDs which I had bought some 40 years ago. Could they still play, or have they corroded to the point of disrepair?

I bought my first five CDs at Sing Disc House at Lucky Plaza, having scouted all around Singapore a few months prior to see which record shop had the best range and most reasonable prices. Sing, then manned by Vincent Choo (husband of the wonderful and friendly Doris Tay who later ran the shop), was such a place, located at a quiet corner on the second floor and having good vibes. The CDs then cost $27, a ransom in those days, but still less than the $28 or $29 charged at other shops (Supreme Audio and Beethoven Record House).   

Selections were rather limited then but soon grew geometrically as record labels started to realise the seemingly endless potential of CD as a medium. My selections were made based on repertoire - popular works which I wanted to hear over and over, great artists, good sound as heard on the hi fi, as well as generous playing time. No way was I going to buy a CD that played for just 35 minutes!

So here are my first five CDs, and why I bought them:

My first piano concerto disc!
And it had to be Martha Argerich in two
popular concertos where she is next to peerless.
Later autographed by Charles Dutoit.

My first violin concerto disc!
Absolutely great value for money with
two great violin concertos which used
to occupy a single LP each.

My first orchestral disc!
Wanted to hear loud and scary music
blasted over the hi fi.

This one was an outlier, as I wanted to hear the great
piano romantic in three Liszt concertante works.
Malediction for piano and strings is still a rarity.
Later autographed by Ivan Fischer.

The only recording of Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit
that was available on disc then.
From Ravel's own student, I have yet to hear
a better Pavane pour une infante defunte.

I am happy to report that all five CDs can still play properly and without mishaps, despite some corrosion and occasional small holes in the silver plating. This afforded me over five hours of listening pleasure, and an invaluable walk down memory lane. Long live the CD!

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, April 2013)

THE SODRE COLLECTION

JASCHA HEIFETZ, Violin

with BROOKS SMITH, Piano

Alpha Omega Sound / ****1/2

Here is another rarity, a live recital recorded on 12 May 1955, from the archives of SODRE, the official radio and television service of Montevideo, Uruguay. At that time, the great Lithuania-American violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) was beginning to make recordings with the RCA Victor label, culminating with the audiophile Living Stereo series. Despite the boomy piano and remastered monaural sound, Heifetz’s penetrating tone – warm and full-blooded – shines through with every note. The 72-minute programme was fairly typical for the era, two major repertoire works surrounding by shorter encore-like pieces and transcriptions.

Tomaso Vitali’s Chaconne, a glorious pastiche of the baroque style, opens the recital. Then the unaccompanied solo of Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata (Op.47) catches the ear like no other. This is the longest work, in a performance bristling with passion and inner fire. Debussy’s late Violin Sonata follows, providing a different flavour to the palate. The short pieces by Dvorak (a lesser known Slavonic Dance), Lili Boulanger and Richard Strauss (Heifetz’s own transcription) are lyrical and utterly charming. Two out-and-out showpieces, Wieniawski’s Caprice-Waltz Op.7 and Ravel’s gypsy rhapsody Tzigane, complete this treasure chest. There is some tape distortion and recorded applause may be intrusive, but the listener gets the sense of being witness to history itself. An indispensable document.

PAVAROTTI 101

Decca CD-Rama 4782977 (6 CDs) / ****

Is it an act of sadomasochism to attempt listening to 101 consecutive tracks of Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) at one sitting? One tries, but it becomes a trial getting past two discs at a go. Like the cholesterol-laden pasta dishes the late great Italian tenor once loved, he is best savoured in small manageable doses. Possessing a most distinctive of voices, the radiance and warmth in which he bathes each aria that makes the experience memorable. The first disc is devoted to the verismo operas of Puccini, Leoncavallo and Mascagni, closing with Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot, which made him a household name.

The second disc continues with Verdi and bel canto giants Bellini and Donizetti. In Pour mon ame from Donizetti’s La fille du regiment, he nails nine high Cs with a gravity-defying nonchalance. The “King of the High Cs” goes one further to hit D flat in Cujus Animam from Rossini’s Stabat Mater, which appears in Disc 4, devoted to sacred songs. The last two discs feature popular Italian songs, including Rossini’s La Danza, Denza’s Funiculi Funicula, Leoncavallo’s Mattinata, di Capua’s O Sole Mio and Mudugno’s Nel blu, dipinto di blu, better known as Volare. Pavarotti is in his element here, and thankfully there is no more space for those ghastly crossover duets with pop stars. Pavarotti was one of the greatest voices of our time, so why was a short biography not included in this set, at the very least?

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, October 2012)

SAINT-SAENS Carnival of the Animals

BRITTEN Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Singapore Symphony / SHUI LAN / ****1/2

It is good to see the Singapore Symphony Orchestra begin to record popular works with outreach and music education in mind. These two warhorses of young people’s concerts receive solid and sincere performances with a Singaporean twist that are equal to the best in the catalogue. Twin pianists Low Shao Ying and Shao Suan have become the republic’s specialists in the Carnival, having performed it on countless occasions over the years. In The Swan, SSO principal cellist Ng Pei Sian does the honours with utmost grace and aplomb.

The added attractions are narrations by well-known personalities from the local musical scene. William Ledbetter, popular emcee and host for The Philharmonic Orchestra and re:mix concerts, narrates his own well-chosen verses for the Saint-Saëns. The tandem of Andrew Lim and Koh Chieng Mun (Symphony 92.4 FM’s The Morning Show, Under One Roof) present Angelena Lim’s script of the Britten Guide with their usual chemistry and enthusiasm. Both are pitched at the upper primary school level and avoid technical jargon and musicalese. Sold at $12 during SSO concerts, these make thoughtful gifts for the young and young at heart.   

JASCHA HEIFETZ

Fabula Classica 2224 / ****

Was Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) the greatest violinist of the 20^th century? On the evidence of this selection, the Lithuania-born naturalised American makes very strong claims. Both recordings of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (with the London Philharmonic conducted by John Barbirolli) and Cesar Franck Sonata in A major (partnered on piano by Arthur Rubinstein) date from 1937, and reveal a fluid and near-effortless technique. Often criticised by his detractors as cold and clinical, these accusations are nowhere to be found. More often, he sounds warm, totally lyrical and in tune with the spirit of the music.

He takes certain liberties, even as far as to rewriting passages of the Tchaikovsky to make himself more brilliant. The only caveats are the crude edits and distortions of speed encountered in the remastering process. Four bonus tracks come from his prodigious teenaged years, virtuoso fodder including Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs and Zapateado, Bazzini’s Dance of the Goblins and Wieniawski’s Scherzo-Tarantella. The playing fully confirms the excitement and trepidation his first appearances aroused, when it was suggested that all other violinists might as well break their violins across their knees. This is mandatory listening for serious students and lovers of the violin alike.