NOVELETTES
SSO Chamber Series
Victoria Concert Hall
Thursday (9 January 2025)
This review was published in The Straits Times on 11 January 2025 with the title "SSO's chamber series showcases East European rarities in fun, tuneful evening".
The first classical concert of the year appeared more forbidding on paper than actual listening. Part of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s chamber series, the intriguing programme consisted wholly of rarities from Eastern Europe performed by members of the orchestra. The Suite for Two Violins (1943) by contemporary Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) opened the evening, from violinists Zhao Tian and Zhang Si Jing.
Its seven movements, like a neoclassical suite of ancient dances, were surprisingly accessible for its time. Although peppered with mild dissonances which resolved without fuss, these miniatures alternating between fast and slow movements were unexpectedly tuneful. Zhao and Zhang worked like hand and glove, their clear-headed and polished readings were applauded by a sizeable and enthusiastic audience after each movement.
Despite its title, there was ironically nothing new about the Five Novelettes (Op.15) for string quartet by the Russian Alexander Glazunov (1864-1936). This music, by the arch conservative who lived well into the 20th century, is closer in idiom to older composers like Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Borodin, with influences from Russian Orthodox chant and various orientalisms as well.
Championed by the T’ang Quartet during the 1990s, the attractive music included approximations of Spanish dance music (the first movement is titled Alla Spagnuola), a vigorous tarantella (Orientale), a prayerful slow movement (Interludium in Modo Antico), an elegant Waltz and All’Ungherese.
The closing movement saw first violinist Chan Yoong-Han scale treble heights in exotic melodies of possible Hungarian gypsy provenance. He was joined by Zhao, violist Marietta Ku and cellist Yu Jing for this sentimental wallow.
Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) was the father of Russian nationalist music, but there was little that was Russian in his Grand Sextet in E flat major (1832), which could have come from early Western European Romantics like Johann Hummel or Felix Mendelssohn. Its instrumental combination was similar to Franz Schubert’s Trout Quintet (except for an added violin), thus accounting for its tonal warmth and mellow sonorities.
Almost hidden from view was pianist Low Shao Ying whose flashy and fussily filigreed part brilliantly dominated the proceedings. In the expansive and unabashedly tuneful opening movement, there were also juicy melodies from cellist Guo Hao and violist Luo Biao who were unafraid to announce their presence. Violinists Jin Li and Zhao, and bassist Karen Yeo completed the well-balanced ensemble.
The central slow movement was classic bel canto, with a mellifluous aria-like theme sung by the strings over simple accompaniment. The association with Italian opera composers Gaetano Donizetti and Vincenzo Bellini was unmistakable, as was a nocturne-like atmosphere reminiscent of pianist-composers John Field and Frederic Chopin.
Its magical spell was uninterrupted by applause as it segued into a joyous Allegro con spirito finale which was pure and unadulterated fun. Chamber music, as they say, may be summed up as Res severa verum gaudium or Pleasure is serious business.
