THE HEART OF JUN: MEMOIRS OF ZHAOJUN / Siong Leng Musical Association / Review

 

THE HEART OF JUN: 

MEMOIRS OF ZHAOJUN 

Siong Leng Musical Association 

Singtel Waterfront Theatre 

Friday (14 February 2025)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 17 February 2025 with the title "Intense reflection and melancholy in The Heart of Jun".

Nanyin (music of the south) is the music of Southern China, centred around the province of Fujian (Hokkien), which was transported to the lands of Southeast Asia during the Chinese diaspora. A two thousand-year-old tradition, its designation as a “living fossil” is a double-edge sword, emphasising its antiquity but risks becoming an immobile museum piece. 

Much credit thus goes to Singapore’s Siong Leng Musical Association for contextualising its seemingly simple content with this elegant piece of musical theatre at Esplanade’s Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts. This collaboration with playwright Katherine Chou and director Lee Yi Hsiu, both from Taiwan, yielded true dividends. 

Its plot revolved around the ballads of Wang Zhaojun, one of ancient China’s four classical beauties, who was married off by the Western Han emperor to a Xiongnu king. Undertaking a perilous journey of uncertainty, her songs were essentially laments on loss, sacrifice and homesickness. 

These were beautifully personified in the soulful voice of Lim Ming Yi, playing Azhao, a tragic character in traditional outfit who appeared distant and aloof to the chatty but diverse personalities of a modern-attired Yi Xin (Ang Xiao Ting) and the kebaya-clad Nan Jun (Jodi Chan). All three ladies, with their own aspirations and agencies, were united on a sea voyage from Fujian to Nanyang. 

In its three connected scenes, beginning with The Wind Blows Through Yanmen Pass, Azhao’s mellifluous songs in the Minnan dialect, were accompanied by pipa (played by Seow Ming Fong), sanxian (Anita Yeong), erxian (Joel Chia) and dongxiao (bamboo flute, Seow Ming Xian). With a backup ensemble of eight musicians, this set a dominant tone of melancholy and intense reflection. 

For the second scene, Family Letters Amid The Rhythm of Drums and the finale, The Treacherous Sea Outmatches Rugged Mountains, the same lament was reprised, yet sounding different on each occasion. It was as if transformations took place with a change of scenarios and fortunes, with the singing and instrumentations varied accordingly. 

The cognitive incongruences between the three protagonists soon become apparent with the sudden and repeated appearance of the play’s only male character Jian Huang (Hang Qian Chou). He was a bearer of impending doom, whether by a gale-force typhoon or bloodthirsty pirates, who shattered their illusions. Where does he come from, and why the urgent messages? 

In the third act, they (and the audience) soon realise being trapped in an eternal space and time warp, where every character is part of a ghost story. The plot twist came at just the right time, as the vessel was being dredged from the sea floor, bringing an audible gasp from the audience. 

When asked what pursuit one character would undertake after the “rescue”, her reply was to “perform Nanyin”. Thus an allegorical parallel may be inferred with the art of Nanyin being revived from the dregs of history by the implausibly young practitioners from Siong Leng. This production should be repeated, if anything to recapture its artistry and all the nuances.

Photo: Pianomaniac

Professional photography 

from Siong Leng Musical Association.

HUAYI CHINESE FESTIVAL OF ARTS: THE TEMPLE OF RESONANCE / WHAT IS QIN / Review

 

THE TEMPLE OF RESONANCE 

Uni Percussion (Taiwan) 

Esplanade Annexe Studio 

Saturday (8 February 2025)

WHAT IS QIN 

Zi De Guqin Studio (China) 

Singtel Waterfront Theatre 

Saturday (8 February 2025)  

This review was published in The Straits Times on 10 February 2025 with the title "Fun exploration of percussion and qin in two shows".

Esplanade’s annual Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts takes place near the Lunar New Year, showcasing a wide range of artistic events with artists and groups from China and East Asia. Two highly contrasting ticketed musical events captivated audiences on a busy Saturday evening that also saw the Chingay Parade taking place. 

Photo: LIJESH PHOTOGRAPHY

If one wandered into the black box venue which hosted The Temple of Resonance and gazed at the hundreds of instruments and bric-a-brac involved, one could be forgiven for imagining Uni Percussion of Taiwan to be a large group of percussionists ready to make a big noise. However, Uni was literally the singular person of Hsueh Yung-Chih, a veritable one-woman-band. 

Photo: LIJESH PHOTOGRAPHY

A loud clangour announced her entry through a sliding door, and she proceeded to work on a bass drum and gong, separately and together, than systematically moving to the xylophone where many mallets did their job. There was a definite method to this, which paralleled a worshipper’s rituals when visiting a Chinese temple. 

PHOTO: LIJESH PHOTOGRAPHY

Why do they do it, what and how, were some of the ideas explored here. This also included the playing of mechanical plastic toys – the noisier the better – a large drum-set and eventually tossing jam-jar covers into a heap. The seemingly mundane sounds, also magnified by overdubbing, were eclectic and exhaustive, making viewers ponder that all actions have motives and nuances. 

Photo: LIJESH PHOTOGRAPHY

The final bit of dissecting Taiwan’s temple culture was interactive, involving the audience making wishes for the new year by the drawing of fortune sticks (in this case, drumsticks). The usual platitudes of “world peace”, “good health” and “success in exams” came up trumps. This zippy yet thought-provoking 55-minute show had no time for dull moments. 

Photo: LIJESH PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo: AlvieAlive

Completely different was the formal concert by Shanghai-based Zi De Guqin Studio which posed the question “What Is Qin?” Qin is a generic Chinese word for an instrument, whether bowed, plucked or struck. On this evening, the six member ensemble attired in traditional period costumes and led by percussionist Chen Xi focussed on music performed on the guqin, guzheng, zhongruan and pipa, with support from bamboo flutes and percussion. 

Photo: Alvie Alive

There were atmospheric solos, such as Flowing Water for guqin, with its deep sonorous twang, Lin Jiliang’s Touring Mount Tai (zhongruan) and Liu Tianhua’s Ethereal Sounds (pipa), showcasing splendid instrumental technique. Duos like The Quiet Orchid (guqin and dagu) and Wei Jun’s The Traveller (guzheng and Middle Eastern drums) were remarkable for their vivid accompaniment. 

Photo: AlvieAlive

Photo: Alvie Alive

The famous guqin classic, Parting At Yangguan (Yangguan Sandie) as scored for an ensemble of four, seemed par for the course until it took on a modern percussive beat. That surprise showed the group to be more versatile than initially expected, with Drunken Fishermen Singing in the Sunset being another “crossover” item with the slow waltz rhythm of Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies accompanying the popular fisherman’s song. 

Photo: AlvieAlive

Photo: Alvie Alive

The full ensemble of six which also included Bai Wuxia and Ye Lijia (guqin), Yu Chenyao (guzheng), Wang Muyu (pipa), Huang Jieying (zhongruan) and Lin Zeqin (flutes) performed Artistic Director Tang Bin’s The Desolate Frontier, The Grape Fairy and Shattering The Siege, louder and flashier showpieces which had prerecorded orchestral and electronic sounds in the mix. 

Photo: AlvieAlive

Further letting down their hair, the 100-minute concert concluded by tickling the full-house audience with a medley of familiar local songs (Singapura and Dick Lee’s Home included) and the celebratory Hua Hao Yue Yuan (Blooming Flowers Full Moon) as popular encores.

Photo: AlvieAlive

AN EVENING WITH HONG KONG CHINESE ORCHESTRA / Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts / Review

AN EVENING WITH

HONG KONG CHINESE ORCHESTRA

Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts

Esplanade Concert Hall

Saturday (28 January 2023)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 30 January 2023 with the title "Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra draws standing ovation."

 

It has been over four years since the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra last performed in Singapore. Led by Cultural Medallion recipient Yan Huichang, its Artistic Director since 1997 and Principal Conductor for Life, the orchestra’s return was close to a sellout house in this year Esplanade’s Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts. Its two-hour long concert revealed a versatility and virtuosity that has become synonymous with this ensemble.   

 

The sound of percussion opened Ng King-Pan’s The Chorale Of Spring, more a celebratory rather than ceremonial showpiece, which shared the rhythmic vitality and bounding energy as Stravinsky’s iconic ballet The Rite Of Spring. When the dagu, the most mammoth of all drums, is involved, something truly big is going down. This was followed by two movements from Peng Xiuwen’s Twelve Months Suite, contrasting a chamber-like intimacy and sentimentality with the exuberance of lively festivities.

Photo: Jack Yam / Esplanade

 

Photo: Jack Yam / Esplanade

Especially impressive was the inclusion of two vastly different concertante works. Well-known composer Zhao Jiping’s Pipa Concerto No.2 saw the orchestra’s pipa principal Zhang Ying as spectacular soloist. The single movement work in multiple linked parts opened with lushness and poetic beauty as the solo instrument found its way from lyricism to playfulness, and then prestidigitation associated with crisis and turmoil. There was a big tune at its climax with the orchestra’s famed ecologically-friendly gehus leading the way before receding to calm and quietude.  

 

Taiwanese composer Wang I-Yu’s Reeds had the orchestra’s soprano sheng player Chen Yi-Wei pitted against British organist Jonathan Scott on Esplanade’s Klais organ, an innovative work that sought a commonality between the millennia-old Chinese instrument with a modern Western electronic one.

 

It was not a mismatch given the astute scoring in the concert’s most modern sounding work. Beside the sheng's plangent oration and the organ's toccata-like maneuvers, there was a curious interlude which involved the drones and plucked twangs from Jew's harps scattered among the players. The work closed with all orchestral reeds joining in for one raucous high. 

 

Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun is a master of orchestral colour and sound effects as evident in the four movements of his Northwest Suite No.1. The rasping of cymbals rubbed against one another and the possibilities of the human voice opened this atmospheric work that celebrated the “yellow earth” landscape and peoples from Shaanxi, also conductor Yan’s home province.

 

Stark contrasts coloured the score, from breathtaking fanfares of a suona chorus, hyperactive percussion, a nocturne-like slow movement filled with underlying tension, to the constant perpetual motion of its fraught finale. With this, the orchestra trenchantly portrayed the toils and triumphs of human endeavour in a harsh environment.   

 

Several encores, including a medley of Chinese New Year favourites – with the god of fortune making a grand entrance - and one incorporating the popular Happy Birthday, had the audience, clapping, singing and finally rising to its feet. An evening with Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra was indeed an evening well spent. 

Photo: Jack Yam / Esplanade

Photo: Jack Yam / Esplanade

5LEMENTS / Ding Yi Music Company / Review

5LEMENTS

Ding Yi Music Company

Esplanade Concert Hall

Saturday (19 February 2022)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 23 February 2022 with the title "Elemental harmony a feast for the senses".

 

Wu Xing, or the Five Elements, are pillars which define Chinese phenomena. Earth, metal, wood, fire and water have pervaded aspects of Chinese culture and philosophy since time immemorial. Although rendered obsolete by modern science, these concepts nevertheless remain strong in symbolism and still hold sway in Chinese medicine.

 

Finding the right balance of forces and harmony in nature was the premise of the 70-minute long concert by Ding Yi Music Company conducted by Quek Ling Kiong, with music by well-known Chinese composer Tang Jianping, and stage direction by Goh Boon Teck. Commissioned by Esplanade’s Huayi - Chinese Festival of Arts, its world premiere was thought-provoking, aurally stimulating and visually satisfying.

 

Its nine linked movements opened with a Prologue, which saw conductor Quek amble on stage to box up his white physician’s coat, dusty tomes and a model of the human body, common fixtures at Chinese sinseh consulting rooms. It was time to store away items and ideas of a dated past, his body language suggested as barefooted musicians gathered to their stations. Then the music began.

 

Words in praise of the five elements were recited by Chinese actor-dancer Bai Ying Wen, who took up various poses and positions on stage. Projected texts and English transliterations were helpful in establishing the narrative, also constituting almost an ad hoc lesson on the subject itself.

 

Although the work was supposed to be Chinese-inspired, it was ironic that the Western cello stood out. Commanding soloist Leslie Tan (founding member of the T’ang Quartet) took on the Yo-Yo Ma role by exhibiting every nuance possible on the instrument. The cello’s embodiment of the five elements was also not lost. Strings of metal, body of wood, fluid lyricism, earthy tone and fiery passion were all part of one compact whole.

 

Also impressing were Ng Hsien Han on a panoply of dizis, occupying a world of different moods, and Yvonne Tay who dazzled on guzheng. Specific instruments like the xun (ocarina) made a cameo in the movement celebrating Earth, while percussion dominated the Metal movement, not a big surprise. Such was the instrumental variety afforded by a chamber force of merely 13 players.

Leslie Tan leaves his cello
to play with water.

 

Lighting took the form of suspended illuminated globes, with the hall bathed in red during the loud and flashily dissonant Fire movement. Blue was the habitat of the more serene Water movement, which also saw liquid in glass bowls being displaced and splashed around. With all the elements explored in detail, it was a matter of bringing them altogether in the exuberant 8^th movement entitled Complementarities.  

 

Conductor Quek’s acrobatic leap, about turn with theatrically raised arms elicited applause but the work had not yet ended. Its Epilogue, however, was a more muted affair, with cello and dizi having the last words. Meanwhile, narrator Bai had also restored the Chinese physician’s paraphernalia to their rightful place, indicating that yin and yang had been achieved, and all is right and healthy with the world.     

    

All photographs by courtesy of 

Ding Yi Music Company.

UNSPOKEN MELODIES: SILENT FILM CLASSICS IN CONCERT / Singapore Chinese Orchestra / Review

UNSPOKEN MELODIES:
SILENT FILM CLASSICS IN CONCERT
Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Esplanade Concert Hall
Saturday (8 February 2020)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 10 February 2020 with the title "Chinese instruments meet old black and white Western films".

Following the success of Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s concert accompanying The Goddess (starring Ruan Lingyu) at the 2014 Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts, the same formula was applied to four Hollywood silent classics from 1910 to 1923. The team of SCO Composer-in-Residence Law Wai Lun and his Hong Kong-based nephew Lincoln Lo returned to craft original scores, which were performed under the baton of Yeh Tsung.

The idea of Chinese instrumentation accompanying a Western film fortunately produced no jarring discrepancies between visual and aural experiences. Although the music could have easily been performed by a western symphony orchestra, the overall effect was one of seamlessness through its almost 90-minute duration.      

The concert opened with a short and lively Overture encapsulating the legacy of silent movies. Footage from period cinema (both Western and Asian) were included, as well as scenes from 1920-30s Singapore obtained from British Pathe and Penn Museum archives.

There is a period charm to the four black and white moving pictures, even if plotlines were simplistic, hopelessly naive and devoid of nuances between black and white (representing vice and virtue respectively). The only objection would be the odious racial stereotypes commonplace a century ago, such as portraying orientals and blacks as lackeys, or gypsies as plain evil. Of course there would be a certain tramp to save the day.   

Charlie Chaplin starred in two of the movies, The Adventurer (1917) and The Vagabond (1916), which opened and closed the show. But how differently these were treated. The former revelled in   slapstick and farcical Keystone Cops-like chases, with a jazzy, dancehall-music filled score which induced the most titters and laughs from the audience.

The latter was a romance, where boy saves girl from slavery, with tender moments involving piano and low strings, and a big melody to cap a climax. Did one detect a faint whiff of Nino Rota’s Romeo and Juliet theme, even when Tchaikovsky’s would have been the more appropriate?  

Quite different was Frankenstein (1910) starring Augustus Phillips, supposedly a thriller inspired by the Gothic horror novella. The music became more dramatic, with pitched percussion and piano reliving haunted house scary effects while weepy erhus added a further layer of suspense. Quite hilariously, the monster came across as almost loveable, like some overgrown house pet.

Buster Keaton was the hero in Rome from The Three Ages (1923), its centrepiece being a “race-to-the death” within a Coliseum-like arena. For the momentous occasion, loud martial music with vocalisations from the musicians filled the air, in the showdown between the villain’s horse-drawn chariot and Keaton’s dog-sled. Guess which one won.

Even if the movies’ content had little to do with Chinese culture, SCO’s contribution to Esplanade’s Chinese-themed festival was still a significant one. To showcase Chinese instruments as a versatile force, capable of transcending cultural barriers, was the name of the game.