BRAHMS WITH HANS GRAF AND SAYAKA SHOJI / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

BRAHMS WITH HANS GRAF 

AND SAYAKA SHOJI 

Singapore Symphony Orchestra 

Victoria Concert Hall 

Thursday (1 August 2024)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 3 August 2024 with the title "Violinist Sayaka Shoji's tone matches SSO in Brahms programme".

The music of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) is central to the classical repertoire, but he remains an acquired taste for some. An all-Brahms concert is less likely to fill a house than an all-Beethoven, all-Tchaikovsky or all-Rachmaninov concert here. However, this Singapore Symphony concert led by music director Hans Graf juxtaposing familiar and rare Brahms, early and late Brahms, serious and lighter Brahms, was ample proof of the German Romantic’s all-encompassing mastery. 

The evening began with Tragic Overture (Op.81), crafted as a counterbalance to his ebullient Academic Festival Overture (Op.80). Nobody died for this masterpiece to be written, its title being instead more synonymous with pathos and drama. Two stentorian chords opened the work, before unleashing a passionate outpouring of emotion. 

Its plethoric textures came off as over-reverberant in the confines of Victoria Concert Hall, and are likely better appreciated in the more capacious Esplanade. Nonetheless, most of the orchestral details came out well in this full-blooded reading. 

There were no such worries for the pared-down forces in Serenade No.2 in A major (Op.16), an early work far predating Brahms’ long-gestated First Symphony (Op.68). The absence of violins meant that winds (pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons and French horns) ruled the roost, supported by low strings (violas, cellos and basses). These were excellent in generating a congenial and pastoral feel all through its five movements. 

A central slow movement cast some dark clouds for contrast, but the outer movements were mostly light-hearted, dance-like and jocular in feel. This was capped by a joyous Rondo finale, where the diminutive piccolo joined the fray for a festive finish. This lively and energised performance can only win friends for this delightfully unpretentious piece. 

The concert’s main draw was the Violin Concerto in D major (Op.77) with youthful Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji as soloist. The full orchestra returned, and judging by the first movement’s orchestral tutti, it was determined not to take prisoners. One need not have worried as the petite-framed Shoji was fully up to the challenge. 

Her outsized violin tone was capable of cutting through thick orchestral textures, without recourse to a coarsening of sound. Her intonation was also mostly flawless, making it a pleasure to behold, especially in lightly accompanied passages and the virtuosic Joseph Joachim (the work’s dedicatee) first movement cadenza. 

The best melody went to Rachel Walker’s solo oboe in the slow movement, where Shoji’s part was to elaborate on its felicities. It was back to virtuoso mode in the boisterous Hungarian folk-influenced Rondo finale, which was rollicking good fun. 

Graf, in his preamble, had pointed to Shoji playing from a facsimile of Joachim’s personal manuscript which saw a reworking of two short bars in the finale. It was a small but audible detail. Blink and you will miss it. 

Vigourous applause saw Shoji return with a thickly polyphonic encore of Max Reger’s Prelude in G minor (Op.117 No.2). That was mightily impressive as well.

Photographs by Jack Yam / Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

My review of the same concert on www.bachtrack.com:

Brahms gets a welcome airing in Singapore | Bachtrack

BRAHMS THE TWO PIANO CONCERTOS / Tedd Joselson & Asian Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

BRAHMS THE TWO PIANO CONCERTOS 

Tedd Joselson (Piano) 

Asian Symphony Orchestra 

Victoria Concert Hall 

Sunday (16 June 2024)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 18 June 2024 with the title "Pianist Tedd Joselson plays Brahms with virtuosity".

A Herculean feat never previously attempted in Singapore is a concert bringing together both of German composer Johannes Brahms’ piano concertos. It had to be done sometime. That was left to Belgian-American pianist Tedd Joselson, resident here since 1999, and the Asian Symphony Orchestra under Belgian-Singaporean conductor Robert Casteels to do the honours. The concert was in aid of Heartware Network, a non-profit organisation that empowers youth. 

Brahms, young and old.

If one wondered if that was too much of a good thing, the reality was that one cannot get enough of it. Both concertos, running over 45 minutes each, were contrasted works coming from different periods of Brahms’ creative output. Both required different approaches, and all the performers came up with required musical responses to make the unwieldly tandem sound right. 

Photo: Benjamin Chiau

The First Piano Concerto in D minor (Op.15) was a creation of callow youth and exuberance from a 25-year-old. The opening orchestral tutti established the tone of almighty struggle, with Joselson’s mellow entry seemingly in direct opposition. The ensuing clash of titans, literally a tug-of-war between piano and orchestra, was at its most absorbing when Joselson piled on octave runs and chordal salvoes to stunning effect. 

Photo: Pianomaniac

Nothing fazed the 72-year-old veteran, whose sensitive touch shone in lyrical moments, such as the first movement’s second subject and the slow movement’s hymn-like theme bearing the inscription Benedictus, Qui Venit In Nomine Domini (Blessed, He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord). 

For raw passion unleashed, the Rondo finale saw Joselson sprint out like a man possessed, and his ability to sustain that level of tension throughout was enviable for even someone half his age. That the orchestra’s winds were excellent following the fugato was testament to attention paid to fine details, and the work barrelled victoriously to a colossal close. 

Photo: Heartware Network

The Second Piano Concerto in B flat major (Op.83) was composed some 26 years later, a work of mature sobriety. Conceived more like a four-movement symphony than virtuoso vehicle, the demanding piano part becomes almost an integral part of the orchestra. The opening conversation between Alan Kartik’s French horn and Joselson set the tone before another battle royale began. 

Photo: Heartware Network

While not as note-perfect as the earlier concerto, Joselson still commanded the stage with an imperiousness which Casteels and his forces matched blow for blow. The mighty Scherzo continued without letting off, but the best was reserved for the slow movement. 

Photo: Pianomaniac

With cellist Hang-Oh Cho’s sublime solo leading the way and Joselson’s smoothest possible response, detente was at hand. Seldom has this Andante radiated so much sunshine and beauty, leaving behind earlier storms as distant memories. The light-hearted finale with its send-up to the Viennese waltz became the perfect send off, and the applause rained even before the last emphatic chord had ended. 

Photo: Pianomaniac

Photo: Heartware Network

There cannot be more than very few souls in attendance who have witnessed the great Ukrainian-American pianist Vladimir Horowitz in person, but Joselson’s volatile and mercurial brand of virtuosity is probably the closest thing to that.

Photo: Benjamin Chiau

THE MAGIC OF BRAHMS / VCH Chamber Series / Review

THE MAGIC OF BRAHMS
Musicians from SSO
Victoria Concert Hall
Sunday (16 May 2010)

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

What exactly is the magic of Brahms? Subtler than Beethoven, more sophisticated than Bruckner, less hysterical than Mahler, Johannes Brahms’s (1833-1897) music reaps further rewards on repeated listening than any other. Thematically coherent and structurally sturdy, his melodies are memorable and less subject to imitation and parody.

The two-hour long chamber concert, the last in a series before Victoria Concert Hall’s imminent overhaul, juxtaposed Brahms’s works of youth and late maturity. The autumnal Clarinet Quintet in B minor (Op.115) breathed a mellowness that was introspective and calming. Over a string exposition, Li Xin’s clarinet floated commandingly, with a lustrous glow that radiated warmth on the outset.

In a show of quiet authority, it was encouraging to note this young graduate from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory’s first intake holding his own amongst the Singapore Symphony’s more experienced players. It was not a solo effort that counted, but the near-perfect balance achieved as a group of five musicians.

Long-breathed passages were a joy, keenly matched by the more mobile moments in the Scherzo and finale’s theme and variations. That the 35-minute work closed on a quiet and reposeful note was not a surprise; the older Brahms was not prone to severe dynamic upheavals.

Quite different was the early First Piano Quartet in G minor (Op.25), symphonic in scope and coloured with all sorts of possibilities. Darkness alternated with shafts of light, tension contrasted with release, and passion skirting on the impetuous. Lim Yan’s flashy piano part was virtuosic and soloistic, yet well integrated into the ensemble as a whole.

Despite coming close to 40 minutes, the music moved with urgency, supported by violinist Chan Yoong Han, cellist Yu Jing (both of whom featured in the two works) and violist Zhang Manchin. The ante was upped for the gypsy-flavoured Rondo, a rambunctious romp that nearly brought the house down.

There was a thoughtful encore, the Andante from the Third Piano Quartet (Op.60), dedicated in memory of Dr Goh Keng Swee (left), the orchestra’s forefather and patron of 31 years, who died earlier in the week. Beauty and poignancy could not have found a better medium in Brahms.

BORIS KRALJEVIC Piano Recital / Review

BORIS KRALJEVIC Piano Recital
NAFA Auditorium
Monday (1 February 2010)

The late piano works of Johannes Brahms are a world apart from his earliest efforts, the big bluster and bombast of the Sonatas (Op.1, 2 & 5) giving way to the intimate miniatures of his Intermezzos, Fantasias and assorted pieces (Op.117-119). These represent the culmination and autumn of a musical life well lived, and probe the depths of his soul and psyche.

Montenegrin pianist Boris Kraljevic, a faculty member of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, played the 13 pieces from sets Op.117 through 119. Possessing a multi-faceted technique and capabilities, he went into the heart of the music. Rarely has this music been so well thought out and magnificently realised.

The art of cantabile, married with smouldering disquiet and a gift for teasing out a melody through thickets of harmony distinguished the Three Intermezzos Op.117. Braving a massive traffic jam through the length of Bukit Timah Road, we arrived late but in time to hear the first set performed through a surprisingly acceptable sound system (and see Kraljevic on TV) in the foyer. Even that was convincingly enough proof of this musician’s prowess.

Sitting in the concert hall lent a further dimension to the experience. Kraljevic’s bear-like stature lends heft and weight to his playing, and he can definitely project. The Op.118 set began loud and passionate, but soon descended into the inner sanctum with the great A major Intermezzo (Op.118 No.2) He paced it very deliberately, but there was method to this approach, as it made the song-like middle section ever more a thing of beauty. The G minor Ballade (Op.118 No.3) had power and drive, and its central melody shone through like a beacon.

The E flat minor Intermezzo (Op.118 No.6), with its deep and dark thoughts, is the crowning glory of the Opus. Kraljevic ruminated like some ancient philosopher, before delivering the triumphant verdict, affirmative like the rise of several blazing suns before subsiding into terminal repose.

The Op.119 tetralogy is arguably the most varied of the three sets performed. Has there been a more dissonant or modern utterance by Brahms than the opening Intermezzo (Op.119 No.1)? Foretelling the coming of Schoenberg (who was in his late teens in 1893 when this was written), this chilling number was eloquently delivered, contrasted with the restless agitation of No.2, which had yet another beguiling middle-section melody derived from the earlier flutterings.

The jocular No.3 received the most pronounced of rubatos, which threatened to pull it out of shape, but the attempt to humour was duly noted. The final Rhapsody in E flat major got the energy and momentum it deserved, and few could deliver it with such trenchancy, closing the recital on a invigorating high.

Kraljevic performed three varied and well-received encores: Prokofiev’s Morning Scene (The Street Awakens) from Romeo and Juliet, Rachmaninov’s meditative Moment Musicaux No.4 (from Op.16) and Bach’s C major Prelude (Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1). Few would disagree that one had just witnessed an hour and more of true artistry.

3RD SINGAPORE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: ROBERT, CLARA & JOHANNES / Review

ROBERT, CLARA & JOHANNES
3rd Singapore Chamber Music Festival
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall
Sunday (31 January 2010)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 3 February 2010.

There are many nooks and crannies of the chamber music repertoire that deserve to be explored but for a number of reasons remain obscure. The Singapore Chamber Music Festival, organised by The Chamber Players, has played a massive part in introducing these to a receptive local audience. The first concert of the festival’s third edition was an excellent example of this.

The eternal triangle of Robert Schumann, his wife Clara and the young Johannes Brahms was celebrated with a piano trio each, performed by nine musicians representing a Who’s Who of classical music in Singapore today. In lieu of programme notes, each performance was preceded by carefully chosen words from the ever-thoughtful Dennis Lee.

He was also the pianist in Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No.2 in F major (Op.80), bringing freshness and exuberance to the music, trading interwoven melodic lines with violinist Ike See and cellist Natasha Liu (above). This is an unfamiliar work, one brimming with energy and optimism, yet balanced by a gentle lilting lyricism. The very crisp articulation by the threesome in the skittish staccato-filled finale was a joy.

Even rarer still was Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio in G minor (Op.17), the slightest work on the menu. Oozing Mendelssohnian lightness and charm, its salon-like quality was delightful and unpretentious. Ironically, an all-male trio of pianist Lim Yan, violinist Seah Huan Yuh and cellist Leslie Tan (above) all clad in Chinese New Year hongbao red did the honours, alternating sensitivity with the odd spot of virility.

The greatest of the three trios fell to Brahms, forever rumoured to be more than platonic soul buddies with Clara. His Piano Trio No.1 in B major (Op.8) was the longest and most expressive in the evening. It also had the most memorable melodies. Two women, pianist Toh Chee Hung and violinist Qian Zhou, partnered cellist Chan Wei Shing (above) in a performance that might be described as rough and ready in parts.

It nevertheless had enough passion and the sense of being on the edge to make it absorbing. One would easily accept a handful of wrong notes here and there than sit through than a squeaky clean but sterile outing. The intimacy of chamber music at its most sincere was more than well served.

Long-time cello pedagogue Mrs Herminia Ilano

(extreme left) was honoured at the festival.

This concert and the 3rd Singapore Chamber Music Festival was organised by The Chamber Players, and supported by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.