CD Reviews (The Straits Times, August 2013)

JOHN OGDON Legendary British Virtuoso

EMI Classics 704637 2 (17 CDs) / *****

If there were a British pianist qualified to be called a super-virtuoso, that would be the late John Ogdon (1937-1989). This is a largest single edition of his recordings, drawn from the EMI Classics back catalogue dating from 1960 to 1976. He blazed a meteoric trail following a joint win with Vladimir Ashkenazy at the 1962 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, but was plagued by manic depression from the early-1970s. He made a short comeback in the mid-1980s but died from pneumonia (some say suicide-related), aged just 52. He savoured big repertoire works with an “omnivorous appetite” and “a primeval hunger for notes”, championing Busoni’s monumental Piano Concerto and Ronald Stevenson’s Passacaglia on DSCH (all 86 minutes of it), both included here in blistering performances.

Ogdon was himself a composer, and one gets to hear his Piano Concerto No.1, Piano Sonata and Theme & Variations, modernistic but tonal works, alongside modern composers like Bartok, Tippett, Messiaen, Dutilleux, his contemporaries Sherlaw Johnson, Goehr and Headington just to name a few. This set also features more popular repertoire, including concertos and solo music by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schumann, Grieg, Chopin and Liszt, on which he also left an indelible mark. The final disc comprises delightful encore pieces. Which serious pianist today has time for Cecile Chaminade’s Automne, Cyril Scott’s Lotus Land (influenced by the Orient) or Sinding’s Rustle of Spring? Maybe Stephen Hough, but Ogdon was a one-off and his kind may never be seen again.

DVORAK Symphony No.9

Czech Suite / My Home

Malaysian Philharmonic / CLAUS PETER FLOR

BIS 1856 / *****

This might just be the last recording on the BIS label by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra as we know it. Embroiled in a controversy that saw the non-renewal of nine key and long-serving musicians last year, a worldwide boycott of the orchestra may have also adversely affected its future recording prospects. Nevertheless these 2009 recordings of popular and lesser-known Dvorak reveal exceptionally fine playing all around. The over-recorded New World Symphony does not suffer from over-familiarity in the slightest, and it sounds fresh and revitalised, served by excellent sound. The Largo is wonderfully atmospheric and the Slavonic dances of the final two movements simply bristle with excitement.

The fillers are well chosen. If the symphony pointed to native and Afro-American sources, Dvorak’s overture My Home (not his own title but one proffered by his publisher) and Czech Suite find their inspirations from his Bohemian homeland. The overture uses two popular local songs while the suite includes in its five movements rustic dances like the polka and furiant. Listen also for the drone-like bagpipe effects in its opening Pastorale. Not his greatest music, but when played as beautifully here, it is well worth the listen. It is hoped that no one gets to say that “The MPO was once a great orchestra”.        

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, August 2012)

LEKEU Violin Sonata

RAVEL Complete Violin Music

ALINA IBRAGIMOVA, Violin

CEDRIC TIBERGHIEN, Piano

Hyperion  67820 / *****

What if the Belgian-composer Guillaume Lekeu (1870-1894) had not died from typhoid at a tender age of just 24? On the evidence of his only Violin Sonata (1892/93) in G major, he might have become one of the great French-school composers of the Franck-Fauré-Chausson lineage that preceded the rise of the so-called impressionists. He was a student of Cesar Franck, which might explain the sonata’s similarities with his teacher’s own Violin Sonata, also composed for the great Belgian virtuoso Eugene Ysaye. Notable is the use of cyclical form, where the noble and lyrical main theme from the first movement returns in the finale, thus bringing unity to the sprawling 34 minute masterpiece.

Maurice Ravel’s violin music is hardly obscure, with the exception of his early Violin Sonata from 1897 (his Posthumous Sonata), which must not be confused with his Sonata of 1927 (also included here in this collection), with its iconic Blues movement. At 14 minutes, the ruminative quality of its single movement is reminiscent of Chausson’s rhapsodic Poeme, but its languidness does not scale the heights of ecstasy, a classic trait of the impressionists. Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova coaxes a pure and refined tone throughout without holding out on outright virtuosity. For the Lekeu rarity, hers is a breezy alternative to Arthur Grumiaux’s darkly-hued and brooding account from 1955. Ardently recommended.   

DVORAK Symphony No.7

Othello / The Wild Dove

Malaysian Philharmonic / CLAUS PETER FLOR

BIS SACD-1896 / *****

If anybody had suggested 15 years ago that some of the best recordings of Czech music came out from Malaysia, that person would have been considered fit for the lunatic asylum. Fact: German conductor Claus Peter Flor’s third recording with the Malaysian Philharmonic, of music by Antonin Dvorak, is an unqualified triumph. The Bohemian’s Seventh Symphony in D minor is the darkest and most Brahmsian of his great final symphonic trilogy. From its opening bars, one immediately feels the urgency, storms and stresses, which Flor works his charges to thrilling climaxes with chilling effect. The buoyant Slavonic dance that is its third movement provides some respite before being swept away by the relentless tide of the finale.

Of equal interest are the fill-ups, an overture and symphonic poem. The Shakespeare-inspired Othello is the third part of a triptych of concert overtures, with the programme of jealousy and murder vividly characterised. Even more sinister is The Wild Dove (Holoubek), based on a macabre folk ballad by Karel Erben. The tables are turned when a wife poisons her husband and marries someone else, but supernatural forces eventually wreak a terrible vengeance. All these make for excellent programme music, musical narration that tells a story without the use of words. Exciting stuff, brilliantly executed.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, February 2012)

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR Piano Recital
Decca 478 3206 / Rating *****

British pianists are not exactly covering themselves in glory at international piano competitions these days, but all this seems irrelevant in the face of a talent such as the 19-year-old Benjamin Grosvenor. Following up on his appearance at last year’s First Night of the BBC Proms, his new solo recording is a stupendous achievement. Inspired programming plays a large part. For example, instead of playing Chopin’s Four Scherzos straight through, he separates each of these fast and brilliant essays with the calm and tranquillity of the Nocturnes. Blessed with impeccable technique, and with certain liberties taken in tempi and rubato, these contrasts simply enhance the listening experience.

The Liszt contribution includes two transcriptions of Chopin’s Polish Songs – My Joys and The Maiden’s Wish - and the diminutive but sublime nocturne En Reve. He finishes off with Ravel’s diabolical Gaspard de la nuit, which he had performed at the Singapore International Piano Festival in 2010. He simply revels in the impressionism and expressionism inspired by Aloysius Bertrand’s poems. The mercurial allure of Ondine, the droll tolling of a distant bell in Le Gibet, and the maniacal laughter of Scarbo are vividly captured in these perfectly realised vignettes. Here is a reading that matches the best in the business.

BOOK IT:
BENJAMIN GROSVENOR performs Schumann Piano Concerto
with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Okko Kamu
Esplanade Concert Hall, 7.30 pm / Friday, 24 February 2012

Tickets available at SISTIC

KALINNIKOV Symphonies Nos.1 & 2
Malaysian Philharmonic / KEES BAKELS
BIS 1155 / ****1/2

What if the little-known Russian composer Vassily Kalinninov (1866-1901) had lived to a ripe old age instead of dying in consumptive poverty at the age of 34? Such questions may not be fully answered but what we are left with is a small body of music including two very well-crafted symphonies. The young talent had received praise from Tchaikovsky and moral support from Rachmaninov, but his overtly nationalistic symphonies filled with typically Russian themes and motifs are closer in spirit to Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov.

The melodies are catchy enough, often more memorable than those of the long-lived academic symphonist Glazunov. When the opening themes are reprised in the finale, the effect is as warm as a reunion between good old friends. Strangely for the Swedish label BIS, whose issues usually come hot off the press, this recording dates back to 2000. Only in the third year of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra’s existence, the playing under its first Music Director Dutchman Kees Bakels is polished, full of passion and involvement. With excellent sound, these readings already surpass those beloved vintage Soviet Melodiya recordings of Yevgeny Svetlanov.

Footnote: Our hearts go out to the nine Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra musicians laid off by the orchestra in the past week, a number of whom have been with the orchestra since its inception in 1998. Your invaluable contribution in invigorating the classical music in Malaysia and Singapore (the MPO has visited at least four times) will not be forgotten.

More on that injustice and ensuing discussion may be found in Norman Lebrecht's blog:

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/02/high-flying-asian-orchestra-runs-into-heavy-weather.html

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, September 2011)

SMETANA Ma Vlast
Malaysian Philharmonic

CLAUS PETER FLOR
BIS SACD-1805 / *****

Almost every listener knows Bedrich Smetana’s Die Moldau or Vltava, the tone poem on the river that runs through the heart of Prague. But what about the other five works that make up the Czech nationalist’s orchestral cycle Ma Vlast (My Country)? Inspired by the localities, landscapes and legends of Bohemia, this is an extraordinary symphonic journey which makes for absorbing listening through its 75 minutes. Chords of bardic harps greet the opening of heroic Vysehrad (High Castle), a theme that famously recurs at the close of Die Moldau and the cycle itself.

A furious battle ensues in Sarka, the feminist-leaning legend has its heroine wreak a bloodthirsty vengeance on her male captors. The thread of nature returns for From Bohemia’s Woods and Fields, a Slavonic dance that glorifies the humble polka. The final two poems Tabor and Blanik are nationalist in character, utilising the Hussite hymn Ye Who Are Warriors Of God (after the martyrdom of Reformation cleric Jan Hus), a rallying call for all Czech heroes and patriots. This music offers little concession to non-Czech ensembles, but the superb Malaysian Philharmonic led by German conductor Claus Peter Flor rises to the occasion with unflinching aplomb. Listen for yourself, and you will see.

BOOK IT:
CLAUS PETER FLOR 

conducts SSO

29 September: 

BEETHOVEN Symphonies Nos.1 & 3

7 October: 

RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé 

& BERLIOZ Te Deum

7.30 pm, Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets available at SISTIC

MALAYSIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA / Review

PERRY SO’S PROKOFIEV
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, 

Kuala Lumpur 

Saturday (18 June 2011)

Make no mistake, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) is a class act. And what a pleasure it is to experience the 13-year-old orchestra in his home, the magnificent Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), once the envy of Singaporeans in those seemingly long pre-Esplanade years. The MPO still reinforces its “dress up” code for men, which means jackets/coats and tie or long sleeve National costume for men, and that isn’t really a bad thing. When you are required to dress better than you normally would attending church service, chances are you would behave better. Which is why the infamous incident of schoolboys thrashing a SSO concert would never happen in KL, at least not in DFP.

The concert this weekend was entitled “Perry So’s Prokofiev”. So what’s so special about So and his relationship with Prokofiev? “Gergiev’s Prokofiev” or “Petrenko’s Prokofiev” might be perfectly understandable for a concert of all-Russian music, if they were conducting. But who is Perry So? I thought “The Heart of Russia” or “Russian Soul” might have worked better, but the proof of the pudding is in its eating.

The concert began with Alexander Mosolov’s (1900-1973) only work in the active orchestral repertoire, The Iron Foundry (or just Zavod), four minutes of white noise representing the dehumanising 1920s industrialisation of the Soviet Union. Grinding dissonances and ostinatos ruled the waves, and its one claim to fame – the use of a large metal sheet beaten by a hammer. There it hung unapologetically in the percussion section and employed to devastating effect. The short work also showed Mosolov could possibly churn out effective film music.

The concerto of the evening was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, played by the Ukrainian Valeriy Sokolov. He is a big guy with a sound to match. Having said that, the performance, the third to be heard within the space of a month, was decidedly middle-of-the-road. It was definitely competent, without being too distinctive in a good or bad way. There were lovely moments for sure, and he did attempt to lovingly linger in the Canzonetta and the slower middle section of the finale, and brought out the fireworks to close. There were multiple curtain calls, and the audience even halted their applause in anticipation of an encore, and all he did was wave his hands, as if to say “That’s all folks!” Bizarre. Verdict: Definitely better than Lara St John (with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra), but trails behind Midori (with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra).

The true mettle of the MPO came to the fore for the second half’s Prokofiev Fifth Symphony in B flat major (Op.100). The young guest conductor Perry So, Associate Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and still in his 20s, was the winner of the International Prokofiev Conducting Competition (St Petersburg) in 2008, hence the significance of the unusual title. The MPO may be hailed as a great band on the strength of this performance, which had everything one could have desired and displayed every section of the orchestra to their advantage. The brass was particularly good, and rose to the occasion every time it was called upon. The gigantic climax built up towards the end of the first movement was a moment not for faint hearts, as the orchestra went for the jugular and did not let go.

The trenchant wit of the Scherzo, full of acid spewed and sniping asides, was brilliantly communicated as was the droll slow movement and its poignant sentimentality. Of the orchestral soloists, clarinettist Marcel Luxen was the easy standout, his solos were beautifully shaped and well projected. The machine gun rapid fire of the finale was engaged at full throttle, as the music rumbled ever so inexorably to its triumphant close. There is a section towards the end when the volume dips suddenly so that the complex turning of the wheels and gears of the war is heard unchallenged – played with much finesse and relish - was indicative of this orchestra’s virtuosity. Conductor So, whose sympathy, keen and taut conception of the work as a whole, helped make this brilliant orchestra shine. One looks forward to his visit to the SSO soon.

For this regular concertgoer, there were also other reasons to feel much at home. The excellent programme notes in a smart booklet (which cost RM 7 by the way) were written by the inimitable Marc Rochester (now resident in Singapore); SSO’s first violin Seow Jin Chong was free-lancing, SSO’s former cellist Elizabeth Tan (a Yong Siew Toh alumnus) is now a proud member of the MPO, as is former SSO librarian Khor Chin Yang, both Malaysians returning home to serve national musical service. Simply put, No trip to Kuala Lumpur is complete without attending a concert by the Malaysian Philharmonic.

The magnificent organ and ceiling 

of Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, September 2009)

CHOPIN Complete Works 

GARRICK OHLSSON, Piano et al 

Hyperion 44351/66 (16 CDs) 

Rating ****1/2 

The piano is central to every piece of music that Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) wrote, and this handy box-set by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, includes every single note. Virtually all his solo piano music is heard regularly these days, but the odds and ends including an enjoyable piano trio, small body of cello music, Polish songs and a solitary flute work remain rarities. Are these worth listening to? Yes, that is because Chopin – like Mozart - is one of those sensitive souls for whom beauty is an essential and little is ever routine. 

Ohlsson also marks himself as Chopin interpreter par excellence, even if aficionados may already have their personal favourites like Argerich (in the Préludes), Perahia (Études), Pires (Nocturnes), Lipatti (Waltzes), Zimerman (Concertos) and Rubinstein (in pretty much everything else). 

The recordings date mostly from the 1990s, originally issued by the now-defunct Arabesque label. The singular biggest draw here is its price; $99.95 at HMV works out to about $6 a disc or under 9 cents per minute of unalloyed pleasure. Hard to resist?

DEBUSSY / POULENC Cello Sonatas 

JEAN-GUIHEN QUEYRAS, Cello 

ALEXANDRE THARAUD, Piano 

Harmonia Mundi 902012

Rating ****1/2 

Two 20th century French icons Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) are united on this disc with the common goal of reviving French values in music. What may these be? For starters, it is the avoidance of dense counterpoint as espoused by the Germans, and steering clear of Wagner’s “modernism”. Secondly, a conscious return to the dance-forms of an earlier age, represented by the likes of Couperin and Rameau. Debussy’s Cello Sonata (1915) is the epitome of conciseness and clarity, all 11-minutes of it. Its middle movement Serenade is an evocation of evening minstrels and midnight trysts. 

Poulenc’s Cello Sonata (1948) joyously espouses the concept of “exquisite bad music”, one that does not take itself too seriously. Its third movement is entitled Ballabile, which literally means “danceable”; it is a gay, unpretentious and light-hearted romp. This album also includes Debussy’s “slower than slow” waltz La plus que lente, Poulenc’s Suite Francaise (based on 16th century dances) and two shorter pieces. Totally delectable.

JOSEF SUK Asrael Symphony 

Malaysian Philharmonic 

Claus Peter Flor, Conductor 

BIS SACD-1776

Rating ***** 

The Czech composer Josef Suk (1874-1935) is best known as the son-in-law of Antonin Dvorak and grandfather of the great violinist of the same name. His popular Serenade for Strings has been making its rounds, but the undisputed masterpiece is the 5-movement symphony Asrael of 1906. Named after the Islamic “Angel of Death”, it was borne of tragic circumstances; both Suk’s young wife and Dvorak had died within a year of each other. 

Running just over an hour, its musical language is influenced by Wagner and owes a debt to Mahler and Richard Strauss, while leaving Dvorak’s folksy symphonies in its wake. The quiet opening looks forward to Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony, while the tense and eventful scherzo predicts Prokofiev and Hollywood composers. Those seeking a sumptuously orchestrated canvas to wallow in, look no further. The Malaysian Philharmonic, conducted by its new Music Director in their first recording together, is on sizzling form.