SAYAKA SHOJI & MASAAKI SUZUKI / MOZART AND KALLIWODA / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

SAYAKA SHOJI & MASAAKI SUZUKI

MOZART AND KALLIWODA

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Friday (17 April 2026)

Kalliwoda. Where have we heard the name before? Maybe not. In the Singapore context, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra performed Kalliwoda’s First Symphony at Esplanade on 29 April 2022 as the second half to Stephen Hough’s Mozart Piano Concerto No.21. The conductor on that evening was Fabio Biondi. Now we have two Kalliwoda symphonies in the same SSO concert, led by Masaaki Suzuki no less. Is this a Kalliwoda renaissance of some sort?

Jan Vaclav Kalivoda (1801-1866), or Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda in his Germanised name, was a Prague-born Bohemian composer, violinist and conductor who was a contemporary of Franz Schubert and Hector Berlioz. He plied his trade mostly in Donaueschingen in Germany’s Black Forest, at the headwaters of the Danube and long before the town became the world's centre of music’s avantgarde*. Kalliwoda can hardly be called avantgarde, as I noted his First Symphony, played for the first time in Asia, had similarities with Mendelssohn’s First Symphony, both composed in 1824.

This evening, the Fifth and Seventh Symphonies (dating from 1840 and 1841 respectively) were performed as Asian premieres, both in four movements and a solid half-hour each. Having spent a full hour with this Bohemian, I can conclude that the craftsmanship is top-notch, even the ideas were hardly the most original. The passion and commitment invested in both works by SSO and Suzuki made it worthwhile, as I can scarcely imagine another professional orchestra outside of Germany or Czechia playing better than this.

The First Symphony in B minor opened with brass fanfares, not unlike how Schumann’s First Symphony announces itself, with the introduction working itself into a Sturm und Drang allegro main section. The urgency displayed in the exposition and development was quite arresting. The music is very pleasant, much like what we enjoy in the symphonies of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann, perhaps without the memorability. However repeated listening could change that. 

The Scherzo and “slow” movement (relatively speaking, marked Allegretto grazioso) are shorter, contrasting B minor and G major respectively. The final returned to the stormy and tempestuous, with a memorable Mendelssohnian second subject with possibilities and a more populist composer would have milked it for all its worth. Nevertheless, the symphony closed on a loud and exciting high, which was appreciated by all present.

The symphonies were separated by Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto in A major (K.219) with Japanese former prodigy Sayaka Shoji as soloist. For the ritornello, she played with the orchestra, as Mozart would have done himself, then emerging as a sweet and clear solo voice. Her free-spirited approach, regarding her role as a virtuoso, was established at the outset. Her intonation was not always perfect but never strayed to waywardness. The cadenza chosen was heavy duty, almost Romantic in intent, but before she could proceed further, one of her strings snapped. Exchanging violins with guest concertmaster Frank Stadler, she continued to blaze a path.

Oddly enough, the intonation issues soon evaporated for the aria-like slow movement, beautifully voiced, which included another tricky cadenza (no mishap this time). The Rondo finale, with its stomping Turkish janissary interlude, was gracefully hewn, with no resort to vulgarity or cheap tricks. The audience applauded her pluck, and she obliged with J.S.Bach’s Sarabande from Partita No.2 (BWV.1004) as a lovely encore.

Now to Kalliwoda’s Seventh Symphony in G minor. If anything, it makes for a more interesting and varied experience. The opening was dark and mysterious, with a low rumble provided by Christian Schioler’s timpani roll. It was like being in Carl Maria von Weber’s wolf glen territory, with a sense of expectation (perhaps dread) built up for the ensuing allegro, which constituted the longest movement of all. Its G minor theme was ripe for fugal treatment but that was not taken up. 

The Scherzo shot off tensely like in Beethoven’s Ninth, but that was not sustained. Its abrupt closing proved an anticlimax or sorts. The Marcia that followed with booming brass and timpani was Schumannesque, its vigour contasted by Ma Yue’s clarinet solo, and finally a fugue (!) from the strings, but that too did not last for much. The finale followed attacca, and there was much string prestidigitation to be appreciated as the symphony wound to a thrilling close.

Kalliwoda was enjoyable rather than illuminating, and the SSO made the best case for him under Suzuki’s direction. This was clearly a Hans Sorensen (former director of artistic planning) gambit, which could possibly result with a recorded cycle of the seven symphonies on BIS. On the evidence of three symphonies performed, SSO’s efforts will likely become the benchmark recording should that ever transpire.

* It must be noted that the Donaueschingen Festival was founded in 1921 by the wealthy Furstenberg family, whose ancestors had been the original employers of Kalliwoda.

There is just this one recording of 
Kalliwoda's Fifth and Seventh in the catalogue...

... and SSO is very likely to better it.

MISSA SOLEMNIS. MASAAKI SUZUKI / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

MISSA SOLEMNIS / MASAAKI SUZUKI

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Friday (10 May 2019)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 13 May 2019

The Japanese conductor Masaaki Suzuki has become a familiar figure on Singapore stages, whether leading students at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in J.S.Bach cantatas and chamber music, or conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in choral blockbusters. His latest venture, a gala concert with Beethoven’s monumental Missa Solemnis might just be his greatest achievement here.

Composed at the same time as his Ninth Symphony, Beethoven’s great setting of the Roman Catholic liturgical mass represented yet another facet of his musical genius. While the wildly popular Choral Symphony (Op.125) espoused secular universal ideals of the “Brotherhood of Man”, the solemn and heavier-going Mass in D major (Op.123) was his proudest statement of faith in God.

Running just over 72 minutes, a similar duration as the symphony, it is an exhausting listen but Suzuki kept a tight rein on the proceedings. While not dealing with a period instrument band, the SSO he directed was nonetheless a pared down ensemble, one which projected lightness while not lacking in punch. This made for an invigorating outing, which opened the Kyrie with a D major chord of gripping grandeur. From there, the pace built up steadily, never slacking off as the music rose from one climax to the next.

The 73-member Singapore Symphony Chorus, trained by choral director Eudenice Palaruan who also sang in its ranks, delivered an outsized sonority that was scarcely believable given its relatively small number. Previous choirs, often double the strength, could learn something from its togetherness and discipline in the work’s many tricky fugal maneuvers.

The quartet of soloists, soprano Rachel Nicholls, mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland, tenor James Gilchrist and baritone Christian Immler, were hand-picked by Suzuki himself. Having worked with him in the complete Bach cantatas and other projects, they were excellent in short solos besides being very well-matched in ensembles.

Ecstatic outbursts characterised the joyous Gloria. Trumpets proferred visions of heaven, trombones declared awe-inspiring might, while Isaac Lee’s pipe organ swelled the volume to lofty reaches. The chorus literally owned the Credo, the affirmation of the Apostle’s Creed, with the tenors unflinchingly giving the shout of Et resurrexit their best shot. These two loud movements, with momentous proclamations of Amen, could have triggered the audience into premature applause but attendees this evening were particularly well-behaved.

Who would have expected in the calming Sanctus, that astonishing extended violin solo – almost a concerto movement in itself – by concertmaster Igor Yuzefovich in perfect counterpoint with the singers? These provided moments of exceptional beauty away from the blustery pronouncements of undying faith.  

Similarly the final Agnus Dei, which delighted in intricate woodwind interplay, was also fairly quiet. The more sedate declamations of Dona nobis pacem left no one in doubt that the call for peace was not a noisy affair, but a more contemplative one. A better or more nuanced symphonic choral evening would be hard to find.  

Beethoven brainiacs unite!

MASAAKI SUZUKI & J.S.BACH / Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra / Review

MASAAKI SUZUKI & J.S.BACH

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra

Conservatory Concert Hall

Saturday (2 February 2019)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 4 February 2019 with the title "An evening of joyful Bach music".

The baroque music revolution in Singapore is well and truly underway. Recent concerts by Red Dot Baroque, re:Sound and J.S.Bach’s The Art Of Fugue have established a definite trend. Another all-Bach concert with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra conducted by renowned baroque specialist Masaaki Suzuki, founder of Bach Collegium Japan, was the icing on a well-baked cake.

Instrumental concertos and choral music, a motet and a cantata, were on this well-conceived programme. Opening was Keyboard Concerto in D minor (BWV.1052), Bach’s longest, with young harpsichordist Mervyn Lee helming the demanding solo. His was a confident reading, weaving between being an ensemble member and exerting himself in solo passages.  

The string accompaniment led by guest concertmaster Ryo Terakado, numbering only 12 players, ensured a light and transparent texture throughout. Thus Lee’s ornate figurations in the slow movement and the finale’s virtuosic flourishes came through very well.

The other concertante work was the Concerto in C minor for Violin and Oboe (BWV.1060a), where Terakado and guest oboist Masamitsu San’nomiya, both permament members of the Bach Collegium Japan and highly experienced soloists, held sway. The interplay between both players, intricate and intimate, was excellent throughout.

Both choral works performed were sacred in inspiration and content. The religious message in the motet Jesu, Meine Freud (Jesus, My Joy BWV.227) was unmistakeable: the Saviour protects, vanquishes death and ultimately sparks joy. The 16-member chorus from the Conservatory, with four singers a part including tenor Alan Bennett (head of voice studies), sung like they meant every word.

Chorales were delivered with conviction, while the fugue Ihr Aber Seid Night Fleischlich (But Ye Are Not In The Flesh) delighted in its busy counterpoint. In the brief trios Denn Das Gesetz Des Geistes (For The Spirit Of The Law) and So Aber Christus In Euch Ist (And Of Christ Be In You), the soloists were somewhat exposed but did the best to hold their own.

In the cantata Mit Fried Und Freude Ich Fahr Dahin (With Peace And Joy I Depart, BWV.125), the feeling of accomplishment was even greater. In this journey from contrition to deliverance, obliggato parts from oboist San’nomiya and guest flautist Liliko Maeda were a delight, while a trio of young vocalists had the opportunity to shine.

Alto Lu Pei-Yun radiated true gravitas in the aria Ich Will Auch Mit Gebrochnen Augen (Even With Broken Eyes), a prayer of submission, while baritone Lim Jing Jie reaffirmed that one need not fear death in O Wunder, Dass Ein Herz (How Wondrous That A Heart). In the duet Ein Unbegreiflich Licht (An Unfathomable Light), Lim and tenor Jong Woo were well matched in their utterance that “He who believes shall be blessed”.

The final chorus Er Ist Das Heil (He Is The Salvation) came all too soon but Suzuki and his charges  totally justified the cantata’s exhortation, sending an appreciative audience home in peace and joy.    

Bach-maniacs come together!

MASAAKI SUZUKI CONDUCTS MOZART / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

MASAAKI SUZUKI CONDUCTS MOZART

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Friday (28 April 2017)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 1 May 2017

Very soon after conducting a concert of J.S.Bach cantatas and concertos at the Conservatory in January, the eminent Japanese conductor Masaaki Suzuki made a welcome return. This time, it was the music of Mozart that was enjoyed by a capacity house which saw Esplanade Concert Hall's gallery seats fully occupied.

Works cast in minor mode are rare in Mozart's output, but these figure among his greatest and most expressive. Just two of his 41 symphonies are in the minor key, incidentally both in G minor. The second of these, Symphony No.40, is also one of his best-known. Its familiar opening theme, both dramatic and urgent in feel, made for an exciting starter.

Suzuki's employed a chamber-sized ensemble, and the result was a performance of litheness and compactness. Although very swift speeds were adopted, there was no feel of haste or hurriedness. The flowing narrative was very well delivered, with immaculate and homogeneous strings leading the way, interjected by uniformly excellent solo woodwind contributions.

The repeated figures of the slow movement were very well paced, and the 3^rd movement's bounding energy were a tonic, with woodwinds and French horns brimming with vitality. The bustling finale was a feast of counterpoint, the clarity and definition of which will set a benchmark for future Mozart performances to come.

In Mozart's Requiem in D minor, quiet and sombre opening bars soon built up into a gripping performance that befitted its monumental stature. Those familiar with Suzuki's BIS recording with Bach Collegium Japan's chorus of 24 singers might have been startled to encounter the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Philharmonic Chamber Choir's forces which counted four times as many.

This juxtaposition of chamber orchestra with a Victorian-sized choir on stage was probably because of the venue's capacious size. This was no longer going to be a chamber concert, and thus no pretenses were made. From the opening Kyrie Eleison to the final Lux Aeterna, the chorus prepared by Lim Yau was the star of the show. 

By sheer force of will and numbers, the mass of voices sang as one, with very good consonances and accuracy of entries in the fugal choruses. The Dies Irae was one to rouse the living and wake up the dead, and equally vehement was Confutatis, before descending into the sobbing of Lacrimosa, which was where Mozart left the work unfinished.

The soloists, soprano Marie Arnet, countertenor James Hall (in place of a mezzo-soprano), tenor Alan Bennett and bass Callum Thorpe, acquitted themselves well although the balance of voices in ensemble segments was nowhere near perfect. The extended trombone solo heralding the singers in Tuba Mirum was delivered with great confidence.     

This concert featured Singapore premiere of the edition and completion by Masato Suzuki, the conductor's son, which incorporated changes to the familiar Süssmayr movements. Most significant was the addition of a minute-long fugal Amen for chorus placed between the Lacrimosa and Domine Jesu, which was a pleasant diversion.

BACH CANTATAS WITH MASAAKI SUZUKI / Yong Siew Toh Conservatory / Review

BACH CANTATAS 

WITH MASAAKI SUZUKI

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory

Thursday (19 January 2017)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 21 January 2017 with the title "Beauty of Bach unveiled".

Eminent Japanese Bach scholar and conductor Masaaki Suzuki returned with another round of Johann Sebastian Bach's music with students of the Conservatory. As with last year's concert, the Ong Teng Cheong Professor of Music 2016/17 again drew a full house, keen to experience baroque music in the historically-informed tradition of period performance practice.

Although well-established in the West, this tradition is gradually gaining a foothold in Singapore, thanks to more young musicians formally studying its practice, enhanced by visiting luminaries such as Suzuki. This concert showcased two of Bach's 200-plus cantatas, with both halves opening with purely instrumental music.

Concertmaster Ryo Terakado, one of the world's great baroque violinists, took a seat in the Violin Concerto in A minor  (BWV.1041) as freshman Zhang Yuchen performed the solo. His was a very confident account, well-articulated with little vibrato. He projected well, and was superbly supported by the small Conservatory Chamber Ensemble taking cues from Suzuki's very precise direction.

Suzuki became soloist in his own arrangement of Cantata No.35, cast in the form of a three-movement Organ Concerto in D minor. Appropriating and recycling pre-existing works (and often other composers' music) into new pieces was common practice in the 18^th century, and the result was an enjoyable outing on the Conservatory's new Garnier chamber organ.

The outer fast movements were adapted from purely orchestral movements called sinfonias (which had prominent organ solos anyway), and the slow movement was a lovely aria that showcased organ and Masamitsu San'nomiya's oboe da caccia (the antique “hunting oboe” with a curved tube) in lovely counterpoint, accompanied by just double-bass.  

The main courses were the sacred cantatas, with Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid (Ah God, How Many A Heartache) BWV.3 performed in the first half. Here was the message that only God was the answer to the heart's woes, for those who believed in Him. The choir of 18 voices (16 students and 2 faculty members) were a pillar of strength in the opening and closing choruses.

Soloists were drawn from these voices. Baritone Jeong Daegyun was a standout in Empfind Ich Höllenangst und Pein (Although I Fear Hell's Angst and Pain), with tenor Fang Zhi following up strongly in the succeeding recitative. The duet of soprano Suyen Rae and mezzo-soprano Lu Pei-Yun blended prettily in Wenn Sorgen auf mich dringen (When Cares Press Upon Me), finding consolation in each other's company.

The concert concluded with Alles nur nach Gottes Willen (Everything According To God's Will) BWV.72, an affirmation of one's faith in the divine. Another excellent choice, with two choruses and showcase of solo arias, this was the turn of soprano Li Wei-Wei to shine in Mein Jesus will es tun (My Jesus Wants To Do This), shading mezzo Lu's more tentative O selger Christ (O Blessed Is The Christian).

Regardless whether one adheres to Bach's religious beliefs or not, it was the sheer beauty of the music that was transcendent. Long may Suzuki's advocacy continue to spread this musical gospel here.