EIN MUSIKALISCHE ABEND @ RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE 4 / October Edition

It has now been established that the Master's Lounge of Residential College 4 of National University of Singapore is a place for music, and not just for steak. All thanks to Professor Peter Pang of Mathematics who got the ball rolling after receiving a Yamaha grand piano from the Centre for the Arts, and add a Schimmel upright piano, this has become a venue for music making.

It was a pleasure and privilege to be asked to play something for the latest soiree, and I followed a line of esteemed professors whose love for music was expressed and shared with all who attended. There was a good house of students, staff and residents for an evening of mostly Austro-German music (this much suggested by the title of the event). None of us are professional musicians, but most are professors of non-musical subjects who care for music, while I can only profess to enjoy music and play a little.

Here is the damning evidence, all visual and no aural, although there might be a few videos captured by handphone circulating around and ready to use for blackmail.  

Peter gives a short address, and by the
looks of it, suggests something light-hearted.

Yap Von Bing, aka Yap Von Beethoven,
Professor of Statistics, plays the
Aria from J.S.Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Winston Seah Kar Heng, Emeritus Professor
of Mechanical Engineering, added
Variations 3, 18 & 30 (Quodlibet),
before Von Bing reprises the Aria da capo.

Peter Pang now proposes something serious.

Peter performs the Bach-Kempff
Siciliano in G minor

Young Emma Ng, cellist in the MacPherson
Philharmonic Orchestra, is a final year 
Mechanical Engineering student.

Here, she performs the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria
accompanied on the piano by her mother
Vivian Ng, Professor of Electronic Engineering.

The piece de resistance of the evening was
Peter playing Mozart's Fantasy in C minor (K.475).

Yours truly playing the much easier
Mozart Fantasy in D minor (K.397),
preceded by Scriabin's Etude (Op.2 No.1)

The encore came from Kar Heng,
and now for something very different,
a Cantopop song by Sam Hui.

It wasn't exactly the Singapore International
Piano Festival, but I think everyone had a good time.

The performers gather for one last applause.

THE KENT RIDGE FINE MUSIC & STEAK APPRECIATION CLUB: Beef Quartet in A Flat

After a short hiatus, the Kent Ridge Fine Music & Steak Appreciation Club (no vegans admitted) finally reconvened at the National University of Singapore's Residential College 4 (RC4), hosted by its Master, the mathematician Professor Peter Pang. 

Sunday 3 August will be remembered for the mastery of steak crafting and carving by Professor Chan Tze Law, vice-dean of Yong Siew Toh Conservatory and Music Director of the Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM). Exchanging his baton for kitchenware, his steak has to be partaken to be believed. Its tenderness and succulence, with flavour locked in every bite is something to die for. 

To be certain, there were lots
of greens in the meal too.
By doctor's orders, naturally.

The kilogram of fine meat was divided and devoured with relish by the quartet which assembled. Retired Professor of Engineering Winston Seah Kar Heng named the event "Beef Quartet in A flat", the said flat being the Master's Lounge at RC4 which also has two pianos (a Yamaha baby grand and a Schimmel upright) in attendance.

Winston is the master of the musical quiz.

Peter Pang performed Wilhelm Kempff's
transcription of J.S.Bach's Siciliano.

Chopin's Prelude in D flat (Op.28 No.15) &
Scriabin's Etude in C# minor (Op.2 No.1)
are in enharmonic keys.

The grub was followed by an impromptu quiz by Winston, who played various excerpts from piano, symphonic and concertante works for the recently well-fed to identify. It was fiendishly tricky but the seasoned concert-goers present made short shrift of it. Then it was the turn of the others to perform a short something. Maestro Chan, was excused, he being an ex-violinist and having done all the heavy-lifting with the steak. Needless to say, every person went home happy and sated ... that is until the next meeting of the KRFMSAC (NVA) takes place. 

Till the next steak or soiree, or whatever.

EIN MUSIKALISCHE ABEND @ RC4, NUS

EIN MUSIKALISCHE ABEND @ RC4, 

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 

Monday (24 March 2025), 6 pm

Yes, another soiree, but one with a difference. This time, it's held at the National University of Singapore's Residential College 4 where I am a guest of its Master, Professor Peter Pang of Mathematics. He's a regular concertgoer at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, and he's gathered three pianists, two former students and a college resident of his to perform a programme of piano music. They included a mathematician, an English Literature major and a student of Communications and New Media. 

Prof Peter Pang hopes this piano
will get played often.

The Yamaha grand piano at the Master's lounge was donated by NUS Centre for the Arts, and it is hoped it will continue to get more air time. Here are some photos from the 90-minute programme and what they performed. 

A really ambitious 90-minute programme.

Tan Weiyu opened the soiree
with J.S.Bach's Goldberg Variations.

He did not play the entire thing,
but the Aria, Variations I-IV,
Quodlibet & Aria da capo. 

Pamela Cheong contributed with
Mozart's Sonata in B flat major (K.333)

...and Schubert's Impromptu in G flat major,
a typical Horowitz programme from the 1980s.

Benjamin Cheah is happy to share
his programme of rarities, by
Pancho Vladigerov, Nikolai Kapustin
& Maurice Ravel.

Benjamin performed his demanding
programme completely from memory!

Applause for the three pianists.

Let's have another Abend sometime soon!