EVERYBODY LOVES A SOIREE: THE CELEBRITY EDITION!

EVERYBODY LOVES A SOIREE:

THE CELEBRITY EDITION!

If truth be told, a musical soiree is always better whenever I am an observer. No way should I be a part of it other than being a fly on a wall, or to use a more local example, a gecko on the ceiling. Dr Ling Ai Ee, Singapore's most celebrated non-professional pianist and accompanist, regularly holds soirees and matinees at her home off Dunearn Road. Some of these have been fundraisers in aid of various charities, but this latest one was all about friends coming together to make music.

... and here's the programme du jour.

She has assembled a formidable line-up (9 musicians in all) this time around, including celebrities and veterans of Singapore's musical scene. Even the audience was filled with luminaries (which does not include off-duty music reviewers). The performers needn't have worried, as the programme was excellent, the level of playing was mostly beyond reproach, a testament of how hard they have worked on the music. For this, they deserve our whole-hearted applause. Not to mention the lovely makan served up!

The concert opened with a whole piano trio!
Beethoven's Op.11, the Gassenhauer so named
because it used tunes from the street (gasse).
Clarinettist Li Lingzhi, cellist Timothy Chua
with host with the most Ling Ai Ee on piano.

Another whole piano trio, albeit in one movement.
Rachmaninov's G minor Trio-Elegiaque,
with violinist Serene Lim, cellist Chan Chin Hong
and pianist Jonathan Aow.

The youngest performer was prodigious
15-year-old Timothy Chua in
Schumann's Adagio & Allegro, Op.70

Violin celebrity Siow Lee-Chin made a cameo
with Amy Beach's Romance.

She dedicated the performance to her patron and 
mentor Lady Yuen-Peng McNeice, who would have
celebrated her 107th birthday today.

The famous Leow Siak Fah family portrait.
There were at least 4 people pictured within
who were present at the soiree.

After the grub break, Astor Piazzolla tangos resumed,
first with Tangata with Ai Ee & Toh Chee Hung
from the famous Dennis Lee-Toh Chee Hung duo.

Chee Hung and Dennis were regulars, 
and helmed the first fundraising soiree.

Piazzolla's Oblivion with Lingzhi, Jonathan and
YST Conservatory's Tang I-Shyan on cello.

Now the heavy-duty trios:
Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No.1 (1st movement)
with Serene, Chin Hong & Jonathan.

... and the 2nd movement from
Lingzhi, I-Shyan and Jonathan

The recital proper closed with the first two movements
from Mendelssohn's Second Piano Trio,
now with Lingzhi, Timothy & Ai Ee.

As an encore, Ai Ee played
Leopold Godowsky's Alt Wien
in the memory of Dennis Lee.

The glam set:
Lee-Chin, cellist Leslie Tan & Lingzhi.
Watch where your hands go, Leslie!

Toh Chee Hung with Juliana Lim
from the Richard Wagner Society (Singapore).

Lee-Chin is senior enough to be the mother of
both Timothy and pianist Asher Seow.
Maybe there are related, after all!

ONE YEAR LATER: REMEMBERING DENNIS LEE THROUGH HIS CD RECORDINGS

 

ONE YEAR LATER: 

REMEMBERING DENNIS LEE 

THROUGH HIS CD RECORDINGS 

It has been one year since the passing of the pioneering Malaya-born concert pianist Dennis Lee. A native of Penang, he was the first Malaysian pianist to make an international career from concertising, teaching and judging piano competitions. He and his wife, fellow-pianist Toh Chee Hung, were based in London but made regular visits to Singapore and Malaysia for performances and teaching. 

While we all have fond personal memories of Dennis, it was his piano recordings that will withstand the posterity of time for the rest of the listening public. He made precious few recordings for an artist of his stature, but quality rather than quantity defined his output. There was nothing he recorded which was less than his personal high standards, and much can bear scrutiny alongside the best in the highly competitive recording industry. 

Released in 1991 was arguably Dennis’ greatest recording of all, a recital of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski’s piano music (Hyperion CDA 66409). His was one of the first Szymanowski piano recordings to have come out on CD (way before the likes of Anderszewski, Zimerman, Blechacz, Roscoe and Tiberghien) and was warmly received by critics and listeners alike. 

The varied programme included the Scriabinesque Four Etudes (Op.4), the rarely-heard Lisztian Fantasy (Op.14), and the great cycles inspired by mythology, Metopes (Op.29) and Masques (Op.34). The playing is sensitive yet febrile in intensity. Its success saw it being reissued on Hyperion’s budget label Helios (CDH 55081) during the noughties. 

The Helios reissue is still available.

Prior to this classic saw Dennis as a junior partner to great French pianist Philippe Entremont in a selection of Ravel’s piano works for four hands, including the Mother Goose Suite and Habanera on two pianos from Sites Auriculaires / Rapsodie Espagnole. These were recorded in London for Columbia Masterworks in 1974. Entremont needed a second pianist, and it so happened that he and Dennis shared the same concert agency. The recording I have was a budget reissue on Sony Classical (SB2K 53528), which was autographed by both pianists. These may now be found in Entremont’s big box of solo recordings, also issued by Sony. 

Piano duo music occupied much of Dennis’ concert life, and his most celebrated partnership was with Singapore-born pianist Toh Chee Hung. The husband-and-wife pairing became the most prominent piano duo in this part of the world, a Southeast Asian version of the famous Israeli Eden and Tamir duo. Piano Music for Four Hands (DL-001) from 2002 was a self-produced disc which relived a cross-section of the duo’s repertoire. 

Pride of place is Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, and the programme includes sonatas by Mozart (D major, K.381), Hummel (E flat major, Op.51), and selections from Moritz Moszkowski’s From Foreign Parts (Op.23) and Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, capped off with the encore Qui Vive (Grande Galop de Concert) by the little-known Wilhelm Ganz. This is piano duo playing at its finest. 

There is an early-1980s LP recording that features Dennis, Chee Hung and former Singapore Attorney-General Tan Boon Teik playing Mozart’s Concerto for Three Pianos (K.242) with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Choo Hoey, issued as a fundraiser for the orchestra. This is likely to be the only recording of the duo in a concertante work. Immaculate fingerwork and ensemble are to be discerned, notwithstanding a certain amateur pianist’s contribution. The final Rondo was later excerpted for a 2000 commemorative CD of the orchestra’s 21st anniversary. These are true rarities likely only to be found in private collections. 

It was a pity that the duo did not make any further recordings, but one is grateful that the Singapore Symphony Group captured a live performance at the 2005 edition of the Singapore International Piano Festival. Impressions and Encores, a limited-edition CD which showcased highlights from that festival, replicated some earlier repertoire (Dvorak and Ganz) but included Schubert’s Variations on an Original Theme (D.803) and the Ravel transcription of Debussy’s Fetes (from Three Nocturnes). These are masterly performances that bear repeated listening. 

Speaking of Debussy’s piano music, this was a project that occupied the last decade of Dennis’ musical and recording career. Issued by the UK-based Independent Creative Sound and Music (ICSM) Recordings label, we are fortunate to have two discs of this wonderful music. Debussy Piano Works Vol.1 (ICSM 007) released in 2015 contains the First Book of Images, posthumously-published Images oubliees (Forgotten Images), Estampes, Two Arabesques, La plus que lent and L’isle joyeuse. 

Piano Works Vol.2 (ICSM 015) from 2020, issued during the Covid-19 pandemic contains both books of Debussy’s Preludes. Only ill health prevented him from completing the set, which would have included the Second Book of Images, 12 Etudes and assorted short pieces. His illness was no impediment to his musical imagination and vision, not to mention technical virtuosity, judging how fine these final recordings are. These will certainly stand the test of time. 

Dennis did not live to autograph
my copy of his final CD recording...

... however, he did leave me a 
souvenir of our very first meeting
some 34 years ago. 

Dennis Lee was a friend and inspiration to us all who love music in Singapore and Malaysia, and those who knew him in the rest of the world. Even though he is no longer with us, his recordings serve as a constant reminder of his artistry and ultimately, his humanity.

SINGAPORE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: FRIENDS, NEW & OLD, GALA CONCERT: CELEBRATION! / Review

SINGAPORE CHAMBER 

MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024 

FRIENDS, NEW & OLD 

GALA CONCERT: CELEBRATION! 

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall 

Wednesday & Saturday 

(31 January & 3 February 2024) 

This review was published in The Straits Times on 6 February 2024 with the title "Chamber music festival closes with eclectic programme and touching tribute".

The third evening of the Singapore Chamber Music Festival showcased locally-based professional musicians fronted by the Concordia Quartet in partnership with overseas friends. An eclectic programme spanning the classical to contemporary eras was the result. 

Performed first was Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F major (K.370), with veteran Dutch oboist Joost Flach, a resident in Southeast Asia since the 1980s. Partnered with Concordia’s violinist Kim Kyu Ri, violist Martin Peh and cellist Lin Juan, this tuneful work highlighted the reed’s piquant timbre over backing by mellow strings. The ensemble blended beautifully, not least in the chirpy closing Rondo. 

Much sterner stuff was Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor which saw Japan’s splendid Aoi Trio teaming with violinist Yang Shuxiang and violist Peh. Although the first two movements were a neoclassical Prelude and Fugue, jarring dissonances informed the work’s grimmer agenda. Pianist Kosuke Akimoto projected authority, balanced by paradoxical moments which included the Scherzo’s madcap vitriol and the finale’s unsettling light-heartedness. The five players demonstrated in the music that one could still bring out a smile while under severe duress. 

The Concordia Quartet – Edward Tan (violin), Kim, Peh and Lin – were on their own for two movements from Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E minor (Op.44 No.2), contrasting smooth congeniality with swift elfin lightness. The 4-year-old quartet, formed just before the Covid-19 pandemic, is now an assured and seasoned outfit. 

Tchaikovsky’s very popular String Sextet in D minor, or Souvenir de Florence, for pairs of violins, violas and cellos, generated rich sonorities. Leading was Singaporean violinist Jonathan Ong (first violin of the USA-based Verona Quartet), with the juiciest solos. His repartee with cellist Leslie Tan in the slow movement’s gorgeous melodies was a joy to behold. The group completed by Kim, Jeremy Chiew and Edward Tan (violas) and Lin made the best case possible for the usually morose Russian’s sunniest score. 

The festival’s grand finale featured no less than 32 musicians in a celebration of chamber music’s myriad varieties. There were three string quartets, the youngest being Pythagorus Quartet (average age of 11) which cut their teeth in Haydn with much confidence. 

Pandan Quartet from Oberlin, Ohio comprised undergraduates with Asian ancestry, and their maturity displayed in Mendelssohn was just as astounding. Jurong Quartet, formed by young local professionals gave a crisp and clear-headed account of Beethoven. All performed first movements from string quartets. 

An outlier was the opening movement from Mozart’s Horn Quintet in E flat major (K.407) with Alan Kartik, the concert’s only wind player, partnered by violin, two violas and cello. Even more arcane was a rare performance of 20th century Russian Alfred Schnittke’s Piano Quartet by The Music Circle (violinist Tang Tee Tong, violist Christoven Tan, cellist Leslie Tan and pianist Cherie Khor), a work of grating dissonance and deep disquiet. Both received gripping performances. 

“Grand Dame” of Singaporean pianists, Toh Chee Hung, still sparkling in her seventies, partnered with Akimoto in two of Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances. She was joined by violinist Ong, violist Peh and cellist Tan in the final two movements from Brahms’ Piano Quartet No.3 in C minor (Op.60), contrasting sheer lyricism with outright passion. These were a touching tribute to Penang-born pianist Dennis Lee, Toh’s husband and ardent supporter of the re:Sound Collective, who passed away last year. 

What could top the sight and sound of eight string players coming together for Mendelssohn’s Octet? Its rapturous finale, performed by all the strings from Concordia, Aoi and violinist Yang and violist Chiew, quoted Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, which more or less summed up what everybody on and off stage were feeling. 

So what is the big deal about chamber music? It is ultimately a meeting of minds, a celebration of talented and inspired people working and playing, and having a great time together.

MORE TRIBUTES & MEMORIES OF DENNIS LEE

Photo courtesy of 
Singapore Music Teachers Association.

MORE MEMORIES AND 

TRIBUTES TO DENNIS LEE

 

Dennis and Chee Hung with
Julie Tan & Chia Sin Teck (extreme right)
Courtesy of Singapore Music Teachers Association.

JULIE TAN, President of Singapore Music Teachers Association (SMTA) writes

 

It is with deep sadness that we received news that our dear friend, pianist Dennis Lee had passed away on Friday morning 14th April 2023 in London, leaving behind his beloved wife and pianist, Toh Chee Hung.

 

Many piano teachers and students around the world including Singapore have benefitted from Dennis’ rich teaching, his lectures as well as his performances especially his piano duo partnership with Chee Hung.

 

Over the years, with The Singapore Music Teachers Association, he and Chee Hung, our fellow Life member, had earnestly supported SMTA’s mission through our initiatives, The Singapore Performers’ Festival & Chamber Music Competition and the Le Petit Performers’ Fest.

 

Each of us who had interacted with him either on a personal or collegial basis, we will have fond memories of him, his sincerity and humour. He'll remain in our hearts and memories.

 

Farewell, dear friend.

Courtesy of Singapore Music Teachers Association.

 

AU KAH KAY writes

 

Dennis was a down-to-earth and magnanimous person. He made you feel comfortable and at ease and always had an encouraging word to say. He will be greatly missed by the music community.  

 

NOEL CHOW writes

 

I was 17 or 18 (a good 20 or 21 years ago) and doing my Grade 8 ABRSM practical exam. And Dennis Lee was going to be my examiner. Most people are intimidated by their ABRSM examiners.

 

Well, I had spent a few years of primary/secondary school in the UK listening to Classic FM, and Dennis was a big name with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The station back then (hosted by Anne-Marie Minhall) played his recordings quite often. He was well-known in Penang, and had gone to the same school as I did, Penang Free School, before being awarded a scholarship to London’s Royal College of Music.

 

I was already a huge fan before going in for the exam. I had practised hard for this exam, and when I eventually got in the room, and staring at my boyhood idol in the flesh, I somehow forgot how to play the piano. There I was in the room with the guy I grew up listening to on Classic FM. He asked me to play this scale and I nervously told him that scale didn't exist. He calmly walked up to me, opened the book and said, “Well there it is.” Embarrassed, I play it. Badly.

 

I can't remember how the rest of it went, but somehow ended with a passing grade. None of that matters of course, because I now get to say Dennis Lee was my examiner. In loving memory. 

Victor Khor with Dennis and Chee Hung
at a Yamaha salon, 2011.

VICTOR KHOR, Concert Pianist writes

As a teenager, I remembered watching Dennis Lee's masterclass on television where he taught a student to play Brahms' Third Sonata, and I was very inspired. When I was a music student in Manchester, he invited me to his London apartment where I played some pieces and had tea with him and Chee Hung. He encouraged me on my musical aspirations, and was always generous and kind to me.     

 

DENNIS LEE's Funeral will take place at West London Crematorium at 10.45 am on Friday, 28 April 2023.