Lugansky Plays Rachmaninov (22 Mar 2014)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Conductor: Jean-Claude Casedesus
Pianist: Nikolai Lugansky

Programme:

Dmitri Shostakovich - Festive Overture, Op.96
Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18
Maurice Ravel - Pavane for a Dead Princess
Claude Debussy - La Mer

A performance on Rachmaninov's famous Piano Concertos tends to draw quite a lot of attention, and today the concert hall was rather packed (for a classical music concert). The further seats on the higher floors were also quite filled, and even the seats behind the stage had to be opened up.

Quite a full turnout tonight

I haven't heard Shostakovich's Festive Overture before. According to the concert booklet, Shostakovich was approached to write this overture just two days before the 37th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. 

'With the concert just two days away, Vasily Nebolsin, a conductor with the Bolshoi Theatre, paid a visit to Shostakovich's apartment:

"Dmitri Dmitriyevich," he said, "we are in a tight spot. We've got nothing to open the concert with."

"All right," replied Shostakovich, "I'll write the overture in no time at all."

"Then," according to a friend who was at Shostakovich's apartment at the time, "he started composing. The speed with which he wrote was truly astounding. He was able to talk, make jokes and compose simultaneously, like the legendary Mozart. He laughed and chuckled, and in the meanwhile work was underway and the music was being written down." As each page was completed, a courier rushed it to the Bolshoi, and the performance went ahead, as scheduled, on 6th November 1954 to great acclaim.'

Such a genius! The short time frame at which he finished the piece was already astonishing, but the fact that he could do so while not being totally focused was truly awe-inspiring as well. The piece was filled with energy, and its festive theme makes it a perfect piece for a celebration. The SSO performed this piece with unusual precision and coordination - something which I don't see very often, especially from their woodwind section. 

The highlight of the show, Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, was performed by Nikolai Lugansky, a Russian pianist who, according to Wikipedia, had managed to learn a Beethoven piano sonata completely by ear and perform it from memory before he had even started to learn the piano. He was only five years old that time.

Lugansky is obviously someone who likes to express his music more visibly. His body movements and hand gestures were larger than the other pianists I have seen, especially during passages that involved lots of powerful chords. The first eight mournful chords were delivered well enough to draw in the audience immediately, though from the fourth chord onwards there was a drastic change in body language that startled me slightly. His playing was free but still within control, according respect to the conductor to allow his guidance. There was one part where he surged out of control though - during the climax of the first movement which involved both hands playing the same chords, he slowed down considerably, apparently to give more emphasis to this passage. But the orchestra and conductor were obviously taken aback by this, and were initially ahead of Lugansky significantly. It took them around four to five seconds - which seemed a lifetime - before they adjusted to his new tempo. 

The second and third movements were delivered quite well, and Lugansky ended the concerto on a triumphant note which brought thunderous applause from the audience. The response was so positive that he gave two encores; the first I do not know, but the second was Chopin's Etude No.8 in F major Op.10, a fast piece which involved non-stop arpeggios from the right hand running up and down the piano, while the left hand delivered the main melody firmly. I was very impressed with this piece; Lugansky played with outstanding precision and neatness, with perfect control over the tempo and expressions as well.  

Spirited Away - The Music of Joe Hisaishi (15 Feb 2014)

Venue: The Star Theatre

Conductor: Joshua Tan

Programme:

Oriental Wind, for orchestra

My Neighbour Totoro, Orchestra Stories

Departures, for violoncello and orchestra

Saka No Ue No Kumo, for orchestra

One Summer's Day (from Spirited Away), for piano and orchestra

Kiki's Delivery Service, for piano, percussion and strings

Summer (from Kikujiro), for piano and orchestra

Water Traveller, for orchestra

At the mention of the name "Joe Hisaishi", it is quite inevitable to think of Studio Ghibli, which he has worked with closely for many of their animation movies. While I have only watched two of their movies - Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle - the major draw for me was Departures, a Japanese drama movie. 

Fortunately, I had bought the tickets once they were available for booking, as my friend got them some time later and only managed to get seats right at the back of the theatre. It was almost a sold-out event at The Star Theatre (at Star Vista); I think there were almost 4,000 people at the concert hall, and many of them were waving lightsticks enthusiastically during the concert.

My Neighbour Totoro was performed in an improvised manner - while they obviously couldn't show the animation on the screen, they did the next best thing - they got a narrator, who even introduced the all the instruments in the orchestra before bringing everyone through the story, with the orchestra playing in the background. Both blended in rather well, and was quite a pleasant experience.

For Departures, I thought the cellist went a bit overboard on the vibrato, and wasn't able to bring out the pensiveness of the piece. But I loved One Summer's Day, and it brought back memories of the movie which I watched more than a decade ago.

I left the concert determined to watch all of Studio Ghibli's movies, even those that I have seen before. 

Kavakos Plays Mendelssohn (6 Sep 2013)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Lan Shui

Violinist: Leonidas Kavakos

Programme:

Richard Wagner - Siegfried Idyll, Op.103

Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.21

It seems that Richard Wagner's personal life is as interesting (or maybe even more) than his music. In a previous post, I wrote about a description of him from the concert booklet. This time, it was about his wife. 

'In a New York Times article Alan Ryan described Cosima, Richard Wagner's second wife, as "one of the 19th century's least likeable heroines, proverbial for her gawky appearance and her infinite selfishness. She was the daughter of Franz Liszt and at the age of 18 had married one of her father's pupils, the conductor Hans von Bulow, with whom she had two children. Not long into that marriage, Cosima accompanied her husband on a visit to discuss business with Wagner, and the two soon became lovers.

The affair between Cosima von Bulow and Richard Wagner was carried on in the full glare of the public, neither showing any signs of remorse. They had two daughters while Cosima was still living with von Bulow, but on 16 November 1868 Cosima left her husband (who didn't put up much of a fight, writing to his lost wife, "You have preferred to devote your life and the treasures of your mind and affection to one who is my superior and, far from blaming you, I approve your action") and, taking her four children, moved in with Wagner. Seven months later (on 11 June 1869) they had a son, and the couple married on 25 August 1870, a month after Cosima's divorce from von Bulow.'

Kavakos owns the 'Abergavenny' Stradivarius of 1724, and with it, he was able to coax a beautiful sound from the violin for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. The first movement's lyrical melody is one that sticks easily, with a very slight tinge of melancholy - somewhat different from Mendelssohn's usual youthful and exuberant style. And Kavakos, with all his years of experience and talent, played it with ease and in a very relaxed manner. The fast sections were all played accurately but yet not rushed, and the sound produced by his violin was simply magical.

I was slightly dissatisfied with his body expressions though; in a concert, the musician's body also conveys something important to the audience. Kavakos was just too... calm and unmoving. I wasn't expecting him to be dramatic (like Lang Lang and Li Yundi - these two sometimes go overboard), but just a little bit of movements would definitely be welcome and help to get the audience more into the mood. Maybe I should go grab a copy of his concerto recordings...

Let's Go to The Movies

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Jason Lai

Violinist: Alexander Souptel

Clarinetist: Ma Yue

Programme:

Main Title from Star Wars

Theme from Jurassic Park

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Suite for Orchestra

     - Hedwig's Theme

     - Nimbus 2000

     - Harry's Wondrous World

Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

"Hymn to the Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan

Theme from Schindler's List (for solo violin & orchestra)

"Raiders March" from Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from Star Wars

"Viktor's Tale" from The Terminal (for solo clarinet & orchestra)

The Shark Theme from Jaws

Superman March from Superman

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Suite for Orchestra

     - Fawkes the Phoenix

     - Dobby the House Elf

     - The Chamber of Secrets

Tango (Por Una Cabeza) (arranged for solo violin & orchestra by John Williams)

"Throne Room" & End Title from Star Wars

One of the few "non-classical" music concerts that I have attended recently. But a concert featuring John Williams' works was simply irresistible. If you were born in the 70s or 80s, it is practically impossible for you not to be familiar with the music from Star Wars, Superman, and Indiana Jones.

The movies covered during this concert spanned across multiple genres - comedy, science-fiction, horror, and war. And this made John Williams even more amazing, with his versatile ability to compose such thematic music. His talent is apparent with the number of nominations he has received - 48 Academy Award nominations. And he has won 5 Academy Awards, 4 Golden Globe Awards, 7 British Academy Film Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards.

To be honest, I don't think the pieces were really difficult. A good composition does not necessarily have to be difficult, so this concert was more of a populist one - easy to perform but yet could generate much excitement and enjoyment. But the orchestra still executed the pieces well, and the solo pieces - Theme from Schindler's List and "Viktor's Tale" - were performed very well. I was quite amused when the clarinetist dressed up as Viktor, in his hat and suit - particularly because before that, I was half-expecting the conductor to dress up as Darth Vader and conduct the first piece after the intermission (The Imperial March) with a lightsabre.  

The audience had fun tonight. In fact, there was so much applause and cries for encores that the conductor had to shoo everyone home.

Simon Trpceski Plays Chopin (28 Jun 2013)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Lan Shui

Pianist: Simon Trpceski

Programme: 

Sergei Rachmaninov - Introduction to Aleko

Sergei Rachmaninov - Men's Dance from Aleko

Sergei Rachmaninov - Prince Rostislav, Symphonic Poem for Orchestra

Frederic Chopin - Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11

The highlight of the concert was Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, performed by Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski (Macedonia is a country in Southeast Europe). 

The concerto did not start off well. The heavy and bleak starting notes was not accentuated sufficiently by the orchestra, and the tempo was also a bit too fast; not enough emphasis was placed and the orchestra just seemed to rush through it. Fortunately, Trpceski's playing saved the day. He was obviously an experienced pianist from the way he carried himself - he was entirely at ease and enjoying himself. He placed more emphasis on the dynamics of the concerto, and he expressed this through his body too. One amusing thing I noticed was that after every cadenza, Trpceski would turn around to look at the orchestra, as if asking them, "Did you hear that?" and "Is everything fine?"

His body movements were most apparent in the third movement of the concerto, Rondo (Vivace). Based on a traditional Polish dance, a Krakowiak, Trpceski looked, at times, almost like he was dancing as well, clearly delighted in the exuberance of the piece. (The Krakowiak was supposed to mimic the movement of horses.)

Overall, the concerto was quite enjoyable despite being dampened somewhat by the orchestra, whose accompaniment did not match up to Trpceski's playing.

Moonlight and Melancholy

I have been feeling a bit troubled lately, mainly due to work. And somehow, this was conveyed very strongly when I played the piano today. Due to my mood (actually, I was feeling melancholic as well), I selected solemn and slower songs to play - Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Op.27 - Adagio Sostenuto (more commonly known as Moonlight Sonata) and Beethoven's Piano Sonato No.8 in C minor, Op.13 - Adagio Cantabile (also known as Sonata Pathetique). 

Although I have played these pieces many years ago, today was very different - I felt totally drawn in by the music, and somehow the left hand's octaves near the beginning of the piece reminded me of church bells ringing mournfully in the distance. And while playing, I felt myself struggling as I brought out the emotions of the piece, never so powerfully before. I doubt if I had ever played this piece so well or felt moved by it as much as today. Which would probably not be possible if not for my mood today.

While my troubles were still there, I felt immensely better after playing. In actual fact, nothing has changed - my circumstances are still the same. But somehow, I felt a calm inside me, slowly pushing away my troubled thoughts.

This is why my piano never fails me. It is always there for me, for me to seek refuge in, for me to communicate using my fingers, without words.

The Emperor (13 Sep 2012)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Conductor: Darrell Ang
Pianist: Arnaldo Cohen

Programme:

Richard Wagner - Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
Robert Schumann - Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'

The first piece by Wagner was average, though I was more interested in the description of Richard Wagner in the concert programme booklet. 

'In some societies Wagner's music is still banned, not for musical reasons but out of disgust for a man who, by anybody's standards, was a moral degenerate. He stole other men's wives, conned money out of royalty and political leaders, spent time in a debtors' jail, was so deeply implicated in the Dresden uprising of 1849 that a warrant was issued for his arrest and execution (he avoided it by escaping to Switzerland disguised as a coachman), and was so fervent in his anti-Jewish sentiments that he was regarded as a hero by the Nazi regime in Germany.'

Beethoven's Emperor piano concerto was clearly the highlight of the evening, performed by Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen. Compared to the first piece, the orchestra for this piano concerto was scaled down quite a bit, and I found the opening note - a powerful E flat chord - rather lacking by the orchestra. From there, there were several more painfully obvious occasions of discordance between the piano and orchestra, but after that, they managed to move in tandem and harmony. The second movement was executed cleanly and neatly, and his touch was deft. The final movement was bright, clear, and lively, though the exchange between the piano and timpani was rather awkward as the piece approached the end. But overall, the piece was still rather enjoyable.

My liking for Schumann's Rhenish symphony grew after watching the 2009 movie, Clara, which was about Robert Schumann's wife, Clara Schumann. The name 'Rhenish' actually comes from the River Rhine, where Schumann enjoyed a cruise with his wife, and (ironically) also where he tried to commit suicide several years later. The symphony consists of five movements, and the first movement started with a strong opening, representing the power of the River Rhine. The second movement's Rhineland dance form was not brought out well enough, but the rest of the movements were still all right.

The Sibelius Symphonies: Nos 4 & 5 (24 Feb 2012)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Okko Kamu

Pianist: Benjamin Grosvenor

Programme:

Jean Sibelius - Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op. 63

Robert Schumann - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

Jean Sibelius - Symphony No.5 in E-flat major, Op. 82

I have never developed a liking for Sibelius' pieces, so in this entry I shall just comment on Schumann's Piano Concerto.

This Piano Concerto, compared to other piano concertos, can be considered to be simpler and less technique-demanding. Rather than being a 'volatile' piece that is full of flashy and powerful cadenzas that is so common for the classical era, it is a calm piece that rotates around a hymn-like melody.

Grosvenor, a young and budding British pianist (only 19 years old this year), played it quite well in terms of technique - the running scales were clear and crisp, and the jumping octaves were also powerful and yet neat. However, his age - and the consequential lack of experience in musical interpretation - stands out. Although the piece was executed quite perfectly in terms of technique, Grosvenor failed to bring out the inner emotions of the piano concerto. Similarly, for the third movement - Allegro Vivace - a movement full of energy and virtuosity - was played accurately with almost no mistakes, but the mood was not brought out. Grosvenor was simply playing the notes and not the piece itself.

Maybe I will listen to him again in three to five more years. By that time, his musical understanding should have improved.

An Alpine Symphony (10 Feb 2012)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Lan Shui

Cellist: Qin Li-Wei

Programme:

Antonín Dvořák - Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104

Antonín Dvořák - Silent Woods

Richard Strauss - An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64

It has been a long time since I enjoyed a concert tremendously, and this was thanks to Qin Li-Wei's performance of Dvořák's cello concerto. Qin was totally immersed in the music, and drew me in with his virtuosity and interpretation of the concerto. If I were to compare him to Stephen Hough (in an earlier post) - Qin was lost in the music; Hough was just lost in himself. 

The level of respect that Qin accorded the conductor and the orchestra could be both seen and felt, and it was two-ways. There were times when Qin sped up slightly, especially during his cadenzas, but this was almost immediately held in check as he quickly slowed down to match the orchestra. Occasionally, he would even turn to his right and give the concertmaster Alexander Souptel eye contact, and it was clear that they were both enjoying making music, rather than just performing. The difficult solo portions were played with ease and precision, and Qin displayed a rich emotional musicality which was obviously appreciated by the audience; when the concert ended, they showered him with thunderous applause and cries of 'bravo!'. 

The sound that he coaxed out of the 1780 Joseph Guadagnini cello was both beautiful and soothing, and this was felt in Dvořák's Silent Woods as well. I have not heard this piece before, and it was a very short piece, around only 5 minutes long. Quite a drastic change compared to the powerful cello concerto previously, and this was a rather slow and soft piece, as suggested from its name.

Richard Strauss' An Alpine Symphony was a colossal symphony that demanded an orchestra of over 130 musicians. It took place after the intermission, so during the intermission I was rather surprised to see so many musicians coming into the concert hall.

This was exclusive(!) of the backstage continent. 

To be precise, the orchestra (excluding the string sections) was composed of:

4 x flutes

2 x piccolos

3 x oboes

1 x English horn

1 x bass oboe

1 x E-flat clarinet

2 x B-flat clarinets

1 x C clarinet

1 x bass clarinet

3 x bassoons

1 x contrabassoon

8 x horns

4 x Wagner tubas

4 x trumpets

4 x trombones

2 x bass tubas

2 x harps

1 x organ

1 x wind machine

1 x thunder machine

1 x glockenspiel

1 x cymbals

1 x bass drum

1 x snare drum

1 x triangle

1 x cowbells

1 x tam-tam

1 x celesta

1 x timpani

If this is not all, there is still a backstage contingent of 12 horns, 2 trumpets and 2 trombones used in the third section of the symphony. Such a combination made this performance an eye-opener for any audience, myself included.

This symphony was written to depict nature in sound, and covers the ascent and descent of an Alpine peak over twenty four hours. There were twenty-two episodes in this symphony, namely:

1) Night

2) Sunrise

3) The ascent

4) Entry into the wood

5) Wandering by the side of the brook

6) At the waterfall

7) Apparition

8) On flowering meadows

9) On the Alpine pasture

10) Lost in the thickets and undergrowth

11) On the glacier

12) Dangerous moments

13) On the summit

14) Vision

15) Mists rise

16) The sun gradually becomes obscured

17) Elegy

18) Calm before the storm

19) Thunder and tempest; descent

20) Sunset

21) Waning tones

22) Night

It was a considerate move to set up a small screen above the stage to inform the audience which episode they were listening to currently. While I am not really a fan of Richard Strauss' music, I must say that this is the best (and most interesting) that I have heard so far. 

The Liszt Legacy (2 Dec 2011)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Alexandar Shelley

Pianist: Stephen Hough

Programme:

Franz Liszt - Prometheus

Richard Strauss - Don Juan, Op. 20

Franz Liszt - Hamlet

Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op. 30

I bought tickets to this concert especially for Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto, so I shall just comment on it. 

One word to describe it - disappointing. 

It was obvious that Hough was totally not serious about this piece at all. After the simple opening (which I already found to be a little too fast), he suddenly decided to leave the orchestra and conductor behind by sprinting forward in a mad rush and clash of notes. The orchestra, caught offguard, was around one beat off until they scrambled to catch up. This happened practically everytime there was a cadenza by Hough. It is all right to be fast, but rushing is a different thing entirely. There was no time to bring out each note; they were simply glossed over, as if they were insignificant individually.

After five minutes into the first movement, I was starting to feel very sorry for Shelley, who was struggling just to keep in line with Hough.

There were also many wrong notes played. This was actually understandable and forgivable, because this piano concerto is an extremely difficult piece. But rushing off on your own and ignoring the conductor and orchestra consistently shows a very disrespectful and selfish attitude. 

This torture lasted throughout all three movements. For the third movement, Alla breve, as the piece approached its climax, I thought this was a chance for Hough to at least end this concerto on a good note. But no, he didn't take it. The supposedly impassioned and dazzling climax was, unsurprisingly, rushed over again (with several wrong notes). 

I am not going to give him any applause, I told myself. He doesn't deserve any. But when the concerto ended, there was thunderous applause from the audience. What? Why are you all rewarding this crappy performance? 

I looked around at the audience more closely, and realised that there was a disproportionately large number of ang mohs tonight. And those that were giving him a standing ovation were all ang mohs. 

Hmm. Interesting. I wonder what this says about their tastes in music.

Update as of 3rd Dec, 2011:
The Straits Times gave the performance a good review, to my absolute disgust. The reviewer, Marc Rochester, depicted Hough's performance as "brilliant, exciting and super-charged", and even claimed that the SSO "relished every moment" (which they obviously didn't).


Marc, my respect for you just went down several levels. Don't worry, you are not on the same level as Hough yet.

Finally...

After 5 years of contemplating and indecision, I finally went ahead to get a cello.

Synwin SVC445001 cello, $1,926

For a cello, it's not really expensive, but then I am not really good enough to justify a good and expensive cello anyway. 

The last time I touched a cello was 12 years ago. It's time to scrub the rust off my cello skills... 

Picking up cello again... should I?

I used to play the cello a long time ago. Picked it up (involuntarily) in secondary school when I joined the String Orchestra. At that time, I wanted to learn the violin, but due to my larger physical frame I was told to learn the cello instead. (I still remember the teacher saying very bluntly "你比较胖，所以应该学大提琴" What the hell.) But I had no regrets.

The last time I touched a cello was 12 years ago, so my skills are definitely rusty now. But throughout these years, I have still been listening to cello music, and somehow, the timbre of the cello makes my heart stir. It could be because the cello range is closest to the human voice, which explains why it resonates more easily with us? 

I have been considering picking up cello again for the past 5 years. Factors against it were lack of time, cost, space, focusing on my piano, finding a good teacher, and other matters (like studies). 

But maybe now it's time to take it up again...

Chopin and spreadsheets

It's 1240am. I am still working on a spreadsheet which I started only at 530pm today. I worked on it till almost 8pm before leaving office. Once I reached home, after bathing and dinner, I resumed working on it at around 11pm. 

When it comes to complicated spreadsheets, once I start, I don't want to stop. This is to avoid losing momentum, and when my thoughts are still fresh and in sequence. 

While working, I am also listening to Chopin's Preludes. And it feels somewhat depressing.  

In Memory of an Angel (6 May 2011)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Okko Kamu

Violinist: Viviane Hagner

Programme:

Richard Strauss - Death and Transfiguration, Op.24

Alban Berg - Violin Concerto

Johannes Brahms - Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.68

It was my first time listening to Death and Transfiguration, and I found it quite enjoyable. My feelings are a big contrast to an ang moh lady sitting beside me though - she frequently sat up and waved her hands with an expression of rapture, as if she was also conducting the orchestra. And I thought to myself, "uhh, is it really that good?" 

The second piece was performed by Munich-born Viviane Hagner. I find that I should comment on this piece in two categories - the music itself, and the violinist's performance. Firstly, the piece.

The first 8 notes dampened my mood considerably - 4 notes ascending in perfect 5th intervals, followed by another 4 notes descending in perfect 5th intervals again. It sounded as if she was tuning her violin, and once I heard it, I knew that this was "one of those pieces" again. Berg composed it in such a way that consonance and dissonance is strong, and this is the kind of music I dislike, though it was nowhere near Yuan Peiying's Through Bifocals for Orchestra in the previous concert I attended. I even checked what era Berg was from; he lived from 1885 to 1935. I half expected him to be still alive, as this kind of music is more frequently from modern composers! Contrast this with Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949). They sounded like they lived at least half a century apart.

According to the concert introduction, Berg composed this piece as a "heart-wrenching response to the death of the 18 year old Manon Gropius, whose mother was his mentor Mahler's widow". Somehow, I can't feel this at all.

Secondly, on Viviane Hagner's performance. I must say that she managed to salvage the piece somewhat - her confidence and control of the violin was astounding. It was a pity that she was performing this piece; if it had been a more 'normal' piece I would have enjoyed it. In fact, she played a piece by Bach for her encore, and it was so much better!

Finally, Brahms Symphony No.1 in C minor. I loved the opening for the first movement, Un poco sostenuto - Allegro, especially the steady beats from the timpani. The strings were impressive, but the woodwind brought them down somewhat as they were occasionally uncoordinated and messy.

For the final movement, Adagio - Piu andante - Allegro non troppo ma con brio - there was a tendency for the strings to rush, but this was always quickly kept under control by Okko. The pizzicatos were impressively neat, but the trombone trio was, more often than out, out of sync with each other. This was especially obvious when they were playing "A E E F ... F G F F E F" (all in the same octave from C). I cringed at the first note as they came in half a second off.

Other than the woodwinds, I must say that overall, this symphony was well performed. While there were minor mistakes, these were kept to a minimum. Most importantly, the mood was there, especially when the symphony reached its powerful conclusion. 

Two Great Concertos (9 Apr 2011)

This concert was at the Esplanade Concert Hall, with Darrell Ang as the conductor and Sergio Tiempo as the pianist.

The programme:

Yuan Peiying - Through Bifocals for orchestra

Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30

Bela Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra

The first piece was by a young Singaporean called Yuan Peiying, who is only 27 this year. As expected from such modern compositions, I dunno wtf this piece is about. Too many clashing sounds, and I totally couldn't get any of the imagery she wanted to convey. 

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto was the main reason I bought tickets for this concert. I had listened to the same piece performed by Boris Berezovsky in 2009, and it was nothing short of spectacular - there was a standing ovation and I was swept along by his performance from the first to the last second. Compared to that, one could see that Sergio Tiempo was obviously several levels lower than Boris Berezovsky. 

The Straits Times gave rather good reviews for him. "Accuracy and clarity were never a question for Tiempo's prodigious fingers, spitting fire at giddying speeds." I beg to differ. The first and second movements (Allegro ma non tanto, Adagio), while relatively quite free from technical mistakes, were uninspiring, unmoving and had occasional minor clashes with the orchestra. The rush from Adagio to Alla breve was too hasty, with the orchestra trying to catch up. The third movement, Alla breve, was the epitome of chaos. This time, the piano and orchestra were frequently at odds with each other, and I found myself cringing occasionally at particular bad intervals. 

The last piece was the one that sought for redemption for this concert, and got it to some extent. While I have never heard this piece before, it felt somewhat refreshing. There were five movements, and overall this concerto was a light-hearted one that reminded my companion of "Walt Disney music". The second movement was my favourite, which the concert booklet described as being "jesting". Truly an apt description.