pianomania

RE:COMPOSED

re:mix

Esplanade Recital Studio

Sunday (29 April 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 1 May 2018

After a hiatus of one year, the crack string ensemble re:mix led by violinist Foo Say Ming returned with a vengeance, doing what it does best: delivering nostalgia by the earful and more. Its 80-minute-long concert served up familiar music but dressed up in new garb, such that well-loved originals are viewed through lenses of many different tints.

German-British composer Max Richter found himself a hit in 2012 with The Four Seasons Recomposed, essentially Antonio Vivaldi's four most popular violin concertos brought up to speed through a quasi-minimalist update.

Without issues of copyright to worry about, all the original movements were reprised in sequence but modified by highlighting certain themes while downplaying or excising others, altering harmonies and chord progressions, switching rhythms and even throwing in a new tune or two. How Borodin's “Stranger in Paradise” melody from Prince Igor sneaked into the 3^rd movement of Spring seemed a mystery.

Foo was in his element for the virtuosic solo part, which he commanded with consummate ease alongside leading his players, which included a harpsichordist and harpist for good measure. The sound they produced was sumptuous for a relatively small group. Its core members have been together for 12 years, and that definitely has something to do with it.

Winter threw up some surprises. Its slow movement dispensed with the rhythmic accompaniment of falling snowflakes and a crackling fireplace, instead Foo's solo was backed by string harmonics, which was bleakly ethereal. And the hypnotic minimalist last movement gave the feeling of “the end of times”, a definitive sense of finality.

Arguably better was the world premiere of young local composer Julian Wong's P.Ramlee Suite, which relived nine of the Penang-born musical icon's favourite songs in three movements. The titular suite seemed almost modest by name, as it was more like a 20-minute symphony given its classical form and architecture. It was also dedicated to Wong's composition teacher Iskandar Ismail, who like Ramlee, departed way before his time.

Wong gave a most eloquent preamble, providing short sung passages in Malay which were totally idiomatic and engaging. The music that followed was no less enthralling, string sonorities multiplied manifold for spine-tingling effect, joined by percussionist Riduan Zalani with some authentic Malay drumming. The 1^stmovement was a concertante showpiece for Foo, quoting songs like Azizahand Jangan Tinggal Daku, while turning Malam Bulan Dipagar Bintanginto a Viennese waltz. Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto, which used his Hollywood movie tunes, came to mind.

The slow movement luxuriated in Ramlee's most popular song bar none, Getaran Jiwa. With no solo to helm, Foo used both his bow and violin to direct, circumscribing wide arcs in the air. The finale, which relived Anak-ku Sazali, Senandung Malam and three other songs was in rondo form and even included a short fugue. Climaxing with a virtuosic cadenza, a standing ovation greeted the work's close. No surprises what the encore was to be: Getaran Jiwa, milked to the very last tear-drop.

MEDTNER & RACHMANINOV Piano Works

YEVGENY SUDBIN, Piano

BIS 1848 / *****

A LA RUSSE

ALEXANDRE KANTOROW, Piano

BIS 2150 / *****

Russian piano music came to prominence in the late 19^th century, fuelled by nationalism and distinguished by outsized technical virtuosity schooled in the conservatories of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. These two recordings of Russian piano music by young pianists merit serious attention.

Two pianist-composers who defined late Russian Romantic pianism, Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951) and Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943), receive equal billing in the Russian Yevgeny Sudbin's hour-long recital. Here Medtner's cerebral and Rachmaninov's more visceral qualities are keenly displayed.

The former's single-movement Sonata Reminiscenza, Sonata Tragica and pithy short pieces called Skazki (Fairy Tales), heard alongside a selection of the latter's better-known Preludes (from Op.23 and 32) make for a perfect introduction to their similarities and contrasts.

Frenchman Alexandre Kantorow's all-Russian recital disc is longer and piles on more virtuoso fodder. The longest work is Rachmaninov's First Sonata, a three-movement epic inspired by the Faust legend, playing for almost 40 minutes.

Guido Agosti's transcription of three movements from Stravinsky's ballet Firebird and Balakirev's Islamey also receive thunderous readings, tempered by the more genteel salon fare of Tchaikovsky's character pieces. A more convincing juxtaposition of musical steel and satin will be hard to find.

The 24 pianists selected to perform in the Second Round of the Leeds International Piano Competition 2018 were named on 1 May 2018. They are:

Jean-Selim Abdelmoula (Switzerland)

Evelyne Berezovsky (UK)

Florian Caroubi (France)

Sae Yoon Chon (South Korea)

Anna Geniushene (Russia)

Salih Can Gevrek (Turkey)

Yilei Hao (China)*

Mario Häring (Germany)

Wei-Ting Hsieh (Taiwan)*

Fuko Ishii (Japan)

Aljosa Jurinic (Croatia)

Yoonji Kim (South Korea)

Taek Gi Lee (South Korea)*

Siqian Li (China)

Eric Lu (USA)

Alexia Mouza (Greece/Venezuela)

JinhyungPark(South Korea)*

Samson Tsoy (Russia)

Chao Wang (China)*

Xinyuan Wang (China)

Andrzej Wiercinski (Poland)

Wu Yuchong (China)

Yuanfan Yang (UK)

Pavel Zeman (CzechRepublic)

* Pianists selected from Singaporeleg (First Round)

Taek Gi Lee (South Korea)

Chao Wang (China)

Jinhyung Park (South Korea)

Yilei Hao (China)

Wei-Ting Hsieh (Taiwan)

It was interesting to note that 5 of these pianists had performed their First Round in Singapore, at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music on 8 April 2018. Playing within a field of 11 pianists, the success rate here was a staggering 45.45%. The success rates in Berlin and New York were 35% (14 out og 40) and 29.4% (5 out of 17) respectively.

Thus those who attended the First Round were treated to a standard of playing that was more than representative of the high standards of this prestigious competition. It was a pity that the two Singapore-based pianists Clarence Lee and Kseniia Vokhmianina were not among them despite their very fine showings.

China will be represented by 6 pianists (including 1 from Taiwan) and South Korea by 4 pianists. There are only 2 pianists from Russia among the 24. There are 2 pianists representing the United Kingdom, and both are children of emigrés from Russia and China. The only pianist from USA is of Chinese origin. That 13 out of 24 pianists are of East Asian origin may reflect the changing demographics that is taking place in piano competitions and classical music in general.

The Second Round takes place at Leeds from 6 September 2018, and the competition may be followed at www.leedspiano.com

BAROQUE TO BEETHOVEN

WITH PAVLO BEZNOSIUK

re:Sound

Victoria Concert Hall

Friday (4 May 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 7 May 2018

Singapore's premier professional chamber ensemble, re:Sound, continues to grow from strength to strength. One of its secrets is to work with a different leader/director every concert, and the results are fresh and different each time. Its latest guest director was the Ukrainian-British violinist Pavlo Beznosiuk, well-known for his work with renowned period instrument ensembles like the Academy of Ancient Music, New London Consort and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Enlighten the audience he did in a programme of mostly 18^th century music, familiar and obscure. How often has one heard a Handel concerto grosso here in a live performance? Exactly. In Handel's G major Concerto Grosso (Op.6 No.1), he led the 13-member string group from his violin, and the sound was sleek and transparent through its five short movements.

Although the players do not perform on antique instruments, it was the approach by Beznosiuk which relived the spirit of the baroque. Vibrato was minimised, textures were light, but not light-weight and tempos lively, rather than merely fast. That each movement swung like a dance was the intention, and the overall results were impressive.

Also rarely heard was Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major, a curious hybrid between symphony and concerto that was once a popular compositional form. Even more curious was the combination of solo instruments employed, including violin (Beznosiuk), cello (Robert Choi), oboe (Tay Kai Tze) and bassoon (Zhang Jin Min).

The 1^st movement's martial air was provided by the orchestra's two trumpets, two French horns and timpani, but the quartet of soloists held its own with delightful interplay and a showy cadenza. The slow movement opened with violin and bassoon in conversation, a testament to Haydn's ingenuity and the finale's humour bubbled over. There was a passage where solo cello echoed the solo violin, as if saying “whatever you can do, I can do just as well”.

The concert's second half was dedicated to Beethoven's Second Symphony in D major of 1802, an early work with the German beginning to overflex his creative muscles. Now seated, Beznosiuk still towered over his charges with his clearly defined directions dominating the performance. The opening notes were emphatic, and the slow introduction deliberately building into something special.

When the Allegro finally came, it was with a joyous surge of energy. Here was the true meaning of brio, a vitality that is natural and never forced. By contrast, the slow movement was graceful, chirping woodwinds singing over elegant svelte strings. The ensuing Scherzo hinted at a joke, but with Beethoven this meant providing surprises for the listener, such as catchy three-note phrases and springing unexpected changes in rhythm and dynamics.

Similarly, the finale was delivered with ebullience, with more humour shining through. The encore gave a clue to Beethoven's inspiration, the animated Minuetmovement from Haydn's last symphony (No.104, also in D major). Can one hope for more of the same from Beznosiuk's next re:Sound concert?

KAVAKOS PLAYS SHOSTAKOVICH

Singapore

Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Saturday (5 May 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times with the title "SSO again displays mastery in Russian music".

The last gala concert in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's 2017-18 season was an all-Russian programme conducted by Shui Lan. The orchestra has had a long love affair with Russian music since its early years under Choo Hoey, and this concert was another demonstration of its mastery in this repertoire.

The atmospheric Prelude to Mussorgsky's unfinished opera Khovanshchina, also called Dawn On The Moscow River, provided an excellent start. Over the hushed tones of violas, Evgueni Brokmiller's flute and Li Xin's clarinet sung a folkloric melody, immediately conjuring an air of melancholy that typified the Russian spirit. A quartet of French horns relived the peal of distant church bells, raising the spectre of Mussorgsky's greatest opera Boris Godunov, but a still calm returned as this mini-epic drew to a quiet close.

While Mussorgsky was Russia's musical conscience in the 19^th century, and his modern-day counterpart was Shostakovich, whose First Violin Concerto in A minor has become one of the most performed of 20^th century violin concertos. Its first performance had to be suppressed until after Stalin's death. It was thought that music posed dangerous ideas, including promoting dissonance, dissent and defeatism, all taboo in the totalitarian Soviet Union.

These were laid bare in Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos' blistering performance. From the darkest of orchestral openings, Kavakos' crystalline tone shone like shafts of clear moonlight through murky clouds in the 1^st movement's Nocturne. Here the night was synonymous with bleakness and unease, in particular the fear and dread of that knock on the door after midnight.

Shostakovich lived a life of chronic gloom, and even if his music sometimes appeared cheerful, it was invariably dripping with vitriol. Kavakos' searing and lancinating solo led the way in the Scherzo, which highlighted the bassoon for comic relief and also quoted the composer's own initials DSCH (D-E flat-C-B natural) as a personal stamp.

The 3^rd movement's moving Passacaglia and the final Klezmer-charged Burlesque was not just about Kavakos' astounding and free-wheeling virtuosity, but also how well Shui and his orchestra responded to its enormous challenges in partnership. Shouts of bravo were silenced by Kavakos' antithetical encore, a lightly ornamented reading of the Sarabande from J.S.Bach's Partita No.2.

Tchaikovsky's First Symphony in G minor, or “Winter Daydreams”, closed the evening on yet another high. Although one of his less popular symphonies, it is still filled with his trademarks – sumptuous melodies, bracing climaxes and an underlying neurosis. All of these surfaced in the 1^st movement, which was a constant battle between tension and relaxation.

An aural lusciousness shone through in the slow movement, with muted strings matched by exquisite solos from oboe, flute and bassoon. Bringing to mind some of Tchaikovsky's best ballet music, this and the 3^rd movement's Scherzo also featured the best playing. The finale's success was all about building up to a terrific climax, and this was delivered with absolute panache.

QUELLA FIAMMA: ARIA ANTICHE

NATHALIE STUTZMANN

with Orfeo 55

Erato 0190295765293 / *****

Whenever the subject of “aria antiche” comes up, one invariably thinks of old Italian songs in singing lessons watched over by crusty teachers of a didactic bent.

French contralto Nathalie Stutzmann completely dispels that notion, breathing fresh new air to 19^th century voice pedagogue Alessandro Parisotti's collections of “teaching” songs. Seeking out original contexts of 17 such songs, some from operas, cantatas and others as stand-alone arias, the results are breathtaking.

In Francesco Conti's cantata Doppo tante e tante pene (After So Much Suffering), from which the titular aria Quella Fiamma (The Fire That Burns Me) arises, and one is immediately in awe of Stutzmann's agility and outsized vocal range, especially in the low registers. Handel's Ah! Mio cor, schernito sei (Oh, My Heart, You Are Scorned) from Alcinasimply sizzles from the depth of emotion displayed. Also enjoy the variety provided by composers like Scarlatti, Bononcini, Cesti, Caccini and Carissimi among others.

There are also familiar favourites: Martini's Plaisir d'Amour (Pleasures of Love, sung in French), Paisiello's Nel cor piu non mi sento (I No Longer Feel In My Heart) and Se tu m'ami (If You Love Me), once thought to be by Pergolesi, but now attributed to Parisotti himself. Purely orchestral pieces, also conducted by Stutzmann, add to the immense pleasure of this outstanding recital disc.

THE CELLO IN WARTIME

STEVEN ISSERLIS, Cello

CONNIE SHIH, Piano

BIS 2312 / *****

British cellist Steven Isserlis has another winner in this album of cello sonatas written during the First World War (1914-1918) by composers from the warring nations. The contrasts are as varied as the composers themselves.

Two Frenchmen nearing their last years find altogether different inspirations. Claude Debussy's Cello Sonata (1915) seeks a simplicity that defined early French music, and is a gem of brevity in three movements. Gabriel Fauré's Cello Sonata No.1 (1917) has a mellowness and autumnal lyricism that could only have come from the same pen as his famous Requiem of 1890.

Between these is the longest of three sonatas, EnglishmanFrankBridge's Cello Sonata (1913-1917). Its two movements are filled with passionate and sometimes violent outbursts which reflect the brutal futility of war. Austrian composer Anton Webern's Three Little Pieces (1914) were chosen as the antithesis. Atonal and aphoristic, these play for just 9, 13 and 10 bars each, barely lasting 3 minutes in total.

The recital concludes with four short pieces played on a “trench cello” (a compact self-assembled instrument housed within a rectangular case the size of an ammunition box) once owned by war veteran Harold Triggs who carried and played it on the fields of Ypres.

Its limpid and glassy tone brings a poignancy to Saint-Saëns'The Swan, Hubert Parry's Jerusalem, Ivor Novello's Keep The Home-Fires Burning and God Save The King, which has to be heard to be believed. Isserlis and Canadian pianist Connie Shih serve up an aural treat in this excellent themed recital.

THE GLORY OF THE BAROQUE

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Friday (18 May 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 21 May 2018 with the title "Spirited display of Baroque music".

Local audiences may be forgiven for thinking that baroque music consisted little more than Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Handel's Messiah and Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Given recent programming of Singapore Symphony Orchestra's chamber concerts at Victoria Concert Hall, that notion should soon cease. British violinist and conductor Peter Hanson, veteran of the early music movement, has been helping to spearhead this change.

The first of two baroque concerts opened with Venetian composer Giovanni Gabrieli's Canzon XVI, highlighting the antiphonal qualities in cathedrals where his works were performed. The ensemble was split into three distinct string groups, widely spaced apart, and the effect was no less than gorgeously sonorous.

Heinrich Ignaz Biber's Battaglia was an early form of programme music, depicting scenes of vivid battle which looked forward to potboilers like Beethoven's Wellington's Victory and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Nine string players were all that was needed to churn up a cacophony of marches, drums and fifes, musket and cannon shots by means of violent pizzicatos, the likes of which 20^thcentury modernist Bartok would have been proud of.

Cast in G minor were Alessandro Stradella's Overture to La Forza Delle Stelle and Henry Purcell's well-known Chacony. The former began with a serious introduction followed a fugue, while the latter was an archetypal set of short variations on a ground bass. These compositional forms commonly heard in the 17^th century were performed with loving care and detail.

Handel's ubiquitous oratorio Messiah was represented by two arias from young soprano Felicia Teo. She initially had some difficulty in negotiating the dizzying runs and intonation in Rejoice Greatly, but soon settled in He Shall Feed His Flock which better revealed her mellifluous tone. Now warmed up properly, she let loose on Handel's Tornami A Vagheggiar (Return To Me To Languish) from Alcina, a display of vocal athleticism and agility that was very impressive.

The evening closed with two works that highlighted solo instruments supported by a larger group of players. Vivaldi Concerto for Two Violins in A minor (Op.3 No.8) from L'Estro Armonico placed soloists Ye Lin and Xu Jue Yi in the forefront, where their virtuosic parts were able to shine through like beacons over the accompaniment in three movements. Vivaldi was one of music's early violin virtuosos and his music reflected that kind of flair.

A little more subtle was Handel's Concerto Grosso in G major, Op.6 No.1 where violinists Hanson and Michael Loh, and cellist Guo Hao formed the central concertino group. While less obviously virtuosic, their voices nonetheless stood out from the backing ripieno group. Its five movements were built around a central Adagio where time stood still albeit for a short while. Then, a busy fugue and lively gigue (literally a jig) in triple time closed the concert on a spirited high.

The glory and diversity of the baroque could not have been better served.

VALENTINA LISITSA

LIVE IN

SINGAPORE

Esplanade Concert Hall

Sunday (20 May 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 22 May 2018 with the title "Fast, furious and masterful takes on epic works".

The Ukrainian-American pianist Valentina Lisitsa is no stranger to monster programmes, so it may seem that she showed relative restraint by limiting her most recent recital (her third in Singapore since 2007) to just four works. Yet, these were epics of the repertoire, and she knew exactly how to make them sound big.

First off was Beethoven's Sonata No.23 in F minor (Op.57), better known as the “Appassionata”. The opening was icy and sullen, then came the build-up of huge chords which soon filled the hall with red hot passion, matching the bright shade of her gown. A few wrong notes were tossed off with nonchalance, as nothing would stand in the way of her single-minded steely charge.

The slow movement's theme and variations provided moments of calm respite, before the perpetual motion in the whirlwind finale swept any hint of doubt aside. The next work, Rachmaninov's First Sonata in D minor (op.28), purportedly inspired by the Faust legend, would follow a similar schema except on an even larger scale.

Most pianists take between 35 to 40 minutes to tackle this behemoth, but Lisitsa horse-whipped it to just under 31 minutes. It sounded rushed at parts, especially in the Mephistophelean finale, but there was no mistaking her mastery of its overarching narrative. An ageing but restless Faust (portrayed in the opening movement) was well contrasted with the innocence and tenderness of Gretchen (the slow movement) before the finale's Dies Irae chant-filled onslaught to the abyss.

For the first of three devilish pieces in Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, Lisitsa found a silken and pearly touch for the watery realm of Ondine, before a tidal wave of arpeggios at the end revealed a more malevolent intent. Le Gibet (The Gallows) was coloured with the incessant tolling of a distant bell, a sort of fatal aural balm hypnotically cast in B flat.

In the notorious Scarbo, the suite's most fiendishly difficult movement, she went for broke by tearing through its thorny and barbed thickets. Again it seemed all too fast, with the crossing octaves and chords at the rapturous climaxes coming across like a blur, but the effect was no less gripping. There was a stunned silence before applause rang out unreservedly.

The programme's final work was Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, which began with a take-no-prisoners approach for its opening Promenade. Fortunately a more nuanced performance than earlier anticipated unfolded, with a wealth of contrasts and dynamics displayed in the successive movements. However, one would still marvel at the speed and power in Lisitsa's cascading octaves for Baba Yaga's Hut (almost a first cousin of Scarbo) and the concluding Great Gate of Kiev, which brought down the house.

Ever generous with encores, Lisitsa showered her adoring audience with Liszt's coruscating Second Hungarian Rhapsody and all three movements of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. A standing ovation ensured that no one went home empty-handed.

Valentina Lisitsa's piano recital was a presentation in the Aureus Great Artists Series.

WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD

The Young Musicians’ Foundation Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Tuesday (22 May 2018)

Of the young orchestras that have sprung up in Singapore over the recent years, The Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra (TYMFO), founded by Darrell Ang and now under the baton of Alvin Seville Arumugam, is one of the more dynamic and promising ones. Its most recent concert demonstrated a level of ambition that is encouraging and more than recommendable.

The Singaporepremiere of Toru Takemitsu’s From Me Flows What You Call Time, composed in the 1990s for the 100^th anniversary of Carnegie Hall, was a highlight. A helpful preamble was provided by Arumugam, introducing the main themes of the work and the five percussionists. The performance itself was excellent, with the orchestra carving out a sumptuous sound. The opening flute solo from Alvin Chan, reminiscent of Debussy’s Prelude a l’apres-midi dun faune, was pivotal and it was this theme pervaded the 25-minute long work.

The percussionists, Chaiyaphat Prempree, Tan Lee Ying, Chinnabut Kaewkomin, Lim Xing Hong and Kevin Tan, performed on a wide array of instruments including exotic ones like Trinidadian steel-drums, Tibetan singing bowls, rainstick, angklungs and the piece de resistance, - two sets of chimes strung up from the hall’s high ceiling and controlled by multicoloured cords.

They stole the show with an exuberant display, besides blending in seamlessly with the general ensemble. The music was classic Takemitsu – calming, lush, hushed, even when rising to sonorous climaxes which were never became harsh or strident. This was certainly one of the more significant local premieres in recent years, and kudos especially because it came from a young orchestra (rather than the SSO).

The longer second work was Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony, better known as the “New World Symphony”. This is very familiar and over-exposed music, but the orchestra gave it a good shot and the overall impression was one of freshness and vigour. The introduction was taken at a comfortable pace dictated by conductor Arumugam, and when the actual allegro ensued, it was one of urgency and renewed energy. Control was the key, and there was little risk of the movement being overdone or rising to levels of hysteria.

The opening of the famousLargowas also well-handled by the orchestra’s brass chorale, and Rafika Wiryono’s cor anglais solo was a steady and confident one. There were some solo issues in this and the third movement but that did not diminish the stature of the overall ensemble and playing. The bracing finale with its striding theme provided the final gloss, with the brass again leading the charge to the symphony’s heroic close.

As before and again, TYMFO has come up with a concert that is commendable and true to the spirit of music. Young conductor Alvin Seville Arumugam leads with conviction and dedication, and there is much scope for this young group to further contribute to our burgeoning local musical scene.

WILD & IN LOVE

re:mix / FOO SAY MING

re:mix #002 / *****

Remember those suites of Beatles hits arranged and dressed up as baroque concerti grossi? Here is a new album of popular songs, golden oldies mixed with more recent ones, performed by the land's leading purveyor of musical nostalgia, the crack string ensemble re:mix led by Singapore Symphony Orchestra first violinist Foo Say Ming.

The two major works are by Hong Kong-based British composer-conductor Dominic Sargent. Sonatina headily brings together the Bee Gees'Night Fever, Lady Gaga's Bad Romance (masquerading as a Mahlerian ländler) and Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. Longer and in five movements is Sonata Latina, which recycles songs like Solamente Una Vez, Quizas Quizas Quizas, Besame Mucho and Desafinado. Whoever thought that Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine's Conga could be spoofed so deliciously as the finale from Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra?

Singaporean arrangers Chen Zhangyi (Chinese evergreens Everlasting Love and Sands Of Sorrow, and the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby) and Derek Lim (Ye Lai Xiang) also get a look in, but by no means a token one. Foo and his charges are totally into this music and they are sumptuously recorded, making this classy trip to yesteryear a most memorable one.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Roberto Alvarez (Flute) with

Kseniia Vokhmianina (Piano)

& Katryna Tan (Harp)

Living Room @ The Arts House

Friday (25 May 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 28 May 2018 with the title "A musical tale of two countries".

Despite its catchy Dickensian title, this concert, part of The Arts House's By Candlelight chamber music series, was more a “tale of two countries”, namely Singapore and Spain. Commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between the nations, the music of three Singaporean composers and five Spanish composers were celebrated by three musicians who could justly be described as our brightest foreign talents.

The first half featured works for flute and piano, opening with Low Shao Suan's By the Fireplace (left). A warm glow emanated from Spanish flautist Alvarez's instrument in this totally melodious work which included such influences as Debussy and the Disney musical Beauty and the Beast. Her twin sister Shao Ying's Dance of Spring (right) was a jolly and easy-going waltz with a Parisian air about it. Both would pass as classy mood music for a romantic movie.

These served as bookends for two Spanish works. Federico Moreno Torroba is better known for his guitar works, and his Dedicatoria similarly inhabited the world of dance and song, alternating between rhythmic and lyrical before closing with a brilliant flourish.

The big work was Salvador Brotons'Flute Sonata (1979) in two continuous movements where the use of tone rows and dissonance, de rigeuer in atonal music, was merely a means to an end. These devices and a phenomenal flute technique contrived to make this a demanding but most attractive work. It began quietly, and following a virtuosic cadenza, blazed into a mercurial and playful finale that had both Alvarez and Ukrainian pianist Kseniia Vokhmianina stretched to their limits.

Malaysia-born harpist Katryna Tan joined Alvarez for the second half, which saw Chen Zhangyi's aurally luscious Five Constellations (left) as the first piece. More astrologically than astronomically inclined, these were short fantasies which conjure phantasmagorical imagery through a skilful play of colour and timbre. Premiered and recorded on compact disc by the duo in 2011, they practically own the work.

Jesus Guridi's Tirana was dance-inspired and a homage to the Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo Sarasate, hence its elegant and yet showy turns balanced by a graceful lilt. There was one further Singaporean connection, specifically in Fernando Agüeria's Moonlight, which attempted to depict our tropical night scene, buzzing frenetically with activity and an underlying unease.

The 90-minute concert closed with two varied but familiar Spanish works from Isaac Albeniz's Suite Española. Granada was gentle and melancholic, while Asturias was busy and vigorous, pulsing with an energised flamenco beat.

A Spanish encore united all the three performers. According to Alvarez, Suspiros de Espana (Sighs of Spain) by Antonio Alvarez Alonso (no relation) is a pasodoble or bull-fighting dance beloved of all Spaniards. His cheerful and upbeat arrangement for flute, harp and piano ensured that it was also enjoyed by Singaporeans as well.

Composers and performers (L to R):
Low Shao Suan, Low Shao Ying, Chen Zhangyi,
Roberto Alvarez, Katryna Tan
& Kseniia Vokhmianina.

CHOPIN The Complete Preludes

SHAUN CHOO, Piano

MusicShaun / *****

With this self-produced and self-recorded album, young pianist Shaun Choo became only the second Singaporean (after Azariah Tan) to record an all-Chopin disc. First prize-winner of the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Competition in Daegu, South Korea in 2012, his programme closely follows that of the debut Deutsche Grammophon album of Seong-Jin Cho, 1^st prize-winner of the 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition.

The main work is the complete set of 24 Préludes (Op.28). Having mastered it during his teenaged years, Choo finds a wealth of nuances and kaleidoscopic responses in this seemingly disparate set of miniatures. There is also a narrative sweep that is all-absorbing and impossible to put down. Instead of the Funeral March Sonata in Cho's recording, Choo has the scintillating Grande Valse Brillante in E flat major (Op.18), which combines elegance with exuberance.

The programme is completed by the brooding Nocturne in C minor (Op.48 No.1) and the very familiar “Heroic” Polonaise in A flat major (Op.53), performed with passion and polish. Presently a postgraduate student at the Salzburg Mozarteum, Choo is a compelling home-grown artist destined for even bigger things.

This disc is available at amazon.com and online/streaming platforms like Spotify and Deezer.

VERDI'S AIDA

Singapore

Lyric Opera

Esplanade Theatre

Friday (1 June 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 4 June 2018 with the title "A downsized but still dazzling Aida".

The Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO) has done it again. Just as it faces ever-decreasing government funding, the company did a volte-face by presenting its most expensive project to date (just under a million dollars) with a five-night run of Giuseppe Verdi's iconic 1871 opera Aida. Set in ancient Egypt, this lavish opera was last presented here in 1995 by Global Entertainment (Singapore). Opera-lovers might remember that spectacular at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with almost a thousand performers, zoo animals and pyramids.

SLO could never hope to replicate that epic setting. Scaled down were the luxurious extras, but not the music, singing and acting. Australian director Andrew Sinclair’s conception centred on the intimate lives of its dramatis personae, angling the love triangle between Egyptian general Radames, Egyptian princess Amneris and her Ethiopian slave-girl Aida into more of a verismo story.

On its opening evening, the titular role was helmed by the ageless soprano Nancy Yuen, who has a way with portraying wayward teenaged girls like no other. How she maintained an unwavering presence and voice through three hours was little short of amazing, culminating in her passionate aria O Patria Mia in Act Three.

Norwegian tenor Thomas Ruud as the conflicted Radames nailed the opening aria Celeste Aida near the beginning of Act One with stunning aplomb. Radames' journey from hero to zero within the matter of a single act was also made believable, despite plot-holes so large that a sphinx could be driven through.

Almost single-handedly stealing the show was Mexican mezzo-soprano Grace Echauri's exceptional Amneriswhose booming voice was a revelation, especially in the emotional Judgment Scene of Act Four when Radames has his fate sealed off-stage. The sympathy that she garnered might have had the opera's name changed to Amneris. And why not?

They were supported by a very commendable local cast of singers: baritones Alvin Tan (Ramfis) and Martin Ng (Amonasro) stood out, and there were smaller parts for Jonathan Charles Tay, Cherie Tse and Jack Sun.

The SLO Choir (Terrence Toh, chorusmaster), augmented by Filipino singers, was highly effective in crowd scenes. Only in the Triumphal March of Act Two did their actual number appear underwhelming. That the Ethiopian prisoners comprised just nine children led by Amonasro was almost laughable.

The orchestra led by Thai conductor-opera composer and all-round polymath Somtow Sucharitkul supported the singers well. By playing the extended Act Two ballet scene not often heard in recordings, the audience was treated to a sequence of amusing dance moves (Gani Karim, choreography) that was supposedly Egyptian.

No effort was spared in the costume design by Moe Kasim, generating a riot of colour that was starkly contrasted by Adrian Tan’s lighting and Justin Hill's evocative sets that gave the illusion of height and breadth in excess despite operating within a limited space.

It was a spark of genius by Verdi to end a most extravagant of operas with the stillest and quietest of love duets as Aida and Radames await death by entombment. Such contrasts, so trenchantly brought out in this production, truly demonstrate the moving power and magic of opera.

Verdi's Aida plays for two more nights on Tuesday and Wednesday (5 & 6 June) at 8 pm, Esplanade Theatre. Tickets are available at SISTIC.

Photos by the kind courtesy of
Singapore Lyric Opera.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN'S MASS

Orchestra of the Music Makers

Esplanade Concert Hall

Saturday (2 June 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 4 June 2018 with the title "Mass in a new light".

If there were a more eclectic and conflicted work of religious music than the Massby Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), it has yet to be written. Also trust the Orchestra of Music Makers (OMM) to mark its 10^th anniversary by giving its Singapore premiere, surely a sign of wildly imaginative programming and coming of age.

It should not have been a huge surprise, this year being the Bernstein centenary, but given the monumental Aida-sized undertakings, one would be grateful this momentous affair even happened at all. For this most moving of performances, a large orchestra with electric guitars and rock drum-sets, two choruses (Symphonia Choralis and Volare Treble Singers, with 130 voices), a semi-chorus of 16 street-singers (Himig Sanghaya from Philippines) and American tenor Kevin Vortmann as the Celebrant, were led by conductor Joshua Tan.

Composed for the opening of WashingtonD.C.'s Kennedy Centre in 1971, the Mass was dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy, USA's first Roman Catholic president. A two-hour long reflection of the liturgical mass like no other, Latin and English transliterations were interspersed with texts by Stephen Schwartz (composer of Godspelland numerous Disney musicals) and few lines from Paul Simon (of Simon and Garfunkel), much bordering on provocative and irreverent.

Initial responses were mixed and bewilderment over its possibly blasphemous content divided listeners. However viewed over a span of 47 years, it may now be regarded a child of its time, from the era of Beatles, Woodstock, Jesus Christ Superstar and the Vietnam War. The composer of West Side Story and Chichester Psalms, himself of the Jewish faith, was to craft a classic that could not have come from any other age.

The cacophony of rock singer voices in the opening Kyrie Eleison blared out through speakers were meant to be disorientating. Stability was restored in A Simple Song, the most famous number, sung with disarming earnestness and clarity by Vortmann. Faith was meant to be simple right? His problems were just beginning with his devotion assailed by questions from sceptics and naysayers.

The street-singers, each a convincing soloist, sealed the street cred for this production. Highly idiomatic voices, with no hint of Asian accents, were the Greek chorus to Vortmann's ministrations. “I believe in God, but does God believe in me?” was among plaints leading to the Celebrant's crisis of faith and ultimate meltdown. Smashing the holy sacraments, this was the equivalent of an opera's mad scene.

Vortmann's tour de force in Things Get Broken was most memorable, and credit must also go to boy soprano Mikey Robinson, almost an apprentice Celebrant with his sanity-restoring aria Sing God A Secret Song that mirrored the opening Simple Song. The life-affirming end was also simple, with the exhortation: The Mass is ended, go in peace.

Central to the concert's roaring success were Edith Podesta's clear-headed direction which kept the audience entranced while enhancing the music-making, and Brian Gothong Tan's ecumenical multimedia visuals flashed on two large overhead screens. In what is likely to be this year's finest concert, every man finds his own faith, unfettered by rigid doctrines or dogmas that we call organised religion.

MARTHA ARGERICH

EARLY RECORDINGS

Deutsche Grammophon 479 5978 (2CDs)

*****

The great Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, now in her 78^th year, no longer performs solo recitals. So music lovers have to turn to her early solo recordings, which remain treasured documents. Released in 2016, this Deutsche Grammophon album presents German radio recordings from 1960 and 1967 now issued for the first time on compact disc.

New to her discography are Mozart's late Sonata in D major (K.576) and Beethoven's early Sonata in D major (Op.10 No.3), on the first disc, exciting yet sensitive performances which show an innate affinity with the classical idiom. Although she is more associated with Romantic repertoire, her early training with maverick Austrian pianist Friedrich Gulda is telling here.

The second disc covers more familiar territory, but not previously heard is Prokofiev's single-movement Sonata No.3. Argerich the teenager rips into it like a whirlwind, and this rapid fire is also heard in the precipitous finale of Sonata No.7 and the notorious Toccata.

In Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, she shaves off almost four minutes from her later studio version. This electrifying reading must be heard, tempered by the beautifully proportioned Sonatine. Her unabashed mastery of extremes is what made her piano's living legend.

Martha Argerich performs at the 25^th

Singapore

International Piano Festival on 11 & 13 June 2017 at Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets available at SISTIC.

DÉNES VARJON Piano Recital

25^th Singapore International Piano Festival

Victoria Concert Hall

Friday (8 June 2018)

An edited version of this review was published in The Straits Times on 11 June 2018 with the title "Two halves blend harmoniously".

In its 25^th year of existence, the Singapore International Piano Festival still throws up surprises in the choice of artists and programmes. Very often, the lesser-known of pianists give the most interesting and satisfying recitals. Hungarian pianist Dénes Várjon, perhaps better known for his chamber music collaborations, offered such a marvellous programme with two very different halves.

The first was filled with multiple short pieces, strung together like a pristine necklace. Among the pearls were Six Bagatelles (Op.126) by Beethoven, disparate and variegated miniatures which sounded lovely in Várjon's hands. His silken touch, aided by generous pedalling, ensured there was never a less than glowing moment. The fourth Bagatelle, with a rustic central section recalling the drone of bagpipes, provided a clue to the next group of pieces.

Várjon's selection of 13 shorts from Bartok's For Children was played with such disarming charm and acute sensitivity to colour and shade. Although simple in form and thematic material, these draw mostly from folk music and dances, thus filled with unexpected and piquant harmonies. Similarly, his eightImprovisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs opened with unadorned melodies, soon gained a life of their own with dissonances piling up progressively for a heady close.

In between these was a single extended work, the Elegy No.2 which revealed Bartok to be the rightful successor to the late music of Franz Liszt, and the logical continuation of his idiom. Built up from a sequence of chromatic notes, this astonishing 8-minute-long work – both impressionist and modernist - was the glittering, multi-faceted, gem-studded pendant of the said necklace.

The second half was devoted to the music of the night. And for the pianist, there are few works as terrifying as Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit. The hushed opening tremolandos in Ondine could have been more evenly spread. Perhaps this was to be the mythological water sprite's restless spirit and ultimately deadly intent being revealed early in the game.

More haunting were the incessant tolling of distant bells with repeated B flats in Le Gibet, a macabre scene from the gallows framed by the setting sun. The knocked-kneed scamperings of Scarbo completed the Gothic horror triptych, all wrapped up in a reading that was both outwardly virtuosic yet finely nuanced.

Two Chopin Nocturnes (Op.27 No.1 and Op.70 No.1) provided aural balm, contrasting the dark and smouldering with the melancholic and nostalgic. The concluding work was Chopin's Scherzo No.1 in B minor with its crashing opening chords and tumultuous upheavals, but where's the night music? A soothing Polish lullaby Sleep, Little Jesus was its soft centre, played with much affection and tenderness.

There were two encores, first with Bartok's Three Hungarian Folksongs from the Csik District, an offshoot of the first half's bucolic revelry, and Of Foreign Lands and Peoples from Schumann's Kinderszenen (Scenes From Childhood). Simply delightful.

JEREMY DENK Piano Recital

25^th

Singapore

International Piano Festival

Victoria Concert Hall

Saturday (9 June 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 11 June 2018 with the title "Variations take centrestage".

On the Singapore International Piano Festival's third evening, American pianist Jeremy Denk presented a recital centred on the theme of variations. Although he dropped Brahms'Schumann Variations at the eleventh hour, its replacement, Mozart's Rondo in A minor (K.511) also had the feel of variations taking place.

In his preamble, Denk explained that all the works had a sense of circularity and the idea of returning in common. Thus the sad, desolate theme of the Mozart doing its rounds had an added resonance. Utter clarity and crystalline sonorities characterised this masterpiece of private and intimate tragedy.

Even if the music ventured off at a tangent on some metaphysical journey, it always returned home to a familiar, and almost comfortable, feeling of bleakness. Denk's elegant and perfectly conceived reading did this slowly pulsing and gently throbbing movement full justice.

Classicism transitioned to romanticism for Beethoven's Sonata No.30 in E major (Op.109), a late work that exhibited extremes of dynamics and quasi-improvisational episodes in between. The first two movements contrasted dreamy sentimentality with violent flailings, trenchantly brought out by Denk before settling into the final movement's Theme and Variations.

The serene theme, a lovely chorale in E major, went through myriad transformation - including some almost jazzy asides - before arriving back at that rock of reassuring stability. This schema writ large would return in the second half, in the form of J.S.Bach's Goldberg Variations.

This Magnum Opus of the keyboard repertoire, once considered arcane and nigh unplayable, has never been more popular among audiences than the present. An Aria in G major is subjected to 30 variations, every third one being a canon, in what is the mathematician-musician's dream.

Even the variations are not true variations of the Aria in the usual sense, but built upon the sequence of bass notes on the left hand. Instead of a strait-jacket, this offered an independence of compositional thought which Bach fully exploited. So did Denk, who offered a nuanced and often brilliant performance that had not a dull moment.

His breezy reading clocked in one minute short of an hour. This was achieved by playing the Aria in a goodly pace, no protractedness for its own sake, and judiciously omitting repeats for many variations. Each half of 15 variations were perfectly balanced and poised.

Ornamentations were kept to the minimum, but he relished in the show-boating aspects of faster numbers, flaunting it like a consummate jazzman. Ultimately the respect shown to the slower variations, particularly No.25 in G minor (known as the Black Pearl), sealed the deal, leading back to the luminous Aria without further fuss or fancy.

There was a standing ovation, to which he reciprocated with another gem in G major, the slow movement from Mozart's Sonata Facile in C major (K.545). Closing with an uproarious improvisation on Wagner's Pilgrim's Chorusfrom Tannhäuser by 1940s stride pianist Donald Lambert, Denk brought down the house.

DANG THAI SON Piano Recital

25^th

Singapore

International Piano Festival

Victoria Concert Hall

Sunday (10 June 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 12 June 2018 with the title "Heartfelt piano pieces with a singing quality".

Of the six artists showcased in this year's Singapore International Piano Festival (SIPF), only one had performed in Singapore previously. Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son, first prizewinner of the 1980 Chopin International Piano Competition, played a solo recital in 1990 and more recently partnered the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in concertos by Chopin and Grieg in 2010 and 2011.

His SIPF debut presented music close to his heart, works that bring out a singing quality, coloured by no little pathos. Schubert's Allegretto in C minor, the opener, was such a piece. An innate feeling of pensiveness was immediately brought out in its bare plaint with notes a parallel octave apart. It even sounded slow despite its “a little less fast” designation, but never plodded.

The shifts from minor to major key provided some variation, but the heartfelt grief was only dispelled by Schubert's 12 German Dances (D.790). These landler or little three-quarter time dances are homespun and rustic, but would later gain respectability as waltzes by Chopin, Brahms, Liszt and most notably Johann Strauss' family. Dang's performance was lively and true to the music's gift of simplicity.

Chopin had to be on the programme, and Dang obliged with the Barcarolle Op.60 and Second Scherzo Op.31, two very well-contrasted works. The Venetian gondolier's song revealed a loving cantabile accompanied by a gently rocking rhythm, while in the latter, quickfire responses and volcanic volatility. Even in the loudest of passages, Dang never resorted to banging in order to project. Such is the mark of true musicianship.

Another quality is the curiosity to explore less well-trodden repertoire. To this end, Dang included five short pieces by pianist-composer Ignace Paderewski, the supervirtuoso and latter-day popstar who became Poland's prime minister after the First World War. The influence of Chopin was inescapable in the Melodie and Legend (from Op.16), and the Krakowiak (from Op.5), a folkdance related to the better known mazurka.

Salon charm exuded in the playing, even if these were not top-drawer material. Ten-year-olds would have mustered the ability of playing Paderewski's Menuet Antique in G major (Op.14 No.1) but they would certainly not possess Dang's suaveness or svelteness. Best of all is the Nocturne in B flat major (Op.16 No.4), a gem of understated beauty that could not have sounded more beautiful.

Franz Liszt's Reminiscences de Norma, based on themes from Vincenzo Bellini's bel canto opera Norma, closed the programme proper. It might have appeared that Dang was holding back all this while, before letting loose on this outsized transcription-paraphrase. Less vulgar than the same composer's Reminiscences de Don Juan, it nevertheless proved a showstopper in Dang's magisterial control and finely-honed fingers.

Again he made the instrument sing, but also supplied the high octane fuel to make this virtuoso vehicle work. Both his two encores were by Chopin, naturally. The Waltzin A minor (Op.34 No.2) and Mazurka in F minor (Op.7 No.3) were a soothing balm for the ears.

MARTHA ARGERICH & DARIO NTACA IN CONCERT

25^th

Singapore

International Piano Festival

Esplanade Concert Hall

Monday (11 June 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 13 June 2018

While the nation was being occupied by hype surrounding Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's peace summit, music lovers here knew what was really important: Argentine pianist Martha Argerich's debut in Singapore, undoubtedly the highlight of the 25^th Singapore International Piano Festival.

As Argerich no longer performs solo recitals, audiences are content with her presence in chamber music and duo recitals. Her piano duo partners have included Stephen Kovacevich, Nelson Freire, Alexandre Rabinovitch and Daniel Barenboim, and her Singapore recital was to feature Argentine conductor-pianist Dario Ntaca in tandem.

Those expecting a femme fatale oozing musical ecstasy and exotic allure as suggested by her record-cover photographs over the decades might have been underwhelmed by the appearance of a 77-year-old grandmother with a slightly stooped posture taking the stage. But legends do not just fade, they prefer to go out with a big bang.

Fireworks were not first order of the day, as the opening two works were slow and quiet. Ntaca, helming the first piano part, opened with the flute solo of Debussy's Prelude to The Afternoon of the Faun. It was still and haunting, replied by Argerich on second piano with harp-like arpeggios. The atmosphere was languid and laid-back from the outset, and one could be excused for nodding off.

Next was Schubert's Rondo in A major (D.951) for four hands on a single piano. This was pure hausmusik, written for home entertainment by friends and family. Congenial to a fault, the work exuded an easy drawing room charm, gratefully lapped up by both pianists and shared by the near full-house.

Far more challenging was Mozart's Sonata in D major for two pianos (K.448), which required greater expertise. There are certainly more notes, and although they started and ended together, there was a niggling sense that the duo had not lived long with the work together. There were many lovely moments, but imagine what a long-time and dedicated piano duo could do more with this work.

For the second half, Argerich took over the primo role. Brahms's Haydn Variations (based on the St. Anthony Chorale) started strongly, with an orchestral feel to the sound production. The good work however petered out in the final variation, a passacaglia, where over-pedalling was used to mask an overall messiness.

Fortunately there was Rachmaninov's warhorse Second Suite to save the day. Both pianists raced off like thoroughbreds in the opening Alla Marcia. This breathlessness continued into the vertiginous Waltz, where the spellbinding speed still continues to amaze. The Romance offered enough time to smell the roses before rapturously arriving at the final Tarantella. Here one really got to savour up close Argerich's brilliant fingerwork, which was closely matched by Ntaca.

There were two encores, a less than totally inspiring Debussy's En Bateau (Petite Suite) and a reprise of the brilliant Rachmaninov Waltz. Ultimately it was Argerich's reputation, outsized personality and largesse that won the crowd over.

This little girl can tell her grandchildren
she watched the great Martha Argerich perform.

Everybody wants to look like La Martha,
especially the piano teachers.

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CD Review (The Straits Times, May 2018)

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THE GLORY OF THE BAROQUE / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

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Photographs from WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD / The Young Musicians' Foundation Orchestra

CD Review (The Straits Times, May 2018)

A TALE OF TWO CITIES / By Candlelight Series / Review

CD Review (The Straits Times, May 2018)

VERDI'S AIDA / Singapore Lyric Opera / Review

LEONARD BERNSTEIN'S MASS / Orchestra of the Music Makers / Review

CD Review (The Straits Times, June 2018)

DÉNES VARJON Piano Recital / 25th Singapore International Piano Festival / Review

JEREMY DENK Piano Recital / 25th Singapore International Piano Festival / Review

DANG THAI SON Piano Recital / 25th Singapore International Piano Festival / Review

MARTHA ARGERICH & DARIO NTACA IN RECITAL / 25th Singapore International Piano Festival / Review