Happy Beeth-day!
The SSO upped the ante on the nostalgia stakes on Wednesday evening at their 30th Anniversary Concert by fronting Co-Leader, Lynnette Seah, in Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1. Yes, the name and face almost synonymous with the SSO itself, whose career after all is in tandem with the orchestra's growth, having played with them since it's inception and at its inaugural concert on 24 January 1979.
While Bruch's most popular work is not one of the great warhorses of the repertoire, it is nevertheless, one that is always a delight to listen to, on record or in concert. After all, no less an authority than the great violinist, Joseph Joachim said "The Germans have four violin concertos. The greatest is Beethoven's. The one by Brahms comes close to Beethoven's in its seriousness. Max Bruch wrote the richest and most enchanting of the four. But the dearest of them all, the heart's jewel, is Mendelssohn's.".
Already taking centrestage with the spotlight on her, Lynnette Seah opted for solidarity with her colleagues with a simple black gown when she could have stood out in colour. She didn't need to resort to this of course, for hers were no firebrand upstart diva antics, but experience harnessed from three decades of performance under her belt.
Playing on her 1750 Gabrielli of Firenze violin, the instrument's beautiful qualities were projected well. Seah's exquisite tone colours highlighted the nuances of the work, with emphasis on the touching Adagio where the melting beauty of the melody floated into the ether and into one's subconsciousness. The burnished warmth of her vehicle's lower register and the slivers of excitement the top notes brought across were features in themselves.
Perhaps she may have been having a case of the nerves since this was as much of her day as the SSO's, but there were some slips of the bow that resulted in intonational faults that while Seah smoothed over without affair, were caught out by the ears.
Beethoven's First and Fifth Symphonies were the meat and potatoes that completed the evening. Both of the masterpieces are landmarks in Beethoven's compositional history, his symphonic canon a calling card of all orchestras the world over.
The First still recalled the simpler days of Haydn or Mozart, with the charm and wit of the classical period. However, being Beethoven, there was that hint of the breaking of the mould with the introduction of romantic aspects that were to be developed further in use in his later symphonies.
The Fifth, as always, is a "no-brainer" to enjoy, since the music grabs at the jugular from the start and reels the listener in till the close. The ominous opening so exploited and bastardised in popular culture could have been unleashed with vehemence to ram the point down the throat, but Maestro Lan Shui judiciously reined his forces in with sagacity. The contrast and control all the more set up the catalyst for a white-hot close.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee were the GOHs for the evening. As an encore, the conductor made a short but cryptic introduction and dedicated the piece to the man. The melancholic Adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was an inference to the premier's youth dalliance with the instrument, and it was performed by Principal Clarinet, Ma Yue. The sinous and languid melody snaked its way into the hearts of the audience and at the end of it, the PM and the missus stood to thank the soloist who then proffered his clarinet aloft to return the acknowledgment.
With the minister in attendance, it was no surprise that security was stepped up with metal detectors set up at the doors instead of the usual cursory peep in bags. I did not put much thought into what I thought was excessive manpower deployment until dontlikeyou reminded me of the recent incident of MP Seng Han Thong being set on fire. So it was that his security detail had an evening out at the symphony too, as they walked him to his seat, and then took their places at the back of the hall.
These fellow attendees have more on the matter.
While Bruch's most popular work is not one of the great warhorses of the repertoire, it is nevertheless, one that is always a delight to listen to, on record or in concert. After all, no less an authority than the great violinist, Joseph Joachim said "The Germans have four violin concertos. The greatest is Beethoven's. The one by Brahms comes close to Beethoven's in its seriousness. Max Bruch wrote the richest and most enchanting of the four. But the dearest of them all, the heart's jewel, is Mendelssohn's.".
Already taking centrestage with the spotlight on her, Lynnette Seah opted for solidarity with her colleagues with a simple black gown when she could have stood out in colour. She didn't need to resort to this of course, for hers were no firebrand upstart diva antics, but experience harnessed from three decades of performance under her belt.
Playing on her 1750 Gabrielli of Firenze violin, the instrument's beautiful qualities were projected well. Seah's exquisite tone colours highlighted the nuances of the work, with emphasis on the touching Adagio where the melting beauty of the melody floated into the ether and into one's subconsciousness. The burnished warmth of her vehicle's lower register and the slivers of excitement the top notes brought across were features in themselves.
Perhaps she may have been having a case of the nerves since this was as much of her day as the SSO's, but there were some slips of the bow that resulted in intonational faults that while Seah smoothed over without affair, were caught out by the ears.
Beethoven's First and Fifth Symphonies were the meat and potatoes that completed the evening. Both of the masterpieces are landmarks in Beethoven's compositional history, his symphonic canon a calling card of all orchestras the world over.
The First still recalled the simpler days of Haydn or Mozart, with the charm and wit of the classical period. However, being Beethoven, there was that hint of the breaking of the mould with the introduction of romantic aspects that were to be developed further in use in his later symphonies.
The Fifth, as always, is a "no-brainer" to enjoy, since the music grabs at the jugular from the start and reels the listener in till the close. The ominous opening so exploited and bastardised in popular culture could have been unleashed with vehemence to ram the point down the throat, but Maestro Lan Shui judiciously reined his forces in with sagacity. The contrast and control all the more set up the catalyst for a white-hot close.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee were the GOHs for the evening. As an encore, the conductor made a short but cryptic introduction and dedicated the piece to the man. The melancholic Adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was an inference to the premier's youth dalliance with the instrument, and it was performed by Principal Clarinet, Ma Yue. The sinous and languid melody snaked its way into the hearts of the audience and at the end of it, the PM and the missus stood to thank the soloist who then proffered his clarinet aloft to return the acknowledgment.
With the minister in attendance, it was no surprise that security was stepped up with metal detectors set up at the doors instead of the usual cursory peep in bags. I did not put much thought into what I thought was excessive manpower deployment until dontlikeyou reminded me of the recent incident of MP Seng Han Thong being set on fire. So it was that his security detail had an evening out at the symphony too, as they walked him to his seat, and then took their places at the back of the hall.
These fellow attendees have more on the matter.