A Voice From Above
Just back from an evening out, the main draw of which was the "Sumi Jo in Concert" SSO Gala. Having bought the tickets way back when they were first released late last year to Friends of the SSO and subscribers, this has indeed been a much anticipated evening after an extended gestation period.
The benefit of booking early, was of course to secure good seats, of which ours were in the stalls, in the second row to boot. We had a perfect vantage point from which to see and hear here up close and we did. Striding purposefully into the concert hall and making out way to our seats, it was a surprise we didn't turn around and sneer and smirk at the others seated "elsewhere" i.e. further back than we were. It was a packed house with the SSO even opening up the seating area behind the orchestra. Guess a big name draws the crowds. The evening's programme consisted of a selection of arias (most of which showcased her coloratura prowess) and the mainstay after the interval was Mahler's Symphony No 4.
The audience was abuzz with exited chatter which died down with the entry of the concertmaster and when the star of the evening came onto stage, it was to thunderous and rapturous applause. Jo had on this red gown with a chiffony guaze billowing skirt that accentuated by the off-shoulder decolletage-baring beaded and bejeweled bodice. What was particularly attractive (and distracting might I add) was her hairpiece - a veritable tangle of sizeable dingling dangling tear-drop crystals. mezzan9ne immediately hatched plans to abscond with the monstrosity.
She opened with the buoyant and effusive "Je veux vivre" from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. While the technicalities didn't faze her, I personally thought she sounded a tad too thick and guttural for the piece. Her pianissimo, which ryanfoster and his friend who was also at the concert found quite impressive, came across to me as "manufactured", considering the very apparent register break as though a sudden change of gears, as the vast scaled-down and scaled-back sound emission hinted at. Bellini's "Qui la voce" from I Puritani was quite effective, though the conductor pandered to the diva, and slowed his tempi accordingly. Thus, "Vien diletto" was rather patchy and sketchy, with the start-stop hesitancy of the tempo causing it to sound not as effervescent as it could be.
Jo came into her own and stole the affection and hearts of the audience (and the conductor and the orchestra members) with her next incarnation. Retiring backstage, she returned with fan in hand and immediately assumed her position as a marionette with a glazed facial expression and upraised hands. As she began singing Offenbach's "Doll Song" from Les Contes d'Hoffmann, her pouty lips and over-mascara-ed eyelashes and over-lined eyelids fleshed out her portrayal of the mechanical doll. She elicited not quite a few chuckles and guffaws when she lurched forward when her "winding mechanism" ran down. The conductor gamely hammed it up and played along, stepping off his podium to "crank her up". Despite or in spite of the physical comedy routine, Jo despatched the treacherous reaches of the aria competently, even "blowing off" the conductor (it's not what you think).
She exited for the SSO to play the prelude to La Traviata and returned with a new gown. It was of a gold lame crepe-like material with a flouncy skirt with embossed roses and an "E" monogram repeat pattern. The top was similarly elaborately beaded and brocaded. This incarnation of the "fallen woman" was Violetta, where the Act One aria is so familiar that it would be difficult to bring across a fresh interpretation. Jo however, managed to display angst and passion in her reading. As an encore, she then performed a Korean song, about "a beautiful mountain in North Korea". It was of a plangent placid quality which illustrated and illuminated the warmth and beauty of her voice. It was well received, despite its unfamiliarity, perhaps in part due to the considerable turnout of the local Korean community.
After the interval, the SSO performed Mahler's Symphony No 4, opening with a dreamy sequence with woodwind and bells, conjuring up a scene not unlike a winter fairy wonderland. The second movement put Alexander Souptel in the spotlight with him playing solo on another violin tuned a tone higher. The beautiful slow third movement was lush and expansive and capably played by the SSO.
Jo sang in the fourth movement, a song adapted from Mahler's own Das Knaben Wunderhorn. Her voice rich and plummy was effective in delivering the innocent sensuality of the music. She made yet another costume change, with her in red again. This time, the crystal hairpiece was absent, as was the cascading hair down her back. She looked much better - classier and fresher - with just the tight ringlets and curls mounted atop her bun. The dress was a sheer creation that draped and flowed effortlessly to the floor. She completed the look with a cape that trailed behind her. It was quite amusing too, that she seemed to have on wedge platforms at least several inches high.
During the curtain calls, despite being a future usher at the Esplanade itself, dontlikeyou blantantly disregarded protocol and took photos of the diva in her resplendent glory. So it's thanks to him that you are treated to the below photo. Might one add that it was a "monkey see, monkey do" reflex as this angmoh in the front row was busy snapping away throughout her performance (he was using a top-end Sony). We wanted to smack him over the head for doing so, but on the other hand, I was sorely tempted to pass him my e-mail address for him to mail me the photo attachments (he did get many very good shots).
It was a pity that after the concert, there was no autograph session as per normal. Was it just us did we notice many people disposing of their programme booklets back to the heap? I had brought along my CD for nothing. Worse off were dontlikeyou and ryanfoster who had bought their CDs specially to get her autograph. As it was they had bought their CDs in HMV for $28 and lo and behold, the concessionaire kiosk at the Esplanade was selling her CDs for $24. As dontlikeyou put it, what would be worse than buying a $24 CD for $28? The answer of course, was not having it autographed after all...
The benefit of booking early, was of course to secure good seats, of which ours were in the stalls, in the second row to boot. We had a perfect vantage point from which to see and hear here up close and we did. Striding purposefully into the concert hall and making out way to our seats, it was a surprise we didn't turn around and sneer and smirk at the others seated "elsewhere" i.e. further back than we were. It was a packed house with the SSO even opening up the seating area behind the orchestra. Guess a big name draws the crowds. The evening's programme consisted of a selection of arias (most of which showcased her coloratura prowess) and the mainstay after the interval was Mahler's Symphony No 4.
The audience was abuzz with exited chatter which died down with the entry of the concertmaster and when the star of the evening came onto stage, it was to thunderous and rapturous applause. Jo had on this red gown with a chiffony guaze billowing skirt that accentuated by the off-shoulder decolletage-baring beaded and bejeweled bodice. What was particularly attractive (and distracting might I add) was her hairpiece - a veritable tangle of sizeable dingling dangling tear-drop crystals. mezzan9ne immediately hatched plans to abscond with the monstrosity.
She opened with the buoyant and effusive "Je veux vivre" from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. While the technicalities didn't faze her, I personally thought she sounded a tad too thick and guttural for the piece. Her pianissimo, which ryanfoster and his friend who was also at the concert found quite impressive, came across to me as "manufactured", considering the very apparent register break as though a sudden change of gears, as the vast scaled-down and scaled-back sound emission hinted at. Bellini's "Qui la voce" from I Puritani was quite effective, though the conductor pandered to the diva, and slowed his tempi accordingly. Thus, "Vien diletto" was rather patchy and sketchy, with the start-stop hesitancy of the tempo causing it to sound not as effervescent as it could be.
Jo came into her own and stole the affection and hearts of the audience (and the conductor and the orchestra members) with her next incarnation. Retiring backstage, she returned with fan in hand and immediately assumed her position as a marionette with a glazed facial expression and upraised hands. As she began singing Offenbach's "Doll Song" from Les Contes d'Hoffmann, her pouty lips and over-mascara-ed eyelashes and over-lined eyelids fleshed out her portrayal of the mechanical doll. She elicited not quite a few chuckles and guffaws when she lurched forward when her "winding mechanism" ran down. The conductor gamely hammed it up and played along, stepping off his podium to "crank her up". Despite or in spite of the physical comedy routine, Jo despatched the treacherous reaches of the aria competently, even "blowing off" the conductor (it's not what you think).
She exited for the SSO to play the prelude to La Traviata and returned with a new gown. It was of a gold lame crepe-like material with a flouncy skirt with embossed roses and an "E" monogram repeat pattern. The top was similarly elaborately beaded and brocaded. This incarnation of the "fallen woman" was Violetta, where the Act One aria is so familiar that it would be difficult to bring across a fresh interpretation. Jo however, managed to display angst and passion in her reading. As an encore, she then performed a Korean song, about "a beautiful mountain in North Korea". It was of a plangent placid quality which illustrated and illuminated the warmth and beauty of her voice. It was well received, despite its unfamiliarity, perhaps in part due to the considerable turnout of the local Korean community.
After the interval, the SSO performed Mahler's Symphony No 4, opening with a dreamy sequence with woodwind and bells, conjuring up a scene not unlike a winter fairy wonderland. The second movement put Alexander Souptel in the spotlight with him playing solo on another violin tuned a tone higher. The beautiful slow third movement was lush and expansive and capably played by the SSO.
Jo sang in the fourth movement, a song adapted from Mahler's own Das Knaben Wunderhorn. Her voice rich and plummy was effective in delivering the innocent sensuality of the music. She made yet another costume change, with her in red again. This time, the crystal hairpiece was absent, as was the cascading hair down her back. She looked much better - classier and fresher - with just the tight ringlets and curls mounted atop her bun. The dress was a sheer creation that draped and flowed effortlessly to the floor. She completed the look with a cape that trailed behind her. It was quite amusing too, that she seemed to have on wedge platforms at least several inches high.
During the curtain calls, despite being a future usher at the Esplanade itself, dontlikeyou blantantly disregarded protocol and took photos of the diva in her resplendent glory. So it's thanks to him that you are treated to the below photo. Might one add that it was a "monkey see, monkey do" reflex as this angmoh in the front row was busy snapping away throughout her performance (he was using a top-end Sony). We wanted to smack him over the head for doing so, but on the other hand, I was sorely tempted to pass him my e-mail address for him to mail me the photo attachments (he did get many very good shots).
It was a pity that after the concert, there was no autograph session as per normal. Was it just us did we notice many people disposing of their programme booklets back to the heap? I had brought along my CD for nothing. Worse off were dontlikeyou and ryanfoster who had bought their CDs specially to get her autograph. As it was they had bought their CDs in HMV for $28 and lo and behold, the concessionaire kiosk at the Esplanade was selling her CDs for $24. As dontlikeyou put it, what would be worse than buying a $24 CD for $28? The answer of course, was not having it autographed after all...