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PARADIGM ENSEMBLE
Monday
SPH Auditorium, |
FACETS |
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J.S.BACH Selections from the Goldberg Variations Igor STRAVINSKY Le Histoire du Soldat ("The Soldier's Tale", arr. trio) Francis POULENC Sextuor Ludwig van BEETHOVEN First movement from String Quartet, op.18 Percy GRAINGER Colonial Song Shepherd's Hey Richard STRAUSS Horn Concerto No.1 in E-flat, op.11 Adrian TAN conductor |
OVERALL NOISE RATING: 2 (A small acoustic, liable to disturbances - which happened.)
The Noise Rating Index is a partially-objective measurement of pager and handphone blasts, 9pm and 10pm watch beeps, coughing-during-the-pianissimo-bits, intra-audience conversation and other mind-bogglingly inept noises emitted in the concert hall during actual performance of music. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 5, in increasing annoyance.
by Chia Han-Leon
The Paradigm Ensemble is a "collective of young amateur musicians committed to exploring the chamber repertory in the spectrum of music ranging from the Baroque to the present day". A somewhat clichéd statement, perhaps, but whereas most groups spout this line, rare are the few who actually do explore (I'm not talking about groups formed by university music students). One is not blamed for having either doubts or no expectations for a fledgling orchestra such as this.
The challenge for a new group is not only to impress, but to show signs of survival and a future. What is interesting, besides the fact that this group is directed by a 23-year-old university undergrad-cum-conductor-of-many-groups Adrian Tan, is the variety of the programme presented, testimony to its statement - and the fact that most if not all the musicians are not new to the Singapore amateur music scene. Very few are actually in or studying for a profession in music. And the fact that there was a trinity of certain composers seated in the audience - no less than Mr Leong Yoon Pin and Mr Phoon Yew Tien, plus Dr Ho Chee Kong. No kidding - Mr Leong and Dr Ho are acknowledged as the Advisors of the Ensemble.
Interesting, yes?
The programme is a mixture of Baroque to 20th century works, ranging from solo to chamber, wind band and concerto. This menu, unheard of in Singapore, is of key interest in itself. It provides for endless possibilities in programming, and also gives different individuals within a large ensemble chances to rest as well as watch their colleagues play. The latter activity is a highly under-rated habit among musical groups.
And play different kinds of music, with different demands and responses. It gives musicians opportunities to think and rethink what music-making means - in this light (if this pattern continues) - the name, Paradigm Ensemble reflects what the word means - not (just) an orchestra, or band, or chamber group, but a multi-purpose ensemble in the service of the even more myriad world of music. I hope the Ensemble will make this its paradigm.
The concert began with selections from Bach's Goldberg Variations, played on piano by Albert Lin. The Aria was played with much lullabic grace; but for the rest of the movements - why play so fast? Not only does this destroy the sense of the dance, an element so crucial to Baroque music and especially Bach, it only increases the difficulties for the pianist.
Wrong notes aside (especially in the fiendish Variation 1), it seemed at times Mr Lin's fingers could not match the tempo he had in mind. It would have been better simply to let the music's natural pulse guide the pianist according to his ability. I do not doubt his qualifications, but I would advise finding that right tempo just for oneself. His dynamic range was also limited, ranging from an mf to ff. Though Bach left little or no dynamic markings - since his keyboards had little range - one would expect a player today to exploit the piano's capabilities in this light.
Nevertheless, the piece was an interesting appetizer, and the selection of nine variations framed by the Aria was just nice.
The performance of the Poulenc Sextet (for piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn) was less than satisfactory, but not without merit. For a start, the winds were much too loud relative to each other. The spirit of Poulenc was there, but the execution was a touch too smooth, too formal. This is Poulenc, not Beethoven. In music as zany as Poulenc's, one ought to sound like one believes in those strange harmonies - you shouldn't try to sound strange, but smile at it and live that sound. Go on and make mistakes! The atmosphere should be nervous not because you have to try hard to get the notes together, but because in this quintessentially French music, the tension between arty seriousness and madcap frivolity should be enjoyed, not feared.
The players of the Beethoven quartet (first movement) proved to be mature and very in tune with the music. They displayed equal tone and temperament, the result of which made them sound very unified. Simple and effective was their interpretation, though perhaps a touch more brightness in the string tone would improve things even further.
The final piece of the night was Richard Strauss' Horn Concerto No.1. The performance was most impressive for an amateur group. The most important thing about it was simply that at no point did either soloist or orchestra falter. A concerto in itself tends to be quite difficult for an amateur orchestra to pull off, because of the great need for the accompaniment and conductor to concentrate on - well, accompanying the soloist. Yet, here I was so distracted by the unfaltering pace of the performance that I quite forgot to take any notes. The wind choir was stable and ample, though the flutes sounded somewhat out-of-place, too distinctively popping out of the wind section. The string orchestra played well, but needed more body and mass. Horn soloist Hoang Van Hoc proved himself with his very confident delivery, which helped to spur the orchestra on, led by the conductor's unobstrusive direction. The final rondo was thoroughly enjoyable, and ended the concert most satisfyingly.
All in all, a mixed bag but enjoyable. My final note is simply how great it is sometimes when amateur musicians, me included, get together. Never have I met so many old friends from the music circle all in one place, friends from long ago and friends more recently - virtually all in the 20something category. It speaks greatly of the unsung fraternity that exists without anyone even realising it: here we are, the next generation of musicians of Singapore, among our own great composers. That alone gave me much gladness as I made my way home, and I hope the Paradigm Ensemble will play again soon.
Next, three musicians, all SSO members, gave a sharp and pungent account of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale in an arrangement for violin, clarinet and piano. Chan Yoong Han distinguished himself among the three with his colourful reading, chock full of personality and totally in Stravinsky's jerky, half-grotesque, colourfully clever vein. Clarinettist Vincent Goh also provided appropriately jumpy and burleskian playing, next to Shane Thio's expert and indefatigable piano. It all added up to some very witty and energetic music-playing, which the trio obviously enjoyed.
The tiny interior of the Young Musicians' Society auditorium proved unhelpful to the two works for wind band. Not surprisingly, the Paradigm Wind Ensemble was simply too loud, the result being a very "bulky" sound. Given the limited acoustic space, it would have been helpful for the players to have concentrated on producing a smaller, finer sound. The tone also desperately needed more colour and clarity. One way this might be achieved is to give the second parts more prominence - as it was, these "middle" voices were inaudible. This was in part responsible for the bulkiness of the band's sound. The orchestral piano, placed on the left because of space constraints, also did not help - it only detached its voice from the wind band. Of these two pieces by Australian composer Percy Grainger (left), Colonial Song benefitted from an able trumpet solo, while Shepherd's Hey was decidedly the better rendered - with good direction, kick and response from the musicians.
Chia Han-Leon would like to mention in particular, Lifang from the legendary Hi-Fi Corner, Simon from that band I used to play in, and apologies to Karen for failing to recognise her.
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