Although a young orchestra formed as recently as 1998, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has embarked on an ambitious campaign to surmount some of the more difficult pieces in the classical symphonic repertoire. Mahler has figured prominently in their efforts, with his Symphony No.2 "Resurrection" performed in 2001, and this year, his last symphony - No. 9 and otherwise untitled - under the baton of Benjamin Zander.

Zander is a commensurate conductor with over 30 years experience under his belt, almost all of those years spent grooming and nurturing the Boston Philharmonic. Therefore, Zander is a well grounded veteran of the podium, familiar with the challenge of conjuring an orchestra's sound and tone. It is the MPO's privilege to have his leadership on their first run of this work.

In fact, one can consider the MPO fortunate in many other respects: a world-class hall custom-made to its requirements; a rigorous recruitment programme gathering musicians of significant skill, and (most of all) an avid following of classical music aficionados drawn from KL, around Malaysia, and Singapore. These elements blended well on Saturday night to the pleasure of a full and attentive crowd. All in all, it is hard to imagine a better way to experience Mahler 9.

The evening began with a telling warm-up session for the orchestra, before the concertmaster called them to a collective tuning. Given that the programme did not include an opening number preceding the symphony, the orchestra took 5-6 minutes for a free ranging work out of the instruments. This practice reflected the commitment of the orchestra to achieving the desired sound right from the beginning of the piece.

This is particularly important for this symphony, as the first movement begins quietly, but also contains all the major themes and subjects from which the entire work is developed. Therefore, if the orchestra does not strike the 'right chord' in the first 20 bars, the perspective on the rest of the work is skewed. The MPO set a firm but gentle pp for the opening of this andante comodo, with the strings demonstrating keen discipline. The swirling figures on the lower strings were moulded tersely, enhancing its sense of uncertainty; as the violins, harps and winds spelt out the first subject. A good naturalistic start that belies the practice required to achieve the right effect.

The majority of this movement progresses towards 3 tutti climaxes, punctuated by the archetypal clash of Mahlerian cymbals. The MPO moved deftly from the quiet opening to the first climax, intonation precise and clear. However, the balance between the horns and 1st trumpet was stilted, with the horns overpowering their colleague and blunting the profile of the climax. This was in some senses a happy problem, as the MPO horns are fast gaining a reputation for devilishly good playing, and in all fairness to the principal trumpet, it is a hard act to follow. The trumpets subsequently distinguished themselves in the remaining movements, righting the sound balance and playing prominently.

The central sections of the first movement were a joy to listen to, with Zander's leadership yielding good results from the orchestra. In particular, the trombones and tuba, along with the lower winds distinguished themselves. At times, the timpani was over zealous, going way beyond the marked ff, especially at 15 bars after "9". As the movement wound to close, the interplay between 1st Horn and Flute was well executed, and the solo string utterances nicely moulded. Again, the discipline to sustain the pp and ppp markings was commendable.

The ländler-like second movement is marked 'clumsy and very coarse'. This was a point Zander emphasised to the orchestra with scare crow contortions of this upper body (recalling the horror stories told of Mahler's own podium athletics). The MPO responded well, and the winds bounced off against the strings with vigour. From this movement on, solo interjections by the wind and brass instruments take on greater prominence. The orchestra executed these statements with precision and expression, although some would call for more acerbic snarlings, in line with Mahler's fondness of irony. The movement ended nicely, on a buoyant restatement of the initial rhythms.

Rondo Burlesque for the third movement drew a few expressions of strain from the faces of the string players - this work was clearly stretching some of their limits. Nonetheless, it started with a burst of energy and the orchestra went through the gymnastics like clockwork. Perhaps the only controversy concerned the introduction of the 2nd incidental subject of this movement which would be developed into the main theme of the concluding Adagio. The structure here is reminiscent of Beethoven's treatment of the brass chorales in the 3rd movement of his own Ninth, in which the brass interrupts a flowing melody to precursor similar statements in the 4th Movt. This thematic link between 3rd and 4th movements is replicated by Mahler here in his 9th, and many interpretations broaden out the tempo to make an obvious connection to the lyrical material of the 4th movement.

Zander eschewed this approach in favour of brisk tempi more congruent with the Rondo itself. In this sense, Zander's intepretation supported a classical interpretation of this symphony's architecture, perhaps reflecting his views on this symphony as being the end of the classical/romantic traditions, more than the beginnings of modern/atonal compositions.

The concluding movement is one of the most profound in the symphonic canon. A treatise built upon G-string virtuosity amongst the violins, it takes up the material of the Rondo and transforms it into a long goodbye, heartfelt and emotional. The MPO strings were careful to balance their voices well, and the second violins distinguished themselves in providing beautiful counterpoint to their first violin colleagues. A misintonation amongst the oboes marred a solemn processional moment in the movement, but this is a small blemish on a large canvas. Kudos also to the expert percussionists of this orchestra, who distinguished the klingen lassen clash of the cymbals in this movement from the other climaxes of the piece.

Indeed, it rang loud and long, as a subtle crowning of the entire work, before Mahler died away on whispers of ppp and austere string solos. The audience, in particular small children mercilessly subjected to Mahler by their over anxious, psychotic parents (you know who you are), filled these quiet moments with a chorus of shoe tapping and weight shifting, distracting from the moment, but for which the orchestra did not even flinch. A full 6-7 seconds of silence preceded the applause this performance so rightly deserved.

Zander made an effort to mingle with his audience as we streamed out of the Dewan. He was a personable and happy character, streaming in sweat but bursting with satisfaction. I was impressed with the steadiness of his hand when he autographed my score - few but the fittest of men could write steadily after conducting Mahler 9. For all the notions of death associated with this work, Benjamin Zander is the acme of a life in its prime.

After Mahler 9, Tan Beng Ti danced the night away at the Beach with his fiancé, who is equally comfortable with both Mahler and Eminem. They gorged on Mdm Kuan's Sambal Petai the next day before heading home, musically nourished.

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24.9.2002 © Tan Beng Ti

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