Saturday 15 April 2000 Victoria Concert Hall	MASTERS SERIES Greeting Cards Series/Akzo Nobel for Young Talent Concert/Beethoven Symphony Cycle (Inkpot Award for Ridiculously Long Titles)
	PHOON Yew Tien (b.1952) Greeting Card: Variants on an Ancient Tune Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No.2 in D major, op.36 Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) Piano Concerto in A minor, op.16 Martin KASIK piano James PAUL conductor

OVERALL NOISE RATING: 1 (A good audience)

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.

It seemed a great loss when Okko Kamu, the SSO's principal guest conductor and the original conductor of this concert, injured his arm and had to be replaced. Mr Kamu is a long-time favourite on the stage here, and without any disrespect for his skills, his replacement turned out to be a great blessing for this programme. American veteran James Paul is without doubt a master on the podium, as he would display in this night's varied programme. (Mr Paul was previously here in August 1998).

With much pleasure, Mr Paul introduced the composer of the Greeting Card (and you pronounced the name faultlessly, Mr Paul) and proceeded to explain in some detail the nature of the work as well. Obviously, the man realised the importance of the occasion as well as the quality of the piece. With warm enthusiasm and avid fascination, he used the orchestra to demonstrate the key themes and the melodic basis of Phoon Yew Tien's Variants on an Ancient Tune.

The basis is an ancient Chinese song setting Li Po's poem Guan San Yue. The piece was originally written for 16 instruments, and has here been expanded for a large orchestra including tuned percussion. In terms of orchestration, the "melodic" lines are largely split, sometimes note for note, between various instruments and sections, giving rise to a fascinating interplay of orchestral colours, for example between percussion and woodwind. The use of Chinese instrumental techniques, such as the slide and glissando (timpani included), are not unexpected but are nevertheless employed here to evocative use.

The Introduction establishes a pensive and quiet mood, before the variations begin. Many composers employ a large orchestra without exploiting its full potential. But here, Mr Phoon's concise and colour-sensitive use of the giant instrument on stage made it very clear where his focus is: careful and skilful orchestration. The use of layering or pedals is exemplary, as is the effects of colour and movement achieved when chords are passed from one instrument/section to another. In all, this is a highly poetic work, and was here given a masterly reading by James Paul.

I will call this conductor a master conductor simply because of the admirably clean results he gets from the orchestra. Paul is neither flamboyant nor "unnecessary" - rather, his movements are geared with uncommon exactness towards the musical product he needs. And this conductor's vision of the music is very much to my approval.

Even from watching the way he led the Greeting Card, one could sense the very clean conducting which would be of great benefit to the Classically-inclined Beethoven Second Symphony. The SSO, in very fine form all night, got to a firm and confident start, singing with gorgeously open and projected tone which is not common to this orchestra. The Classical foundation of the work is very clear in the transparency of the orchestral soundscape, but at the same time the performers also managed to bring out the grandeur that looks forward to the "Eroica".

The sparkling Mozartian brilliance of the work was in full display as was the dramatic thought and flow so crucial to this music and its symphonic development. Mr Paul was in rock solid control, while also maintaining a very liberal hand over the simple joy of expression. His presence on stage is at once commanding, because this man shows you he knows very well what he is doing, but at the same time also very respected; and the SSO plays for hom.

In the slow movement, the SSO turned smooth and fragrant, playing with soft textures which was a complete contrast to the fast movements. This very well-judged and sculpted performance showed both the pastoral gaiety as well as the underlying tension of the music - very Beethovenian indeed. Mr Paul went baton-less for this movement, a simple gesture that went far to enhance the pleasing grace of the music.

The Scherzo was rendered with effortless momentum and formal elegance, disciplined and clean. With not a moment's break, Mr Paul went straight into the finale, giving us a fleet-footed reading full of quick reactions, skittering energy and fresh inspiration. There was a strength in the surging runs, and above all a sense of weight which surprised me because there was no sense of burden. It is then this quality - powerful yet elegant, which so impresses me. Great job, SSO!

I must confess that I was not looking forward to yet another Grieg Piano Concerto. The last time this was played here was in August 1999, and I heard it last myself in August 1998. I had commented to a friend that I did not particularly like this work, and only a good pianist could save it. Little did I know that I was about to be granted my implicit wish.

The young Czech pianist (b.1976) Martin Kasik proved to be a great exponent of this quintessentially Romantic work, playing confidently and with great enthusiasm. His tone was clean across every register, and he obviously relished the lyricism of the piece, especially in the Adagio, which is an important hallmark of Grieg. The final diminuendo of this movement was done with heavenly serenity.

The famous opening was delivered with just the right dose of drama (I was worried that it would come out sounding terribly clichéd), with the SSO again in clear voice. Kasik jumped into the music with a combination of enthusiastic spirit, goblinesque mischief and grand but lithe lyric beauty. His sense of rubato and maturity of expression is wonderful for one only 24 years old, bringing out the massiveness, passion and virtuosity of the cadenza without sounding overbearing. The final movement saw energy, weight and force, even as Kasik showed how much fun he was having. The sounds he made with the SSO were grand and visionary, with many magical transformations as the music shifted form section to section. In all this was an excellent performance, and not to forget the invaluable direction of James Paul. Thank you all, musicians.

Chia Han-Leon latest toy is a Philips Sunrise sandwich maker, which he hauled into the concert hall and back home.

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699: 22.4.2000 ©Chia Han-Leon.

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