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 The
idea is not new or unusual, yet, owing probably to the complexity
of coordinating a non-stop film and a 'live' orchestra, this kind
of thing isn't executed very often. But then again, there's opera;
but opera gives itself much more space. The main difference lies
in the fact that in an opera, producers, crew and actor-singers
can coordinate themselves to the orchestra's whims and accidents
(or vice versa), but no one is going to press the stop button once
the film starts rolling.
That
this production of Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky should involve
conductor Lim Yau is no surprise. I daresay Mr Lim is Singapore's
most experienced theatre-music conductor. His work with the Singapore
Lyric Opera, various choirs and also in dramatic music for orchestra
(with or without choir) has done more than enough to prove this.
This night, his conducting was direct, to-the-point and largely
strict, as a response to the reasons pointed out above.
His
timing with the SSO was for the most part adequately accurate, though
not without flaw. One might notice the way the bells were struck
a redundant last time after the last scene of bell-tolling fades,
or that bells tolled in the film while the real ones on stage were
silent. A small matter though; rather we should credit the arranger
of the music, William Brohn, for coming up with the idea of using
'live' bells to voice the film's bells (however obvious the idea).
 Having
said that, there is considerable repetition of music in his arrangement,
in particular the "motifs" of the "Russia under the
Mongol Yoke", the Teutonic crusaders and the song "Arise,
ye Russian People". In almost every major appearance of the
white-cloaked, red-crossed, blond-blue-eyed (I'm sure) Teutonic/Germanic
stormtroopers, ah I mean crusaders, their blaring theme is played.
While
we the audience focussed on the film (for the first ten minutes,
I found my eyes making an automatic beeline for the orchestra on
stage, and had to deliberately wrench them up to the screen), the
Singapore Symphony musicians bravely resisted watching the film
themselves, and were the epitome of discipline watching their scores
and the conductor. But wait a minute, actually, they look bored,
and a bit of this translated into their playing. The fact is I have
good sources who tell me that the orchestra had rehearsed for this
concert too many times to count. As a result, though the performance
excelled technically, the overall result was just slightly short
of epic/majestic/brilliant.
One
great pity was the acoustics of the relatively new University Cultural
Centre of the National University of Singapore. In short, it was
terrible. I have not imagined a concert hall could be built in Singapore
these days whose acoustics could be worse than the Victoria Concert
Hall, but here it is. Given that a nice slope is there, the seats
are well-spaced and well-padded, there is ample seating, three tiers
and a spanking new (if rather sterile) building, the acoustics of
this "great hall" were appalling flat. Even the SSO, who
have in the last few years grown in their capacity to project sound
through the VCH, were sonically boxed in at the stage. There was
negligible warmth in the dry acoustics, which robbed the film of
some of its presence.
Only
the impressive Latvia State Choir seemed most at home. Their richly
dark sound, especially at the alto register, hummed, hymned and
boomed with solidity and authenticity. (Incidentally, the celebrated
director Sergei Eisenstein was born in Latvia).
Not
a perfectly executed concert, but still a very enjoyable one, for
the film, the company and the novelty. Perhaps Henry V next
time?
CHIA
HAN-LEON's favourite war movie is Midway. His
favourite Star Trek movie is Generations. The best last movie
he saw was Miss Congeniality. I'm a Sandra fan, see.
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16.4.2001 © Chia Han-Leon
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Elsewhere,
I am not in much of a position to review the music-making
of this concert, as I was for the most part successful in
convincing my eyes to stay glued to the screen. So then, let
us turn to the film instead and do a bit of film reviewing
(seeing as, that activity
has, um, died a bit at the Inkpot).
Surely,
one must wonder if George Lucas watched Alexander Nevsky.
The dress of the German crusaders, the gaunt and evil-looking
bishop, surely and unsubtly brings to mind the stormtroopers
and Emperor of the evil empire in Star Wars.
 Eisenstein,
who was also censured in Russia for more or less the same
"artistic crimes" committed by Prokofiev, created
many interesting thematic elements in his film which may or
may not have been meant just to please Stalin.
For
example, he cleverly reverses many modern conventions:
the good guys wear black, while the bad guys wear white and
bear crosses.
The
Russian villagers are shown to be generous, if in a communist
kind of way - see how the blacksmith gives away his weapons
and armour for the sake of the war against evil. (Today, we
sell missiles, we don't give'em out like candy). "The
rich profit first, then become patriotic", goes one line
in the film, and indeed, such capitalist concepts... still
exist today.
An
interesting parallel occurs in the film: in one scene, a Russian
lord challenges the masses, saying that a peace treaty has
already been signed with the Germans, and they could not possibly
attack the city (of Novgorod, if I recall correctly). A similar
treaty had also been signed between the real Germany and Russia
in 1939 - but as in the film (made in 1938), the Germans went
against their word and invaded Russia during World War 2.
In the musical world, Eisenstein's film was well-received
during its premiere, but the film was "banned" as
soon as the peace treaty was signed. In its place, Wagner's
Die Walküre was promoted. Ironically enough though,
when the Germans invaded Russia, Wagner got banned and Alexander
Nevsky became No.1 Movie of the Week/Month/Next Four Years
again.
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