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This afternoon's concert began amidst a buzz of
youthful energy. Seated around me were several rows of bright-eyed
teens, some evidently part of an unofficial "fan club"
of Edward Tan, others his fellow musicians and music lovers. While
they conducted themselves politely, as befitted the concert setting,
the inadvertent whispers, nudges and sly exchanges gave the concert
hall an ebullient atmosphere.
Sixteen-year old Edward Tan has an impressive record
of achievement. Currently a student at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent),
he studies violin under Zhang Zhen Shan and plays first violin with
the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, as well as being the Concertmaster
of his school chamber orchestra. Having won prizes at the National
Violin Competition over the past few years, he has performed at
various events, including Singapore's first Music Box Festival.
Pretty serious, considering the heavy load that a regular secondary
school boy already carries! As he revealed during the question and
answer session that, his music practice takes second place to his
schoolwork - but if so, how can he find the time and energy to devote
himself so much to his music?
Edward's commitment to his violin playing was evident throughout
his performance. Although there was a slight feeling of scratchiness
at the beginning, as soon as he got warmed up he played with flair
and confidence, putting every ounce of himself into the first movement
of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Throughout the nineteen
minute movement, Edward managed to disprove once again Leopold Auer's
(celebrated violinist and contemporary of Tchaikovsky, famous for
being the teacher of Jascha Heifetz) statement that this concerto
is "unplayable".
Accompanied by the full orchestra, in contrast to
its diminished numbers two nights ago, the violinist was in some
danger of being drowned out. The orchestra was excellent, however,
enunciating the ebbs and flows of this immensely lyrical work with
wonderful expression and empathy. Edward, backed by this powerful
team, did not appear any less competent.
Although I had some complaints about a slightly
too mechanical treatment at times, it would be petty of me to fault
such a heartfelt performance for something as slight as this. I
had felt at first that he seemed to be rushing through the poeticism
of the movement, and that his facial expression was too matter-of-fact
for such an emotive work as this. However, he more than made up
for these minor defects with his sincere, heartfelt outpouring of
himself as the movement progressed.
What
is a Casual Concert?
By Barry D. Steben
There may be a tendency for people to think
that a "casual concert" is not to be taken very
seriously, and probably not really worth attending in comparison
with one of SSO's "formal concerts." But to judge
from this concert, that is not the case at all. A "casual
concert", rather, means a relatively short concert on
Sunday afternoon that one can attend without a major investment
of time, a concert of relatively catchy music that is easy
for even a newcomer to symphonic music to appreciate, and,
most of all, a concert at which one can have some real contact
and dialogue with the musicians in an informal atmosphere.
For that reason, a "casual concert"
can be even more enjoyable to attend than a "formal concert",
or whatever they're called, and classical music fans of all
ages should really try to take advantage of these rare opportunities
to get to know the SSO more intimately while still getting
treated to some very fine quality music - on a day of the
week and a time of the day when one is not tired from work
or running around, and can really devote one's whole mind
to the music.
While one would not expect a world-class soloist
to appear at such a concert, what one gets instead can be
just as valuable as seeing some famous name flout his or her
virtuosity on the stage while the SSO politely drops back
out of the limelight to the role of "accompanist".
For instance, at how many concerts could one hear a musician
explain the background of a famous work by one of his own
country's greatest composers? At how many concerts could one
hear the conductor describe something of the character and
structure of one of the pieces the orchestra is going to perform,
or some of his own feelings about the work of conducting?
At how many concerts could the audience proffer
questions to the young soloist of the day - or to anyone else
in the orchestra - about their methods and schedule of practice
or their personal feelings about the works they are performing
on that day? What is more, while recent SSO "formal concerts"
seemed to feature only a part of the orchestra, for this concert,
the orchestra came out in full force, including their highly
talented Russian Concertmaster Alexander Souptel. All of these
things made this short 75 minute concert a truly memorable
experience for this particular classical music lover.
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Edward's elucidation of the principal theme of the
concerto was full of lyrical feeling. Most importantly, he displayed
an intense passion for the music. Considering his age, he played
with genuine panache, displaying some deft fingerwork coupled with
a real understanding of the music. It was a pleasure to witness
the pure joy that flows out of a real love for and understanding
of the piece of music one is performing, rather than the overpowering
virtuosity that some soloists employ to circumvent a relative lack
of emotional rapport with the music.
It was this feeling of witnessing a simple, unembellished
love of music that kept the concert refreshing throughout. Designed
to educate and accustom the audience to more "serious"
concert going, the programme included only single movements and
short pieces, with the first movement of the Tchaikovsky being the
longest selection of the day.
After the intermission, where the youthful crowd
was given ample opportunity to vent their excess energy in noisy
exuberance, conductor Lan Shui, Edward Tan and the orchestra fielded
questions from the audience. Ranging from the thoughtful ("why
is classical music so filled with sorrow?") to the mischievous
("What does the orchestra do if the conductor forgets to turn
up for a concert?"), this forum provided a great opportunity
for anyone, whether the experienced old-timer or the clueless first-timer,
to see a different side of the orchestra, with the spotlight on
the audience.
There followed a brief introduction to the next
two pieces. A Czech viola player whose spirited playing we enjoy
every week elaborated on the cultural background of Die Moldau,
by the Czech nationalist composer Smetana (1824-1884). His very
personal and intriguing account greatly enhanced my understanding
of the work, as well as locating it in its rightful time and place.
Situated in the 1800s during the growth of Czech nationalism, Die
Moldau depicts the flow of the river Vltava, the longest
Czech river and one whose existence is inextricably linked with
Czech civilization. Thanks to the introduction, one could begin
to detect behind the Czech flavour of the piece and its surging
gradiosity a sense of immovable love for and devotion to the Czech
homeland. The orchestra played extraordinarily, better, I felt,
than their performance of the same piece two nights earlier. Something
about the atmosphere of an "informal concert" may help
to loosen the normal inhibitions on the orchestra's playing, allowing
them to turn out performances overflowing with spontaneous delight.
The performance seemed seamless, and the river Vltava was
brought to life with all its turbulence and dignity.
The next piece was also delightfully presented.
Lan Shui pointed out that the Presto from Shostakovich's
Sixth Symphony included a theme borrowed from Rossini's William
Tell, and Alexander Souptel demonstrated the famous line spontaneously.
"Da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-dat-dat-dat" - we have all
known it since we were kids. Lan Shui explained that Rossini's music
was full of humour, and that the movement was "bright and happy".
When the orchestra burst into song, I could feel the weight of Lan
Shui's words upon my impression of it. Contrary to the version I
had heard two night's ago, this movement was indeed bright and cheerful
- evidently the presence of the full orchestra helped. Of course,
the Rossini influence rang clearly in my ears. Thanks to the explanations
we had received, I felt like a truly informed member of the audience.
Unfortunately, this single movement heard in isolation
from the rest of Shostakovich's incredible symphony just did not
contain the richness of character that the full work had impressed
upon me in the "formal concert" two nights before. What
I took from the performance was very much predicated on the academic
information that my mind was processing. Nonetheless, the polished
performance was thoroughly satisfying to the ear. I commend this
"casual concert" for its success in helping make classical
music accessible and enjoyable to everyone, and look forward greatly
to attending the next concert in this series on 17 November.
Deanne
Tan is serious about being relaxed at times.
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