Saturday 13 September 1997 Victoria Concert Hall	Singapore Symphony Orchestra
	BRIGHT SHENG (b. 1955) China Dreams (1992-95; Asian Premiere) WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Violin Concerto No.4 in D major, K.218 (1775) BELA BARTOK Violin Concerto No.2 in B minor (1937) LIN Cho Liang "Jimmy" violin SHUI Lan conductor

OVERALL NOISE RATING: 2 (Gee... isn't it fun to cough during cadenzas??)

The Noise Rating Index is a partially objective measurement of pager blasts, 9pm and 10pm watch beeps, coughing-during-the-pianissimo-bits and other really inapt noises emitted in the concert hall during the music itself. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 5, in increasing annoyance.

This review has been kindly sponsored by the Singapore Symphonia Co. Ltd

American-Chinese composer Bright Sheng has an interesting name. If his surname "Sheng" actually means (the Mandarin word for) "sound", then truly it is a befitting name, for in the Chinese tongue, brightness is a quality ascribed to sounds. Certainly it might also be a description for the 30-minute China Dreams, which as the composer suggested in his speech to the audience, is full of "noise." This "concerto for orchestra" came to him partly in a dream, and hence the name.

It is possible that Sheng made a mistake by telling the audience about the folksong elements in the work, and thereby suggesting that it will be a "familiar" piece of music, or will contain references as such. I humbly confess not being able to recognize anything. The problem is that he might have given the audience the impression that China Dreams will be a melodic, accessible piece.

China Dreams is cast in four movements. The opening "Prelude" is arguably "modernist" in tone, reminding me of the rhythms and harmonies of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. A craggy but vibrant piece, it is a dense score with some characteristic brass shouts and woodwind slashing, plus some evocative use of the low woodwind. There is also what seems to be an interesting portrayal of the Chinese zither using the harp.

The second movement, the "Fanfare", was introduced to Singapore in 1994, in an SSO performance conducted by Samuel Wong. That was a concert I was happy to have attended, and I clearly recall being very impressed with the work. Unfortunately, tonight's rendition of this extremely noisy and complex movement was less rousing, less driven.

The Chinese performative techniques which Sheng said the Chicago Symphony could not effectively achieve (Life! Sep. 12) were most evident in the third movement, "The Stream Flows." The slide from one note to the next, or the subtle leaning or lingering on notes are some examples. This movement is a rather dissonant casting of melodies based on a folksong of the same name. The effect of the score is one of ghostly, half-lit landscapes, with a second half dominated by a beautiful cello solo over high strings. The final movement is like the first, filled with skittering woodwind and choppy brass, with more Stravinskian rhythms over an immensely noisy bed of percussion.

China Dreams is an intelligent composition which treats its material with symphonic consistency; it does not descend into pastiche. Although it is thought-provoking, its appeal eludes me. Well, some exposure is always better than none. At the end of the piece, I remain unmoved. I humbly await the day I learn to appreciate this properly. The audience gave one round of applause.

I know far too well that Lin Cho Liang is a famous violinist, but believe it or not, the concert took an even worse turn for me when his turn to play came. First of all, I was rather uncomfortable when I first learnt that he was coming here to play Mozart's No.4. Not that I didn't think he couldn't do it, it just didn't seem right, considering his well-praised recorded discography of Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Nielsen, etc. Like using a sword to peel an orange.

I was proven right: Lin's violin tone has a hard focus; it is cool rather than warm, sinewy rather than sweet. As skilful as he is, I wish he would play Mozart with more playfulness, more mischief. His cadenzas were mainly aristocratic and far too serious, almost as if he were playing some philosophically-complex modern work. The slow movement was just short of boring: Lin's playing was unoriginal, unadventurous and uncharacterised, and only in this cadenza did he sound more thoughtful rather than overly serious. If you like your Mozart straight as a lamppost, this is an adequate performance to light up your life. For me, it was the most uneventful "live" Mozart I have ever encountered.

During the interval, my co-reviewer Isaak and I discussed whether in fact Lin was ill, for he looked somewhat preoccupied and tensed, sometimes even lethargic. That horrible haze hanging over our heads came to mind. If something was wrong, then readers should naturally take this performance as an exception to Lin's well-earned fame.

Right at the start of the Bartok concerto, Lin did a complete U-turn by showing that side of him that has evidently made him such a well-known interpreter of the 20th century concerto. His coolness and hardness of tone suddenly becomes a sharp but firm voice, carrying with it the distinctive edgy nervousness combined with defiant confidence so characteristic of many concertos of the period. In the first movement, his performance gave rise to many distinctive voices, from harsh-singing to meditative-wandering, ending with a virtuoso's display of a cadenza. Although this sudden flare of inspiration did not really last all the way to the end, Lin was obviously very much more at home here. The second movement, the "Andante tranquillo", was played with much ... subtlety... rather pensively understated music. The SSO was in fine form, and after a fitful finale, the audience erupted in the usual obligatory Big-Applause-For-Big-Name - including the guy next to me who slept through the concerto.

Still early, so an encore in the form of Kreisler's Liebeslied was performed: here was Lin at his Romantic best, playing in a deliciously soft and tender manner that was hardly evident during the Mozart, or where else appropriate. Here was playing that was lilting and touching, caressing the ear. This seemed to be the only piece where Lin seemed most relaxed.

I left the concert with the feeling that it was an example of bad programming. Pity.

Chia Han-Leon is of the opinion that Burger King serves the best burgers, especially when you compare them to soMe of the edible plastic served elsewhere.

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