The Ring - An Orchestral Adventure

LAN SHUI Music Director

subscription concert

The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure 27 October 2017 Esplanade Concert Hall Performing Home of the SSO

Kristjan Järvi, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

27 Oct 2017, Fri

The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure Singapore Symphony Orchestra Kristjan Järvi, conductor

KRISTJAN JÄRVI

ShANgHAi Wonder (Singapore Premiere) 10’00

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 “The Egyptian” 29’00

1. Allegro animato 2. Andante – Allegretto tranquillo quasi andantino – Andante 3. Molto allegro

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Intermission 20’00

Jean-Yves Thibaudet will autograph CDs in the stalls foyer.

RICHARD WAGNER arr. HENK DE VLIEGER

The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure (Singapore Premiere) 64’00

Concert duration: 2 hrs 20 mins Go green. Digital programme booklets are available on www.sso.org.sg.

Scan the QR code in the foyer to view a copy.

S ing a p or e S y mp hon y Or c he s t r a ‘A fine display of orchestral bravado for the SSO and Shui’ The Guardian

Since its founding in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has been Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene in the cosmopolitan city-state. In addition to its subscription series concerts, the orchestra is well-loved for its outdoor and community appearances, and its significant role educating the young people of Singapore. The SSO has also earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity, having garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and many successful recordings.

The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works and all outreach and community performances take place at the

673-seat Victoria Concert Hall, the home of the SSO. The orchestra performs 100 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans alltime favourites and orchestral masterpieces to exciting cutting-edge premieres. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in the concert season. This has been a core of the SSO’s programming philosophy from the very beginning under Choo Hoey, who was Music Director from 1979 to 1996.

Since Lan Shui assumed the position of Music Director in 1997, the SSO has performed in Europe, Asia and the United States. In May 2016 the SSO was invited to perform at the Dresden Music Festival and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. This successful five‑city tour of

Germany and Prague also included the SSO’s return to the Berlin Philharmonie after six years.

In 2014 the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received critical acclaim in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.

Notable SSO releases under BIS include a Rachmaninov series, a Debussy disc, “Seascapes” featuring sea-themed music by Debussy, Frank Bridge, Glazunov and Zhou Long, and the first-ever cycle of Tcherepnin’s piano concertos and symphonies. The SSO has also collaborated with such great artists as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham.

K r is tj a n J ä r v i conductor

Kristjan Järvi has “earned a reputation as one of the canniest, and most innovative, programmers on the classical scene.” (Reuters) Curating and conducting his original, genre-fusing projects with individual approach and style, his concerts have been proclaimed a “life-enhancing experience.” (Herald Scotland) Järvi realises his pioneering ideas with his three ensembles: as Music Director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, as FounderConductor of his New York-based classical hip-hop-jazz group Absolute Ensemble, and as Founder and Music Director of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, making him the only conductor to lead both the oldest radio orchestra and youngest professional orchestra in Europe.

An entrepreneur by nature and passionate producer, Järvi runs his own production company Sunbeam Productions. He also became an official member of the Estonian Olympic committee in 2016. As a recording artist, Järvi has more than 60 albums to his credit, from Hollywood soundtracks such as Cloud Atlas, Hologram for the King, Sense 8 and Babylon Berlin - a recently premiered series on Sky, ARD and Netflix - as well as award-winning albums on Sony Classical and Chandos, to his eponymous series: the “Kristjan Järvi Sound Project”. The latest releases under this project are Wagner: The Ring. An Orchestral Adventure with Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Steve Reich: Duet with MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir and also Philip Glass: Aguas da Amazonia, an arrangement for orchestra featuring MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra as well as his Absolute Ensemble.

Järvi continues to work with some of today’s brightest creative minds, from film directors Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis, to composers and artists as Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, Tan Dun, Hauschka, Dhafer Youssef, Anoushka Shankar and Esa-Pekka Salonen, with whom he started his career as Assistant Conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Je a n -Y v e s T hib a ude t piano

For more than three decades, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has performed world-wide, recorded more than 50 albums, and built a reputation as one of today’s finest pianists. He plays a range of solo, chamber, and orchestral repertoire. From the very start of his career, he delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, which he transcribed himself to play on the piano. His profound professional friendships crisscross the globe and have led to spontaneous and fruitful collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art.

This season takes Thibaudet to 14 countries, including extensive concerts in Asia. Season highlights include Ravel with the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Cleveland Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with long-time collaborator Charles Dutoit; a recital in Carnegie Hall with violinist Janine Jansen; a tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in California, and a trip to his hometown to play Qigang Chen’s Er Huang, which was written for him, with the Orchestre National de Lyon.

Thibaudet was soloist in Dario Marianelli’s award-winning scores for the films Atonement (which won an Oscar for Best Original Score) and Pride and Prejudice, and recorded Alexandre Desplat’s soundtrack for the 2012 film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. He had a cameo in Bruce Beresford's film on Alma Mahler, Bride of the Wind, and his playing is showcased throughout. In 2004 he served as President of the prestigious charity auction Hospices de Beaune. His concert wardrobe is designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Among Thibaudet’s numerous commendations is the Victoire d’Honneur, a lifetime career achievement award and the highest honour given by France’s Victoires de la Musique.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet's worldwide representation is HarrisonParrott and he records exclusively for Decca Records. For more information, visit www.jeanyvesthibaudet.com.

Empowering lives.

Nurturing communities.

We believe in building a sustainable future with the community – wherever we operate. In more than 30 countries, we reach out and give back through lending a hand to the needy and under-privileged, promoting education, caring for the environment as well as cultivating appreciation of the arts.

We make it a part of our business to lay the foundation for a brighter future, one upon which successive generations will thrive.

Keppel Corporation Limited 1 HarbourFront Avenue #18-01 Keppel Bay Tower Singapore 098632 I www.kepcorp.com

SSO MU S ICIAN S Lan Shui Music Director joshua tan Associate Conductor jason lai Associate Conductor andrew litton Principal Guest Conductor Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director

FIRST VIOLIN Igor Yuzefovich° Concertmaster, The GK Goh Chair Lynnette Seah Co-Concertmaster Kong Zhao Hui* Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Gu Wen Li Jin Li Cindy Lee Lim Shue Churn^ Sui Jing Jing Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Hai-Won Kwok Fixed Chair

Hou Lei^ Nikolai Koval* Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Lillian Wang Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing* VIOLA Zhang Manchin Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Born Lau^ Lim Chun^ Luo Biao Shui Bing Tan Wee-Hsin Janice Tsai^ Yang Shi Li Yeo Jan Wea^ CELLO Ng Pei-Sian Principal Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Lin Juan^ Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Peter Wilson Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Guennadi Mouzyka Principal Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Ma Li Ming^ Jacek Mirucki Wang Xu

FLUTE Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo COR ANGLAIS Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping

Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Kartik Alan Jairamin Guan Yue^ James Smelser^ TRUMPET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin BASS TRUMPET Marques Young^ TROMBONE Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong BASS TROMBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal TUBA Hidehiro Fujita Principal

BASS CLARINET Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal

TIMPANI

BASSOON

Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal

Zhang Jin Min^ Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Cheung King Lun^ Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue

PERCUSSION Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Lim Meng Keh Zhu Zheng Yi

CONTRA BASSOON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal Cheung King Lun^ HORN Han Chang Chou Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal

HARP Gulnara Mashurova Principal Huang Yu Hsin^ Eilidh McRae^ Charmaine Teo^ PIANO Aya Sakou^ Principal

*With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. °Igor Yuzefovich plays an instrument generously loaned by Mr & Mrs G K Goh ^Musician on temporary contract Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

Supporting the Local Arts and Cultural Scene Partner of SSO since 1978 NSL is a long-standing sponsor for Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). We have been instrumental in helping the Orchestra reach out to the community-at-large as SSO brings music to the world.

A leading industrial group in the Asia Pacific with businesses in Precast & Prefabricated Bathroom Unit and Environmental Services, NSL believes that while achieving business goals is important, its actions need to also create a positive impact on the community, environment and all stakeholders.

NSL LTD 77 Robinson Road #27-00 Robinson 77 Singapore 068896 Tel: 6536 1000 I Fax: 6536 1008 I www.nsl.com.sg

mu s ic i a n c h a ir s

Igor Yuzefovich Concertmaster The GK Goh Chair The GK Goh Chair is endowed by the Family and Friends of Mr Goh Geok Khim

GUO HAO Fixed Chair Cello The Fixed Chair Cello is supported by

CORPORATE SEAT S The Singapore Symphony Orchestra appreciates the support of companies in our Corporate Seats scheme. The scheme supports the Orchestra through regular attendance of subscription concerts. $20,000 and above Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Pte) Ltd

Up to $10,000 Hong Leong Foundation Nomura Asset Management Singapore Ltd Prima Limited Santa Lucia Asset Management Stephen Riady Group of Foundations

This list is for donations from 1 Jun 2016 to 1 Oct 2017.

For more information or to make a donation, please contact the Development & Sponsorship Team at 6602 4238 / 6602 4218 or peggykek@sso.org.sg.

he a r t f e lt t h a nks to t he fa mily a nd FRIENDS of mr g oh g eok k him In appreciation of a major gift from the Family and Friends of Mr Goh Geok Khim on the occasion of his 85th birthday on 17 July 2017, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce the naming of the SSO Concertmaster position, the GK Goh Chair.

Igor Yuzefovich Concertmaster The GK Goh Chair Endowed by the Family and Friends of Mr Goh Geok Khim

Photo Credit: Joerg Bongartz (Pavel Baleff) Jürgen Frank (Diana Damrau) Jiyang Chen (Nicolas Testé)

u p comi n g con c ert s

1 NOVEMBER 2017 Wed | 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

SSO GALA • DIANA DAMRAU A Night At The Opera HIGHLIGHTS: ROSSINI “Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville MEYERBEER “Ombre légère” from Dinorah VERDI “Elle ne m’aime pas” from Don Carlo GOUNOD “Ah! Je veux vivre” from Romeo & Juliet BELLINI “O amato zio, o mio secondo padre” from I puritani Pavel Baleff, conductor Diana Damrau, soprano Nicolas Testé, bass-baritone Pre-concert Talk 6.30pm | Esplanade Concert Hall Foyer

10 NOVEMBER 2017 Fri | 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Subscription Concert

BEETHOVEN TRIPLE CONCERTO MUSICAL COLLABORATION IN THREES BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello & Piano in C major, Op. 56 COPLAND Symphony No. 3 Andrew Litton, conductor/piano Igor Yuzefovich, violin Ng Pei-Sian, cello Pre-concert Talk 6.30pm | library@esplanade POST-CONCERT SYMPHONY CHAT Sponsored by

A S ta nding Ovat ion to our Donor s a nd Sp on s or s PATRON SPONSOR

Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club) $700,000 and above

Temasek Foundation Nurtures CLG Ltd $100,000 and above

Christopher Ho & Rosy Ho Interchem Pte Ltd Anonymous $50,000 and above

John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Tan Chin Tuan Foundation Joseph Grimberg Lee Foundation, Singapore Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin GK Goh Holdings Limited NSL Ltd TransTechnology Private Limited Aquilus Pte Ltd

$20,000 and above Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd Singapore Institute of Management Keppel Care Foundation Stephen Riady Group of Foundations Far East Organization Mr and Mrs Goh Geok Khim United Overseas Bank Limited UPP Holdings Limited Eugene Lai Chin Look Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi Martin Dorothy Chan Ms Paige Parker and Mr Jim Rogers

Mr and Mrs Wong Ngit Liong Kris Foundation JCCI Singapore Foundation Limited Holywell Foundation Limited Pontiac Land Group One North Capital Pte Ltd Saga Tree Capital Advisors Pte Ltd Anonymous Christina Ong Doris and Andreas Sohmen-Pao Geoffrey Wong & Ai Ai Wong

$10,000 and above Dr and Mrs Thomas Zuellig Foundation Prince Albert II of Monaco S R Nathan Lim and Tan Securities Pte Ltd At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy Pte Ltd BinjaiTree Boardroom Limited DBS Bank Limited Hi-P International Limited Hong Leong Foundation LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd Nomura Asset Management Singapore Ltd OSIM International Limited Prima Limited PSA International Private Limited Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd Van Cleef and Arpels Tan Kong Piat (Pte) Limited Choo Chiau Beng

Tan Choo Leng Christine Yeh David Ong Eng Hui Anonymous Prof Chan Heng Chee Lito and Kim Camacho Amy and Kevin Gould Anonymous Andress Goh Lai Yan Lee Li-Ming Anonymous Olivia Lum Kim Teo Poh Jin Pauline Chan and Jean Nasr Yong Pung How Maisy Koh and Dr Beh Swan Gin Prof Cham Tao Soon Leong Wai Leng Liew Wei Li Desmond Lim Yu Jin

$5,000 and above Juliana and Clemente Benelli Prof Arnoud De Meyer Ross & Florence Jennings Mr and Mrs Tan Vern Han AIA Singapore Private Limited ComfortDelgro Corporation Limited CV Shipping Pte Ltd F & N Foods Pte Ltd Fullerton Fund Management Company Ltd Loke Cheng Kim Foundation Devika and Sanjiv Misra Sharon Chandran

Lin Diaan-Yi Anonymous Electrolux S.E.A. Pte Ltd Cham Gee Len Grace Fu Hai Yien Chng Hak-Peng Anonymous Manju Vangal Prof and Mrs Lim Seh Chun Goh Sze Wei Mr and Mrs W K Leong Tan Sook Yee

$1,000 and above Anonymous Thorsten Walther Christian Rothenbuehler Johanes Oeni Schroder Investment Management (Singapore) Ltd Dr Tan Chin Nam Anonymous Jullie Kan Ronald and Janet Stride Robin Ian Rawlings Chartered Asset Management Private Limited Prive Clinic Pte Ltd Xeitgeist Entertainment Group Pte Ltd Bernhard Steiner Daniel Bijaoui Eric Wong Guy J P Hentsch Ivy Teh Julian and Sandra Chang Ng Keng Hooi Tan Khai Hee Kris Wiluan Lawrence Basapa Anonymous Marie Elaine Teo Tong Moi Eng Leow Oon Geok Patrick Chong Chong Siak Ching Ho Soo Foo Leong Yoke Chun Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd Kim Woon Soo Shih Chih-Lung Coutte Didier Chong Mi-Li Pamela Gael Bomblian Cambridge Therapeutics Pte Ltd Jean Yip Salon Pte Ltd JW Central Pte Ltd Robert Khan & Co Private Limited Sara Taseer Fine Jewellery Pte Ltd Dr Ho Ching Lin (SNEC) Wilmar International Limited Cynthia Chee Bin Eng Gan Chee Yen Connie Chaird Fong Ei Lie Lim Eng Neo Gajardo Eugenia Carmichael Heather Lin John Hsu Lai Kenneth Mark Wong Kevin Ong Lee Fong Lau Leok Yee Lau Kheng Tiong This list is for donations from 1 Jul 2016 to 30 Jun 2017.

Yeo Ning Hong Somalingam Radakrishnan Frances Low Richard Smith Sheila Patel Gao Sheng Ho Soh Choon Lee Suan Yew Lim Swee Lin Wong Yik Mun Ng Yong Ngee Aznan Abu Bakar Pauline Ang Hooi Yeong Cees & Raife Armstrong Kanti Bajpai Marcie Ann Ball Bao Zhiming Steven L Bernasek John & Eliza Bittleston Michel Blanc Chai Huei Chuen Chan Wai Leong Christopher Chen Cheng Wei Margaret Chew Sing Seng Shang Thong Kai and Tiffany Choong Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng Maureen Derooij Ridzuan Farouk Warren Fernandez Christopher John Fussner Brian Holt Gambrill Rolf Gerber Goh Chiu Gak Jerry Gwee Mark Edward Hansen Donald Harding William H Hernstadt Susanna Ho Choon Mei Liwen Holmes Richard Jerram Matthew G Johnson Patrick Johnson Lilian Khoo Khor Cheng Kian AndrĂŠ Klein Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Takashi Kousaka Michael Kuschel Kwee Nee Chia Irene Lai Kim Peng Mitchell Vincent Lam Ho Ming Matthew Latham Janin Lau Ying Hui Eugene Lee Lee Shu Yen Siong Ted Lee Leong Keng Hong Xiao Li

Bettina Lieske Alvin Liew Lim Hong Eng Janet Richard Logan Michelle Loh Loh Pong Tuan Loke Sin Hun Jeffrey Victor Loo Low Boon Hon Donny Low Low Fatt Kin Low Nguok Kwong Mah Li Lien Eunice Adelina Mah Li Ting Andre Maniam Craig McTurk Gillian Metzger Joseph Mocanu Azima Moiz Mr & Mrs Willem Mark Nabarro David Neo Chin Wee Hunter Nield Todd On Monica Pitrelli Anonymous Derek Quah Jonathan Reiter Charles Robertson Andreas Ruschkowski Bernard Jean Sabrier See Tho Kai Yin Naoyoshi Nick Shimoda Jeremy Snoad Bo Sun Tan Boon Ngee Joyce Tan Tan Kok Kiong Anonymous Ivan Tan Meng Cheng Giles Tan Ming Yee Ms Tan Poh Lian Phyllis Robert Tan Daniel Tando Teo Ee Peng Tian Xiaoye Mr & Mrs Neil Tottman Arudra Vangal Peter White Wong Liang Keen Wu Peichan Valerie Satoru Yano Vanessa Yeo David Harris Zemans

K RIS TJAN JÄRVI (b. 1972) ShANgHAi Wonder (Singapore Premiere)

10’00

Like many conductors past and present, Kristjan Järvi is also a composer. He wrote ShANgHAi Wonder as a gift to one of his favourite cities and conducted its premiere there with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra on 18 February this year. In an interview with the Shanghai Daily, he had these words to say about his composition: “Shanghai is the first Chinese city I ever performed and stayed in. I was fascinated by the city. It is incredible. This is where you can always find fun. ShANgHAi Wonder is based on my feelings of the city. It encapsulates 24 hours of Shanghai from dawn to midnight, and reflects the mystery and wonder I saw there — ancient, new, international, but always Chinese, with lots of colour, sights and smells. And above all vibrancy filled with creativity and hope. It is like an unstoppable rolling ball. The capitalisation of the name “ShANgHAi” outlines a name of the person to whom this piece is dedicated. It also reflects the skyline of the city I like so much. In ShANgHAi Wonder you will find everything from classical music to pop to rock to minimalism to traditional Chinese music — that’s Shanghai!”

CAMILLE S AINT- S A Ë N S (18 3 5 -1921) Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 “The Egyptian”

29’00

Virtually every composition Saint-Saëns wrote is remarkable first and foremost for its polish, glitter, neat formal proportions, emotional restraint and clarity of texture. Everything points to a master craftsman. Realism and pictorialism in music were not his strong suits. Nevertheless, in his Fifth Piano Concerto, subtitled “Egyptian”, Saint-Saëns endeavored to incorporate references to one of the many countries he visited in the course of his long life. He even made it to Singapore on one voyage. The concerto is dedicated to the distinguished French pianist Louis Diémer. The composer himself was soloist at the world premiere, which formed part of a jubilee on 2 June 1896 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Saint-Saëns’ debut as a pianist.

The 10-minute first movement alternates between a gentle, joyous subject and another in a more pensive mood. Saint-Saëns noted that in the second movement, the G-major passage (the tranquil central episode in which a simple melody in the left hand is accompanied with the right in octave leaps) is “a Nubian love song which I heard sung by the boatmen on the Nile.” Saint-Saëns also purportedly incorporated an imitation of croaking Nile frogs near the end of this movement, and the sound of a ship’s propellers in the third movement. Another Middle-Eastern reference is found in the first movement, where we detect an allusion to Dalila’s famous aria “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix” from the opera Samson et Dalila.

RICHARD WAGNER (1813 -18 8 3) ar r. HENK DE VLIEGER (b. 195 3)

The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure (Singapore Premiere)

64’00

DAS RHEINGOLD Prelude

Joy in the Gold Nibelheim Valhalla

DIE WALKÜRE

Ride of the Valkyries

Magic Fire Music SIEGFRIED

Forest Murmurs

Siegfried Kills the Dragon

Brünnhilde Awakens

Siegfried and Brünnhilde GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG

Dawn and Siegfried’s Rhine Journey

Plotting Siegfried’s Death

Siegfried’s Funeral Music

Brünnhilde’s Immolation and Final Scene Richard Wagner’s stupendous operatic tetralogy, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) stands as one of the most compelling and overwhelming creations in the history of mankind. Wagner called his Ring cycle Ein Bühnenfestspiel (A Stage Festival Drama), and expected the four components — Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung — to be performed on four consecutive days. Requiring fifteen hours or so to perform (not counting intermissions), it constituted the largest single integrated body of music ever written until Karlheinz Stockhausen completed his Licht cycle in 2004.

The Ring occupied Wagner for more than a quarter of a century, from his first version of the text in 1848 (Wagner, incidentally, was the first major opera composer to write his own librettos) to completion of the orchestral score in 1874. The first performance of the tetralogy took place in August of 1876 in Bayreuth, Germany, where the composer had overseen construction of a new

theatre designed specifically to accommodate his colossal creation. It was the musical event of the decade, and its reverberations are still being felt.

Based on a universal world myth derived from Norse sagas, the Ring cycle is a drama of primitive, instinctual emotions that exist at the core of our beings.

The answer to the oft-heard question “What is the Ring all about?” can and does fill volumes. Interpretations have been based on politics, religion, philosophy, drama, even Jungian psychology. In its purest essence, however, the Ring is about the pursuit of power and the evil consequences arising therefrom. Listeners are swept into another dimension as gods, heroes, mortals, giants, dwarfs, and much more interact in a cosmic scenario of awesome expressive power.

Excerpts from the Ring, with and without vocal soloists, have been part and parcel of every orchestra’s repertory since Wagner’s own day. Some of these, like the Ride of the Valkyries, Forest Murmurs, and Siegfried’s Rhine Journey, are audience favorites. But until the conductor Lorin Maazel created his Ring Without Words in 1987, many great orchestral passages could be heard only in the context of complete performances in the opera house. Maazel stitched together a 75-minute continuous sequence some two dozen episodes, long and short, from all four operas, in chronological order, with no transitional material linking them other than Wagner’s own music. Four years later, the Dutch composer, arranger and percussionist Henk de Vlieger created a similar Ring synthesis that he called “An Orchestral Adventure”, in line with the other three Wagner syntheses he has done: “An Orchestral Quest” (Parsifal), 1993), “An Orchestral Passion” (Tristan und Isolde, 1994), and “An Orchestral Tribute” (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 2005). De Vlieger’s Ring Adventure was first heard on 7 February 1992, with Edo de Waart conducting the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic in Enschede.

The Ring is orchestrally conceived on a level matched by few other operas.

There are even passages where singers are making contributions which can be performed by the orchestra alone with little or no loss of musical integrity.

Here are the excerpts de Vlieger presents in his Orchestral Adventure: DAS RHEINGOLD – The Prelude depicts the peaceful watery environment deep in the Rhine River, vividly evoked by eight gently undulating horns, then cellos. This leads directly to Joy in the Gold, where three Rhinemaidens exult in the beauty of the lump of gold as it exists in pure, undefiled nature.

Sometime later, the gods Wotan and Loge descend to Nibelheim, down

in the bowels of the earth, in an attempt to reclaim the gold that the evil dwarf Alberich has wrested from the Rhine. They pass enslaved Nibelungs mining more gold as they chip away at the rocks, graphically depicted by an ensemble of anvils. This is not a nice place. Valhalla is the abode of the gods, a gleaming new castle shimmering in the rays of the late afternoon sun.

DIE WALKÜRE – Everyone looks forward to the Ride of the Valkyries (divine warrior maidens who gather dead heroes from battlefields and carry them on horseback to Valhalla). To the glistening, sparkling sounds of the Magic Fire Music, Wotan bids farewell to his beloved daughter Brünnhilde and sends her, surrounded by fire, into a deep sleep from which only a hero will be able to wake her.

SIEGFRIED – The hero Siegfried, alone in the forest and lost in thought, contemplates the beauty of nature and tries to imagine what his dead mother, who died in childbirth, might have looked like in the orchestral passage called Forest Murmurs. Shortly thereafter he rouses the sleeping dragon Fafner with a long, brilliant horn call and does battle with the beast. No points for guessing who wins! A bird leads him to the sleeping Brünnhilde, he fearlessly penetrates the magic fire, and, with a kiss from the hero, Brünnhilde Awakens.

GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG – The final opera of this vast tetralogy is unique in the aura of epic grandeur it conveys, and in the powerful momentum that sweeps the listener irresistibly into its orbit. Nearly half the time span of An Orchestral Adventure is devoted to this opera. The orchestral transition that brings us from the mysterious gloom and darkness of the opening scene up to the bright of day where Brünnhilde lies sleeping is one of the great glories of the orchestral repertory. In this transition, the Dawn scene, Wagner takes us, over a span of several minutes, from one end of the orchestral colour spectrum to the other in one of the longest continuous crescendos in music – a single arc of sound that culminates in a harmonic resolution in the heroic key of E-flat major for the entire seventeen-piece brass section. After another horn call, Siegfried sets off on his Rhine Journey to appropriately swirling water music. Unknowingly, he walks into a trap, and the powers that be conspire in Plotting Siegfried’s Death. Following his murder, he is slowly carried offstage to Siegfried’s Funeral Music – a succession of themes associated with the hero heard against the backdrop of a frightful pounding

motif. In Brünnhilde’s Immolation and Final Scene, we see – and hear – the collapse of the Hall of the Gibichungs, a conflagration, an inundation by the Rhine, the destruction of Valhalla with all its morally flawed gods, the return of the cursed ring to the Rhine, and reinstatement of pure nature as it was when the Ring cycle opened many hours ago. To portray these awesome events in sound, Wagner composed, in the words of scholar Ernest Newman, “such music as the spirit of the universe might hear when world crashes into world at the end of time.”

Programme notes by Robert Markow

RECOMMENDED LISTENING 1) Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 Thibaudet / Dutoit / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Decca, 2007) 2) Wagner: The Ring - An Orchestral Adventure Kristjan Järvi (Sony, 2016)

b oa r d of dir ec tor s & COMMITTE e S board of directors

SSO Council

SSO LADIES’ LEAGUE

Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Ms Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chairman) Mr Ang Chek Meng Mrs Odile Benjamin Mr Chng Hak-Peng Mr Lionel Choi Mr Warren Fernandez Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Liew Wei Li Ms Lim Mei Mr Sanjiv Misra Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Mr Paul Tan Dr Kelly Tang Mr Yee Chen Fah

Prof Cham Tao Soon (Chairman) Mr Alan Chan Ms Chew Gek Khim Mr Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Mr Goh Geok Khim Mr Khoo Boon Hui Prof Tommy Koh Mr JY Pillay Dr Stephen Riady Ms Priscylla Shaw Dr Gralf Sieghold Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Dr Tan Chin Nam Ms Tan Choo Leng Mr Tan Soo Nan Mr Wee Ee Cheong

Mrs Odile Benjamin (Chairlady) Mrs Kwan Lui (Deputy Chairlady) Mrs Celeste Basapa Mrs Maisy Beh Mrs Kim Camacho Mrs Rosy Ho Ms Judy Hunt Prof Annie Koh Dr Julie Lo Mrs Clarinda TjiaDharmadi-Martin Ms Paige Parker Ms Kris Tan Ms Manju Vangal Mrs Grace Yeh

Nominating and Executive Committee Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Mr Paul Tan Ms Yong Ying-I Audit Committee Mr Yee Chen Fah (Chairman) Ms Lim Mei Endowment Fund Committee Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Mr David Goh Mr Paul Supramaniam Mr Anthony Teo

Musicians’ Committee Mr Chan Wei Shing Mr Jon Paul Dante Mr Jamie Hersch Mr Ng Pei-Sian Mr Mark Suter Mr Christoph Wichert Mr Yeo Teow Meng SNYO Committee Ms Liew Wei Li (Chairlady) Mr Ang Chek Meng Ms Vivien Goh Dr Kee Kirk Chin Mrs Valarie Wilson

MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mr Chng Hak-Peng

CEO OFFICE

PROGRAMMES (VCH)

Mr Edward Loh Mr Chris Yong

Ms Michelle Yeo (Head) Ms Erin Tan

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS

Mr Ernest Khoo (Head) Mr Chia Jit Min Ms Tan Wei Tian Stage Management Ms Kimberly Kwa (Stage Manager) Ms Chin Rosherna Mr Ramayah Elango Mr Abdul Wahab bin Sakir Mr Md Zailani bin Md Said Mr Md Fariz bin Samsuri Mr Radin Sulaiman bin Ali LIBRARY Mr Lim Yeow Siang (Head) Mr Lim Lip Hua Ms Priscilla Neo PROGRAMMES (SSO) Ms Kua Li Leng (Head) Ms Teo Chew Yen Ms Jolene Yeo Community Outreach Ms Kathleen Tan Ms Vanessa Lee Choral Programmes Ms Regina Lee Ms Whitney Tan

Ms Peggy Kek (Head) Corporate Communications Ms Leong Wenshan Development & Sponsorship Mr Anthony Chng Ms Nikki Chuang Mr Chris Yong MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Ms Cindy Lim (Head) Mr Chia Han-Leon Ms Myrtle Lee Ms Jana Loh Ms Hong Shu Hui Ms Melissa Tan Ms Cheryl Pek Ms Khairani Basman Ms Dacia Cheang Ms Nur Shafiqah bte Othman CORPORATE SERVICES Mr Rick Ong (Head) Mr Alan Ong (Finance) Ms Goh Hoey Fen (Finance) Mr Md Zailani bin Md Said

HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION Mr Desmen Low Ms Shanti Govindasamy Ms Melissa Lee SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA Ms Pang Siu Yuin (Head) Ms Shirin Foo Mr Tan Yong Qing Ms Tang Ya Yun ABRSM Ms Hay Su-San (Head) Ms Patricia Yee Ms Lai Li-Yng Mr Joong Siow Chong

PATRON SPONSOR

Tote Board Group

OFFICIAL AIRLINE

OFFICIAL HOTEL

OFFICIAL TRAINING PARTNER

OFFICIAL RADIO STATION

OFFICIAL OUTDOOR MEDIA PARTNER

OFFICIAL POSTAGE SPONSOR

SPONSORS

LEE FOUNDATION

SUPPORTED BY

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and registered under the Charities Order.

SSO.ORG.SG