CONCERT PROGRAMME APRIL 2022
THE FOUR SEASONS WITH CHLOE CHUA STEPHEN HOUGH PLAYS MOZART
Apr 2022 THE FOUR SEASONS WITH CHLOE CHUA 23 & 24 Apr 2022, Sat & Sun Esplanade Concert Hall
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T Pre-concert Talk, library@esplanade 23 Apr, 6:30pm-7pm 24 Apr, 3pm-3.30pm Registration required, details on SSO website.
STEPHEN HOUGH PLAYS MOZART 29 Apr 2022, Fri Esplanade Concert Hall
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For the enjoyment of all patrons during the concert: • Please switch off or silence all electronic devices. • Please minimise noises during performance. If unavoidable, wait for a loud section in the music. • No photography, video or audio recording is allowed when artists are performing. • Non-flash photography is allowed only during bows and applause when no performance is taking place. Go green. Digital programme books are available on www.sso.org.sg. Photographs and videos will be taken at these events, in which you may appear. These may be published on the SSO’s publicity channels and materials. By attending the event, you consent to the use of these photographs and videos for the foregoing purposes.
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 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. In 2021, the SSO clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone. The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works, as well as outreach and community performances take place at the 673-seat Victoria Concert Hall, the home of the SSO. The orchestra performs over 60 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans all-time 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.
Under the Music Directorship of Lan Shui from 1997 to 2019, 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 second performance at the Berlin Philharmonie. In 2014 the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received critical acclaim in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and The Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions. In 2020, the SSO appointed renowned Austrian conductor Hans Graf as its Chief Conductor. In a time greatly disrupted by COVID-19, the SSO continued to keep music alive and lift spirits up through a multitude of digital concerts and videos, which crossed a million views in six months. The SSO has released more than 50 recordings in its 40-year history, with more than 30 on the BIS label. The most recent critically acclaimed albums include a Rachmaninoff box set (2021), Richard Strauss’ “Rosenkavalier and Other Works” (2020), and three Debussy discs “La Mer”, “Jeux” and “Nocturnes”. The orchestra has also released albums of contemporary works linked to East Asia, including works by Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Bright Sheng, Alexander Tcherepnin, and others. The SSO has also collaborated with such great artists as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Neeme Järvi, Gustavo Dudamel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Diana Damrau, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham.
H ANS G RAF Chief Conductor The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, and the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition. The mission of the Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities.
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Competition (1st Prize, Junior 2017, 3rd Prize Junior 2015). She has been enrolled in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts School of Young Talents (NAFA) since she was four, and is currently under the tutelage of Yin Ke, leader of their Strings programme. Her stunning maturity and musicality have captured the hearts of audience around the world, and her performances have taken her to concert halls across the U.K, Thailand, Italy, Germany, China, Saudi Arabia, USA and Singapore, and in festivals such as the New Virtuosi Queenswood Mastercourse, Atlanta Festival Academy and the Singapore Violin Festival.
C H LO E CH U A violin Young violinist Chloe Chua's meteoric rise on the classical music concert stage culminated in being awarded the joint 1st prize at the 2018 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists.
More recently, she has performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, China Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, AFA Festival Orchestra, Salzburg Chamber Soloists, Russian National Youth Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Yuri Bashmet, Kammerorchester Basel conducted by Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli and the China Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maestro Xia Xiaotang.
The 15-year-old from Singapore had also garnered the top prize at the 24th Andrea Postacchini Violin Competition, and the 3rd prize at the 2017 Zhuhai International Mozart Competition. She has also been awarded prizes at Thailand International Strings Competition (Junior Category Grand Prize), Singapore National Piano and Violin
She performs on a Peter Guarneri, Venice 1729, on generous loan from the Rin Collection. 4
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C HA N Y O O N G -H AN leader
© ALAN LIM
Chan Yoong-Han is currently the Fixed Chair first violinist in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of Rice University and the University of Massachussetts in Amherst, his principal teachers include Chan Yong Shing, Beryl Kimber, Sergiu Luca, Charles Treger, David Cerone, Kurt Sassmannshaus and Dorothy Delay. Yoong-Han has performed solo with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Szeged Symphony of Hungary, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Youth Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers, SAF Chinese Orchestra and Braddell Heights Symphony in concertos by Dvořák, Lalo, Berg, John Williams, Mozart, Martinů, Lutosławski, Wieniawski and Sibelius. He was invited to perform as soloist in the 2003 SSO President’s Young Performers Concert as well as the 1999 President’s Charity Concert.
Sing50 concert in the National Stadium, as well as concertmaster of the OMM in its performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. Yoong-Han has participated and performed in the Aspen Music Festival, Singapore Arts Festival, Adelaide Bach Festival, The Singapore Encore (Brussels) and Cascade Head Music Festival, amongst others. YoongHan is also a violist in the Take5 Piano Quintet Series since 2007.
As concertmaster he has led the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Festival Orchestra (SFO), Metropolitan Festival Orchestra (MFO), Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) and The Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO). As part of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2015, YoongHan was concertmaster of the MFO for the
In Singapore Yoong-Han is the recipient of the 2000 Shell-NAC Arts Scholarship and the 2004 NAC Young Artist Award. He is also a member of the Board of re:SOUND Collective. 5
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© ALAN GELATI
Europa Galante, which quickly became the foremost Italian period ensemble. Biondi and his ensemble have forged a reputation for “fresh, vibrant performances” (New York Times) and breathe new life into Baroque, Classical and early Romantic repertoire. He brings this authentic and engaging approach to modern symphony and chamber orchestras, which he both conducts and directs from the violin.
FA B I O B I O N D I conductor Driven by a deep cultural curiosity, Fabio Biondi is a musician ceaselessly in pursuit of a style free from constraints. From his early development, guided by pioneers of period performance, Biondi’s work has incorporated repertoire spanning three centuries. His infectious enthusiasm and determination to put music first mark him out in his quest for an ‘original language’, both in globally known works and in his commitment to researching and illuminating lesser-known masterpieces.
Biondi was Artistic Director for Baroque Music at the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for eleven years until 2016. His passion for opera has also taken him to major houses, and he was Music Director (2015–2018) of Valencia's Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, where he conducted productions of Donizetti, Rossini, Haydn and Verdi. As a violinist, he is respected as a virtuoso “beyond reproach” (The Guardian), performing in recitals across the world. Recent and future highlights include the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, RAI Torino, Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Mahler Chamber orchestras and the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg.
In 1990, following extensive work with specialist ensembles, Biondi founded 6
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S TEP H E N H O U G H piano Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer and writer. He was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours 2014. © SIM CANETTY-CLARKE
In the 2021/22 season, he performs with the Concertgebouworkest, Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Dallas and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras, Dortmunder Philharmoniker and Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich. Hough is the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2021/22 Artist in Residence, and is a regular guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, La Roqued'Anthéron, Aldeburgh, and the BBC Proms. Recital highlights in 2021/22 include a return to London’s Royal Festival Hall as well as Caramoor, Toronto, Tallinn, Gstaad and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.
As a composer, Hough has been commissioned by Musée du Louvre, London’s National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Genesis Foundation, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation, the Cliburn Foundation, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi and the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. As an author, his collection of essays Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More, published by Faber & Faber in August 2019, won a 2020 Royal Philharmonic Society Award and was named one of Financial Times’ Book of the Year 2019.
Hough’s extensive discography of around 70 CDs has garnered international awards, including eight Gramophone Awards (which include Record of the Year and the Gold Disc). His award-winning iPad app The Liszt Sonata was released by Touch Press in 2013. 7
SEC O N D V IOL IN
T HE ORC HE S T R A HANS GRAF Chief Conductor ANDREW LITTON Principal Guest Conductor CHOO HOEY Conductor Emeritus LAN SHUI Conductor Laureate EUDENICE PALARUAN Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster
FIRS T VI OL I N (Position vacant) Concertmaster, GK Goh Chair Kong Zhao Hui1 Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han2 Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Jin Li Kong Xianlong Cindy Lee Lim Shue Churn^ (29 Apr) Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe Ye Lin* Zhang Si Jing*
Michael Loh Associate Principal Sherzod Abdiev^ (29 Apr) Nikolai Koval* Hai-Won Kwok Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Wu Man Yun* Xu Jueyi* Yeo Teow Meng Yew Shan^ (29 Apr) Yin Shu Zhan* Zhao Tian* VIO L A Manchin Zhang Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Janice Tsai Dandan Wang Yang Shi Li C EL L O Ng Pei-Sian Principal, The HEAD Foundation Chair Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Khachatur Khachatryan^ (29 Apr) Jamshid Saydikarimov Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao^ (29 Apr) Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er D O U B LE BAS S Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Jacek Mirucki Guennadi Mouzyka Wang Xu
FLUTE
H O RN
Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan
Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Bryan Chong^ (29 Apr) Hoang Van Hoc
PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal
TR U M P ET
OBOE
Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong
Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo COR ANGL AI S Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping
TR O M B O N E Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong B A SS T R O MBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal TU B A Tomoki Natsume Principal TIM P A N I
BAS S CL AR I NE T
Christian Schiøler Principal
Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal P ER CU SSIO N BAS S OON Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue
Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mario Choo Lim Meng Keh
CONTRAB AS S OON
H A RP
Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal
Gulnara Mashurova Principal H A RP SICH O R D Gerald Lim^ (23 & 24 Apr) CH A M B ER OR GAN Koh Jia Hwei^ (23 & 24 Apr)
* With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. ^ Guest musician 1 Kong Zhao Hui performs on a J.B. Guadagnini of Milan, c. 1750, donated by the National Arts Council, Singapore, with the support of Far East Organization and Lee Foundation. 2 Chan Yoong-Han performs on a David Tecchler, Fecit Roma An. D. 1700, courtesy of Mr G K Goh. Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.
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23 & 24 Apr 2022, Sat & Sun Esplanade Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Chloe Chua violin Chan Yoong-Han leader
VIVA L D I
LO C A T E L L I
The Four Seasons
37 mins
Intermission
20 mins
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 3, No. 12 “The Harmonic Labyrinth” SSO PREMIERE
18 mins
Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 30 mins (with 20 mins intermission)
T Pre-concert Talk, library@esplanade. Registration required, details on SSO website.
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T H E F O U R S EASONS W ITH C H L OE C H U A | 23 & 24 A PR 2022
T H E FOUR SEASONS WI TH C HL O E C HUA
TH E FOU R SEASONS W ITH C H L OE C H U A | 23 & 2 4 APR 2 0 2 2
ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678–1741) The Four Seasons (c. 1716–1720) Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV269, “Spring” I II III
Allegro Largo Allegro – Danza Pastorale
Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV315, “Summer” I II III
Allegro non molto Adagio Presto
Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV293, “Autumn” I II III
Allegro Adagio molto Allegro – La Caccia
Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV297, “Winter” I II III
Allegro non molto Largo Allegro establishments, and that was the status quo until 1926.
While the music of Handel and Bach remained popular and continued to be played and studied after their deaths, that of the Venetian violinist and composer-priest Antonio Vivaldi did not. Though a good portion of his work had been published in his lifetime, mostly by Estienne Roger in Amsterdam, few copies survived, all in libraries and private collections, and his name was known only to musicologists and scholars. The average musician and general public would not have recognised his name. Vivaldi’s main place of employment, the convent-orphanage Ospedale della Pietà, for which he wrote much of his output, was known to have accumulated an extensive collection of his works in manuscript form, but had closed well after his 1741 death, with all its property (including its library) either sold or transferred to other religious
In 1926, a Piedmontese boarding school discovered a large number of dusty old volumes in their archives and thought to sell them to raise funds for the school. Wishing to have them valued, they contacted the National Library in Turin, who passed the matter to Dr Alberto Gentili, professor of music in the Turin University. Gentili was amazed to find the stash contained 97 volumes of rare printed music, manuscripts, and autographs of the 16th to 18th centuries, much of it hitherto unknown Vivaldi, yet many of these volumes were incomplete and indicated that they belonged to a much larger collection which had been divided. A long detective’s adventure ensued, and Gentili spent much time 12
T H E F O U R S EASONS W ITH C H L OE C H U A | 23 & 24 A PR 2022
Piazza San Marco a Venezia by Francesco Guardi (1776)
published by Roger in Amsterdam in 1725, but could have been written as early as 1716–1720, when Vivaldi was maestro di cappella at the court of the duke of Mantua. Unusually, Vivaldi accompanied the printed music with sonnets, possibly by himself, explaining the elements of each season the listener was to notice, and his music reflects clearly those themes.
begging sponsors to acquire the volumes for the Turin Library. Eventually, with the rest of the larger collection being tracked down, the great collection of 319 items of Vivaldiana had been saved in bulk. A Vivaldi week in Siena in 1939 marked the beginning of Vivaldi’s return to the public, but the project of publishing his complete works was halted by World War II, and it was not till after the war that the newly discovered works appeared in print, spreading throughout Europe, firmly establishing Vivaldi’s status as the great Italian contemporary of Bach and Handel.
The first movement of Spring in E major sets us in a sort of Garden of Eden, with simple and unrestrained joy of nature. The solo violin imitates various bird calls, echoed by two other solo violins. The Largo slow movement describes a goatherd napping in the fields with his faithful dog slowly snoring next to him, while branches rustle overhead, and lo – the viola presents the barking of the dog, no doubt woken by some birds.
Le quattro Stagioni (“The Four Seasons”) are the first four concerti in a set of 12 entitled Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (“The Contest between Harmony and Invention”) 13
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The Allegro last movement brings a dance of nymphs and shepherds to the sound of bagpipes, with the lower strings as a drone. The blazing heat of the summer sun and the birdcalls of cuckoos, turtledoves, and goldfinches are displayed in full in the first movement of Summer, in the dry windless key of G minor. Crickets and other insects buzz in the slow movement, giving us the picture of a relaxed afternoon siesta with light breezes and some dark clouds to indicate a coming storm. The final movement is where the storm arrives, and what a torrential shower, with the violin mimicking pouring rain accompanied by thunder and lightning from the orchestra! Autumn brings us relief from the summer heat, as well as the harvest, and the first movement music evokes both the rustic dancing of peasants and the falling of leaves. Having had their fill of wine, the peasants sleep in the second movement, with cooling breezes fanning the pleasant air. The same time also traditionally marks the start of the hunting season, and in the last movement Vivaldi gives us an exhilarating depiction of hunters on horses, complete with hunting horn calls, guns and dogs, the sound of the wounded deer, and finally the end of the hunt with the death of the prey.
Pietro Locatelli (1733) Mezzotinto by Cornelis Troost
ice and sharp winds. The concerto ends with the solo violin dashing inside to escape the frosty cold.
Shivers abound in the chilly first movement of Winter, as do stamping feet and teeth chattering. The second movement paints a contented scene of a gentle snooze by a roaring fireside, perhaps nursing a soothing mug of hot mulled wine, while the pizzicato strings subtly suggest the rain outside. Ice and winds return in the last movement while people walk (and fall!) slowly on slippery ice as the snowstorm rages, with cracking
Instrumentation harpsichord, organ, strings World Premiere Unknown First performed by SSO 19 Feb 1982 (Pavel Prantl, violin) 14
I II III
Allegro – Capriccio Largo – Presto Allegro – Capriccio
Locatelli’s Op. 3 L’arte del violino (“The Art of the Violin”), published in 1733, is a collection of 12 concerti for solo violin, strings, and basso continuo. A student of Corelli, Locatelli was unique in inserting an often devilishly demanding capriccio (what we might now call an extended cadenza) into the first and last movements of each concerto, and these were sometimes longer than the movements themselves.
The Largo – Presto gives us a lyrical melody on the violin, spinning long lines above a solo cello and continuo, then a surprise presto second section features rapid leaps that go high up the violin fingerboard. The concluding Allegro – Capriccio features arpeggios on the violin, which dances around the energetic orchestra, especially in the unaccompanied capriccio. Programme notes by Edward C. Yong
No. 12 is the longest in the collection and bears the title ‘Il laberinto armonico’ (“The Harmonic Labyrinth”). The composer inscribed the score with ‘facilis aditus, difficilis exitus’ (“easy to enter, difficult to escape”), giving us a hint of what is in store, for the work requires extraordinary technique, going up to the highest registers of the instrument, and is one of the most challenging in the entire repertory for the violin. Locatelli structures his movements like Vivaldi, alternating full orchestra with solo violin, and starts the Allegro – Capriccio with an extended violoncello passage before the orchestra joins in. The capriccio flies into a world of its own and immediately displays the player’s virtuosity, with double stops and difficult chromatic passages. When the ear has been sufficiently tickled, the orchestra rejoins to end the movement.
Instrumentation harpsichord, strings World Premiere Unknown 15
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PIETRO LOCATELLI (1695–1764) Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 3, No. 12 “The Harmonic Labyrinth” (c. 1723–1729) SSO PREMIERE
STEPH EN H OU G H PL AYS M OZ AR T | 2 9 APR 2 0 2 2
ST EP HEN H O U G H PLAY S M O ZA R T C OM E D Y , C O NT E M P L A T I O N A N D C OG N I ZANCE 29 Apr 2022, Fri Esplanade Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Fabio Biondi conductor Stephen Hough piano*
R O S SI N I
Overture to The Barber of Seville
M O ZART
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467*
29 mins
Intermission
20 mins
Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 7 SSO PREMIERE
27 mins
K A LL I W O D A
8 mins
Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 40 mins (with 20 mins intermission)
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GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792–1868) Overture to The Barber of Seville (1816) Rossini is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and prolific composers of Italian opera in the 19th century. By the time he was 31, he had already composed 34 operas, more than the number of his age! This is not surprising, as he is known to have composed them at lightning speed – The Barber of Seville was completed in just three weeks. The structure of this overture is typical of many of Rossini’s opera overtures. It opens with a slow introduction that oscillates between majestic tutti chords and smaller groups of instruments that offer introspective respite. The next Allegro section presents a livelier narrative. A highlight is the famous and beloved “Rossini crescendo”, which escalates a main motive through repetition and dynamics, driving listeners to exhilaration as the harmony swings between the tonic and dominant. Rossini had meant to compose a Spanishinspired overture for The Barber of Seville. However, due to time constraints, he had to resort to the tried and tested trick of recycling material from two of his earlier operas. This explains why the overture does not contain any themes from the opera which it is associated with. Nonetheless, the flair, sparkle and wit that abound in the overture more than adequately evoke the themes of love and trickery in the comedic opera.
Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, bass drum, strings World Premiere 20 Feb 1816, Rome First performed by SSO 24 Jan 1979 17
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WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467 (1785) I II III
Allegro maestoso Andante Allegro vivace assai
In Mozart’s piano concertos, the keyboard and orchestra engage and often tease each other in dialogue, resulting in shades of interplay that are as colourful as those sung and acted out in his operas. One can hear in each concerto an unmistakable family resemblance to its siblings, and yet each stands on its own with unique compositional innovations which beckoned to and inspired future composers such as Beethoven and Brahms.
before trilling triumphantly over the first theme played by the strings. The opening of Mozart’s exalted Symphony No. 40 in G minor is hinted at in a brief episode, but this gravity disappears with the entrance of the cheerful and uplifting second subject. The slow movement is a sophisticated musical tapestry woven from the simplest of materials. Its serene charm served as a fitting backdrop for the 1967 Swedish romantic film Elvira Madigan. Soaring above the gentle waves of a triplet accompaniment is a most sublime melody. Large and imploring melodic leaps and orchestral dissonances infuse the music with moments of heart wrenching pain.
In May 1781, Mozart relocated from Salzburg to the bustling musical metropolis of Vienna, where he was admired for his piano playing. Mozart responded to this by composing 12 prodigious piano concertos from February 1784 to December 1786. These concertos pushed the limits of the genre, whether in terms of sound colours, emotional depth or compositional scope. Mozart personally gave the premieres of most of these “golden dozen” concertos, usually at subscription concerts designed for his own benefit. This was the case for Piano Concerto No. 21, which was first performed on 10 March, 1785.
The finale features fun and playful banter between the orchestra and piano solo. Filled with sparkling passages and light-hearted staccatos, the final movement resembles the laughter of comic opera. Coincidentally, Mozart’s masterpiece in this genre, The Marriage of Figaro, followed just one year later. Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
The opening movement of Piano Concerto No. 21 draws its grandeur from a rich orchestral backing that intertwines with the solo part in a clever balance between majesty, elegance and wit. A march-like theme opens the concerto, and only after its third iteration does the piano make its cautious entrance. The piano solo gains momentum as it climbs the registers
World Premiere 10 Mar 1785 First performed by SSO 14 May 1982 (Marie-Françoise Bucquet, piano) 18
I II III IV
Largo – Allegro Adagio non troppo Menuetto. Allegro Allegro molto Symphony. The finale, replete with muscular counterpoint, combines with a bubbling effervescence in the winds, culminating in a striking ending to the work.
Born in Prague as Jan Václav Kalivoda, but known as Kalliwoda in German, he was a versatile musician – conductor, composer and solo violinist all at the same time. No one would be surprised if you did not recognise his name today, but he was very famous in his time, held in high regard by friends such as Robert and Clara Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn. His compositions number in the hundreds, including operas, seven symphonies, overtures, numerous concertante/concertino works for solo instruments with orchestra, chamber works, ten Masses, four Requiems and many more.
Programme notes by Khoo Hui Ling
At barely 25 years of age and practically unknown, Kalliwoda gained attention overnight with his unique take on the symphony. He fused Classical grace with early Romantic surges without being a mere replica of Beethoven. This led some to describe the music of Kalliwoda as the “missing symphonic link between Beethoven and Schumann.” The first movement brews intensity with dramatic bass growls in the opening slow introduction. The mood in the Allegro shifts to a more spirited atmosphere, with a doleful, sighing first subject by the strings offering contrast. The Adagio is reminiscent of the nobility of Beethoven, with moments that recall the soundscape of Schubert’s Ninth Symphony. A display of musical intellectualism, the Menuetto served as an inspiration for Schumann’s Fourth
Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, bass trombone, timpani, strings World Premiere c. 1824 19
S T EP H EN H O U G H PL AYS M OZ AR T | 29 A PR 2022
JOHANN WENZEL KALLIWODA (1801–1866) Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 7 (1824) SSO PREMIERE
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A Standing Ovation To Our Donor Patrons We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the following individuals and organisations who support our mission to create memorable shared experiences with music in the past year. Without your support, it would be impossible for the SSO to continue to strive for artistic excellence and touch the hearts of audiences.
PATR ON SPONSOR Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club)
MAE STR O C IR C L E Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin Temasek Foundation The HEAD Foundation
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SYMPHONY C IR C L E In Memory of SH Chng Prof Arnoud De Meyer Dr & Mrs Antoine & Christina Firmenich Rod Hyland John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Lee Foundation The New Eden Charitable Trust
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C O N CE RT O CI RCL E Cara & Tamara Chang Embassy of France in Singapore Holywell Foundation Devika & Sanjiv Misra Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong Yong Ying-I Dr Thomas Zuellig & Mary Zuellig Anonymous (1)
O VER T U RE PAT RONS Dennis Au & Geraldine Choong BINJAITREE Cavazos Tinajero Family Prof Cham Tao Soon Alan Chan Prof Chan Heng Chee Dr & Mrs Choy Khai Meng Far East Organization Dr Geh Min Hong Leong Foundation Vanessa & Darren Iloste JCCI Singapore Foundation Lee Li-Ming Leong Wai Leng Lian Huat Group Michael Lien Mavis Lim Geck Chin
Prof & Mrs Lim Seh Chun Marina Bay Sands NSL Ltd Dr Eddy Ooi Pavilion Capital Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Prima Limited David Ramli Alexey Rumyantsev Prof Gralf & Silvia Sieghold Priscylla Shaw Tan Meng Cheng Ivan Tantallon Capital Advisors Pte Ltd V3 Group Limited (OSIM) Wong Hong Ching David Zemans & Catherine Poyen Anonymous (4)
S ER ENAD E PAT RONS Bryan Carmichael Creative Eateries Pte Ltd DBS Mr & Mrs Dorian Goh Goh Sze Wei Leong Wah Kheong Suzanne Lim Chin Ping Dr Adrian Mondry
msm-productions On Cheong Jewellery PSA Corporation Limited Robin & Katie Rawlings Rhys Thompson & Zara Dang United Overseas Bank Ltd Anonymous (3)
R H A P SO D Y PAT RONS Jocelyn Aw Odile & Douglas Benjamin Lito & Kim Camacho Cham Gee Len Evelyn Chin Tiffany Choong & Shang Thong Kai Mr & Mrs Choo Chiau Beng KC Chuang Adrian Chua Tsen Leong Mr & Mrs Winston Hauw Kris Foundation Sajith Kumar Winston & Valerie Kwek Viktor & Sonja Leendertz Er Stephen Leong Charmaine Lim Prof Tamas Makany & Ms Julie Schiller Joshua Margolis & Chong Eun Baik
Meng Esmé Parish & Martin Edwards Ian & Freda Rickword Charles Robertson Dr June & Peter Sheren Ron & Janet Stride Tibor Szabady Christopher SC Tan Gillian & Daniel Tan Tan Seow Yen Aileen Tang Anthony Tay Oliver Trianto The Sohn Yong Family Jinny Wong Wicky Wong Anonymous (9)
P R EL U D E PAT RONS Miki A. Marcelo Viccario Achoa Ang Seow Long Aloha Dental Pte Ltd Kaiyan Asplund & Family Dr Taige Cao Chan Ah Khim Vivian P J Chandran Chang Chee Pey Jeanie Cheah Dr Christopher Chen Cheng Eng Aun Cheng Wei Dr Peter Chew Dr Faith Chia Bobby Chin Pamela Chong Lenny Christina Jennie Chua Chor Siew Chun Sally Chy
Pierre Colignon YQ Dong Jeremy Ee Fergus Evans Elizabeth Fong Paul Foo Grace Fu Gao Wei Gan Yit Koon Goh Chiu Gak Cynthia Goh Michael Goh Guo Li Jerry Gwee Goh Keng Hoong Goh Shin Ping Chiraporn Vivien Goh Richard Hartung Dr Guy J P Hentsch Ichiro Hirao Ho Jin Yong
Kelvin Ho Mr & Mrs Simon Ip The Kauffman-Yeoh Family Ernest Khoo Khor Cheng Kian Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Koh Han Wei Helen Koh In Memory of Timothy Kok Tse En Colin Lang Lee Jek Suen Kristen Lee Minsouk Lee Lee Mun Ping Dr Norman Lee Dr Lee Suan Yew Douglas Leong Wendy Leong Marnyi Li Danqi Dr Bettina Lieske Edith & Sean Lim Lim Shue Churn Candice Ling Firenze Loh Low Boon Hon Low Hong Kuan Alwyn Loy Benjamin Ma Andre Maniam Megan, Raeanne & Gwyneth Francoise Mei Dr Agnes Ng Ngiam Shih Chun Monique Ong Audrey Phua Preetha Pillai
Raymond Quah Gilbert R Dr Julia Raiskin Robert Khan & Co Pte Ltd Audrey Ruyters Danai Sae-Han Omar Slim Marcel Smit & Hanneke Verbeek Alex Soh & Jimmy Koh Soh Leng Wan Casey Tan Khai Hee Tan Cheng Guan Dr Tan Chin Nam Gordon HL Tan Joanne Tan Tan Lian Yok Tan Pei Jie Tan Yee Deng Tang See Chim Tee Linda David Teng Valerie Thean Jessie Thng Toby & Margit Mario Van de Meulen Manju & Arudra Vangal Amanda Walujo Nicole Wang Remes Valerie Wu Peichan Ivan Yeo Lillian Yin Yong Seow Kin The Yong Family Yasmin Zahid Zhang Zheng Anonymous (37)
This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Apr 2021 to 31 Mar 2022. We would like to express our sincere thanks to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time. The Singapore Symphony Group is a charity and a not-for-profit organisation. Singapore tax-payers may qualify for 250% tax deduction for donations made. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate or www.giving.sg/sso.
S UP P O RT T H E SS O
Music is Essential Music is Life “Thank you (SSO) for your service. I believe in the power of music.”
Please help Singapore Symphony Orchestra and our affiliated performing groups play on; bringing hope and joy to Singapore through many more memorable shared musical experiences!
“The current pandemic is truly unforeseeable. Please keep safe and healthy and play on to spread the love for music.”
How can you help? The SSO is an arts charity and depends on your donations. If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to support your orchestra – Build the future by giving in the present.
As a valued patron of the SSO, you will receive many benefits. Rhapsody
Serenade
Overture
Concerto
Symphony
6 tickets
10 tickets
12 tickets
16 tickets
20 tickets
40 tickets
Gala /Christmas/Pops
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2 tickets
4 tickets
6 tickets
20 tickets
SSO Special Gala Concerts
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2 tickets
4 tickets
Prelude
$1,000 - $2,499 $2,500 - $4,999 $5,000 - $9,999 $10,000 - $24,999 $25,000 - $49,999 $50,000 & above
COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS* Subscription /VCHpresents/ Family /SIPF
DONOR RECOGNITION & PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Concert booklets and website
Patron of the Arts Nomination
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Donors’ Wall at Victoria Concert Hall
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OTHER BENEFITS Invitation to special events
Donations of $100 and above will entitle you to priority bookings, and discounts on SSG Concerts. For tax residents of Singapore, all donations may be entitled to a tax deduction of 2.5 times the value of your donation. *Complimentary ticket benefits do not apply to supporters who give through a fundraising event. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation.
To find out more, please visit www.sso.org.sg/support-us, or write to Nikki Chuang at nikki@sso.org.sg.
C O R PO RAT E PAT RONAGE
Form a special relationship with Singapore’s national orchestra and increase your name recognition among an influential and growing audience. Our concerts provide impressive entertainment and significant branding opportunities. SSO Corporate Patrons enjoy attractive tax benefits, Patron of the Arts nominations, acknowledgements in key publicity channels, complimentary tickets, and invitations to exclusive SSO events. For more details, please write to Chelsea Zhao at chelsea.zhao@sso.org.sg.
HEA RT F E L T T H ANKS TO OUR C O R PO RAT E PAT RONS Temasek Foundation The HEAD Foundation Yong Hon Kong Foundation John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Lee Foundation The New Eden Charitable Trust
C O R PO RAT E SPO NSOR S SMRT Corporation Symphony 924 Singapore Airlines
Your support makes it possible for us to host world-renowned artists, including the Singapore debut of piano legend Martha Argerich in 2018.
BOA R D OF D IRE C T ORS & C OMMI T T E E S CHAIR Goh Yew Lin SSO COUNCIL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chair) Chang Chee Pey Chng Hak-Peng Chng Kai Fong Prof Arnoud De Meyer Warren Fernandez Liew Wei Li Sanjiv Misra Prof Qin Li-Wei Paul Tan Geoffrey Wong Yee Chen Fah Andrew Yeo Khirn Hin Yasmin Zahid
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
NOMINATING AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Yee Chen Fah (Chair) Warren Fernandez Lim Mei Jovi Seet
Goh Yew Lin (Chair) Prof Arnoud De Meyer (Treasurer) Paul Tan Geoffrey Wong Yong Ying-I
Yong Ying-I (Chair) Chng Kai Fong Prof Arnoud De Meyer Heinrich Grafe Doris Sohmen-Pao INVESTMENT COMMITTEE Geoffrey Wong (Chair) Sanjiv Misra David Goh Alex Lee AUDIT COMMITTEE
SNYO COMMITTEE Liew Wei Li (Chair) Prof Qin Li-Wei Benjamin Goh Vivien Goh Dr Kee Kirk Chin Clara Lim-Tan
S S O M U S I C I A N S’ C O M M I T T E E Mario Choo Guo Hao David Smith Wang Xu Christoph Wichert Elaine Yeo Zhao Tian
Prof Cham Tao Soon (Honorary Chair) Alan Chan (Chair) Odile Benjamin Prof Chan Heng Chee Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Heinrich Grafe Khoo Boon Hui Prof Tommy Koh Lim Mei JY Pillay Dr Stephen Riady Priscylla Shaw Prof Gralf Sieghold Andreas Sohmen-Pao Prof Bernard Tan Dr Tan Chin Nam Tan Choo Leng Tan Soo Nan Wee Ee Cheong
SIN G A P OR E S Y MP HO N Y G ROUP M A N AG E ME N T CHIEF E XECUTIVE OFFICER Chng Hak-Peng ARTISTIC PL ANNING
C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T
PAT R O N S
Hans Sørensen (Head)
Kok Tse Wei (Head)
Artistic Administration Teo Chew Yen Jodie Chiang Lynnette Chng
Community Engagement Kua Li Leng (Head) Erin Tan Terrence Wong Samantha Lim
Development Chelsea Zhao (Ag Head) Anderlin Yeo Nikki Chuang Charmaine Fong
O P E R AT I O N S Ernest Khoo (Head) Library Lim Lip Hua Avik Chari Wong Yi Wen Orchestra Management Chia Jit Min (Head) Karis Ong Peck Xin Hui Production Management Fenella Ng Nurul Ainnie bte Md Sidek Mazlan bin Ali Ramayah Elango
Choral Programmes Kua Li Leng (Head) Regina Lee Whitney Tan Mimi Syaahira bte Ruslaine Singapore National Youth Orchestra Pang Siu Yuin (Head) Lai Jun Wei Tang Ya Yun Tan Sing Yee ABRSM Patricia Yee Lai Li-Yng Joong Siow Chong Freddie Loh May Looi William Teo CEO OFFICE Shirin Foo Musriah bte Md Salleh C O V I D -1 9 R E S P O N S E C O O R D I N AT I O N Lillian Yin (Lead) Rick Ong (Asst Lead)
Marketing Communications Cindy Lim (Head) Chia Han-Leon (Content Lead) Calista Lee (Digital Projects) Sean Tan Hong Shu Hui Jana Loh Myrtle Lee Sherilyn Lim Customer Experience Randy Teo Dacia Cheang C O R P O R AT E S E R V I C E S Lillian Yin (Head) Finance, IT & Facilities Rick Ong (Head) Alan Ong Goh Hoey Fen Loh Chin Huat Md Zailani bin Md Said Human Resources Valeria Tan (Head) Evelyn Siew Legal Edward Loh
SUP P OR T E D BY
PATRO N SP ONSOR
M ATCHE D BY
M A J O R D ON ORS
Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin
SE A SO N PAR T NERS Official Radio Station
Official Community Partner
Official Outdoor Media Partner
Official Airline
SE A SO N PAT RONS
The mission of the Singapore Symphony Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich our diverse communities. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate.