Singapore Symphony Orchestra Dec 2023 Rudolf Buchbinder

Rudolf Buchbinder

RUDOLF BUCHBINDER BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTOS 2 & 3 BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTOS 1 & 4 VCHPRESENTS CHAMBER: MOONLIGHT, PATHÉTIQUE AND APPASSIONATA

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SSO PRESIDENT’S YOUNG PERFORMERS 2024 CONCERT OPEN FOR AUDITIONS

Auditions will be held for shortlisted Singaporean instrumentalists performing concertos written for their instrument and Singaporean vocalists performing any vocal work with orchestra.

2023 soloist Hao Jia piano Rodolfo Barráez Associate Conductor

ELIGIBILITY Applicants should be Singapore citizens. Applicants should be no more than 25 years of age, as of 1 July 2024.

APPLICATION DEADLINE Applicants are invited to submit their online application by 31 December 2023, with the following items: 1. Biography including their date of birth, musical background and contact information 2. A high-quality video featuring a recent performance of a complete concerto with either piano or orchestra accompaniment, with composer name, duration of each movement and edition (if applicable) of the work clearly labelled.

For application enquiries, please contact: pypc@sso.org.sg

SCAN TO APPLY APPLICATION DEADLINE 31 December 2023

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8-10 Dec 2023 RUDOLF BUCHBINDER – BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTOS 2 & 3

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Fri, 8 Dec 2023 Victoria Concert Hall

RUDOLF BUCHBINDER – BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTOS 1 & 4

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Sat, 9 Dec 2023 Victoria Concert Hall

MOONLIGHT, PATHÉTIQUE AND APPASSIONATA

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Sun, 10 Dec 2023 Victoria Concert Hall

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.

Cover photo: Marco Borggreve 1

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SING APOR E SYM PH ONY O RCH ES T RA

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 with its 44-week calendar of events.

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 through its school programmes. 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. In 2022, BBC Music Magazine named the SSO as one of the 21 best orchestras in the world.

In July 2022, the SSO appointed renowned Austrian conductor Hans Graf as its Music Director, the third in the orchestra’s history after Lan Shui (1997– 2019) and Choo Hoey (1979–1996). Prior to this, Hans Graf served as Chief Conductor from 2020.

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. The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-theart 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. Beyond Singapore, 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 fivecity 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 praise in major UK newspapers The Guardian and The Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.

The SSO has released more than 50 recordings, with over 30 on the BIS label.

Recent critically acclaimed albums include Herrmann’s Wuthering Heights (Chandos) and Scriabin - Poems of Ecstasy and Fire (BIS). Following the Four Seasons album on Pentatone, a complete Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Chloe Chua and Hans Graf will be released in 2024. The SSO also leads the revival and recording of significant works such as Kozłowski’s Requiem, Ogerman’s Symbiosis (after Bill Evans) and violin concertos by Robert Russell Bennett and Vernon Duke.

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The SSO has collaborated with such great artists as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Joe Hisaishi, Neeme Järvi, Okko Kamu, Hannu Lintu, Andrew Litton, Lorin Maazel, Martha Argerich, Ray Chen, Diana Damrau, Stephen Hough, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Krystian Zimerman.

The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, as well as the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.

Our Story

Singapore Symphony Orchestra The Group’s vision is to be a leading arts organization that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence. Our mission 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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BU TTER FL Y L OV ER S V IOL IN C ONC ER TO | 10 & 1 1 N O V 2 0 2 3

Buchbinder is an honorary member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien, the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the first soloist to be awarded the Golden Badge of Honor by the Staatskapelle Dresden.

© MARCO BORGGREVE

Rudolf Buchbinder is one of the legendary performers of our time. The authority of a career spanning 65 years is uniquely combined with esprit and spontaneity in his piano playing. Tradition and innovation, faithfulness and freedom, authenticity and open-mindedness merge in his reading of the great piano literature.

piano concertos by Beethoven in a specially created series. Buchbinder was joined by five of the world’s finest conductors and orchestras, namely the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, the Vienna Philharmonic under Riccardo Muti and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic and the Staatskapelle Dresden under Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev and Christian Thielemann, respectively.

His interpretations of the works of Ludwig van Beethoven in particular, are regarded as setting standards. Buchbinder was the first pianist to play all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas within one festival summer at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. The Salzburg cycle was recorded live for CD and DVD. His most recent recordings of Beethoven’s Complete Piano Concertos document a truly remarkable project. The Vienna Musikverein, for the first time in its history, gave a single pianist the honour of performing all five

As Artistic Director, he is responsible for the Grafenegg Festival, which has been one of the most influential orchestral festivals in Europe since its founding in 2007. buchbinder.net/en/biography 5

RU D O LF B U CH BINDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 2 & 3, 1 & 4 | 8 & 9 D E C 2 0 23

R U D O L F B U CH B I NDE R piano/conductor

TH E O RCH ES T RA

The Orchestra

SEC O N D V IOL IN Tseng Chieh-An Principal Michael Loh Associate Principal Nikolai Koval* Sayuri Kuru Hai-Won Kwok Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Wu Man Yun* Xu Jueyi* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhao Tian

HANS GRAF Music Director RODOLFO BARRÁEZ Associate Conductor CHOO HOEY Conductor Emeritus LAN SHUI Conductor Laureate

VIO L A

EUDENICE PALARUAN Choral Director

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

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 Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe Ye Lin* Zhang Si Jing

C EL L O Ng Pei-Sian Principal, The HEAD Foundation Chair Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Christopher Mui Jamshid Saydikarimov Song Woon Teng Wang Yan 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 6

FLUTE

H O RN

Jin Ta Principal, Stephen Riady Chair Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan

Austin Larson Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Bryan Chong^ Hoang Van Hoc

PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal

TR U M P ET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Nuttakamon Supattranont

OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo

TR O M B O N E Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong

COR ANGL AI S Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET

B A SS T R O MBONE

Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping

Wang Wei Assistant Principal TU B A Tomoki Natsume Principal

BAS S CL AR I NE T Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal

TIM P A N I

BAS S OON

Christian Schiøler Principal Mario Choo

Marcelo Padilla^ Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue

P ER CU SSIO N Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mario Choo Lim Meng Keh

CONTRAB AS S OON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal

H A RP Gulnara Mashurova Principal

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T H E O RC HE ST RA

* With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. ^ Musician on temporary contract 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.

G U EST MU S I CI A N S

Guest Musicians RU DOLF B UCHB IN D ER - BE E T HOVE N P I A NO CONCE RT OS 2 & 3 | 8 D E C 2023

FIRST VIOLIN Kevin Lin Guest Concertmaster

RU DOLF B UCHB IN D ER - BE E T HOVE N P I A NO CONCE RT OS 1 & 4 | 9 D E C 2023

FIRST VIOLIN Kevin Lin Guest Concertmaster

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BU TTER FL Y L OV ER S V IOL IN C ONC ER TO | 10 & 1 1 N O V 2 0 2 3

R U DOLF BU CH BI NDER – B E ETHOVEN PI AN O C O N C ER T O S 2 & 3 RE DI S C O V E R I N G B E E T H O V E N Fri, 8 Dec 2023 Victoria Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Rudolf Buchbinder piano/conductor

B EETH OV E N

B EETH OV E N

Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19

29 mins

Intermission

20 mins

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

34 mins

Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 40 mins (including 20 mins intermission)

CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App.

I II III

Allegro con brio Adagio Rondo. Molto allegro

In 1787, 17-year-old Beethoven had travelled to Vienna to meet with Mozart, who was in vogue as the most popular composers of symphonies, operas, piano concertos and a competent pianist himself.

Beethoven had probably studied many of Mozart’s concertos, and had every intention of studying with the master himself. Shortly after his arrival in Vienna, Beethoven’s mother fell ill and Beethoven had to return to Bonn, where he remained for the next five years caring for his younger siblings. During that time, possibly inspired by his meeting with Mozart, Beethoven sketched out a piano concerto that was later published as his Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19.

By the time he could go back to Vienna in 1792, Mozart had died. Beethoven sought out his next best option, Haydn. Beethoven didn’t think much of Haydn’s teaching, commenting that “I never learnt anything from Haydn”. When Haydn left for England two years later, Beethoven took the chance to study with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, who taught him harmony and contrapuntal writing in all levels of complexity.

Beethoven as a young man (c. 1801).

Portrait by Carl Traugott Riedel orchestra as equals, giving the work an intimate, chamber-like quality to it.

The Allegro con brio begins with a grand, extensive orchestral exposition, setting the scene for the soloist, who enters with a charming first theme that gives way into some drama, and shifts back just as quickly.

These rapidly shifting themes and the exploration into unanticipated keys give the audience an idea of what Beethoven would later be known for.

The Piano Concerto No. 2 looks to Mozart as its model, and is written in three movements: a lengthy, sonata-form first movement, a lyrical slow movement and a closing rondo. While other composers downplay the orchestral accompaniment in favour of a more virtuosic and showy solo piano part, Beethoven treats the piano and 11

RU D O LF B U CH BINDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 2 & 3 | 8 D E C 2023

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19 (1793)

R U D O L F B U C H B INDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 2 & 3 | 8 D E C 2 0 2 3

The second movement offers us a glimpse into the mind of Beethoven the improviser.

Set in the key of E-flat major, the orchestra plays a simple, pensive melody, punctuated by dotted rhythms in the horns and the winds. The piano part becomes increasingly decorated as the movement progresses. One imagines Beethoven improvising his way through at the premiere, knowing that he did not get it written down by that time, until about six years later.

Despite all the work that Beethoven put into composing the first two movements, it is the refrain of the rollicking Rondo that one remembers after the concerto ends.

Part of its appeal is the short-long rhythms that sticks to the mind like the ‘ding-dong’ of the doorbell. The episodes in between the refrain each have their own character, providing a delectable contrast with the rondo theme.

Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings World Premiere Probably 29 Mar 1795, Vienna First performed by SSO 29 Aug 1980 (Dennis Lee, piano) 12

I II III

Allegro con brio Largo Rondo. Allegro

The opening lyrics to the Pokémon theme (“Gotta Catch ‘Em All!”), I wanna be the very best / Like no one ever was may as well have been Beethoven’s life motto.

With everything that he did, he aimed high, defied conventions and broke new ground.

Refusing to be a servant of the court, he decided to organise ‘benefit concerts’ where the beneficiary was himself. The concerts were to serve a two-fold purpose: make him some money, and introduce his music to the Viennese public. Up until then, he had only achieved the status of the best virtuoso pianist and improviser in all of Vienna through multiple piano duels organised by the nobility.

for the concert, recounts, “I saw empty pages with here and there what looked like Egyptian hieroglyphs, unintelligible to me, scribbled to serve as clues for him. He played most of his part from memory, since, obviously, he had put so little on paper. So, whenever he reached the end of some invisible passage, he gave me a surreptitious nod and I turned the page. My anxiety not to miss such a nod amused him greatly and the recollection of it at our convivial dinner after the concert sent him into gales of laughter.”

The key of C minor was frequently used

by Beethoven — notably in his Pathetique Sonata and later on in the Fifth Symphony.

In the words of musicologist Paul Schiavo, it represented Beethoven’s association with pathos and struggle, and is reserved for his most dramatic music.

The first of such concerts took place at the Burgtheatre in Vienna on 2nd April, 1800, comprising a Mozart symphony, two pieces from Haydn’s Creation, Beethoven’s First Symphony, his Septet, as well as “A grand Concerto for the pianoforte, played and composed by Herr Ludwig van Beethoven”, which was probably the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15.

The Third Concerto is the bridge between Beethoven the composer who looked up to Mozart, and a more mature Beethoven who had established his personal style with economy of motifs, bold wanderings into unrelated keys, and dramatic tension that give way to tender and peaceful moments in a heartbeat.

The Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 was to have been on that concert programme too, but Beethoven had not completed it by that time. Other lucrative projects took precedence over the concerto, such that by the time of its premiere three years later in yet another mammoth-sized benefit concert, it was still barely completed, with not all the pages written out. Ignaz von Seyfried, Beethoven’s pupil and page-turner

Dark and brooding, the first movement opens with a theme that is often compared with Mozart’s K. 491 piano concerto — also in the key of C minor. The opening orchestral exposition introduces the first theme, a 13

RU D O LF B U CH BINDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 2 & 3 | 8 D E C 2023

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 (1800)

R U D O L F B U C H B INDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 2 & 3 | 8 D E C 2 0 2 3

drum-like rhythmic idea that enters softly and leads into the second theme, a singing melody in the relative key of E-flat major.

The brooding opening mood then returns, in preparation for the soloist’s dramatic entrance, going through both themes with virtuoso passagework. The development section takes the listener through a conversation between soloist and orchestra based on the main theme, fragmented but not entirely deconstructed. The main themes are reprised and lead into the cadenza, where Beethoven would have improvised on the spot during the performance but later on wrote down a version for pianists to play.

After the traditional trills which signal the end of the cadenza, the orchestra re-enters with the timpani quietly playing the opening rhythmic motif, bringing the movement to a stormy conclusion.

conclude in C minor, Beethoven ups the music a semitone to an A-flat and the piano wanders off into the key of E major, recalling the slow movement. Right at the end, the music switches into a cheerful C major coda, with the soloist and orchestra racing each other to a triumphant end.

Programme notes by Natalie Ng

In a complete change of scenery, the second movement is set in the distant key of E major, with an opening that “must sound like a holy, distant and celestial Harmony”, in the words of Beethoven’s student Carl Czerny. It is the piano alone that introduces this soulful melody, before the orchestra later takes it up. Later on, the flute and bassoon play fragments while the piano weaves in between with arpeggios, bringing the music back to the main theme and the peaceful closing on an E major chord.

In a skilful manoeuvre, Beethoven takes the G-sharp of the ending chord, turning it into an enharmonic A-flat that the soloist uses to bring back the music into C minor for the rondo. The spirited rondo has its fair share of drama juxtaposed with episodes brimming with Beethovenian humour, and even a fugue based on the main theme. Leading the audience to think that the fugue would

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings World Premiere 5 Apr 1803, Vienna First performed by SSO 22 Nov 1979 (Ivan Moravec, piano) 14

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RU DOLF BUC H BI NDER – BE ETHOVEN PI ANO CO N C E R T O S 1 & 4 BEETHOVEN’S UNIVERSALITY Sat, 9 Dec 2023 Victoria Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Rudolf Buchbinder piano/conductor

B EETH OV E N

B EETH OV E N

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15

36 mins

Intermission

20 mins

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

34 mins

Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 45 mins (including 20 mins intermission)

CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App.

I II III

Allegro con brio Largo Rondo. Allegro

The opening lyrics to the Pokémon theme (“Gotta Catch ‘Em All!”), I wanna be the very best / Like no one ever was may as well have been Beethoven’s life motto.

With everything that he did, he aimed high, defied conventions and broke new ground.

Refusing to be a servant of the court, he decided to organise ‘benefit concerts’ where the beneficiary was himself. The concerts were to serve a two-fold purpose: make him some money, and introduce his music to the Viennese public as a pianist-composer.

concerto”, and No. 2 in B-flat major had been written and performed before that date.

Beethoven was feeling unwell in the days before the concert, and the scores were produced at a very late date: the finale was only written two days before the performance. Beethoven’s friend F. G. Wegeler recounts, “Not until the afternoon of the second day before the concert did he write the rondo, and then while suffering from a pretty severe colic which frequently afflicted him. I relieved him with simple remedies so far as I could. In the anteroom sat four copyists to whom he handed sheet after sheet as soon as it was finished…”

The first of such concerts took place at the Burgtheatre in Vienna on 2nd April, 1800, comprising a Mozart symphony, two pieces from Haydn’s Creation, Beethoven’s First Symphony, his Septet, as well as “A grand Concerto for the pianoforte, played and composed by Herr Ludwig van Beethoven”, and some piano improvisations.

As if that was not enough drama, the piano was found to be a semitone lower than the wind instruments at the rehearsal the next day, a crisis that required him to transpose his new composition up a semitone for that rehearsal.

From his arrival in Vienna in 1792, Beethoven kept his head down and worked on his music, learning from the best musical minds that Vienna had to offer. Up until then, he had only achieved the status of the best virtuoso pianist and improviser in all of Vienna through multiple piano duels organised by the nobility. His first big break came in 1795, when he had been invited to present an instrumental work in a charity concert benefitting the widows of the Tonkünstler-Societät (“Society of Musicians”). For this, he probably premiered his Piano Concerto No. 1, because contemporaries spoke of “an entirely new

Showing a slight departure from the traditions of Mozart and Haydn, the concerto opens with the simplest of musical building blocks: a timid C major chord, three Cs an octave higher, and an ascending scale which lands the music on a dominant chord.

Repeated a few moments later marked fortissimo, the theme is transformed into martial music of the French Revolution.

From the simple opening theme of a chord, 17

RU D O LF B U CH BINDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 1 & 4 | 9 D E C 2023

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 (1795)

R U D O L F B U C H B INDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 1 & 4 | 9 D E C 2 0 2 3

repeated notes and a scale, Beethoven constructs all the thematic material of the first movement, deftly wandering tonally to almost unrelated keys but always finding its way back to C major.

Set in A-flat major, the Largo paints a picture of peace and tranquillity. Choosing to leave out the flute and oboes, the clarinet becomes a second soloist in a dialogue with the piano. If one listens carefully, the longshort-short-long motif that opened the first movement can be heard.

The rondo finale is light and whimsical.

Beginning with a country dance of sorts in C major, Beethoven plays with phrase lengths (the first is six bars, the second is four bars, and the third is five bars long) to give the music a somewhat unbalanced feel.

The second theme in G major is structured more regularly than the first, but Beethoven jolts the last note of each bar. More puns and tricks abound, including in the cadenza where the soloist ends with the traditional trill accompanied by the orchestra, but then moves it half a step up and then starts in the ‘wrong’ key of B major before winding its way back into C major. With another short cadenza that seemingly winds down the music into a nostalgic and slow ending, Beethoven brings back an orchestral tutti in the first (fast) tempo to end the movement with a bang.

Vienna, in front of the old Burgtheatre, c. 1900 by August Gerasch

Programme notes by Natalie Ng

Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings World Premiere 18 Dec 1795, Vienna First performed by SSO 17 Oct 1980 (Janis Vakarelis, piano) 18

I II III

Allegro moderato Andante con moto Rondo. Vivace

It is the nature of many concertgoers today to test the waters of new music hesitantly and carefully. Imagine, then, the circumstances under which Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto was given its first public performance – as one of seven(!) works all heard by the Viennese for the first time, all by the same composer, and four of them of major dimensions. This four-hour marathon concert took place on 22 December 1808 in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien. It was a freezing cold evening, which meant conditions inside the unheated hall were uncomfortable, to say the least. In addition, Beethoven’s music was generally considered to be advanced and difficult both to play and to understand. It was truly a daunting prospect for most concertgoers that night.

Considering the cluttered context in which the Fourth Concerto was first heard, it is perhaps not so surprising that it failed to leave a vivid impression. It is music of a lyrical, intimate bent and with great subtlety of expression, especially in comparison with many of Beethoven’s previous works and to other works on that marathon concert of premieres. In fact, it was virtually forgotten until Mendelssohn revived it in 1836, nine years after the composer’s death.

Pop art illustration of Beethoven from the Singapore Symphony mobile app.

remote key (another surprise), and goes on to present and develop other themes.

The soloist re-enters in a quasi-cadenza passage, and then joins the orchestra in a closely woven tapestry of themes, motifs and rhythmic patterns.

There are many bold, innovative and radical touches to this concerto. The most famous and most obvious of these is the unprecedented solo introduction.

The orchestra responds in a harmonically

The slow movement is, if anything, even more compelling and innovative than the first. In just a little over five minutes (one of the shortest slow movements of any well19

RU D O LF B U CH BINDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 1 & 4 | 9 D E C 2023

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 (1805)

R U D O L F B U C H B INDER – BEETH OV EN PIANO C ONC ER TOS 1 & 4 | 9 D E C 2 0 2 3

known concerto) there unfolds one of the most striking musical dialogues ever written.

Initially we hear two totally different musical expressions: the orchestra (strings only) in unison octaves – imperious, assertive, angry, loud, angular; and the solo piano fully harmonised – meek, quiet, legato. Over the span of the movement the orchestra by stages relents and assumes more and more the character of the soloist. Tamed, seduced, won over, taught, assuaged and conquered are some of the terms used to give dramatic or literary interpretation to this remarkable musical phenomenon.

The rondo finale steals in quietly, without pause, bringing much-needed wit, charm and lightness after the tense, dark drama of the slow movement. Trumpets and timpani are heard for the first time in the work. Like the first movement, it is full of interesting touches, including a rhythmic motto and a sonorous solo passage for the divided viola section. A brilliantly spirited coda brings the concerto to its conclusion.

Programme notes by Robert Markow

Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings World Premiere c. Mar 1807, private concert in Vienna First performed by SSO 6 Nov 1981 (Joerg Demus, piano) 20

MO ONLIGHT, PATH ÉTI QU E A N D APPA S S IONATA Sun, 10 Dec 2023 Victoria Concert Hall Rudolf Buchbinder piano

B EET H O V E N

Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 “Pathétique”

20 mins

Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight”

16 mins

Intermission

20 mins

Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14 No. 2

30 mins

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”

25 mins

Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs (including 20 mins intermission) Autograph session with Rudolf Buchbinder after the concert.

CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App.

I II III

Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio Adagio cantabile Rondo. Allegro

Beethoven was known as one of the best pianists of his era, and his piano writing was credited with pushing the boundaries of what constituted “virtuosity” in the early 19th century. At the end of the Classical era, keyboard technique was a holdover from the widespread use of the fortepiano; Beethoven’s much heavier compositions demanded more strongly built instruments and a different playing technique using much more of the pianist’s arm weight and strength.

The Grande sonate pathétique, to use Beethoven’s own name, is a Romantic take on Mozart’s C minor piano sonata. It starts with an unexpected slow introduction, full of dissonant chords, and then takes off like lightning. The fast section is in a full sonata form, though Beethoven uses some unusual key areas as contrast for his themes — a technique that would come to characterise his later music.

Portrait of the 28-year-old composer Ludwig van Beethoven (in 1798), drawing by Friedrich Kriehuber, based on a contemporaneous painting, 1865

The celebrated slow movement is a moment of utter bliss in comparison, set in the calm warmth of A-flat major. The music is symphonic in manner, though the roulades and decorations in the melody when it goes into the trouble belong to the world of opera.

This is Beethoven at his sentimental finest, not really disturbed by the slight agitation of the central minor section. The peace lasts,

only to be dissipated by the final Allegro: after such deeply felt Romanticism, the finale is almost classical. Haydn was still alive and composing, after all. For more mature Beethoven, there is the rest of tonight’s programme…

23

V CH P RES EN T S C H AM BER : M OONL IG H T, PATH ÉTIQU E AND APPASSIO N ATA | 10 D E C 2 0 23

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 “Pathétique” (1798)

VC HP RE SE N TS C H AM B E R : M OONL IG H T, PATH ÉTIQU E AND APPASSIONATA | 1 0 D E C 2 0 2 3

Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight” (1801) I II III

Adagio sostenuto Allegretto – Trio Presto agitato

The “Moonlight” sonata, subtitled Quasi una fantasia, is a true Beethoven innovation in form. The “fantasia” part comes from the free-flowing, almost improvisatory first movement, which, like the previous item on the programme, starts slowly, but then remains slow for the duration of the entire movement. Here, Beethoven has the bare bones of a melody, supported by winding broken chords up and down the keyboard. It is an experiment in obsessive concentration, never wavering from its quaver plod.

A minuet breaks the stillness, and it is so utterly “normal” it might as well be an act of defiance. Liszt called this “a flower between two chasms”, and it is precisely because so little happens musically in it that it provides a moment of respite before the insane fury of the final Presto agitato, famous for its roaring upward gusts. This movement is the weightiest of the three, and by end-loading the narrative impact, Beethoven created a fusion between a free improvisation and the strictness of a sonata form.

Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14 No. 2 (1799) I II III

Allegro Andante Scherzo. Allegro assai

Sandwiched between the famous nicknamed sonatas of tonight’s programme, the titleless G major sonata is a much more carefree work, full of Classical lightness and elegance. The first movement could be a Mozart divertissement with how fluffy it is, but Beethoven manages to sneak in some very neat rhythmic tricks. Try to count beats at the start and you’ll be caught off guard once the right hand makes its way higher up in the piano!

both hands. By its position in the sonata, the listener might expect a short fast scherzo followed by a “more substantial” finale, but soon it becomes clear Beethoven has tricked the listener once again, as the music starts exploring chromatic key areas and fails to stop chugging along at its incredible pace. Beethoven even reprises themes in the wrong keys to keep audiences guessing all the way till the end, where a cheeky low goodbye is thrown out almost carelessly.

The second movement is a set of variations on a march tune, which is the first time Beethoven uses a variation set as a sonata movement. It is straightforwardly humorous, as is the Scherzo finale that follows it, full of rhythmic tricks and whirling passages in 24

I II III

Allegro assai Andante con moto Allegro ma non troppo – Presto

The famous “Appassionata” Sonata was written in the middle of the 1810s and gained its current nickname after the composer died. It was already known in his lifetime as one of his greatest works and contained some of his most tempestuous music (even more so than his earlier “Tempest”). Beethoven’s first movement here can be criticised as being slightly theme-poor, but the obsessiveness suits the mood, and the bare octaves of the opening create a dark and ominous effect to be well exploited by the outbursts to come. The composer explores new harmonic avenues here: the opening theme is immediately repeated one semitone up, a method he uses again in the finale. There is a lot of very low music, with particular use of the bottom F — the lowest note on Beethoven’s piano at the time.

Beethoven’s study, as depicted

by Johann Nepomuk Hoechle in 1827

The second movement is a short set of variations on a chorale. Set in the much warmer key of D-flat major, this movement is almost so classical as to be by Mozart, if not for the sforzando perturbations scattered throughout the music, creating a sense of unease amidst the relative calm. After four variations on the theme, a dramatic diminished chord ushers in the headlong rush of semiquavers that is the last movement. Set in largely the same emotional region as the first movement, the pianist’s stamina is taxed even further by the additional tempo increase in the Presto section, with a wild, frantic ending in Beethoven’s tragic style.

Programme notes by Thomas Ang 25

V CH P RES EN T S C H AM BER : M OONL IG H T, PATH ÉTIQU E AND APPASSIO N ATA | 10 D E C 2 0 23

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata” (1805)

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Presents a concert of familiar opera arias, art songs & folk songs from Verdi, Brahms, Offenbach, Strauss, Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Lehar, Gonoud & more...

Featuring Singers from Around Asia

www.newopera.sg www.facebook.com/OperaSingapore @newopera_singapore info@newopera.sg

SINGAPORE

SOTA CONCERT HALL

14 DECEMBER 2023 8PM

Introducing Tanglin Centenary Music Scholarships Throughout its rich history, Tanglin Trust School has sought to enable all its students to fulfil their individual potential. As it approaches the centenary year, Tanglin will mark the occasion by offering its first ever scholarship programme. The Tanglin Centenary Music Scholarship will enable talented young musicians who demonstrate a passion for music, coupled with outstanding musical proficiency, the opportunity to reach new musical highs.

Music scholars will develop their talents through a diverse programme comprising workshops, masterclasses, and both solo and ensemble performances. It is our hope that these opportunities will enable each scholar to achieve their personal best, and in turn be an aspirational leader to all Tanglin students.

Find out more about our new Centenary Music Scholarship and how you can apply at www.tts.edu.sg

CPE Reg. No. 196100114C (7/6/2023 - 6/6/2029)

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 Kai Fong Prof Arnoud De Meyer Warren Fernandez Kenneth Kwok Liew Wei Li Sanjiv Misra Lynette Pang Prof Qin Li-Wei Geoffrey Wong Yasmin Zahid Yee Chen Fah Andrew Yeo Khirn Hin

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) 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 David Smith Wang Xu Christoph Wichert Yang Zheng Yi Elaine Yeo Zhao Tian

Alan Chan (Chair) Odile Benjamin Prof Chan Heng Chee Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Heinrich Grafe Khoo Boon Hui 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 A DMIN IS T R AT IO N CHIEF E XECUTIVE OFFICER Kenneth Kwok CEO OFFICE

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PAT R O N S

Shirin Foo Musriah Bte Md Salleh

Kok Tse Wei (Head)

Development Chelsea Zhao (Head) Nikki Chuang Sarah Wee Sharmilah Banu Eunice Salanga

ARTISTIC PL ANNING Hans Sørensen (Head) Artistic Administration Jodie Chiang Jocelyn Cheng Michelle Yeo Lynnette Chng 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) Charis Peck Xin Hui Kelvin Chua Production Management Noraihan Bte Nordin Nazem Redzuan Leong Shan Yi Asyiq Iqmal Ramayah Elango Khairi Edzhairee Khairul Nizam

Community Engagement Kua Li Leng (Head) Erin Tan Whitney Tan Samantha Lim Terrence Wong Choral Programmes Kua Li Leng (Head) Regina Lee Chang Hai Wen Mimi Syaahira Singapore National Youth Orchestra Ramu Thiruyanam (Head) Tang Ya Yun Tan Sing Yee Ridha Ridza ABRSM Patricia Yee Lai Li-Yng Joong Siow Chong Freddie Loh May Looi William Teo

Digital & Marketing Communications Cindy Lim (Head) Chia Han-Leon Calista Lee Germaine D’Rozario Myrtle Lee Hong Shu Hui Jana Loh Sherilyn Lim Elizabeth Low Corporate Communications Anderlin Yeo Elliot Lim Customer Experience Randy Teo Dacia Cheang Joy Tagore C O R P O R AT E S E R V I C E S Finance, IT & Facilities Rick Ong (Head) Alan Ong Goh Hoey Fen Loh Chin Huat Md Zailani Bin Md Said Human Resources & Administration Valeria Tan (Head) Janice Yeo Fionn Tan Netty Diyanah Bte Osman Organisation Development Lillian Yin

2023/24 SEASON UPCOMING CONCERTS

CHAMBER

CHLOE AND ISAAC GO BAROQUE 5 & 6 Jan 2024, 7.30pm Chloe Chua violin/Artist-In-Residence Isaac Lee organ

CHAMBER

FIGARO IN A POCKET 3 Feb 2024, 7.30pm 4 Feb 2024, 4pm Xiaoming Wang violin/concertmaster Musicians of the SSO

CHAMBER

SUNDAY AFTERNOON FANCIES 25 Feb 2024, 4pm Singapore Symphony Youth Choir Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster Musicians of the SSO

CHAMBER

SCAN TO BOOK

SMETANA, MOZART AND BARBER 14 Mar 2024, 7.30pm Musicians of the SSO

All concerts are held at the Victoria Concert Hall.

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WIDEN OUR

MUSICAL HORIZONS

In the past year, the SSO presented over 100 live performances to 100,000 concertgoers, and garnered over 2 million views across its digital platforms.

Forging on, we are eager to create more memorable musical experiences, and nurture the next generation of young artists from our affiliated performing groups.

Your generous gift will help us attain our musical aspirations!

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SSO Mother’s Day Concert

Singapore National Youth Orchestra

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PATRON SPONSOR

M ATCHED BY

MAJOR D ON ORS

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Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin

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S EAS ON PATRONS

The vision of the Singapore Symphony Group is to be a leading arts organization that engages, inspires and reflects Singapore through musical excellence.

Our mission 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.