Singapore Symphony Orchestra Oct-Nov 2019 Programme

CONCERT PROGRAMME

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2019

SCOTTISH FANTASY • RACHEL BARTON PINE ELGAR VIOLIN CONCERTO & ENIGMA VARIATIONS CHORUS OF THE PLANETS

ELGAR VIOLIN CONCERTO & ENIGMA VARIATIONS SPONSORED BY

CHORUS OF THE PLANETS SPONSORED BY

Akiko Suwanai PLAYS MOZART

28 & 29 Nov 2019, 7.30pm Victoria Concert Hall Tickets: $15 - $88

SSO POPS

The Music of Star Wars 19 & 20 Dec 2019, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Tickets: $25 - $98

The Jussen Brothers

PLAY MOZART

22 & 23 Nov 2019, 7.30pm Victoria Concert Hall Tickets: $15 - $88

Zhang Haochen PLAYS MOZART

5 Dec 2019, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Tickets: $15 - $88

Oct-Nov 2019 SCOTTISH FANTASY • RACHEL BARTON PINE 26 Oct 2019, Sat Esplanade Concert Hall T

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ELGAR VIOLIN CONCERTO & ENIGMA VARIATIONS

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1 Nov 2019, Fri Esplanade Concert Hall T

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CHORUS OF THE PLANETS 8 Nov 2019, 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.

T Pre-concert Talk A Autograph Session

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.

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 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 January 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 return to the Berlin Philharmonie after six years. In 2014 the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms

Orchestral playing at the peak of refinement and beauty Fanfare 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 July 2019, the SSO named Austrian conductor Hans Graf as its Chief Conductor designate, beginning in the 2020/21 concert season.

Notable SSO releases under BIS include a Rachmaninoff series, a “Seascapes” album, three Debussy discs “La Mer”, “Jeux” and “Nocturnes”, 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, Gustavo Dudamel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Diana Damrau, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham.

The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.

The mission of the Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music.

Through the SSO and its affiliate performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich Singapore’s diverse communities.

Tote Board’s goal is to help build a

flourishing society. We want to inspire positive change and contribute towards building an inclusive, resilient and vibrant community, while fostering a caring and compassionate nation.

As a broad-based grantmaking organisation, Tote Board works closely with stakeholders and partners to support broad and diverse worthy projects in the sectors of Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, Health, Social Service and Sports. Through these projects, Tote Board helps to uplift the community by giving hope to vulnerable groups and improving the lives of all in Singapore.

ToteBoardSG ToteBoardSG

www.toteboard.gov.sg

S C O T T I S H F A N T A S Y • R A C H E L B A R T O N P I N E | 26 OCT 2019

MICHAL NESTEROWICZ conductor Michal Nesterowicz is one of Europe’s most sought-after conductors, highly regarded for his dynamic performances and eloquent interpretations of symphonic repertoire. © LUKASZ RAJCHERT

In the 2019/20 season, Nesterowicz continues his relationships as Principal Guest Conductor with Sinfonieorchester Basel and The Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic Lódz, along with returning to conduct Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Residentie Orkest The Hague, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Malmö Symphony and Barcelona Symphony Orchestra as well as debuts with Oulu Symphony Orchestra, and North Carolina Symphony. Other highlights of the upcoming season include performances with Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE, The Macao Orchestra, Orkiestra Sinfonia Varsovia, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra and NFM Wroclaw.

the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine and Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana.

Nesterowicz has appeared on multiple occasions with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also worked with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,

Michal Nesterowicz was the winner of the Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition in 2008 and among the prizewinners of the sixth Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conducting Competition in Katowice.

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S C O T T I S H F A N T A S Y • R A C H E L B A R T O N P I N E | 26 OCT 2019 E L G A R V I O L I N C O N C E R T O & E N I G M A V A R I A T I O N S | 1 NOV 2019

Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Camerata Salzburg. She has worked with such renowned artists as Zubin Mehta, Erich Leinsdorf, Neeme Järvi, Marin Alsop, Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, William Warfield, and Christopher O’Riley; as well as contemporary composers such as David Chesky, Billy Childs, John Corigliano, Joe Deninzon, Mohammed Fairouz, Luis Jorge González, Earl Maneein, Daniel Bernard Roumain, José Serebrier, and Augusta Read Thomas.

She has recorded 39 acclaimed albums. Her Avie discography includes her new Dvorák Khachaturian Violin Concertos recorded with Teddy Abrams and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Elgar & Bruch Violin Concertos with the BBC Symphony, led by Andrew Litton.

RACHEL BARTON PINE Artist-in-Residence violin Billboard-chart topping violinist Rachel Barton Pine is a leading interpreter of classical masterworks, thrilling audiences with her dazzling technique, lustrous tone, and emotional honesty. With an infectious joy in music-making and a passion for connecting historical research to performance, Pine transforms experiences of classical music.

A gold medalist in the J.S. Bach International Competition, she has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, PBS NewsHour, NPR’s “Tiny Desk” and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Her RBP Foundation assists young artists and runs the groundbreaking Music by Black Composers project. She performs on the 1742 “ex-Bazzini, ex-Soldat” Guarneri del Gesù, on lifetime loan from her anonymous patron.

Pine performs with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Chicago and Vienna Symphonies, the Philadelphia 6

E L G A R V I O L I N C O N C E R T O & E N I G M A V A R I A T I O N S | 1 NOV 2019

ANDREW LITTON Principal Guest Conductor

© DOMINIC PHUA

Litton was Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony from 19881994. As Music Director of the Dallas Symphony from 1994–2006, he hired over one third of the players, led the orchestra on three major European tours, and appeared four times at Carnegie Hall. His discography boasts over 130 recordings.

Orchester Berlin, the Colorado Symphony and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia.

An avid opera conductor with a keen theatrical sense, Litton has led major opera companies such as the Metropolitan Opera, The Royal Opera Covent Garden, Opera Australia and Deutsche Oper Berlin. In Norway, he was key to founding the Bergen National Opera, where he led numerous acclaimed performances.

This season, besides conducting over 30 ballets at the New York City Ballet, Litton returns to the Singapore Symphony, the Bournemouth Symphony, the Ulster Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-

An accomplished pianist, Litton often performs as a soloist, conducting from the keyboard. He is also an acknowledged expert on and performer of Gershwin’s music and serves as Advisor to the University of Michigan Gershwin Archives.

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C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

Andrew Litton is Music Director of the New York City Ballet, Principal Guest Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of Britain’s Bournemouth Symphony and Music Director Laureate of Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic. Under Litton’s leadership the Bergen Philharmonic gained international recognition through extensive recording and touring. For his efforts, Norway’s King Harald V knighted Litton with the Norwegian Royal Order of Merit. His many honours also include Yale’s Sanford Medal, the Elgar Society Medal, and an honorary Doctorate from the University of Bournemouth.

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

He won the 2013 Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition and spent four years as pianist for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. Irfan received the 2012 ASCAP Charlotte Bergen Award and the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award in 2012, 2014 and 2017.

His compositions have been premiered by the New York Philharmonic, MDR Sinfonieorchester, New York Virtuoso Singers, MusicaNova, Malaysian Philharmonic, Peoria Symphony Orchestra.

Irfan made his conducting debut with the MusicaNova Orchestra in 2015, and recently conducted the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra during their 20th Anniversary Gala.

TENGKU IRFAN piano The 20-year-old Malaysian pianist, composer and conductor, made his debut at 11 performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto WoO4, improvising his own cadenzas, with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Claus Peter Flor.

He is a double major at The Juilliard School in piano and composition, under Veda Kaplinsky and Robert Beaser respectively, and studies conducting with George Stelluto and Jeffrey Milarsky. Irfan is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School, and was recently appointed Youth Ambassador of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

He has performed with orchestras worldwide under conductors including Neeme Järvi, Kristjan Järvi, Robert Spano, George Stelluto and Jeffrey Milarsky. Other performances include with Julliard’s AXIOM, São Paulo State Youth Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, and the MDR Sinfonieorchester.

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C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

EE-PING soprano

JESSICA CHEN HSING AN soprano

Singapore-born Ee-Ping was trained at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London. She made her debut at London’s South Bank singing the title role of Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème with the British Youth Opera and has since gone on to sing operatic roles all over Europe and Asia. She has made recent appearances with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Pablo Sarasate Orchestra, Schleswig-Holstein Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra. In Europe, she has been a prize winner in many competitions including the Julian Gayarre International Competition, Royal Overseas League Music Competition and the UK National Mozart Competition.

Jessica Chen has been the Head of Vocal Studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts since 2013. She is the first prize winner of the Asia Vocal Competition and the Malaysia International Vocal Competition.

She gained the DMA in Voice Performance at UCLA with the Taiwan Government scholarship under the supervision of Robert Winter, Vladimir Chernov, and Peter Kazaras.

Jessica has sung leading roles in operas including Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Puccini’s Turandot and Verdi’s Aida.

Her concert repertoire includes Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah and Judas Maccabaeus, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and No. 8, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Rutter’s Magnificat and Verdi’s Requiem.

Ee-Ping is based in London, but often returns to perform with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Singapore Lyric Opera. In 2001, she was awarded the prestigious Singapore Young Artist Award.

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© MING ZE

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

REBECCA CHELLAPPAH mezzo-soprano

LONG LONG tenor

Mezzo-soprano Rebecca Chellappah holds a Masters in Music with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music (UK).

Chinese tenor Long Long is one of the most promising lyric tenors of his generation.

He graduated from the Shanghai Music Academy and the University Opera Research Institute in Beijing. He won the third prize at the Tenor Viñas Competition in Barcelona and at the Moniuszko Vocal Competition in Warsaw as well as the first prize at the International Music Competition Harbin.

Rebecca enjoys an international career in opera and oratorio and is delighted to be singing again with the SSO. Her opera credits include the title roles in Bizet’s Carmen (2017) which won the National Opera and Dramatic Association’s Award for Best Operatic production in 2018, Popova in Walton’s The Bear (2019), Hélène in Offenbach’s La belle Hélène (2019) and Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (2018). Most recently she sang the role of Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with New Opera Singapore.

Upcoming opera roles in the UK include Delilah in Saint-Saëns Samson and Delilah (2020) and Flosshide in Wagner’s Das Rheingold (2019).

Since 2017 Long Long has been a member of the Opera Studio at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. In 2019 he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival. Since September 2019 he has been a member of the Staatsoper Hannover. In 2020 he will make his debut as Duca di Mantua at the Bregenz Festival. Long Long has worked with conductors including Kirill Petrenko, Valery Gergiev, Bertrand de Billy, Carlo Rizzi and Simone Young.

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C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

JONATHAN CHARLES TAY tenor

WILLIAM LIM baritone

Singaporean tenor Jonathan Charles Tay attained his Bachelor of Music at the Manhattan School of Music and his Master of Music at Northwestern University.

Singapore-born William Lim first studied singing locally with Choo Hwee Lim before moving on to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where his teacher was Michael Rippon, and Rudolf Piernay at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Earlier this year Jonathan performed the lead role in Alexander Zemlinsky’s Dwarf and Don José in Bizet’s Carmen (Singapore Lyric Opera). Later this season he will perform the role of Florestan in an abridged setting of Beethoven’s Fidelio, with The Opera People.

Some staged and operatic works that William Lim has sung were Carmen, La Traviata, Pagliacci, Don Giovanni, Salome, Savage Land and Songs of Liu Sanjie for the Singapore Lyric Opera and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.

Previous performances include appearances with Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Lyric Opera, The Opera People, Spot Opera, L’arietta Productions, Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, NUS Symphony Orchestra, Richard Wagner Association, The Arts Place, New Opera Singapore, Opera Viva, Opera Southwest (Albuquerque, New Mexico) and New Mexico Symphonic Chorus.

Among the oratorios that William Lim sang with The Philharmonic orchestra, The Philharmonic Chamber Choir and The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts were Bach’s Mass in B minor and St Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. He also sings in chamber concerts with the Sing Song Club.

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Š JOSHUA SIM

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

EUDENICE PALARUAN choral director

Kantorei. He was also involved in early music performance practice as a countertenor with the Berlin Monteverdi Choir in Germany and the Villancico Vocal Ensemble at the International Bamboo Organ Festival in the Philippines. As a conductor he was a music director of the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, assistant choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers under Andrea Veneracion, principal conductor of the San Miguel Master Chorale and the Union Church of Manila Chancel Choir. For the past years, he was the resident conductor of the International Bamboo Organ Festival where he directed Philippines’ leading choirs in the performance of early European music and the revival of Latin American baroque music.

As a composer and arranger, Palaruan writes contest pieces for choral competitions including the 2019 Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Competition in Manila.

His composition style uses vocal tapestry by incorporating Asian speech sounds. Some of his widely used works are Gapas (Harvest), Koyu No Tebulul (Bird Song), Pasigin (Fishing Song). As a music pedagogue, he taught at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, University of the Philippines College of Music and the St. Paul University Manila College of Music and the Performing Arts.

Currently, he is an associate professor at the School of Church Music in Singapore Bible College.

Eudenice Palaruan studied composition and conducting at the University of the Philippines College of Music and trained under Joel Navarro, Ramon Santos and Andrea Veneracion. After obtaining his Bachelor Degree in the Philippines, he studied choral conducting at the Berliner Kirchenmusikschule, Germany under Martin Behrmann.

He was a member and baritone soloist of some of the significant choral organisations including the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, the World Youth Choir and the Berlin Spandauer 12

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

WONG LAI FOON choirmaster

© JOSHUA SIM

As Choirmaster of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) and the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir (SSYC), Wong Lai Foon oversees a family of choral ensembles dedicated to the development of young voices, and the continuing appreciation of choral music. Under her leadership, both choirs have received praise for their impressive choral tone and polished performances. The SSCC’s recording of Bob Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass, featured on their CD, And I’ll Sing Once More, has been complimented by the renowned composer for its “fine sound and style”.

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Kuala Lumpur, and a highly successful concert of Video Games Classics with Eímear Noone.

Committed to growing the body of treble choral works by local composers, Wong has commissioned works by Kelly Tang, Zechariah Goh, Chen Zhangyi, Darius Lim, and Lee Chin Sin. She is equally adept at the symphonic, operatic and a cappella choral repertoire, and has worked with ensembles including the Singapore Symphony Chorus, the Singapore Lyric Opera, and The Philharmonic Chamber Choir. She graduated from Westminster Choir College, under the tutelage of Joseph Flummerfelt.

Apart from performances with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Wong has led both choirs in collaborations with other ensembles. The Concert Choir has shared the stage with The King’s Singers, the Maîtrise de Radio France at the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur. Recent highlights for the Youth Choir include an all-Brahms programme with the Singapore 13

S ingapore S ymphony C horus Eudenice Palaruan choral director Shane Thio rehearsal pianist Since its first performance on 13 June 1980 under the direction of then SSO Music Director Choo Hoey, the 85-strong Singapore Symphony Chorus has become one of the finest symphony choruses in the region.

The chorus has performed under the baton of renowned conductors Peter Erdei, Eric Ericsson, John Nelson, Claus Peter Flor, Okko Kamu, Lan Shui, Lim Yau, Masaaki Suzuki and most recently, Sofi Jeannin in the SSO Baroque Festival in 2018. Having amassed a wide repertoire, the SSC has performed such works as Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, Macmillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross, Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum, Britten’s War Requiem, and Bach’s St John Passion, amongst many others.

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S ingapore S ymphony youth choir Wong Lai Foon choirmaster Evelyn Handrisanto rehearsal pianist Comprised of Singapore’s finest young choristers aged 17 to 28, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir is an energetic ensemble inaugurated in 2016 to complement the SSO with a chorus of vibrant voices.

Exploring the best of different musical worlds and styles, the youth choir has performed Scriabin’s Prometheus, Puccini’s La Bohème, as well as recorded Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. In 2017, it also toured with the SSC and SSO, presenting Brahms’ Shicksalslied at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur.

In the 2018/19 season, the youth choir performed independently for the first time, under the baton of esteemed conductor Eímear Noone.

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The Chorus SOPRANO Karen Aw Ruth Basa Laurence Biard Gwendolyn Brewer Claire Byrne Michelle Chan Alexis Chen Chin Li Han Beatrice Decruz Nia Edwards

Grace Goh Maria Erika Goh Catherine Harsono Andrea Hendrickson Caroline Hesse Karin Hesse Claudia Kaepernick Sindy Keng Laura Lee Janice Lim

Sherilyn Lim Ema Naito-Bhakdi Ng Beng Choo Ng Kong Tiok Chloe Ong Sarah Santhana Vivien Sinapius Shalina Sivanendran Brittany Slaymaker Stacey Wang Espera

Tiffany Tam Tan Carine Tan Li Szu Tan Yuqing Patricia Teng Sachiko Tomimori Agnieszka Veriga Tamara Wagner

ALTO Päivi Aalto Chan Li Ting Chan Mei Yoke Serene Cheong Patricia Chong Mavis Chua Elizabeth Goh Friederike Herrmann Truly Hutapea

Susan Kurniawati Evelyn Lee Dorothy Lee-Teh Trixi Lim Wendy Lim Lin Wei Denise Liu Kerris Loh Sharon Low

Eunice Ng-Chee Ong Sherlyn Jemaima Pagsibigan Joy Schmidt Desiree Seng Josephine Sim Natividad Solaguren Ena Su Jien Nee Tai

Elsie Tan Freda Tan Tan Li En Toh Yan Ee Helena

Whalen-Bridge Abigail Yeo

TENOR Jean-Michel Bardin Jason Carranceja David Cho Chong Wei Sheng

Benjamin Davis Margaret Devadason Norman Lee Zachary Lim

Loh Shao Wei Jeroven Marquez Ronald Ooi Yann Perron

Qi Jian Ian Tan Ben Wong Caleb Yeo

BASS Amir Hamzah Ang Jian Zhong Leonard Buescher Marcus Chan William Chua Winsen Citra

Arthur Davis James Shin-Gay John Goh Mirco Guenther Joseph Kennedy Khor Gui Wei

Paul Kitamura Aaron Koh Kevin Neeson Jared V. Robertson Nathan Seah Bjorn Soo

Brandon Tan Raymond Wu Gaio Zorzino

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SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Hai-Won Kwok Fixed Chair Kong Xianlong Nikolai Koval* Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing* Zhao Tian*

The Orchestra joshua tan Associate Conductor andrew litton Principal Guest Conductor Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus

VIOLA

Lan Shui Conductor Laureate

Zhang Manchin Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Janice Tsai Wang Dandan Yang Shi Li

Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster

FIRST VIOLIN

CELLO

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 Jin Li Cindy Lee Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe

Ng Pei-Sian Principal Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Jamshid Saydikarimov Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Jacek Mirucki Guennadi Mouzyka Wang Xu 18

FLUTE

HORN

Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan

Han Chang Chou Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Hoang Van Hoc

PICCOLO TRUMPET

Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal

Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin

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

TROMBONE

Elaine Yeo Associate Principal

Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong

CLARINET

BASS TROMBONE

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

Wang Wei Assistant Principal

COR ANGLAIS

TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal

BASS CLARINET PERCUSSION

Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal

Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mario Choo Lim Meng Keh

BASSOON Wang Xiaoke Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue

HARP Gulnara Mashurova Principal

CONTRABASSOON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal

*With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments.

Lynnette Seah 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.

Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

#

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Guest Musicians 26 OCT

FIRST VIOLIN Kevin Lin Guest Concertmaster Lim Shue Churn

DOUBLE BASS Théotime Voisin Principal Ma Li Ming

SECOND VIOLIN Li Qing Principal Ikuko Schiøler

HORN Bryan Chong TUBA Teng Siang Hong Principal

VIOLA Ho Qian Hui Yeo Jan Wea 1 NOV

FIRST VIOLIN Eugene Tichindeleanu Guest Concertmaster

DOUBLE BASS Janne Johansson Principal Haruna Ashizawa^

SECOND VIOLIN Yuko Yasui Principal Ikuko Schiøler Yen To-Chia^

TUBA Brett Stemple Principal ORGAN Isaac Lee

VIOLA Ho Qian Hui Lu Wan-Ni^ Yeo Jan Wea 8 NOV

SECOND VIOLIN Yoko Mano Ikuko Schiøler VIOLA Ho Qian Hui Yeo Jan Wea DOUBLE BASS Janne Johansson Principal

FLUTE Brook Ferguson Principal

PERCUSSION Tan Pei Jie

HORN Bryan Chong Chua Tek Xin

HARP Huang Yu-Hsin

TUBA Brett Stemple Principal

^Member of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy Information correct at time of printing

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CELESTE Shane Thio ORGAN Isaac Lee

SCOTTISH FANTASY • RACHEL BARTON PINE Windswept Beauty, Sunset Nostalgia 26 Oct 2019, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Michal Nesterowicz conductor Rachel Barton Pine violin ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE BAX

BRUCH

Tintagel SSO PREMIERE Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46

20 mins

Intermission

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

12 mins 30 mins

Symphony No. 5 in D major SSO PREMIERE

Concert duration: 2 hrs

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Pre-concert Talk | 6.30pm, library@esplanade

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Post-concert autograph signing with Rachel Barton Pine in the stalls foyer.

39 mins

S C O T T I S H F A N T A S Y • R A C H E L B A R T O N P I N E | 26 OCT 2019

ARNOLD BAX (1883–1953) Tintagel (1917–1919) SSO PREMIERE Arnold Bax was born on 8 November 1883 in London to an affluent family who encouraged his musical talent. He had the financial means to explore his own artistic path with complete freedom, unencumbered by practical concerns about earning an income. As a student at the Royal Academy of Music, he reflected that he “wallowed in Wagner’s music to the almost total exclusion – until (he) became aware of Richard Strauss – of any other.” Bax was also captivated by Irish poetry and Celtic culture.

He made many visits to Ireland, immersing himself in the landscape, literature and politics. Some of his early orchestral works, such as Cathleen ni Houlihan (1905) and The Garden of Fand (1913), were directly inspired by Irish and Celtic folklore.

The piece opens with shimmering strings and trills in the flute, like sunlight glistening on the surface of the lapping waves. The brass introduce a theme which, according to Bax, represents “the ruined castle, now so ancient and weather-worn as almost to seem an emanation of the rock upon which it was built.” This is contrasted with a long melody in the strings which suggests “the serene and almost limitless spaces of the ocean.”

The central section is more tumultuous, perhaps depicting a growing storm, at the heart of which is a wailing chromatic motif that quotes from the first Act of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. The piece ends with a picture of the castle, regal and resplendent in the summer sunshine, “proudly fronting the sun and wind of centuries”.

The symphonic poem Tintagel is Bax’s best-known orchestral work. The piece was inspired by Bax’s visit to Tintagel castle in Cornwall, Southwest England, in the summer of 1917 with the pianist Harriet Cohen, with whom he was having an affair. The castle was said to be the place where King Arthur was conceived and was also the setting for some versions of the legendary love story of Tristan and Isolde. The dramatic image of the medieval castle ruins perched on a windswept cliff above the crashing waves, mingled with its associations with epic tales of passion and fantasy, proved to be irresistible to Bax, who was himself swept up in the heady throes of his affair. Completed in 1919 and dedicated to Cohen, Bax’s Tintagel captures the magic of the Cornish seascape and celebrates his illicit love affair in almost mythic proportions.

Instrumentation 3 flutes, 1 doubling on piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, glockenspiel, harp, strings World Premiere 20 Oct 1921, Bournemouth 22

MAX BRUCH (1838–1920) Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 (1879–1880) I II III IV

Introduction: Grave. Adagio cantabile Scherzo: Allegro Andante sostenuto Finale: Allegro guerriero

Max Bruch composed the Scottish Fantasy in 1879–1880 while living in Berlin.

Although Bruch had never visited Scotland, he was fascinated by its exotic landscape and folklore, as portrayed in the poetry and novels of Scottish writers such as Sir Walter Scott. These evocations of a wild, faraway folk culture, uncontaminated by urban society, were a rich source of escapism and inspiration for Bruch and many other Romantic composers.

Bruch had also encountered Scottish folk tunes in an anthology known as The Scots Musical Museum. Published between 1787 to 1803, this anthology had a significant impact in continental Europe, with no less

than Haydn and Beethoven writing their own arrangements of these Scottish tunes.

Bruch himself published 12 of these tunes in four-part settings in 1863, and the Scottish Fantasy quotes extensively from the anthology.

The full title of the Scottish Fantasy is “Fantasy for Violin with Orchestra and Harp, freely using Scottish folk melodies”. The harp, an important instrument in traditional Scottish music, is prominently featured alongside the violin soloist, lending an air of authenticity to Bruch’s romanticised vision of bards and medieval ballads. Bruch debated whether he should call the piece a “Concerto” or a “Fantasy”, as it is a 23

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Above: Eilean Donan Castle Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland Photo by Sorin Tudorut

S C O T T I S H F A N T A S Y • R A C H E L B A R T O N P I N E | 26 OCT 2019

substantial four-movement work rather than a single-movement miniature. He eventually decided on the latter, due to the importance of folk tunes in the piece, and the sense of freedom he believed was essential to its form and expression.

The Introduction sets the scene with a mysterious brass chorale, depicting “an old bard, who contemplates a ruined castle and laments the glorious times of old”.

The solo violin emerges from the shadows with a soaring melody, heartbreaking in its wide-eyed sincerity and grief. The Adagio first movement features a lush setting of the folksong “Thro’ the Wood, Laddie”, presented by the solo violin and accompanied by the harp. The dance tune, “The Dusty Miller”, takes centre stage in the Scherzo, with an open fifth drone in horns and lower strings imitating the sound of bagpipes. The solo violin writing evokes country fiddling with its devil-may-care attitude, and indulges in some truly virtuosic pyrotechnics.

The third movement is undoubtedly the emotional core of the Fantasy. Bruch, who once declared that “melody is the soul of music”, transforms the tune “I’m A’Doun for Lack O’ Johnnie” into a powerful, impassioned lament that transcends its humble, rustic origins. The finale, marked Allegro guerrièro (“warlike”), incorporates the rousing anthem “Scots Wha Hae”, launched with triple stops in the solo violin.

This alternates with more introspective tender moments, leading to a brilliant solo cadenza, before a final full-throated rendition of the anthem brings the curtain down.

Above: Broadside ballad “Scots Wha Hae”

by Robert Burns Credit: National Library of Scotland

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp, strings World Premiere 22 Feb 1881, Liverpool, UK (Joseph Joachim, violin; conducted by Max Bruch) First performed by SSO 11 Aug 1989 (Chua Lik Wuk, violin) 24

I II III IV

Preludio Scherzo. Presto misterioso Romanza. Lento Passacaglia. Moderato his musical voice, seeking out Max Bruch and Maurice Ravel for composition and orchestration lessons.

Ralph Vaughan Williams encapsulated the “Best of British” in so many ways. The son of a vicar, he was related to Charles Darwin and the pottery magnate Josiah Wedgwood, while his wife was a cousin of Virginia Woolf.

He had a fairly posh upbringing, studying music and history at the Royal College of Music in London and Cambridge University.

During WWI, Vaughan Williams voluntarily enlisted in the British Army, serving as an ambulance driver at the frontlines and then as an artillery officer. He was active in civilian war efforts in WWII, even welcoming refugees into his own home. When he died in 1958 at the age of 85, his ashes were interred at Westminster Abbey near the burial plot of another celebrated English composer, Henry Purcell.

“the dedication made me feel proud and grateful...

I wonder if Dr. Williams has any idea of the pleasure he has given me?”

- Jean Sibelius

Vaughan Williams’s personal brand of quintessentially English music was steeped in folk-songs and hymns. Believing that art “must spring directly from the life and character of the people where it had its origins”, he visited rural communities to collect and transcribe more than 800 folk songs. Though he self-identified as a “cheerful agnostic”, he was the musical editor of The English Hymnal, commenting wryly that this intimate knowledge of “some of the best (as well as some of the worst) tunes in the world was a better musical education than any amount of sonatas and fugues”. However, Vaughan Williams was by no means narrow-minded in cultivating

Vaughan Williams worked on his Fifth Symphony from 1938–1943, and personally conducted its premiere at the Proms with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on 24 June 1943. It is a remarkably tranquil work, providing a balm of hope during the height of WWII. Vaughan Williams dedicated the Symphony to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, whose music he admired. Sibelius reciprocated his goodwill, describing the Symphony as “a caress from a summer world”.

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RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872–1958) Symphony No. 5 in D major (1938–1943) SSO PREMIERE

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The first movement opens with a wistful horn-call in D major that floats over a low C in the cellos and basses, suggesting that the serenity of this symphony is not without unpredictability. The music oscillates between the gravitational pulls of C and D and between various minor and major modes, before a glorious melody in the violins brings us into the sunshine of E major. This melody is a quote from “For All The Saints”, one of Vaughan Williams’s great contributions to The English Hymnal.

The Scherzo is shadowy and volatile, with a stream of musical material passed through the orchestra in a continuous call-andresponse dialogue. This is followed by the majestically lyrical Romanza, with a plaintive English horn melody borrowed from Vaughan Williams’s then-unfinished opera based on Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. Vaughan Williams inscribed the following quote from Bunyan in his manuscript of the Romanza: “He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death.”

The Passacaglia finale is a series of variations over a repeated bass line, over the course of which the music is stripped of its harmonic ambiguity and driven towards the blazing purity of D major. The Symphony drifts off into the ether with a sublime benediction, with echoes of another iconic tune from The English Hymnal, “All Creatures of Our God and King”.

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 1 doubling on piccolo, oboe, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings

Programme notes by Abigail Sin

World Premiere 24 Jun 1943, London (Vaughan Williams, conductor) 26

ELGAR VIOLIN CONCERTO & ENIGMA VARIATIONS To My Friends Pictured Within 1 Nov 2019, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton Principal Guest Conductor Rachel Barton Pine violin ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE ELGAR

Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61

20 mins

Intermission

ELGAR

Enigma Variations, Op. 36

Concert duration: 2 hrs

Sponsored by

T A

48 mins

Pre-concert Talk | 6.30pm, library@esplanade Post-concert autograph signing with Rachel Barton Pine and Andrew Litton in the stalls foyer.

31 mins

Dear Guests It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to our Conrad Classic evening.

While all Conrad Classic evenings are special to us, this year is exceptional as 2019 marks an extraordinary year for both Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Hilton.

It’s a celebration of anniversaries. Singapore Symphony Orchestra turned 40 whilst Hilton reached its 100-year milestone. Be it through classical music or traveling, both our organisations also share a common deeply rooted belief to touch lives through the things we do.

We pride ourselves as an organisation that aims to cultivate and nurture talents. From our team members to emerging artists and musicians, we have seen how the “Hilton Effect” has created opportunities and transformed their lives.

Being a strong supporter of Singapore Symphony Orchestra and with over 3,500 unique visual art pieces displayed across the hotel; all curated amongst emerging local artists we have taken upon ourselves the task to forge ties between the visual and performing arts. We want to create an environment that transcend boundaries between both disciplines.

As such we are delighted that you are able to join us for this momentous evening. Thank you for being with us.

Mr Heinrich Grafe General Manager Conrad Centennial Singapore

E L G A R V I O L I N C O N C E R T O & E N I G M A V A R I A T I O N S | 1 NOV 2019

Message from Conrad Centennial Singapore

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EDWARD ELGAR (1857–1934) Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 (1905–1910) Allegro Andante Allegro molto

The life of the British composer Sir Edward William Elgar, was in many ways a British journey. Mostly influenced by Continental European music, his music was for a long time not accepted. In addition, his social inclusion was complicated by the fact that he was a working class Catholic in Victorian England, a rigidly class-conscious Protestant society. At the time of his death, he had been created a baronet, awarded honorary degrees by the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, London, Aberdeen, Durham, and Leeds, and held the rank of Knight Grand Cross within the Royal Victorian Order.

Today, 65 roads and three locomotives in the UK are named for him.

Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61, is one of those mature works of genius requested by a virtuoso, the Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler, and written by a composer intimately familiar with the instrument – Elgar himself played the violin, having been taught by his father William, who was of professional standard. In 1905, Kreisler described Elgar as the greatest living composer, ranking him with Beethoven and Brahms, and the following year officially made the request. The concerto, which Elgar deemed “too emotional, but I love it”, was finally premiered in 1910 with Kreisler and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer, and was his last great popular success.

Above: Photograph of Edward Elgar in The Musical Quarterly, April 1917

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The Allegro first movement, in sonata form, opens with a long orchestral exposition of the first theme jotted down in 1905, robust and bubbling, with interspersions of two gentler themes. The restrained entry of the solo violin, marked nobilmente (“nobly”) quickly dissolves into a con passione (“with passion”) over a subsequent orchestral climax. Unlike his other works with broad, flowing themes, here the soloist receives shorter, fragmentary, and stormtossed motifs, and the general effect is of passionate and frantic urgency, very different from his blustery pomp and circumstance elsewhere. After development and recapitulation, and heroic interplay between the violin and orchestra, the movement ends with a powerful bang.

the concerto – the written-out accompanied cadenza of considerable length. Motifs from the first movement are revisited and close the circle of the cadenza – the last two bars of the cadenza are the first two bars of the entire concerto, as if Elgar were fondly revisiting them, unable to bear leaving them forever. This is followed by a coda returning to the initial tempo and a single restatement of the march-like theme to sum up the concerto with a brisk, brilliant conclusion.

Marked Andante, the second movement is in a remote B-flat major. Gentle and flowing, with motifs reminiscent of the rolling English countryside. A serene pastoral orchestral opening sets the scene for the solo violin, which stirs up the passions with long melodies, giving an eloquent and sustained display of autumnal golden colours. Elgar once said he would like the nobilmente theme to be inscribed on his grave. The movement ends reflectively, like the cool autumn breeze over the beloved Malvern Hills of Worcestershire where he grew up.

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, strings

The Allegro molto finale, extensive and dramatic, begins quietly with swirling figures for the soloist, like a flying swallow enjoying the warm summer sun. This is interrupted by an animated and sweeping march theme at various points, as if the swallow cannot resist dipping down repeatedly into a busy garden party to have a look. This dizzying tempest of many varied themes, recapitulated in reverse order, goes by quickly, and then we see the bared heart of

World Premiere 10 Nov 1910, London (Fritz Kreisler, violin) First performed by SSO 24 May 1985 (Nigel Kennedy, violin) 32

Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Op. 36, is, like his Violin Concerto, an intensely personal work, a guided journey through his circle. Elgar’s own story of its origin was that in 1898, after a day of teaching violin, he relaxed by sitting at the piano improvising melodies for his wife Alice. One of them caught her fancy and he began making variations on it. This set of theme and 14 variations was eventually set for orchestra and premiered in London in 1899, becoming an instant success.

Variation 5, Moderato, “R. P. A.” for Richard Penrose Arnold, amateur pianist.

The Andante theme begins in G minor, searching and introspective, then moves ambiguously to G major, before returning to G minor. This is followed by the variations, marked with initials, making reference to a trait or event associated with the person.

Variation 8, Allegretto, “W. N.” for the gracious elderly music patroness Winifrid Norbury, and depicts her characteristic laugh.

Variation 6, Andantino, “Ysobel” for Isabel Fitton, a viola student of Elgar’s, so a prominent viola part dominates.

Variation 7, Presto, “Troyte” for one of Elgar’s best friends, the architect Arthur Troyte Griffith, mimicking his lack of skill at the keyboard.

Variation 9, Adagio, “Nimrod” for Augustus J. Jaeger, music editor at Novello & Co., who encouraged Elgar to continue composing when the latter was depressed and about to give up composition.

Variation 1, l’istesso tempo, “C. A. E.” for Caroline Alice Elgar, his wife. He described this variation, a fuller, romanticised and richer development of the theme, as romantic and delicate, like her life.

Variation 10, Intermezzo: Allegretto, “Dorabella” for Dora Penny, a friend whose stutter is gently parodied by the woodwinds.

Variation 2, Allegro, “H. D. S-P.” for Hew David Steuart-Powell, a pianist. The chromatic developments refer to the exercises with which Steuart-Powell would warm up at the keyboard.

Variation 11, Allegro di molto, “G. R. S.” for the organist George Robertson Sinclair, and refers to an incident when Sinclair’s bulldog Dan fell into the River Wye and came back up barking.

Variation 3, Allegretto, “R. B. T.” for Richard Baxter Townshend, Oxford don and amateur actor. High and low woodwinds refer to his variation of voice pitch onstage.

Variation 12, Andante, “B. G. N.” for Basil George Nevinson, a cellist who played chamber music with Elgar, and a cello takes the spotlight.

Variation 4, Allegro di molto, “W. M. B.” for William Meath Baker, an energetic fellow.

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EDWARD ELGAR Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (1898–1899)

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Above: Waiting for Godot (1948-1949 by Samuel Beckett "The Enigma I will not explain...So the principal Theme never appears ...the chief character is never on the stage." - Elgar

Variation 13, Romanza: moderato, marked “* * *” for an anonymous lady who was, at the time of composition, on a sea voyage.

The drums suggest a liner’s engines, over which a clarinet quotes a phrase from Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.

liturgical calendar. Elgar accepted none of the solutions proposed during his lifetime, and took the secret with him to the grave, so while all of these are good answers, it hardly matters any more as we may never know the answer. Nevertheless, the variations may be enjoyed without knowing the solution.

Perhaps the best solution for us is: stop worrying and enjoy the music.

Variation 14, Allegro, “E. D. U.” for Elgar himself, nicknamed “Edu” by his wife.

Themes from variations 1 and 9 are echoed, showing how his personality is entwined with those of his wife and his friend Jaeger.

Programme notes by Edward C. Yong

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 1 doubling on piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, organ, strings

But what of the “enigma” in the title? Well, the opening G minor theme is meant as a counterpoint to another existing well-known motif that is never heard. Elgar described it as a “dark saying”, like a play’s chief character that never appears on the stage.

Countless solutions have been proposed through the years, including a theme from Beethoven’s Pathétique sonata, Auld Lang Syne, Dies irae, Rule Brittania, God Save the King, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, the number Pi, and even the Roman Catholic

World Premiere 19 Jun 1899, London First performed by SSO 8 May 1981 34

CHORUS OF THE PLANETS Harmonies of the Universe 8 Nov 2019, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall Singapore Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton Principal Guest Conductor Tengku Irfan piano Ee-Ping soprano Jessica Chen soprano Rebecca Chellappah mezzo-soprano Long Long tenor Jonathan Tay tenor William Lim baritone Singapore Symphony Chorus and Youth Choir Eudenice Palaruan choral director Wong Lai Foon choirmaster

BARBER

BEETHOVEN

Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 Choral Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 80

The Planets, Op. 32

Concert duration: 2 hrs

Sponsored by

T

19 mins 20 mins

Intermission

HOLST

21 mins

Pre-concert Talk | 6.30pm, library@esplanade

51 mins

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

Embark on an exceptional cosmic journey

Welcome to “Chorus of the Planets”, which promises to be an aural and visual treat across time and space.

Journey through the harmonies of the universe tonight with Gustav Holst’s symphonic blockbuster The Planets, an enduringly popular and influential sevenmovement suite depicting planets from our solar system. From the angry and ominous first movement of Mars to the final mystical choir in mysterious Neptune, this universally loved classic is an eye-opening experience that you will love.

Proudly sponsored by Symphony 924, the concert will also feature Samuel Barber’s Symphony in One Movement and Beethoven’s sparkling Choral Fantasy, a poetic tribute to the power of music.

Malaysian music prodigy and piano virtuoso Tengku Irfan will feature in this awe-inspiring piece.

Symphony 924, Singapore’s only classical music station, and our partner Singapore Symphony Orchestra are honoured to bring this orchestral extravaganza to you.

Let the cosmic journey begin!

Ms Irene MK Lim Chief Customer Officer Mediacorp Pte Ltd

ONLY THE FINEST MUSIC

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

SAMUEL BARBER (1910–1981) Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 (1935–1936) Unlike many 20th-century composers, Barber’s reputation has not diminished since his death in 1981, and works like the Adagio for Strings, the First and Second Essays, the Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto continue to receive frequent performances.

But Barber’s two symphonies remain relatively unknown. The world premiere of the First was conducted by Bernardino Molinari in Rome on 13 December, 1936.

Critical praise was highly favourable, the work was taken up by numerous high-profile conductors, and it became the first American work ever performed at the Salzburg Festival in 1937. But over time it became eclipsed by many of Barber’s other fine orchestral works. Tonight’s concert affords listeners a welcome opportunity to hear one of the composer’s most dramatic, lyrical, and powerful works.

transformation, serves as the basis of the scherzo section. The emotional heart of the symphony begins with a beautiful, longbreathed solo from the oboe (an adaptation of the second theme). This romantically tinged music rises to an impressive climax for full orchestra. The final section is a short passacaglia (variations over a repeating bass line) in which all the melodic strands are skillfully interwoven.

Barber wrote his First Symphony, originally called Symphony in One Movement, while still in his mid-20s and finishing his studies in Rome. Barber used Schumann’s Fourth Symphony and especially Sibelius’s Seventh as models, absorbing all four movements into a single, uninterrupted architectural span in which melodic material of the opening movement is used as the basis for the succeeding movements as well.

Instrumentation 3 flutes, 1 doubling on piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp, strings

Three melodic ideas are presented in close succession: 1) a bold, wide-ranging theme hurled forth by violins in the opening bars; 2) a more relaxed, flowing idea rising from the lower range of violas and cor anglais; 3) an impassioned theme high in the violins.

The three themes are then developed briefly.

The first of these, in a nervous, skittish

World Premiere 13 Dec 1936, Rome First performed by SSO 7 May 1999 38

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Adagio Finale

The Choral Fantasy was first performed as the concluding work at a marathon, all-Beethoven concert in Vienna on 22 December, 1808. Also on that programme were the Fourth Piano Concerto, the concert aria “Ah! perfido”, excerpts from the Mass in C, and the premieres of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. Beethoven had originally wanted to conclude the concert with the Fifth Symphony, but felt that in doing so, he would risk losing his audience’s attention for such a weighty and sophisticated work at the end of a very long evening. Therefore, Carl Czerny related, “there came to him the idea of writing a brilliant [conclusion] for this concert. He chose a song he had composed many years before, and the poet Kuffner was called upon to write the words.” The true author of the text remains in doubt, but regardless of who really wrote the words, they resonated deeply in Beethoven’s soul – the ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity, and the mystical spirit that infuses Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute.

The Choral Fantasy is an extraordinary hybrid of piano concerto and cantata, improvisatory and formal elements, vocal and instrumental music, secular and mystical planes of thought. The forces required suggest a most unusual work: solo piano, orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. The basic formal plan consists of the following: a) a long introduction of an improvisatory nature for solo piano; b) dramatic dialogue between piano and orchestra; c) theme and variations (“Finale”), which fall into two groups, instrumental and vocal.

At the historic concert where the Choral Fantasy was first performed, the composer himself sat at the piano and extemporised the introductory fantasia, though there is no hint in the sketchbook that Beethoven had originally planned an introductory role for the piano. His first thought, in fact, was to begin with a string quartet. The opening piano solo we now hear in performances was not committed to paper until 1809. This point is doubly interesting, for as Maynard Solomon points out, it is one of the few works on which Beethoven worked continuously once beginning it.

The theme for the “Finale” (as Beethoven called it, though it represents the main body of the work) comes from a song, the “Gegenliebe” (WoO 118), which Beethoven had composed in 1794 or 1795 but never published. Listeners will have no trouble in noticing the striking resemblance in both melodic and harmonic outline to the “Ode to Joy” theme of the Ninth Symphony, still many years in the future.

Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings World Premiere 22 Dec 1808, Vienna (Ludwig van Beethoven, piano/conductor)

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First performed by SSO 5 Jun 1998

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Choral Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 80 (1808)

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

Choral Fantasy, Op. 80 Schmeichelnd hold und lieblich klingen unsers Lebens Harmonien, und dem Schönheitssinn entschwingen Blumen sich, die ewig blühn.

Fried’ und Freude gleiten freundlich wie der Wellen Wechselspiel; was sich drängte rauh und feindlich, ordnet sich zu Hochgefühl.

Graceful, charming and sweet is the sound Of our life’s harmonies, and from a sense of beauty arise Flowers which eternally bloom.

Peace and joy advance in perfect concord, like the changing play of the waves.

All that was harsh and hostile, has turned into sublime delight.

Wenn der Töne Zauberwalten und des Wortes Weihe spricht, muß sich Herrliches gestalten Nacht und Stürme werden Licht. Äuß’re Ruhe inn’re Wonne herrschen für den Glücklichen.

Doch der Künste Frühlingssonne läßt aus beiden Licht entstehn.

When music’s enchantment reigns, speaking of the sacred word, Magnificence takes form, The night and the tempest turns to light: Outer peace and inner bliss Reign o’er the fortunate ones.

All art in the spring’s sun Lets light flow from both.

Großes das ins Herz gedrungen, blüht dann neu und schön empor, hat ein Geist sich aufgeschwungen, hallt ihm stets ein Geisterchor.

Nehmt denn hin, ihr schönen Seelen, froh die Gaben schöner Kunst.

Wenn sich Lieb’ und Kraft vermählen, lohnt dem Menschen Göttergunst.

Greatness, once it has pierced the heart, Then blooms anew in all its beauty.

Once one’s being has taken flight, A choir of spirits resounds in response.

Accept then, you beautiful souls, Joyously the gifts of high art.

When love and strength are united, Divine grace is bestowed upon Man.

Above: Beethoven Frieze

by Gustav Klimt based on Beethoven’s Ode To Joy 40

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Mars, the Bringer of War Venus, the Bringer of Peace Mercury, the Winged Messenger Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age Uranus, the Magician Neptune, the Mystic Venus – The antidote to the cruel, terrible oppression of Mars is Venus, in music of soothing melodic contours, predictable rhythmic patterns and pastel colours. The movement opens with chamber music – the gentle call of a solo horn answered by the cool sound of flutes and oboes. Later, a solo violin sings a sweetly nostalgic melody.

Since time immemorial, man has looked upon the heavens with a sense of awe, wonder, imagination and mystery. It was inevitable that interpretations of outer space would find their way into artistic endeavours, including our music. Composition of The Planets occupied Holst from 1914 to 1916. The first complete performance was conducted by Albert Coates on 15 November, 1920. Such is the music’s originality, imagination and sensationalism that audiences have been looking ever since into Holst’s catalogue for more compositions of this nature – in vain. Atypical as it may be, The Planets remains by far Holst’s most popular work. Holst claimed that the individual titles of his Planets “were suggested by the astrological significance of the planets; there is no programme music, neither have they any connection with the deities of classical mythology.”

Mercury – Motion resumes for the next planet, portrayed in music of scintillating brilliance, sparkling colours, and rapidly pulsating shifts of light and shade. To astrologers, Mercury is the thinker, but Holst’s Mercury, despite the composer’s disclaimer about classical mythology, is clearly the winged messenger, darting about with feathery lightness.

Jupiter – Astrologer Noel Tye tells us that Jupiter “symbolises expansiveness, scope of enthusiasm, knowledge, honour, and opportunity.” Holst’s Jupiter corresponds in all these respects, depicting the quintessence of the plump, jovial fellow who knows how to enjoy life and lives it to the fullest. As a hedonist indulges in many pleasures, so does Holst lavish upon this planet a wealth of musical ideas – five of them, in fact, every one heard initially in the horns. The broad, majestic theme of the central andante maestoso episode was later cast as a patriotic song.

Mars – Mars represents the brutish, unfeeling, inhuman nature of mechanised warfare. “Unpleasant and terrifying” were Holst’s words to describe how the music should sound. A relentless pounding is set up in the opening bars, a pounding that carries through the entire movement. The unusual meter Holst chose for this music, 5/4, creates its own opportunities for musical warfare.

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GUSTAV HOLST (1874–1934) The Planets, Op. 32 (1914–1916)

C H O R U S O F T H E P L A N E T S | 8 NOV 2019

Saturn – A greater contrast with the jollity of Jupiter could hardly be imagined than the grey, mournful sounds that greet our ears at the beginning of Saturn. Like the inexorable ticking of some cosmic clock, flutes (four of them, including a bass flute) and harps mark the unstoppable passage of time.

The music evokes despair, weariness, and, eventually, protest and terror. A strange, cold air seems to hover over the opening pages, as a two-note motif swells and recedes in various instruments, including the rarely used heckelphone (bass oboe).

Then follows a solemn dirge, heard initially in the trombones. The remorseless ticking of the cosmic clock resumes, now more insistently and ominously – it is now more of a tolling than a ticking. Time seems to be running out, and the victim struggles.

Bells clang, clashing in angry syncopation with the booming clock. The frenzy reaches a climax, then subsides, as the wisdom, serenity, resignation, and acceptance of old age settle over the music. This was Holst’s favourite planet in his suite.

tuneless, often without any kind of metrical pulse, and played pianissimo throughout, the music takes on at times an ethereal beauty, at others terrifying mystery. A wordless female chorus (ideally, placed offstage) creates the sensation of a dreadful chill, adding to the aura of remoteness and haunting visions of empty space.

Programme notes by Robert Markow

Above: Pluto, 2015 (Photo by NASA)

Instrumentation 4 flutes, 2 doubling on piccolos, 1 doubling on alto flute, 3 oboes, 1 doubling on bass oboe, cor anglais, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, euphonium, tuba, 2 timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, tam-tam, chimes, snare drum, tambourine, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, 2 harps, celeste, organ, strings

Uranus – In astrology, Uranus rules over astrologers themselves. It also rules inventors; hence, it is entirely appropriate to imagine in Holst’s music a kind of “sorcerer’s apprentice” scenario, with a mad magician racing about his dungeon workshop and, at the climactic moment, exulting in some arcane discovery about the nature of the universe. The four-note motif brazenly announced by trumpets and trombones, then echoed by tubas at double speed and by timpani at quadruple speed, constitutes the molecular matter from which Holst constructs his musical formula.

World Premiere 29 Sep 1918, London

Neptune – … and on into the furthest reaches of the known solar system (Pluto was discovered only in 1930). Nearly

First performed by SSO 10 Oct 1997 42

2019/20 Season Patrons Our story began four decades ago when we played our first concert in January 1979.

This journey would not have been possible without patrons who believe in sharing the gift of music.

Thank you for your generosity.

patron S P O N S O R Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club)

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This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Sep 2018 to 31 Aug 2019.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time.

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Corporate Patron packages begin at $30,000. Benefits include: 1. Tax Benefits 2. Patron of the Arts Nomination 3. Acknowledgement - Public acknowledgment in SSO concert booklets and website - Public acknowledgement on Donor Wall situated at Victoria Concert Hall (Home of the SSO) 4. Complimentary tickets 5. Priority booking 6. Discounts for ALL SSG concerts 7. Invitations to special events (e.g., rehearsals, receptions, meet-the-musicians sessions)

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upcoming concerts

Nov 10 Nov | Victoria Concert Hall Long Long tenor Tengku Irfan piano

14 Nov | Victoria Concert Hall Lynnette Seah violin Gulnara Mashurova harp Musicians of the SSO

16 & 17 Nov | Victoria Concert Hall Joshua Tan conductor Platypus Theatre Singapore Symphony Orchestra

21 Nov | Victoria Concert Hall Dance Studio Zhang Si Jing violin Musicians of the SSO

22 & 23 Nov | Victoria Concert Hall Gabriel Bebeselea conductor Lucas Jussen piano Arthur Jussen piano Singapore Symphony Orchestra

28 & 29 Nov | Victoria Concert Hall Mario Venzago conductor Akiko Suwanai violin Singapore Symphony Orchestra

30 Nov | Esplanade Concert Hall Peter Stark conductor Ng Pei-Sian cello Singapore National Youth Orchestra

VCHPRESENTS: CHAMBER LOVE AND LONGING French and Italian love songs

VCHPRESENTS: CHAMBER FRENCH CONNECTIONS DEBUSSY Les Chansons de Bilitis RAVEL Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet MASSENET Meditation from Thaïs FAURÉ Piano Quartet No. 1, Op. 15

CONCERTS FOR CHILDREN EMILY SAVES THE ORCHESTRA

VCHPRESENTS: INTIMATE MOMENTS FROM WEST TO EAST (乐享时光: 从西至东) Music by Borodin, Shostakovich, Sarasate, Françaix and Piazzolla

THE JUSSEN BROTHERS PLAY MOZART MOZART Concerto No. 10 for 2 pianos, K.365 ENESCU Pastorale-Fantaisie for Small Orchestra (Asian Premiere) BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”

AKIKO SUWANAI PLAYS MOZART MENDELSSOHN Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Op. 27 MOZART Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K.216 BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

SNYO IN CONCERT: ELGAR CELLO CONCERTO MALCOLM ARNOLD Four Cornish Dances, Op. 91 ELGAR Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100

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Dec 5 Dec | Esplanade Concert Hall Thomas Dausgaard conductor Haochen Zhang piano Singapore Symphony Orchestra

12 & 13 Dec | Esplanade Concert Hall Joshua Tan conductor Singapore Symphony Choruses and Orchestra

16 Dec | Victoria Concert Hall Isaac Lee organ Samuel Armstrong trombone

19 & 20 Dec | Esplanade Concert Hall Christopher Dragon conductor Singapore Symphony Orchestra

ZHANG HAOCHEN PLAYS MOZART MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491 BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major

SSO CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT THE ESPLANADE Glittering musical treasures for the yuletide season

VCHPRESENTS: ORGAN PIPE UP! II SSO POPS THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS Familiar tunes from the Star Wars films

Jan 10 Jan | Esplanade Concert Hall Joseph Calleja tenor David Giménez Carreras conductor Singapore Symphony Orchestra

17 Jan | Esplanade Concert Hall Hans Graf conductor Leonidas Kavakos violin Singapore Symphony Orchestra

THE MALTESE TENOR: JOSEPH CALLEJA A grand evening of classic arias

SSO GALA KAVAKOS PLAYS KORNGOLD DVORÁK Scherzo Capriccioso KORNGOLD Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”

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2019/20 Season

CHAMBER CHAMBER

FRENCH CONNECTIONS 14 NOV, 7.30PM

SUPPORTED BY

LOVE AND LONGING 10 NOV, 4PM Long Long, tenor Tengku Irfan, piano

In association with the 2019 Voilah! Festival

Lynnette Seah, violin Gulnara Mashurova, harp Musicians of the SSO

ORGAN

INTIMATE MOMENTS

PIPE UP! II 16 DEC, 12.30PM

FROM WEST TO EAST 21 NOV, 7.30PM

Isaac Lee, organ Samuel Armstrong, trombone

Zhang Si Jing, violin Musicians of the SSO

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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 talents 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.

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