SNYO In Concert: Scheherazade

SNYO in Concert

Scheherazade Sat, 11 Mar 2023, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

Another extraordinary performance proudly presented by SNYO

Sat, 11 Mar 2023 Esplanade Concert Hall

SNYO in Concert

Scheherazade Singapore National Youth Orchestra Joshua Tan conductor Kristin Lee violin*

RAVEL Mother Goose Suite 16 mins TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35* 33 mins Intermission 20 mins

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade, Op. 35* 42 mins

Concert duration: approximately 2 hrs (with 20 mins intermission) * Kristin Lee is the soloist for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and she will also be playing the concertmaster violin solos for Scheherazade.

Programme notes by Natalie Ngai, SNYO flautist and intern

Singapore National Youth Orchestra

A leading orchestra dedicated to the training of young orchestral musicians, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) occupies a special place in Singapore’s music community. SNYO alumni have gone on to become full-time musicians in Singapore and with orchestras around the world. Many are also educating the next generation of musicians and playing significant roles in the growth of Singapore’s vibrant cultural scene.

The Orchestra’s roots can be traced to the early 20th century before moving within the purview of Ministry of Education in 1980. In 2015, SNYO became part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO).

Recognised by the Ministry of Education as a National Project of Excellence, members in mainstream secondary schools with sustained involvement in the SNYO will have their participation in the orchestra recognised in lieu of a school-based Co-Curricular Activity (CCA). Entry into the SNYO is by a comprehensive audition process.

2

The Orchestra currently comprises over 180 talented young musicians aged 10 to 21, representing more than 60 schools across Singapore.

Consisting of two orchestras – the main orchestra and a junior training orchestra, the SNYO boasts a distinctive music talent development programme where members receive tutoring from professionals, including those from the SSO. Over the years, the SNYO has performed in concert venues and music festivals across Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The 2018/19 season also included performances at the Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and a side-by-side concert with the SSO featuring violinist Ray Chen at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore.

At the start of the 2018/19 season, Joshua Tan assumed the position of Principal Conductor with the SNYO and Peter Stark was appointed as its first-ever Principal Guest Conductor.

3

Joshua Tan conductor

A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Eastman School of Music, Joshua Tan was Second Prize winner of the Dimitri Mitropoulos International Competition and an awardee of numerous scholarships and awards, including the Young Artist Award – Singapore, Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Award, NAC-Shell Scholarship, and the SSO/MOE Scholarship. He was the first conductor to be presented the Charles Schiff prize from The Juilliard School. His performances of Bernstein’s Mass and the opera Don Pasquale were selected as the best classical concerts of the year 2018 and 2019 by The Straits Times.

Joshua has conducted orchestras all around the world. He has studied with various eminent conductors — James DePreist, Charles Dutoit, David Zinman and Kurt Masur — and worked with many others, such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Ingo Metzmacher and George Manahan.

A versatile conductor, Joshua is at home with symphonic, operatic and ballet works. His repertoire for opera includes La Traviata, Rigoletto, Der Fliegende Holländer, Lohengrin, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Così fan tutte, and Turandot. He is equally adept with music for ballet, film and multimedia, having worked for Disney’s Fantasia and Pixar, BBC’s Blue Planet series, West Side Story, Jurassic Park and more.

Presently Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and Director of the Asia Virtuosi, he has served successful stints as Resident Conductor of the National Center for the Performing Arts (China) Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Season 21/22 saw return engagements with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Singapore Dance Theatre as well as debuts with the Gunma Symphony and Melbourne Symphony, and a new opera premiere in Hong Kong.

4

Credit: Lauren Desberg

Kristin Lee violin

A recipient of the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as a top prizewinner of the 2012 Walter W. Naumburg Competition and the Astral Artists’ 2010 National Auditions, Kristin Lee is a violinist of remarkable versatility and impeccable technique who enjoys a vibrant career as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and educator. She is the co-founder and artistic director of Emerald City Music in Seattle and was recently appointed to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music faculty as Assistant Professor of Violin.

Lee has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Hawai’i Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Ural Philharmonic of Russia, Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra of China, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Dominican Republic. She has performed on the world’s finest concert stages, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Ravinia Festival, the Louvre Museum, the Phillips Collection, and Korea’s Kumho Art Gallery. An accomplished chamber musician, Lee is a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Born in Seoul, Lee began studying violin at age five and within one year won First Prize at the Korea Times Violin Competition. In 1995, she moved to the US to continue her studies under Sonja Foster and in 1997 entered The Juilliard School’s Pre-College. In 2000, Lee was chosen to study with Itzhak Perlman. Lee holds a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School.

For more information, visit www.violinistkristinlee.com.

5

Singapore National Youth Orchestra Joshua Tan PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR Seow Yibin ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR Peter Stark PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR Lim Meng Keh PERCUSSION TUTOR

FIRST VIOLIN Ashley Foong CONCERTMASTER Nathanelle Tan CONCERTMASTER Keith Ong CONCERTMASTER Jacob Cheng Tina Gao Goh Shi Eun Regan Ho Lee Seohyun Joshua Lim Nikki Poon Samuel Soekarno Marc Sommen Whelan Tan Marea Toh Tong Xinran Yeo See Kang Janelle Yuen

Joya Hossain Jay Lim Lareina Lim Vernell Lim Laurel Loh Charlotte Morel Elvis Ng Reuben Ong Suah Zen Rong Calista Tan Reegan Tan Samuel Tan Wang Qian Hui Mark Yang CELLO Han Chaeyoon PRINCIPAL Evan Khoo PRINCIPAL Li Ziyi PRINCIPAL Timothy Chua Ian Jang Aidan Khoo Zachary Lau Stanley Ngai Dayna Ong Joel Ong Stacy Tah Ephraim Tan Narella Widjaja Yan Yutong Aidan Yeong

SECOND VIOLIN Galen Gay PRINCIPAL Aidan Kwek PRINCIPAL Chloe Chee Ethan Chong Kayli Choo Hannah Chung Colette Goh Goh Shi Qin Khloe Gui Elise Kuah Keila Kwa Lauren Loh Ng Zhi Ning Raeanne Song Emily Tan

DOUBLE BASS Alexsalma Herbert PRINCIPAL Clarice Lim PRINCIPAL Ethan Foo Li Jiaying Lim Rui Yi Kaitlyn Wong

VIOLA Caitlin Chin PRINCIPAL Ethan Ong PRINCIPAL Elliott Chan Skyler Goh Hana Jang Kuah Ying Ching

6

FLUTE Natalie Ngai PRINCIPAL Chan Xingwei Christie Chong Carolynn Choo Justin Damhaut

TRUMPET Koh Mi Yo PRINCIPAL Soo Yi Jian Tobias Tan TROMBONE Reema Chatterjee PRINCIPAL Josh Kong Yeo Jun Jie

PICCOLO Carolynn Choo Justin Damhaut Natalie Ngai

BASS TROMBONE Martin Ong

OBOE Tok Rei PRINCIPAL Lucas Chan Kayden Yap

TUBA Ernest Foo

COR ANGLAIS Kayden Yap

TIMPANI Kilian Muliady Isaac Ng

CLARINET Claudia Toh PRINCIPAL Josette Hwang Ng Zhi Jian Qian Wanni Darren Sim Yap Fang Yi

PERCUSSION Mirella Ang Amos Choo Kilian Muliady Isaac Ng Alon Simons Putra Syahril

BASSOON Ang Jun En PRINCIPAL Li Ruidan Mark Strange*

HARP Chloe Lam Chloe Liow CELESTA Isaac Ng

CONTRABASSOON Ang Jun En HORN Chua Jia Xuan PRINCIPAL Chloe Lau Andrew Lee Rayney Poon Pia Ratnam

* SNYO Alumnus

7

Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937) Ravel was a French composer, pianist and conductor from the 20th century revered for his mastery of orchestration Among his teachers was the great French composer Gabriel Fauré Ravel’s compositional style has been described by music experts as impressionistic* *referring to music that conveys the moods and emotions that the composer felt towards the subject rather than depicting the way the subject appeared in reality

Other works by Ravel you may know: Boléro, Pavane pour une infante défunte, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Ondine

Mother Goose Suite Ravel, who loved fairytales, was inspired by five children’s stories from 17th- and 18th-century classic French fairytale collections to write the Mother Goose Suite.

The Suite started out as a piece for piano four hands and it was meant to be played by children. Its premiere was given by child pianists Jeanne Leleu and Geneviève Durony, who were aged 6 and 10 at the time.

Ravel composed the original piano duet from 1908 to 1910, and in 1911 orchestrated it into the suite we hear today. This orchestral suite, entitled Ma Mère l’Oye: Cinq pièces enfantines (Mother Goose Suite: Five Pieces for Children), is arranged for chamber orchestra with a relatively large percussion section. The popularity of the Suite was so great that in the same year, Ravel expanded it into a ballet revolving around the storyline of Sleeping Beauty.

INSTRUMENTATION: 2 flutes (1 doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes (1 doubling on cor anglais), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons (1 doubling on contrabassoon), 2 horns, timpani, crash and suspended cymbal, tam-tam, glockenspiel, bass drum, xylophone, triangle, celesta, harp, strings

8

What is a suite?

A suite (pronounced “SWEET”) is an ordered set of compositions to be performed as a complete work, usually unified by a theme or by tonality.

Each piece in the suite is called a movement.

Animations of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite alongside the music

https://www.scottbrothersduo.com/ravelmothergoose.htm

9

I.

Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty) The fairytale of Sleeping Beauty tells of a princess under an enchantment to sleep for one hundred years. The first movement provides a soft and delicate opening to Ravel’s timeless suite.

The sleeping princess is introduced in a slow, tranquil melody played by a single flute.

A duet between the solo clarinet and cor anglais is accompanied by pizzicato strings.

Another flute answers with a response in the sparkling high register.

The solo flute is answered by the violins to end the movement.

The flute melody from the beginning returns.

10

II. Petit Poucet (Little Thumb) In the fairytale Petit Poucet (literally translated to “Little Thumb”), a young boy was sent into the woods one day. Knowing that he might get lost on the way home, he dropped a trail of crumbs from his piece of bread to help him find his way back.

But when it was time to return home, he was surprised to discover that he could not find a single crumb – birds had eaten them all.

The constantly shifting meter in the introduction suggests the feeling of searching for a way home.

A wistful melody in the solo oboe is passed to the cor anglais.

A clarinet solo in the high register is echoed by the flute in the low register.

Birds now announce their arrival: the solo violin, piccolo and flute imitate the chirping and twittering of birds that eat the breadcrumbs.

Material from the introduction returns, as the lost boy continues wandering on his way home.

The music rises to a high point after a series of repeated ascending patterns.

The cor anglais continues the wistful wandering melody from before.

11

Piccolo and cello restate the theme in unison, and the flute answers accompanied by the violas.

III. Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes (Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas) This tale is of a Chinese princess who falls under a curse that transforms her into an ugly little girl (Laideronnette) and goes on several adventures in the Land of the Pagodas. A pagoda, in the context of the original fairytale, is a Chinese figurine with a grotesque face and a moveable head, popular as a decorating accessory in 18th century France. In this movement, the composer paints a scene from the story in which pagodas entertain the princess with singing and playing instruments carved from almond and walnut shells while she bathes.

“Oriental” music was very popular at the turn of the 19th century. Ravel himself heard a Javanese gamelan ensemble perform at the 1889 Paris Exposition. One of the ways Ravel portrayed this exoticism is by using the major pentatonic scale, which can be achieved by playing only the black notes of the piano or by singing do re mi so la.

The solo piccolo introduces a brisk melody outlining the notes in the major pentatonic scale.

A grand statement from the orchestra featuring the tam-tam.

A flute solo floats above the orchestra in a dreamy melody.

The return of oboe solo and call-and-response texture from the flute and cor anglais.

The introduction establishes the major pentatonic scale for the rest of the movement.

After an oboe solo, call-andresponse exchanges are played between flute and cor anglais.

The clarinet plays a gentle melody along with the harp.

With the help of percussion instruments like the xylophone and celesta, Ravel uses bell-like timbres to capture the exotic atmosphere of the Orient.

The movement ends brightly with four chords that use all the notes in the pentatonic scale.

12

IV. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Dialogues of Beauty and the Beast) The fourth movement depicts conversations between Beauty and the beast: an unhappy prince who had been cursed to turn into a beast. Beauty, who initially rejects the beast’s pursuits, sees that his good heart makes him less of a monster.

Upon her promise to marry him, the beast is freed from his enchantment and he becomes human again.

The contrabassoon represents the beast with its low, rumbling growl.

The waltz speeds up, escalating to a high point, then subsides.

The character of Beauty is represented by the elegant waltz that opens the movement.

The high register of the solo flute juxtaposes against the low notes of the contrabassoon, the lowest instrument of the woodwind family.

The music rises to a dramatic climax, punctuated with a crash of cymbals. A moment of tension frozen in the silence that follows.

The beast’s theme returns, but this time it is taken by the solo violin, symbolising the prince’s return to his true, human form.

The clarinet solo restates the theme from the opening of the movement.

13

A shimmering glissando in the harp, symbolising the beast’s transformation

Solo cello and piccolo restate the opening waltz theme one last time, before the music fades to a magical, happy ending.

V. Le jardin féerique (The Fairy Garden) This movement brings listeners through an enchanting fairy garden from Ravel’s own imagination. At the end, the composer brings the piece full circle as Sleeping Beauty is awakened from her spell and marries her Prince.

A slow, peaceful opening to the movement played by the strings sets the backdrop for the fairy garden.

A delicate melody played by the solo violin is accompanied by twinkling sounds from the celesta and harp.

In a grand climax, fanfare in the horns and wedding bells portrayed by the percussion suggest the marriage between Sleeping Beauty and her prince.

As more instruments join in, the musical texture continues to build.

The main theme starts in the violas and solo clarinet, and gradually builds.

14

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer and conductor from the Romantic period He wrote a wide range of compositions, and is famous especially for his ballets, operas and symphonies While his Russian peers were primarily interested in the creation of a distinctly Russian classical music style, Tchaikovsky’s compositions also drew from the German tradition Other works by Tchaikovsky you may know: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, 1812 Overture

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 This concerto was written by Tchaikovsky in 1878 upon recovery from an emotionally troubled period of his life, and is the composer’s only concerto for violin The idea of writing a large work for violin and orchestra came to Tchaikovsky after playing through Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole with a violinist who was also a close friend of Tchaikovsky’s, Yosef Kotek The concerto was originally dedicated to Kotek but it was ultimately changed to Adolph Brodsky, the violinist who gave the concerto its premiere After the piece was fully sketched out, Tchaikovsky rewrote the second movement to the one you hear today, and the original Andante was given a new home in the Méditation from Souvenir d’un lieu cher INSTRUMENTATION: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, solo violin

What is a concerto?

A concerto (pronounced “con-CHAIR-toh”) is a piece of music written for a solo instrument (or group of solo instruments) accompanied by an orchestra. A typical concerto comprises three movements in the order fast-slow-fast.

15

I.

Allegro moderato The first movement of the concerto is in the typical sonata form.

The orchestral introduction presents an opening theme which is heard only once in the piece.

After an intense display of trills and broken chords from the solo violin, the orchestra erupts in a majestic statement of the theme.

To introduce the theme of the first movement, the soloist presents the melody in the warm, singing middle register of the violin.

After all the excitement from before, the soloist introduces a different melody that carries a searching quality.

The soloist enters with an expressive melodic line of rising arpeggios.

INTRODUCTION & EXPOSITION

A grand violin cadenza written by the composer (as was tradition of concertos from the Romantic period) is highly virtousic to showcase the technical prowess of the soloist.

As the music gains momentum, a fast-paced coda brings the movement to an exciting close.

Variations of the theme are played by the soloist, with light accompaniment from the orchestra.

A number of techniques are demonstrated by the violinist, such as double and triple stops.

DEVELOPMENT

16

The orchestra eventually joins in during the recapitulation section, starting with a solo flute. The solo violin brings back the main theme.

RECAPITULATION

CODA

II.

Canzonetta: Andante The passionate second movement is in ternary form, and demands a high level of expressive maturity from the violinist.

The orchestral introduction opens with a wind soli played by the clarinet, horn and bassoon.

A brighter, more uplifting melody begins in the solo violin line.

The music returns to the melancholic feeling from before. Woodwind solos in the orchestra engage with the soloist as their melodies dance around each other.

An orchestral transition links the second and third movements without a break.

The soloist introduces the theme of this movement, full of melancholy.

A

B

A’

17

III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo The exciting final movement of the concerto is in sonata rondo form, and contains folk-like elements from the composer’s Russian heritage.

An explosion of energy from the orchestra opens the movement.

The soloist introduces the first subject, an energetic theme.

The soloist enters in the low register of the violin with double stops and pizzicato.

Woodwind solos from the oboe, clarinet and bassoon introduce a soft, tender melody that contrasts with the rest of the movement.

The folk-like idea returns in the low register.

The first subject returns, followed by technically demanding passages for the soloist.

The second subject played by the solo violin is folk-like, meanwhile, the cellos play double stops in fifths. This is reminiscent of Russian folk music which gradually accelerates.

DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION & EXPOSITION

18

The main theme returns in the solo violin yet again, with much brilliance and agility.

The soft, tender melody introduced by the solo oboe makes a reappearance.

A thrilling coda drives the piece towards a brilliant ending.

RECAPITULATION

CODA

Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 – 1908) Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, educator and conductor from the Romantic period Rimsky-Korsakov was a member of the Russian Five, a group of five nationalistic Russian composers who sought to create and popularise a unique Russian style of classical music. The Five wanted their music to have a more authentic Russian spirit compared to the elite style of the Russian Conservatory. Characteristics of their style include usage of Russian folk tunes and “oriental” scales such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. These were incorporated alongside traditional Western elements of harmony and form, presenting a balance between a consciously Russian flavour and a traditional Western approach.

Rimsky-Korsakov is highly regarded as the master of orchestration. His musical influence over numerous other composers includes Debussy, Respighi and Ravel.

Adapted from programme notes by Eda Chua

Other works by Rimsky-Korsakov you may know: Flight of the Bumblebee, Russian Easter Festival Overture

19

One Thousand and One Nights The One Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights) is a collection of folk tales originating from Persia and India around the Middle Ages. It is the literary classic upon which Rimsky-Korsakov bases his Scheherazade suite.

Synopsis of One Thousand and One Nights A cruel sultan, who had been betrayed by his first wife, was on a holiday at his brother’s palace. One night, he caught his brother’s wife having an affair with one of the palace servants. The sultan was blinded by shock and rage, and upon returning to his own palace he vowed to take revenge on all women by marrying a new maiden every night, then having her executed on the morning following the wedding. Day after day he did this, which made him infamous throughout the land. Scheherazade was the daughter of the palace vizier (a vizier is a highranking palace official). Fed up with the sultan’s actions, she devised a plan of her own. She volunteered herself as the sultan’s next bride, risking her life as part of the plan.

On the wedding night, Scheherazade’s little sister entered the room asking for one last tale from Scheherazade. Unbeknownst to the sultan, this had been planned between the two sisters. With the sultan’s approval, Scheherazade began a fascinating fairytale. Her storytelling skills were so mesmerising that the sultan was captivated all night long. But Scheherazade stopped the story before dawn, saying there was no time to continue. So the sultan, eager to hear the rest of the story, allowed Scheherazade to live one more day so that she could finish the story the following night. The next day she finished the story and began a new tale, once again stopping before it could end.

Each night she repeated this – ending every story on a cliffhanger and only revealing its resolution the following night. Her extensive reading of history and literature enabled her to tell such vivid tales for one thousand nights in a row, postponing her death from day to day. On the 1,001st night, Scheherazade ran out of stories to tell. She admitted this to the sultan and prepared to resign herself to the fate of facing the executioner. But the sultan, having fallen for Scheherazade’s charm and finally learnt the error of his ways, gave her a pardon instead. He never executed another wife, and so Scheherazade had potentially saved the lives of many women.

20

Scheherazade, Op. 35 Rimsky-Korsakov’s monumental orchestral suite Scheherazade is based on tales from One Thousand and One Nights.

The titles of the four movements are derived from the original stories in One Thousand and One Nights, but Rimsky-Korsakov always insisted that the music was not intended as an exact portrayal of any particular tale in the collection. Other than the ominous opening theme of the sultan and a recurring violin solo that is intended to suggest Scheherazade herself, no character motifs are used in the work. The composer himself explains it best: “The program I had been guided by... consisted of separate, unconnected episodes and pictures from The Arabian Nights, scattered through all four movements of my suite… The unifying thread consisted of the brief introductions to the first, second, and fourth movements and the intermezzo in movement three, written for violin solo and delineating Scheherazade herself as she tells her wondrous tales to the stern Sultan. The final conclusion of the fourth movement serves the same artistic purpose. In this manner, developing the musical material quite freely, I had in view the creation of an orchestral suite in four movements, closely knit by the community of its themes and motifs, yet presenting, as it were, a kaleidoscope of fairy-tale images and designs of Oriental character... In composing Scheherazade I meant the hints [conveyed by the titles] to direct the listener’s fancy but slightly on the path which my own fancy had traveled. All I had desired was that the listener, if he liked my piece as symphonic music, should carry away the impression that it is beyond doubt an Oriental narrative of some numerous and varied fairy-tale wonders and not merely four pieces played one after another.”

INSTRUMENTATION: piccolo, 2 flutes (1 doubling on piccolo II), 2 oboes (1 doubling on cor anglais), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, tambourine, snare drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, bass drum, tam-tam, harp, strings

Watch one conductor’s unique interpretation of the fourth movement:

https://www.classicfm.com/composers/rimsky-korsakov/news/yelling-scheherazade/

21

I.

The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship Largo e maestoso – Lento – Allegro non troppo – Tranquillo The tale Sinbad the Sailor from One Thousand and One Nights recounts the seven voyages of Sinbad. Rimsky-Korsakov’s passion for travel and the ocean carried on from childhood into his adult life. This movement, which functions as a prelude, was probably informed by Rimsky-Korsakov’s years of experience in the navy sailing to exotic places around the world.

The solo violin portrays the gentle voice of Scheherazade narrating her first tale.

Rimsky-Korsakov brings back the lilting theme to vividly portray the ocean and its vastness while the brass play a version of the majestic opening theme.

The tutti orchestra introduces a lilting theme, evoking imagery of the waves at sea.

The suite opens with an ominous motif played by the lower brass, which suggests the character of the sultan in One Thousand and One Nights.

Largo e maestoso & Lento

A tranquil interlude features string and wind soloists engaging in dialogue with each other, always to the lilting theme in the background.

Allegro non troppo

22

A number of solos from the flute, oboe and cello brings the movement gently to a close.

Tranquillo

II.

The Tale of Prince Kalendar Lento – Andantino – Allegro molto – Vivace scherzando – Moderato assai – Allegro molto ed animato The second movement of this symphonic suite sets listeners in an oriental scene.

Although it is unclear which of the three Kalendar Princes from One Thousand and One Nights this movement concerns, it is nonetheless a dramatic piece from Rimsky-Korsakov’s imagination.

The bassoon introduces the main theme, playing it slowly and freely.

This solo is filled with ornaments and set in the harmonic minor to paint an oriental atmosphere.

The music continues at a vigorous pace, where the orchestra begins a dramatic launch into brilliant call-and-answer textures and even a duet between two piccolos.

Dazzling brass fanfares disrupt the quaint melody, led by the solo trombone and solo trumpet.

The agitated energy from before resumes, and gains momentum.

The oboe gets its turn on the theme in brisk 3/4, followed by the violins.

The movement opens with the solo violin, as Scheherazade begins telling yet another story.

Lento

Andantino

In contrast to the quiet solos, the tension here rises dramatically again until the end of the movement.

The bassoon returns with more ad lib solos, this time with running notes that get faster and faster.

The clarinet plays a cadenza of slurred notes twisting around each other.

Allegro molto

Vivace scherzando

23

A soft interlude based on the opening theme is heard in solos in the flute, horn, violin and cello.

Moderato assai & Allegro molto ed animato

III. The Young Prince and Princess Andantino quasi allegretto – Pochissimo più mosso – Come prima – Lento – Pochissimo più animato In contrast with the other movements of the suite, the dreamy third movement’s lyrical character tells a tender love story.

A lyrical, sentimental melody is introduced in the strings in the opening of the movement. Clarinet and flute solos rise and fall.

This time, the violin solo appears in the middle of the movement instead of at the beginning.

Here the music is brought to an emotional climax with the full orchestra.

A merry theme in 6/8 introduced by the solo clarinet gives the music a light-hearted character.

The slow sentimental feeling heard at the beginning of the movement returns briefly.

Andantino quasi allegretto

Pochissimo più mosso

24

A whirlwind of movement; and the energy is later lowered gradually to end the movement on a light note.

Come prima

Lento

Pochissimo più animato

IV. The Festival at Bagdad — The Sea — The Ship Goes to Pieces on a Rock Allegro molto – Lento – Vivo – Spiritoso – Allegro non troppo e maestoso – Lento – Tempo come I The Suite’s finale brings together the themes from all four movements in an epic conclusion to the story.

The foreboding theme in the lower brasses opens the movement again, just like in the first movement. The sultan is now getting impatient for the story to continue.

Here the music swiftly builds up intensity with a rush of thrilling rhythmic motifs.

The music starts off quick and energetic as the festival scene is introduced.

The sweet voice of Scheherazade is heard once more, in a beautiful cadenza played by the solo violin.

The music gains momentum, while grand brass fanfares contrast with light woodwind staccatos.

The solo violin responds with two virtuosic cadenzas, but the solos are no longer gentle like before.

Instead, forceful double and triple stops reflect the heightened tension in Scheherazade’s voice.

Allegro molto & Lento

The clarinet solo cadenza from the second movement is transformed to an insistent declaration played by different sections of the orchestra.

The merry theme from third movement returns and alternates with the frenetic rhythmic motif from the fourth movement.

The grandest part of the entire piece, the full force of the orchestra brings the music to a glorious climax. The sea music from the first movement returns, this time evoking scenes of a shipwreck.

Punctuations from the percussion suggest the crashing of waves.

Rising arpeggios in the solo violin brings the piece softly to a close as Scheherazade drifts off into the first peaceful night of sleep she has had in almost three years.

Piu stretto

Vivo

25

Allegro non troppo e maestoso

Lento & Tempo come I

Schools represented in the Singapore National Youth Orchestra Anderson Secondary School Anglican High School Anglo-Chinese Junior College Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Bendemeer Primary School Bowen Secondary School Bukit Panjang Government High School Bukit Timah Primary School Cantonment Primary School Catholic High School (Primary Section) Catholic High School (Secondary) Changkat Primary School Chung Cheng High School (Main) Crescent Girls' School Damai Primary School Dover Court International School Dulwich College (Singapore) Dunman High School (Junior College) Dunman High School (Secondary) Eunoia Junior College Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) Gan Eng Seng School Hua Yi Secondary School Hwa Chong Institution (Junior College) Hwa Chong Institution (Secondary) Hwa Chong International School International Community School Methodist Girls' School (Primary) Methodist Girls' School (Secondary) Nan Chiau Primary School Nan Hua High School Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Nanyang Girls' High School Nanyang Primary School National Junior College National Junior College (Secondary)

Ngee Ann Secondary School NUS High School of Mathematics and Science Palm View Primary School Pasir Ris Secondary School Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School Punggol Secondary School Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Raffles Institution (Junior College) Raffles Institution (Secondary) Red Swastika School River Valley High School (Secondary) Rosyth School School of the Arts, Singapore Singapore American School Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School Singapore Chinese Girls' School Singapore Polytechnic Springfield Secondary School St. Joseph’s Institution (Junior College) St. Joseph's Institution (Secondary) St. Joseph's Institution Junior St. Margaret's Secondary School St. Patrick's School Tanglin Trust School Tanjong Katong Girls' School Tao Nan School Temasek Junior College Temasek Junior College (Secondary) Temasek Polytechnic United World College of South East Asia Unity Secondary School Victoria Junior College Victoria School

26

Singapore Symphony Group Administration CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Kenneth Kwok CEO OFFICE Shirin Foo Musriah Bte Md Salleh ARTISTIC PLANNING Hans Sørensen (Head) Artistic Administration Teo Chew Yen Jodie Chiang Michelle Yeo Lynnette Chng OPERATIONS Ernest Khoo (Head) Library Lim Lip Hua Avik Chari Wong Yi Wen Orchestra Management Chia Jit Min (Head) Peck Xin Hui Kevin Yeoh Production Management Noraihan Bte Nordin Fenella Ng Leong Shan Yi Asyiq Iqmal Ramayah Elango Khairi Edzhairee Khairul Nizam

COMMUNITY IMPACT Kok Tse Wei (Head) 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 Bte Ruslaine Singapore National Youth Orchestra Pang Siu Yuin (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 Production Jan Soh

PATRONS Development Chelsea Zhao (Head) Anderlin Yeo Nikki Chuang Elliot Lim Sharmilah Banu Marketing and Communications Cindy Lim (Head) Chia Han-Leon Calista Lee Sean Tan Myrtle Lee Hong Shu Hui Jana Loh Sherilyn Lim Elizabeth Low Customer Experience Randy Teo Dacia Cheang Joy Tagore CORPORATE SERVICES Finance, IT & Facilities Rick Ong (Head) Alan Ong Goh Hoey Fen Loh Chin Huat Md Zailani Bin Md Said Human Resources and Legal Valeria Tan (Head) Janice Yeo Fionn Tan Evelyn Siew Organisation Development Lillian Yin

27

Acknowledgements SNYO COMMITTEE Ms Liew Wei Li (Chair) Prof Qin Li-Wei Mr Benjamin Goh Ms Vivien Goh Dr Kee Kirk Chin Mrs Clara Lim-Tan WITH SUPPORT FROM MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, ARTS EDUCATION BRANCH Mrs Clara Lim-Tan Director, Arts Education Mr Low Ying Ning Deputy Director, Music & Drama Ms Chow Pei Yan Arts Education Officer, Music THE SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA WISHES TO THANK National Arts Council Temasek Foundation for support of SNYO outreach activities Tutors of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra Parents of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra members Principals of the participating schools

28

MEMBER OF SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP

PATRON SPONSOR

@SNYO.sg

SUPPORTED BY

RECOGNISED BY