singapore opera blog - the mad scene

Basso Canaries - Performers' Bios

2012-01-29T22:54:00.002+08:00

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So as a second feature of the upcoming Basso Canaries concert (starring ME!!!) I though I'd put up bios of the four performers. Hope it'll be interesting to you.

About the BASSO CANARIES

Founded in 2011, The Basso Canaries are two young local baritones Xiao Chunyuan and Steven Ang. These two vocalists have known each other when they were private students of Madam Elena Ng Choy-Luan, a famous Singaporean vocal educator, and perform together often in duets and as section leaders of choirs. As both aspire to professional careers in the arts, they have decided to form a performing duo with the moniker of The Basso Canaries.

Andrew Xiao Chunyuan
Born to a family of artistic culture, Chunyuan graduated recently from Singapore Raffles Music College with a Foundation Degree, equivalent to the UK’s Higher National Diploma as certified by the University Of West London.

Xiao became interested in singing during his secondary school days and this led him to come to a decision to learn singing in 2005 with Madam Elena Ng Choy Luan, a Singaporean soprano, notably famous for educating good singers. Under her tutelage, Xiao was awarded Grade 5 Merit by ABRSM that year.

Xiao was chosen to record the theme song for the Adidas China commercial advertisement in 2008. He was part of the pioneering batch of music students at the Singapore Raffles Music College, studying for an Advanced Diploma in Classical Singing.

Late 2009, Xiao was transferred to Mr. William Lim, well-known opera and oratorio singer in the Asia region. In 2010, Xiao was awarded 2nd prize at the 4th Zhong Sin International Music Competition, Male Vocal Open category. He also received a Diploma in Singing by the London College of Examinations Board, Thames Valley University. In late December 2011, Xiao received the honour of being one of the vocalists chosen to perform all new vocal works by Singaporean composers. In addition to singing, Xiao is also a composer and arranger. Two of his new works, Ding Dong Bells and The Ring That Left Behind have received their world premieres on 12th February this year. His music is available at free-scores.com and scoreexchange.com

Steven Ang
Steven Ang is an up-and-coming performer and arts journalist in the region. Currently studying classical vocal music in Taipei’s Soochow University, his main teachers are Singaporeans Reuben Lai, Elena Ng and Taiwanese Sun Ching-Chi.

Steven is active in the theatre, classical music and choral scenes and has performed in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Mainland China. Companies he has worked with include the Singapore Broadway Playhouse (ensemble actor), Echo Philharmonic Society (bass section leader and soloist), Musical Theatre Ltd (supporting role, undertaken in only two weeks), Singapore Symphony (chorus member), Taipei’s Cherubim Singers (vocal ensemble) and YinQi Symphony Chorus. Recent performances include recitals in Taiwan and Singapore, charity performances and chorus member for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Verdi’s Aida (co-production by the Taipei Symphony and Opera di Roma, undertaken in only 18 days).

In addition to performing, Steven is also the founder and editor of local opera e-zine The Mad Scene (http://the-mad-scene.blogspot.com) and Classical and Opera columnist for Time Out Singapore. His writings have also been featured in 8 Days and The Straits Times.

Beatrice Lin
Born in Singapore, Beatrice is sought after as a chamber musician and accompanist. She has worked with many instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors from Singapore and abroad. She is also actively involved in orchestras as a violinist and keyboardist, having performed with the Chamber Orchestra of Geneva. She has also been a répétiteur for many years, working closely with numerous local school choirs, the Singapore Dance Theatre, Singapore Lyric Opera, Opera Holland Park, London and Geneva Competition in 2008. She has performed as a concert soloist in the Czech Republic, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Beatrice graduated from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Of Music under full scholarship, supported by the National Arts Council where she studied with Albert Tiu and Khoo Siaw Sing. She then took on postgraduate studies at Royal Academy of Music with grateful support from the National Arts Council and Lee Foundation and completed her Masters in Piano Accompaniment under the class of Jean Jacques Balet at the Geneva Conservatory Of Music. Beatrice is also a member of piano trio The Incursion Trio, Singapore’s only professional piano trio ensemble.

Iris Koh
Iris Koh started learning music from young and received her ABRSM Grade 8 in Piano during her secondary school days. Soon after finishing her junior college at Raffles Junior College, she went to the University Of Adelaide to study for a Bachelor of Music, specializing in Musicology. Upon her graduation in BMus with Honours in Musicology, Iris continued her post-graduate studies and attained a Masters in Music at the University Of Queensland.

During her years with the Singapore Music Association, she was Vice-President in 2004 and was their Honorary Secretary from 2001 to 2002 and again in 2006.

Iris is also a vocal coach and choral conductor as well, with her choir receiving The Most Promising Choir award during the International Choral Festival held in 2005.

Iris is the founder of AthenArts which specialises in teaching vocal, piano and violin music as well as staging music events.

Recently she founded the Singers Club All Girls. The group recently performed at the TEDx Women Singapore Showcase on 8th Dec 2010, featuring her song Shoes. Subsequently this video was showcased in www.TED.com, a prestigious international website that promotes cutting edge ideas, innovation and world class speakers.

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Phew that's quite a chunk to get through. Once again the Basso Canaries concert takes place on 6 February 2012. Tickets are available at The Arts Houses's box office but you can also email themadscene@gmail.com or call 9180 9453 for tickets. Hope to see you there!

Stuart Skelton & Janice Watson in "Fidelio"

2012-01-26T21:05:00.000+08:00

Stuart Skelton, star of the SSO's Fidelio on 18 Feb, teamed up with SLO Salome star Janice Watson in an October 2011 performance in Taichung, with maestro Lan Shui conducting the local orchestra. Now who could possible be so boh liao as to tape record their act 2 duet and send it over to Singapore's only opera magazine?

So here's half a preview of what's to come and half a souvenir for SLO fans; Janice was clearly having an off night as she was having problems with high notes throughout the evening, maybe four evenings of gutsy singing two months earlier had taken its toll on her, or maybe it was the never-ending rain of Taiwan's autumnal season. Skelton on the other hand was quite a revelation with a robust, big tenor that still maintains a plush, soft but firm quality despite its big size. Dramatically both singers have clearly inhibited their parts (they were the only soloists not sight-reading that night) and were both convincing and moving in their portrayals. Enjoy!

O Namenlose Freude

Introducing Nabillah Jalal

2012-01-25T14:41:00.000+08:00

Because sometimes its good to offer a helping hand, especially when I finally have some time to take a breather and update my own blog. Nabillah Jalal is the only Singaporean accepted in the Royal College of Music's recent intake of piano students. Unfortunately she's rather strapped for cash at the moment. Below is the letter she sent in, go give it a read and see if you are able to help. Thanks!

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Hello The Mad Scene,

My name is Nabillah Jalal and I am 19 years old.

Recently, I have been granted instant acceptance to the world's number 1 conservertoire, Royal College Music (RCM) in London which accepts only 14 students worldwide annually to its RCM's Bachelor of Music (Piano) course and I am very thrilled to be part of this select group of pianists. However, an education abroad in one of the world's finest music conservatories is beyond my family's financial reach and we need all the help we can get to enable me to go forth and grasp this huge opportunity.

We are currently trying our best to pool our resources for this and I am also currently seeking financial help through various scholarships and the assistance of my MP. I am writing to you in hope that the local media will be interested to pick up my story and through it, reach out to a community who might be able to offer us some help.

Some clips of my past performances can be found here (http://youtu.be/cbUzf91P2Z8) I can also be contacted at nabillahjalal@gmail.com or +65 9620 3874 and I look forward to a positive reply from you.

Audtions for Sharpley's opera "Fences"

2012-01-20T21:12:00.002+08:00

It looks like OperaViva's long in-the-works production of John Sharpley's, ~~Richard Yeoh~~ Robert Yeo's (librettist) and Leow Siak Fah's (producer) opera Fences is finally getting off ground, and YOU have a chance to take part! Here are audition details FYR:

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OperaViva, together with creative director Chandran K Lingam, will be holding auditions for male and female singers for its upcoming production of FENCES, an opera composed by Dr John Sharpley, that will premier in August 2012.

FENCES is the story of Steven Lee, a young Chinese Singaporean and Nora, a Malay girl from Malaya, set against the backdrop of the turbulent political events of the 60's.

FENCES has six principal roles :

Steven LEE, early 20s
Nora Ibrahim, early 20s
Mr Lee,
Mrs lEE
Che Ibrahim,
Puan Ibrahim

and a chorus of 40 people. Ability to dance is a plus.

We are also looking for a young Lee Kwan Yew look-alike!

Auditions will be held on:

Date: Sunday, 12th February 2012
Time: 11.00am to 4.00pm
Venue: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
Seminar Room (B2-08)

Interested participants should:

1. Prepare a short classical song. You can choose to either bring an accompanist or sing a capella
2. Read/act a short monologue. You have the option to prepare your own or accept an impromptu reading from the libretto of FENCES.
3. Be able to read music.
4. Have some theatrical / music experience.

Application is for a singing part, either a particular role or as a member of the chorus.

Please register your interest by emailing us at belinda.yeoh@artscura.com with the following details:

Name:
Contact Number:
Voice Type:

On the 12 February, you should also bring with you a recent photo of yourself and your resume of performances.

We look forward to seeing Singapore's brightest!
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And if you do intend to audition, please mention that you found out about it here ok? All the best!

The Basso Canaries - 6 February 2012

2012-01-18T17:15:00.001+08:00

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And because everytime I come back someone is bound to ask when am I going to stage my comeback recital, I guess its about time to finally get around to doing one. The Basso Canaries concert takes place on 6 February 2012 (Monday), where I will be teaming up with my friend and fellow baritone Andrew Xiao, with help from our accompanists Beatrice Lin and Iris Koh. Andrew will be performing Barber's Three Songs by James Joyce, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and his own composition Three Years and Eight Months.

As for me, its a programme of favourite Chinese art songs by assorted composers, from classical poetry settings to love serenades and folk-dance tunes. One might think that such a programme might have been inspired by my time spent in Taiwan, but the truth is that Chinese music played only a minuscule part in my studies here, as we are only required to sing one song for each semester's exam. After two years of full-time studies I kinda missed working on this repertoire, so when the opportunity came to do this concert, I thought it would be a great chance for me to really explore these numbers in greater detail. I will also be bringing home some items I picked up in Taiwan, including contemporary compositions by established composers, so those looking for a fresh spin on what's going on in other countries will also have something to look forward to. Future projects in Singapore are already in the works and will be more focused on Western rep.

So what we have here is a really wide-ranging and yet in-depth programme that caters to a really broad variety of tastes, from serious song cycles and Asian compositions (including a world premiere), to nostalgic favourites and frivolous showtunes. Tickets are at a really low cost of $12 (inclusive of ticketing surcharges), about the price of a weekend movie ticket but promising the excitement that only live entertainment can bring, so please show some support by buying a ticket and attend our little event.

Tickets are not available for purchase on Bytes.sg, but please email me at themadscene@gmail.com and I will purchase them on your behalf. Cya!

Tan Dun Interview Feature on Time Out Singapore

2012-01-13T12:49:00.000+08:00

Tan Dun brings his act to town on 27 and 28 Jan and I got to discuss his latest Martial Arts Trilogy project with him for this month's issue of Time Out Singapore. Check out my feature here.

Samsung GALAXY Note - FCU2 ep. 4 Fly Like A Buttress

2012-01-10T23:26:00.003+08:00

Advertorial

Sometimes after a hard day's work its just calming to watch something utterly boh liao by people who are really good at it; and so I was entertained by this internet series FCU, which stands for Fact Checkers Unit. its about pretty two guys from some made-up government agency where they have to verify if certain random celebrity information is true, which is of course cue for a list of celebrity cameos including Moby and, in this latest episode, DMC from Run DMC. Oh and you'll get to see the new Samsung GALAXY Note smartphone in there too, though not in an obvious, intrusive way. Take a break from your arias and check out this video, we'll get back to discussing trills soon!

This post is sponsored by Samsung

Andoyama and Bevlyn Khoo Performs Jazz Classics

2012-01-09T23:40:00.001+08:00

Andayoma is a French Caribbean Jazz singer, composer, and songwriter based in Singapore. Her show this Thursday and Friday at The Arts House will see her delivering unique renditions of jazz classics such as: “The Shadow of your smile” (J. Mandel/P-Francis Webster), S'Wonderful (Gershwin), and "The Waters of March" (Antonio Carlos Jobim.). Joining her is Bevlyn Khoo. Check out www.bytes.sg for details.

Happy New Year Everyone!

2012-01-01T00:53:00.000+08:00

Yes there's been a dearth of updates recently, please excuse me as I had to go through 6 full performances in December 2011 alone, including 2 solo recitals, 2 choir recitals, a dance performance and Beethoven's 9th (just concluded), so my apologies to all you readers as well as those who have sent me stuff but I have not had the capacity to respond to. Here's to a great 2012 and many more fabulous operatic moments to come!

So while I'm still on a 'Choral' high, here's a clip of Beethoven's classic celebration of humanity set to a beautiful backdrop of fireworks, curtesy of Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic. Isn't wonderful at times that we have made such amazing, soul-stirring music part of our lives? Enjoy!

Wicked - Media Invite and Review

2011-12-15T00:16:00.000+08:00

WICKED - the musical

and

EXCLUSIVE INVITATION TO TV CREWS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

A Review by

Hawk Liu

I had an amazingly 'wicked' day at the media session in the Grand Theater. Armed with a goodies bag of 'Wicked' media material and a wicked 'Wicked' green water bottle (!) I went into the theatre into the company of some TV crew and many photographers and reporters of sorts, some from other countries including Indonesia and even Australia. A pleasant surprise was seeing my friend, Emilie-Ann Oehlers with her friend Joanne, attending the event too.

After a video screening about the success the musical has received, we were given many interesting insights to the show by the managers and some of the actors, including Madame Morrible, showing off her magnificent costume. The highlight of the afternoon was the performance of 3 songs from the show, fully staged with full sets already in place...and twice each song! The songs were Loathing, Popular and One Short Day. We got to video and photograph from anywhere in the auditorium and I felt like a little kid running off to a different position whenever they would run the same songs for a second time.

The general Q and A was followed by another one where we were grouped smaller with the lead actors rotating between the groups so that we could ask more questions. It was great because we got to see them in costume real close! They were all so friendly and genuine. They told us they were staying opposite to Lau Pak Sat and loved the Satays. So guess where I went and what I had for supper after the show that night...

Q&As

After confirmation of 2 complimentary tickets available for the evening, I got a friend to come see the show with me - what a treat!

The show -

For the uninitiated, here is a gist of the story. Elphaba, born literally green, and Glinda, born glamourous, became the unlikeliest of best friends since they met in school. The story reveals the events that led to Elphaba being the bad witch in the film 'The Wizard of Oz', starring Judy Garland. It also revealed the personal stories of the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. You must also meet Madame Morrible, the villainous.

The sets on the stage was magnificent! A huge dragon with wings greeted us above the proscenium - alright, the proscenium couldn't be seen anyway because it was totally covered by stairways, twigs and other set items. There were many clock motives, and coloured lights on the set abound. There was quite a bit of wire-work where actors were hanging in the air - flying monkeys, Galinda flying on a bubble, and of course the spectacular Elphaba soaring into the air in 'Defying Gravity'. This stunt was more stunning that I ever imagined it to be! The lighting effect on the stunt alone made it impressive and it did look as if the witch was nearer than she really was. I think the unsung hero of the show were the lights. They do so much to make sense of the scenes being played out.

Alright - will the sound men please make sure that the lead vocals are louder than the orchestra please - I don't want to miss anything they sang! So often, in music theatre and opera, the orchestra would be louder than the singers they are supposed to accompany!

The story was truly engaging, especially since I hadn't read the story before. The characters were each special and different and I believed each of them. The story was tight throughout, except for the opening of Act 2, which was the fault of the writers - the song kind of went on and on about nothing much. The script was really good and there were so many nuances that made the show work - bravo to both the script and the director. The music in terms of the overall sound was impressive and the orchestra was immaculate. However, the music in terms of the writing left me wanting to hear more recognisable melodies, as well as melodies that carry themselves longer in each song. The good songs were really good but tunes were alacking otherwise. For example, the music for the chorus was not very tuneful. They were impressive harmonies with almost no tunes - that's how I would put it. Of course, that would not negate the great performance of the chorus which gave high energy throughout in their performance.

The actors were all good, top class singing from Glinda, Elphaba, Fiyero, Nessarose and Boq. Faultless! The charactor roles were all well acted and Madame Morrible was certainly 'wicked' to the core! - in a good way. Glinda (Suzie Mathers) and Elphaba (Jemma Rix) were truly amazing in their respective, long and involved roles, and I cannot fault them anywhere! What exquisite singing too! Both roles were very well written and they certainly didn't disappoint. I didn't think Glinda's role, being a superficial character, could be taken seriously. I was wrong. Her character developed well in the show and her motives were strong. Oh yeah, Fiyero was totally believeable as the 'air-headed' male lover. At the Q and A sessions, he was certainly no 'air-head'. He was good looking and had a good brain in there. I would like to single out the performance of Elisa Colla as Nessarose. Although not a huge role , she managed to project a very strong personality for her character. I couldn't believe how her character turned out at the end - such fire!

Great acting, dancing and singing - great performance! Wicked was a most satisfying evening for me. See it!

SLO 'Don Giovanni' and SSO 'Fidelio' Cast Announced

2011-12-13T00:05:00.000+08:00

February looks set to be an epic showdown between our only professional Western orchestra and opera company, as both the SLO and SSO are presenting their own opera presentations only a week apart. Both works are masterpieces of the classical genre, one uses a familiar, largely local ensemble cast while the other presents a roster of ang mohs who have undoubtedly sung their parts elsewhere with acclaim. The tragedy is that I won't be in town to witness the fight in person, but for all of you who cares, here's a glimpse of what we can expect:

SLO Don Giovanni

24, 25, 27, 28 Feb

Don Giovanni - Song Kee Chang

Il Commendatore - William Lim
Donna Elvira - Ee-Ping
Don Ottavio - Melvin Tan
Donna Anna - Nancy Yuen
Leperello - Huang Rong Hai
Masetto - Martin Ng
Zerlina - Cherylene Liew

Really, what better way to cast an ensemble opera than with an ensemble of made-in-Singapore stars (by this I'm referring to artists who have become familiar here through many performances over many years)? Do check out our favourite live opera singers as they take on their respective landmark operatic roles in this most dramatically engaging yet equally comedic of musical masterpieces.

SSO Fidelio
18 Dec

Sinéad Mulhern (Leonore/Fidelio)
Stuart Skelton (Florestan)
Diogenes Randes (Rocco)
Camille Butcher (Marzelline)
Michael Heim (Jaquino)
Carsten Wittmoser (Don Pizarro)
Johannes Schmidt (Don Fernando)

Singapore Symphony Chorus
Singapore Bible College Chorale
Hallelujah Chorus
The Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Lan Shui conductor

I have personally heard Stuart Skelton's Florestan in Taiwan, also with Lan Shui at the helm, and its a really solid voice (and figure) to behold. Those of you are hungry for a true dramatic tenor with the right colours and ease on the top have something to look forward to. If that performance is any indication of Maestro Shui's intentions, we can expect a small, lean, orchestra delivering the music at neck-breaking tempi.

Details on the Events Page

"Belle Epoque Shanghaied" in Review

2011-12-10T15:24:00.001+08:00

Belle Epoque Shanghaied
Esplanade Recital Studio

8 to 10 December (Thurs/Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm & 8pm)
written by Hawk Liu

Belle Epoque Shanghaied was loosely about an European couple who had an adventure in a cabaret in Shanghai with little twists and turns. The story is richly decorated with operetta songs in English, German, French and Mandarin, and the dialogue uses just as many languages.

The multi-cultural cast was certainly watchable, each with their own distinct identities that made them believeable. There was a song at every turn which was a pleasure. The two most attractive and technically able voices in my esteem were Brendan-Keefe Au and Tan Ting Lim though diction was a little lacking in the latter. Both do not come across as the strongest actors. In contrast, Sabrina Zuber was full of fun in the acting department and took every opportunity to show how comfortable she was in her character. She displayed a good range in her acting abilities. Though her voice projected easily, I did wish it stayed longer in each pitch she sang.

Allison Lester as the proprietress of the Cabaret was fun to watch, a diligent actor who never let down her character as long as she was on stage. Sustaining her laughing 'marathon' during Sabrina's laughing song from Die Fledermaus was admirable. A very pitch-accurate, though a somewhat less-strong voice, Allison gave us a very haunting 'Mack the Knife' in the original German and also in Mandarin! Allison's spoken Mandarin was also amazing! By the way, I love her high-collared shiny Mandarin costume which befitted her character. Robert Jenkin's beautiful voice was loud and clear and I believed his querky character totally. I did wish he took his patter song a lot faster! Dayal Singh, playing a seemingly minor character, had a lot to do a stage and was physically the most engaged on stage. I swear he could do a cartwheel while singing at the same time. Although not a technical singer, he nevertheless sang his boots off in every song.

The dialogue was interesting enough if you put it in the context of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, and a multi-lingual one. The actors were convincing, switching languages at every turn. A key element that lacking for me was the speed of delivery; I felt as if I was watching a Gilbert and Sullivan in slow motion.

I love the use of spotlights on the sets and the lantern theme was very attractive. While some parts tend to move slowly, it was altogether an enjoyable evening. A celebration of operetta songs that fans of operettas would love!

The Mad Scene in Concert

2011-12-07T01:25:00.001+08:00

Poster, click to enlarge

Somehow it never occurred to me to blog about this concert on The Mad Scene: my compulsory year 3 recital (yeah its been that long!), especially when the source of inspiration for design is obvious. If you happen to be in Taipei this coming Thursday 8 December 2011, do drop by and check out The Mad Scene - in Concert. I'm a nervous wreck right now trying to squeeze in last minute practices, tying up logistical loose ends and coping with the erratic weather here. More details can be found on the Facebook Invite.

Postcard front

Postcard back

WISH ME LUCK!!!

SLO Annual Concert in Pictures

2011-12-02T23:18:00.001+08:00

The Singapore Lyric Opera's recent 2011 Annual Concert has concluded with star-studded performances by Nancy Yuen, Song Kee-Chang and Lee Jae-Wook. Here are some pictures of the night's proceedings:

2011-11-29T13:16:00.000+08:00

There are some jobs that you do for the pleasure that it brings for a job well done, and there are jobs that you take on in order to pay the bills, hence this month's Time Out Classical feature on Katherine Jenkins. I see it as a way of stratching my capabilities by stepping out of my comfort zone. Check it out here.

Vodka Kimchi

2011-11-28T23:19:00.000+08:00

One can always count on Sumi Jo for a fun interview and she delivers even in this one minute plus clip, conducted in English, Korean and Italian, where she gushes about how Dimitri Hvorostovsky would be the perfect colleague except for one tiny thing:

Berlin Philharmonic Live Broadcast in Taipei

2011-11-25T21:56:00.001+08:00

This is something that I attended recently and am posting about it here in hopes that it'll inspire the powers-that-be back home to do something similar.

Because I had such a thrill on 18 November watching a free live relay of the Berlin Philharmonic's performance of Mahler's 9th at the National Concert Hall at the Taipei Arena (an indoor stadium for sports and rock concert extravaganzas). The concert was also relayed to stadiums in Xinzhu, Taichung and Hualian, as well as on the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall.

Free tickets were given out at the National Concert Hall's MRT station at 9am on 11 November, a week before. Queues started building up from 8am. Here are pics of the crowd queuing up for Berlin Phil simulcast tickets:

The Taipei Arena was so crowded on that day that traffic police had to be called in to usher passersby from the surrounding roads (it was the same location where I had triumphed in Aida only a few weeks ago). Two hosts entertained the live crowd of almost 10,000 audiences as well as viewers watching online. This concert is the first time an overseas Berlin Phil concert was broadcasted on their website. Needless to say, government officials didn't waste this opportunity to showcase their wares and web listeners were shown trailers about Taiwanese tourism and business opportunities.

Watching the concert on a giant LCD screen with so many people, it feels as though I'm watching a movie in a cinema except that its actually a live classical event that only a supposedly niche audience cares about. Also watching Sir Rattle and a bunch of Ang Mohs walk onstage, It seemed eerily familiar to viewing concert DVDs at home, where the film typically starts by showing footage of the concert hall or opera house, except that the house being shown at the moment isn't in some exotic locale like Berlin, Lucerne or New York, but in the very heart of Taipei just a few MRT stations away from where we are (I even saw a classmate sitting on the front row with his mom!)

After the concert, the roads from the National Concert Hall to Taipei Arena were cleared to drive Sir Rattle and company to the Arena ASAP. They were met with cheers and an ovation worthy of rock stars. Crowds from the other three cities also joined in the cheering through web relays. The orchestra and Sir Rattle were so touched that they promised to come back again in the near future.

Afterwards, vendors set up makeshift, pasar malam-like stalls outside the stadium selling Taiwanese editions of Berlin Phil DVDs.

So yeah, it was a triumph all round; the Berlin Phil had yet another successful night performing a single concert to almost 20,000 live audiences, we audiences got to watch the whole thing for free (except those who actually attended the live event), DVD sellers got a good bonus and advertisers got their money's worth. The free programmes given out even had a log-in password for us to try out the digital concert hall ourselves! And all this fuss about classical music!

Melvin Tan's Winter Words

2011-11-23T00:07:00.001+08:00

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Tenor Melvin Tan puts his BMus Hons (RAM) MA Hons (Edin.) LRAM to good use once again in his upcoming recital Winter Words on 18 December 2011. Here's a description of what the show is about:

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WINTER SONGS: An Art Song Tribute to 3 Great English Tenors

Local Operatic and classical Tenor, Melvin Tan returns to the Esplanade Recital studio on 18th December 2011 at 5:30pm with a sublime and rarely heard program of winter-themed song with a sprinkling of popular Chistmas songs and carols. Fresh from his success in 2011, in all 3 major productions of the Singapore Lyric Opera, ‘Winter Songs’ is a more intimate portrait of Melvin as an artist. With 2 Singapore-premiere song cycles, one performed with a 10–piece professional string ensemble, ‘Winter Songs’ promises to be a reflective yet invigorating paean to Winter and Christmas.

Come celebrate a Classical Christmas.

“Seldom has a more intelligent and coherent art song programme been drawn, and delivered with zest and panache… his expansive yet supple voice filled the hall, ringing with a bright bell-like lustre” –Chang Tou Liang, Straits Times, August 2010

“Tan was the star of the evening…a naturally gifted tenor with a gloriously rich and musical voice that instantly captivated and enthralled” – Nicole Lisle, Oxford Times, UK, July 2008.

Britten Winter Words Op.52
Finzi Dies Natalis (for Tenor and String Ensemble)
Songs by Hoiby, Lauridsen, Howells, and other popular seasonal encores.

Melvin Tan Tenor
Shane Thio Piano
Beatrice Lin Piano
With String Ensemble

Winter Songs is a heartfelt tribute to 3 renowned English tenors: Philip Langridge, Robert Tear and Antony Rolfe Johnson who have sadly passed away in the last year, all of whom had contributed significantly (whether directly through teaching and mentoring or by inspiration) to Melvin’s singing and career.

Britten’s nostalgic song-cycle about experience, Winter Words, set to poems by Thomas Hardy was a hallmark song cycle for all 3 tenors. A handpicked selection of seasonal songs and carols, some from Britten’s Folksong arrangements along with other winter-themed art songs conjure up the magic of a white Christmas.

Finzi’s cantata Dies Natalis, on the wonder of the birth of the Christ child, completes the programme along with some seasonal popular encores to encompass the spirit of winter and the season.

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Check out the Events Page for more information. Also do look out for a feature of Melvin in December's issue of Time Out Singapore magazine.

P.S. guess who's slated to sing Don Ottavio in SLO's February Don Giovanni?

Drumming to the Classics

2011-11-20T23:45:00.000+08:00

Only the Japanese could think of something like this: a Taiku drumming game set to music of a heavily-accented Beethoven's 9th. I think this is the right way to get my teenage cousin who spends all his time on such music games to take an interest in classical music. Let's hope it'll arrive at a Singaporean arcade soon!

"Cabaret Nights" in Review

2011-11-17T23:48:00.001+08:00

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CABARET NIGHTS @ THE FRENCH STALL
10 November - 9 December
30 min shows at 7.30pm and 9.30pm
TFS Bistrot, 544 Serangoon Road, SG 218166
Cast: Xavier le Henaff, Nathalie Ribette, Tini
presented by SING'THEATRE Ltd
Directed by George Chan

A Review by Hawk Liu

Not knowing what to expect, I walked down Serangoon Road to look for TFS Bistrot and found a delightful looking place right at a corner of a side street. Probably a former local coffee shop converted into a French looking joint, it was painted sunny yellow and blue with dining tables draped with 'French' looking table cloth, and not to mention the matted chairs too. Sitting down, I felt at home immediately in my surroundings. The staff was friendly and the owner (originally from Bretagne, France), Monsieur Xavier le Henaff (hmm... a charming man...), greeted us and we had a nice little chat before we proceeded to make our orders for dinner.

Looking around me, I was sure some of the diners didn't know what was going to descend upon them. Promptly at 7.30pm, a gleeful Xavier and the lovely Natalie and Tini welcomed the diners and very soon broke into song - the Cabaret had started. Choosing to don simple blacks for the ladies and the typical chef attire for Xavier, the cast treated us to a mini musical of songs in French and English, loosely wound around a story of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Bistrot, and it was indeed the 10th year of the Bistrot. Alright, I won't tell more - you just have to come to the joint yourself and find out what they are up to! I enjoyed the myself with the singers coming right next to the diners' tables during their act - the stage was the entire Bistrot with some of the serving staff gamely dancing along at times.

The singers weren't the only stars. The food was delicious. I had French (what else!) onion soup, garlic bread (oh garlic bread can be so yummy) and marinated chicken which I took the longest time at to savour every bit. Hungry yet? Catch some yummy French food and musical fun at 544 Serangoon. To quote my friend sitting with me that night, "It was a little French culture in little India."

Jeong Ae-Ree's "On Wings of Song"

2011-11-15T00:06:00.001+08:00

Click to enlarge

the ever lovely Jeong Ae-Ree stages another recital under the banner of her new company New Opera Singapore, entitled On Wings of Song. She will be presenting the art songs of F. Mendelssohn, F. Schubert, R. Strauss, S. Rachmaninov, A. Previn, Tsao Chieh, Zechariah Goh, F. Poulenc, W. Walton. Check out the poster above or their Facebook Event for more information, or just email newoperasingapore@gmail.com for tickets.

Rumbling Canaries

2011-11-12T00:21:00.000+08:00

This stupendous performance of Don Giovanni's finale by Bryn Terfel, Rene Pape and Thomas Quasthoff showcases the baritone voice in its fullest glory:

Cabaret Nights by Sing'theatre

2011-11-09T23:25:00.001+08:00

Sounds like a really good deal this is... For the price of $29.90 you get a full course meal plus a professional cabaret performance. Check out the details from Sing Theatre's press release below:

CABARET NIGHTS @ THE FRENCH STALL

10 November - 9 December

Chef of French Bistro uses musical theatre ingredients to cook a crispy show for its 10th anniversary.

The famous French Stall, all revamped and renamed TFS Bistrot, has lent its whips to the creative juice of local theatre company Sing’theatre ( A Singaporean in Paris) to mastermind the ultimate recipe of food and entertainment in the most authentic, relaxed and popular French bouquet. Seduced by the genuine atmosphere of TFS Bistrot, international star, Europe connoisseur, George Chan rolled up a crunchy direction for A SHOW served right to the diners’ tables, on the terrace, of course! As anniversary goodies go, this unparalleled performance is offered to the clientele, free of charge but full of generosity, wits and fun.

“TFS Bistrot and Sing’theatre share the same values, we want to make the popular French culture accessible to all Singaporeans. We want to showcase the honest and creative Ratatouille rather than the sophisticated Moulin Rouge” chips in Nathalie Ribette, Sing'theatre's artistic director.

“A bistro, unlike a restaurant, is not a place about making a lot of money; it’s a place about enjoying people” modestly states chef owner Xavier Le Henaff. At TFS Bistrot, you savour the joyous experience that is true bistro dining: tasty, generously served fares inspired by La Cuisine des Mères (The Mothers’ cooking), whipping favourite staples served at a fair and reasonable price. TFS Bistrot, boldly standing on its Serangoon Road corner with its new coat of blue and sunny colours, offers the appropriate old fashioned, inviting atmosphere where “les habitués” (the regulars) can brawl an intimate relationship with the patrons and employees, a reminder of the origins of bistro: a family business that served the working class.

Artists are the salt and pepper of the French heart and that French muscle sings mainly to the aroma of cuisine. TSF Bistrot and Sing’theatre knead for us the legendary alliance of artists and bistros. Hemingway, Joyce, and Rimbaud were regulars. Jeremy Irons, Travolta, Robert de Niro are habitués.

From 10th of November to 7th of December, Serangoon antiquated tiled floor perfectly stages a witty performance among diners comfortably seated on straw-bottomed chairs, enjoying heart-warming fares on fancy tablecloths.

In France, all finishes with a song, but all starts with a song as well when it comes to Cabaret. Sing’theatre boils down the ingredients of the quintessential French quid pro quos in a clever acting and singing show. The wife of the Boss (Nathalie Ribette) eavesdrops and mistakenly interprets the conversation her husband (Xavier Le Henaff) is having with the sexy and dynamic new manager (Tini). Nothing to worry about, True Love will triumph and to share this happy ending, all diners will be treated with a piece of delicious birthday cake.

For a memorable month, twice a night, you experience the spicy taste of a true French “Patron” (the Boss): a generous, larger than life personality, who shares his passion for food and good time. Xavier Le Henaff enthusiastically swaps his toque every night for his leading role in the comedy brought to you by Sing’ theatre, serving a big-hearted performance with an undeniably French air.

Director George Chan
Script Jasmine Teo
Musical Director Peter Stead
Executive Producer Nathalie Ribette
Producer Sing’theatre Ltd

Cast Xavier le Henaff, Nathalie Ribette, Tini

Venue TFS Bistrot, 544 Serangoon Road, SG 218166

Dates 10 November - 9 December 2011
Two Shows a night 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM
Every evening except Mondays & 15 & 17 November

Reservation 6299 3544 / 9712 5563

Menu Formule TFS Bistrot @ $29,80 or à la carte. Check the Dish of the day. No extra charge for the performance.

Albert Tiu Feature on Fanfare Magazine

2011-11-07T00:15:00.000+08:00

Albert Tiu, professor at our very own YST Conservatory, has scored yet another exclusive magazine feature for his recordings following the one on Time Out Singapore by (ahem...) your's truly. Check it out here:

http://www.fanfaremag.com/content/view/46545/10245/

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)

2011-11-07T00:10:00.000+08:00

Hand it to the folks at Monty Python to bring us something to cheer up another mundane Monday morning, these British fellas really know their oratorios well enough to offer a good send-up!

Belle Epoque Shanghaied - 8 to 10 December 2011

2011-10-29T22:22:00.000+08:00

The famous operetta group Belle Epoque just announced their third and most ambitious project yet: Belle Epoque Shanghaied

Belle Epoque Shanghaied

Esplanade Recital Studio from 8 to 10 December (Thurs/Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm and 8pm)

Belle Epoque Shanghaied is a nice example of artistic integration: the cast is from Italy, Australia, USA, New Zealand and Singapore; the story line brings us from Paris to Shanghai in the late 1910s; the music offers a beautiful repertoire selected from the best operetta tradition (sung in English, German, French and Mandarin).

Follow our French “Coquette”, and her Marquis,on their journey to the mystical Orient.

An operetta of intrigue, passion and frivolity at the turn of 20th century, where the notes from the great masters such as Jacques Offenbach,Franz Lehar, Johann Strauss II and many others will lead the audience through a musical experience!

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More information of the Events Page.

TSO Aida - 23 & 25 Oct 2011

2011-10-26T22:12:00.004+08:00

This is probably the craziest thing I've ever done: agreeing to join the chorus of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra and Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's co-production of Aida with only 18 days to curtain up, which among other things entailed memorising the entire score within this time (and you know how much Verdi loved his choruses). I literally had to put everything in my life on the shelf as I attended nightly rehearsals on the weekdays and whole-day rehearsals on the weekend. By then the production has moved on to staging so its up to me to work on the music on my own in between practices. Sounds like a huge rush, but then if Maria Callas can learn I Puritani in 2 weeks while singing La Valkyria, then so can I do the same with Aida.

The production was riddled with problems from day one: the Italian production team and local administrators were beset with differences from cultural, artistic and administrative standpoints, which made the already daunting task seem even more difficult.

Unbelievably, this is only my first time taking part in a full opera production. It really is quite a jump forward from the recitals (solo or choral) that I usually do, with staging and some really bulky costumes to consider. But then these things give the music so much more meaning that you can't help but sing better because of it.

Chorus Boys

This production stars Isabella Kabatu as Aida, Rossana Rinaldi as Amneris, Mario Malagnini as Radames (replacing Salvatore Licitra), Giacomo Prestia as Ramfis and most impressive of all in terms of star power, Juan Pons as Amonasro. While the other personalities are not quite big-name draws, they are top-drawer singers at top houses like La Scala, working with folks like Baranboim, Abaddo and Muti.

Rossana Rinaldi

Isabella Kabatu in plainclothes, which already makes her look like Aida.

Mario Malagnini

If there's one thing I learnt about top-flight international singers, its that they don't like to rehearse much. These singers only arrived a few days before showtime, and hardly sang a high note during rehearsals. So to accompany us during the rehearsal process, management has engaged the services of Emilio Marcucci, Elena and Daniella, three professional singers in less starry houses, to be understudies (a classmate was engaged at the last-minute to understudy Radames). Having inside connections to the understudy cast was great, and the small bunch of us would go for late-night dinners after rehearsals, where we got to discuss how the opera industry worked in Europe among other things. Emilio was especially kind and offered to give us free coaching lessons, simply because he had nothing to do in the day (I of course skipped every class and told him that I'm free whenever he is). The two of us even organised a masterclass for him and became a kind of entourage around him.

Third from left: Juan Pons, third from right: Giacomo Prestia, bent over lady: Rossana Rinaldi

With Elena (right) and Daniella (left)

And then came the production itself, three nights of rehearsals and two performances at the Taipei Arena, performing to an audience of 16,000 in total. I was quite astonished that I managed to learn all of the words and music (even though I admit to the occasional memory slip, but I was at least competent enough to recover quickly, got my entrances correct, sung with the required dynamics most of the time and the had confident to go full-throttle when required). So it was quite a surreal experience, with much hard work put in and rewards gained. Right now I'm just thankful to resume my regular life, and will probably look back at this experience with great satisfaction.

See the rest of my photos on my Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150353795688800.353314.754598799&type=1

Stylus Phantasticus Und Liedvariationen Bis Bach - a Review

2011-10-19T11:51:00.003+08:00

Tracks:
Bach, J S: Chorale Partita BWV767 'O Gott, du frommer Gott'
Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major, BWV564

Böhm, G: Partita 'Jesu, du bist allzu schöne'
Präludium und Fuge in G major

Bruhns: Prelude and Fugue in G major

Buxtehude: Toccata in D minor, BuxWV155

Sweelinck: Mein junges Leben hat ein End - variations, Almande Gratie, SwWV318/N7 'More Palatino'

Gerhard Gnann - Organ

When I received this CD for reviewing, I thought "wouldn't it be a good idea to pass it on to a piano and organ classmate who would know this music much better than a dumb singer?" Caveat of course is that the article would have to be written in Chinese and then I would have to translate it, but then its a good opportunity for this blog to expand to a different language market. So here's my translation of Thilo Liu's (劉仁翔) virgin reviewing attempt, followed by the original:

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The organ is often termed the King of Instruments, possessing earth-shattering power and the most direct musical connection. Numerous composers in the Baroque era have written for this instrument, often in praise of religion. The most well-known of these composers is of course Johann Sabestian Bach. This release from record label Audite, entitled Stylus phantasticus und Liedvariationen bis Bach, contains not only pieces by the master but also those of many lesser-known contemporaries.

These pieces are performed by organist Gerhard Gnann. Compared to the piano, another popular keyboard instrument, the organ requires much more complicated playing, including fast legwork and a different touch for the fingers. Gnann maneuvers the instrument with amazing ease, bringing out nuances and subtleties that bring out the beauty of baroque music, his treatment of contrapunctual lines and harmonies feel just right and never overdone nor sacrificed for showmanship, but with more than sufficient technique to meet this music's strict requirements. This CD is a compilation of baroque music worth having in your collection.

管風琴，人稱樂器之王，有著震撼的力量，是最直接的音樂感受，在巴洛克時期有許多的作曲家為他寫了許多作品，也藉此來對宗教的讚美。其中最有名的就屬塞巴斯金˙巴哈的作品最為人知。在這張由Audite所出版的管風琴作品，Stylus phantasticus und Liedvariationen bis Bach，除了收錄音樂之父巴哈的管風琴作品之外，也非常罕見的收錄了同時期巴洛克時期較鮮為人知的管風琴作品。

此張專輯由管風琴演奏家Gerhard Gnann所演奏，同樣與鋼琴是一樣鍵盤樂器的管風琴，在演奏上更是多出了許困難的技巧，如對踏板的掌控，還有觸鍵上。都是。但Gerhard卻能如此輕易的駕馭這樂器之王，演奏出細緻而美妙的巴洛克音樂，對於音樂的層次分析，還有對於當時嚴謹的和聲所做得詮釋，以及音樂與空間之間的掌握，都是恰如期分，將巴洛克時期的嚴謹表達出最極致。是張值得收藏的巴洛克古典專輯。

Auditions for SSO President’s Young Performers Concert 2012

2011-10-15T23:12:00.000+08:00

The SSO are holding auditions for the 2012 edition of the prestigious President's Young Performers Concert. Singers need not apply, but do spread the word if you know someone who fits the criteria.

Auditions for SSO President’s Young Performers Concert 2012

Wednesday 12 October 2011, SINGAPORE – The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is holding an audition in search of young talented musicians for its 2012 President's Young Performers Concert. Singaporean string, woodwind, brass, percussion and conducting musicians are invited to apply.

Successful musicians will win an opportunity to perform as soloist in a concerto with the national orchestra in the President’s Young Performers Concert in July 2012, which will be graced by the President of the Republic of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan.

Applicants should be Singapore Citizens, and no more than 35 years of age on 1 July 2012. They are invited to send in, by 30 November 2011, a brief biography stating their name, age and musical background, contact details as well as a non-returnable DVD recording of their performance of one movement of a concerto to the following address:

President's Young Performers Concert Auditions
c/o Singapore Symphony Orchestra Programming Department
4 Battery Road #20-01
Bank of China Building, Singapore 049908

Shortlisted applicants will be notified in December for a live audition to perform a complete concerto which will take place in January/February 2012. Applicants should arrange for their own pianists to play the orchestral part during the live audition.

We regret we are unable to entertain personal inquiries pertaining to the status of individual applications.

2011-10-07T23:57:00.000+08:00

In a shocking twist, the fabulous mezzo Yang Jie has cancelled her return to Singapore to sing with the SSO. Here's an excerpt from their press release:

Mahler’s Seventh update: Mezzo-soprano Yang Jie is indisposed and unable to sing with the SSO on Oct 21

Friday 7 October 2011, SINGAPORE – Mezzo-soprano Yang Jie, who is indisposed, will not perform with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the Esplanade Concert Hall on October 21. She was originally supposed to join the SSO for Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer.

The evening’s programme will feature Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 in E minor, a work the SSO will perform at the Beijing Music Festival later this month.

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Haiz.....

PsalmiDeo's "Behind the Scenes" in Review

2011-10-02T23:12:00.000+08:00

A Review by Hawk Liu

I just came back from the wonderful concert by PsalmiDeo Chorale which sang songs from the movies, both American and Tagalog ones. After a slightly harmonically-shaky first few bars in the first number, the choir went from strength to strength. Much of the harmonies were tight and the singers were certainly able, notwithstanding the occasional off-harmony bits. The women had really good voices all round. When the sopranos or the altos were singing solo sections, one can really hear the good quality of the voices. The tenors blended well together too. I wish I could hear more of the basses but i suspected that's because the majority of them were facing the opposite wing rather than the audience. A few soloists were featured in some of the songs and I must applaud them for doing so without any miking. However, their voices could certainly stand out better if they had stood further downstage, away from the main body of the choir (though I was aware that they might have had to stay within the 'shell' of the stage for the acoustics to work for them). Oh yes, I enjoyed everyone of the soloists.

The musical numbers were interspersed with succint narration and visuals were aptly displayed on the overhead projection and that the presentation interest too. On the technical side, I did wish the stage didn't go into complete darkness between numbers because the choir would look good in the light even during in-between numbers.

The Tagalog numbers were a welcome as even though they are unfamiliar to Singaporeans I am sure the majority Filipino crowd were pleased. There was an all round good feeling during the entire concert with big smiles on stage and the crowd giving encouraging cats calls now and again. The choir showed they were game to put in some 'physical' fun during some numbers, such as the 'walking cymbal' noises made by some of the singers. I wish there was a bit more choreography on stage - maybe I am spoilt by watching many choral ensembles on YouTube that came with strong choreography. The musical highlight for me was the last number - Circle of Life from The Lion King. The men were making lots of jungle noises and it did sound like being in the jungle. Very rousing indeed! Filipinos can really sing and entertain!

Time Out Singapore Classical Features

2011-10-02T17:11:00.001+08:00

So like I requested for a short chat with Vladimir Ashkenazy for Time Out Singapore's October issue, to discuss his coming concert in Singapore as well as his participation as head of jury in the Hong Kong International Competition. unfortunately the maestro only had time to answer questions on email which only came in after my article was submitted. Rather than letting these gems go to waste, I thought I'd publish them here for those who care. You're welcome!

Dear Maestro Ashkenazy,

Thank you for your time, I have only three short questions for you:

The Mad Scene: You said that there are too many competitions these days, which devalues the significance of winning one compared to your time (in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdCSowcG32A&feature=player_detailpage#t=87s). What role do you see the Hong Kong competition play in such a competitive environment? Where does it stand among the many competitions that are also taking place these days?

Ashkenazy: One has to balance out the likelihood that too many competitions will in fact "devalue" the significance of winning versus the likelihood that in some of these competitions we will discover a true talent.So although, sadly, I stand by my view equally I can not deny this chance of hidden talents discovered.

The case of the Hong Kong International Piano Competition and my involvement in it is rather special. I had met the organizers of the competition, Andrew and Anabella Freris a few years back in a social occasion. They, very charmingly, asked me to be the chairman of the competition they were planning to launch and I, as I was certain that nothing would come out of this, equally charmingly, accepted so as not to be rude to these kind people. Little did I know that "unfortunately" they did get the competition off the ground and I could not go back on my word. So it was a matter of charm from both sides, from the organizers and from myself combined with luck, which led to my chairmanship.

I must state that I am only involved in two competitions, the Svetlanov International Conducting Competition and the Hong Kong International Piano Competition. So I stick to my view of limiting my involvement with competitions and also now I am extra careful what I say or promise to charming music-loving couples....!

The Mad Scene: What do you hope that this competition will do for the winners?

Ashkenazy: Help launch their careers in an incredibly competitive environment packed with very talented young ( and not-so-young ...) musicians all vying for the limited opportunities to play-let alone making a living as performing pianists and musicians.

I will repeat here what is often said, that winning the first prize in an important competition helps the career but is no guarantee of success, but it is also true that not winning a prize in a competition has not stopped several pianist from becoming famous.

The Mad Scene: You will also be conducting Tchaikovsky’s fourth symphony in Singapore, what is it about this piece of music that speaks out to you?

Ashkenazy: It is the tragedy and the struggle of a brave and intelligent man against fate. The first movement, in a way, says it all. All efforts and struggle were ultimately in vain and unsuccessful.

Read the full feature on Time Out Singapore here: http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/i-kept-the-promise

Also as an experiment of sorts, my October feature touches on locally-based classical artists who have put out CDs for sale. Unfortunately I wasn't able to use all the quotes they have provided in interviews for the article due to space restraints, so my apologies to the artists involved. Check out what remains and also the links to where you can buy their respective albums.

http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/meet-singaporeas-classical-indie-recording-artists

On the Road (很久沒有敬我了你）aka My First Concert in a Typhoon

2011-10-02T00:34:00.000+08:00

Tonight marked a new first for me: watching an outdoor performance while enduring the relentless rain and gale of a typhoon, something that I've only fantasised about while watching Caballe sing Norma.

Nonetheless, the discomfort of enduring the elements and potential of illness was totally worth it as it was truly a show worth remembering. On the Road (很久沒有敬我了你）is an original musical commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra, featuring members of the aboriginal Nanwan Tribe performing their ritual songs to the orchestra's accompaniment.

Having sold-out and received rave reviews in its initial run in 2010, On the Road is the brain-child of associate conductor Chien Wen-Pin, one of the nation's best who has clocked time at the Deutsche Oper am Rhien before taking on the country's orchestra's principal conductor position from 2001 to 2007. The term 'musical' for the show is used loosely here: its more accurately described as a multimedia concert extravaganza interspersed with clips from a movie, which tells the story of a young conductor, upon returning from a career in Vienna, sets out to discover the music of his native land in order to bring said natives to Taipei for a performance at the National Concert Hall.

Which makes this truly a case of art imitating life imitating art. After each clip a character from the screen appears onstage and greets the audience with a song, further blurring the lines between actor and character, fact and fiction. The orchestra's lush harmonies and the aboriginal performers' power-packed mountain wailing blending together amazingly well to intoxicating effect; the strobe lights, colourful costumes, jokes and pyrotechnics added further glitz to an emotion-packed evening. So delighted was the audience that at the encores we simultaneously broke out into rounds of aboriginal folk dancing. With no shortage of soul, virtuosity, presentation frills, this is definitely one of the best performances I've attended in many years of reviewing shows. And best of all, its FREE!

PsalmiDeo Chorale's Concert "Behind the Scenes"

2011-09-28T00:04:00.000+08:00

I would write a lengthy post to explain what PsalmiDeo Chorale's next concert is about, but I think this cinematic-style trailer just about says it all:

Tickets and more information available on the Events Page.

Janice Watson to Sing Fidelio in Taichung with Lan Shui

2011-09-25T14:17:00.000+08:00

Click to enlarge

I've got tickets, and you don't. NYEK NYEK NYEK!!!

Martin Ng Rocks Taiwan

2011-09-20T00:35:00.000+08:00

I was glad to have attended this little private recital by students of Mdm Chu Tai-Li (i.e. Taiwan's prima donna and nicknamed the "Callas of the East"), just to witness the Taiwan debut of our very own Martin Ng. While the host of the evening played up his 'singing lawyer' bit to the amusement of the gathered crowd consisting of Taiwan's most respected teachers, our home-grown bass-baritone did not let us down with his rendition of the bass aria from La Sonnambula, stunning the audience with pitch-perfect coloratura sung at ear-splitting volumes. Give him a hand for doing our country proud!

Theatre Actor Sonny Lim on Maria Callas

2011-09-20T00:07:00.000+08:00

This past Friday 16 September 2011 marked the 44th anniversary of Maria Callas's passing. Though much has been written about the influence La Divina had on the opera world, Sonny Lim's two loving essays are wonderful reads to remind us again why the world remains so fascinated by her art. Check them out here:

Maria Callas and the Grand Tradition

The Callas Butterfly and the Callas Traviata

Opera Happenings in Taiwan for October

2011-09-11T15:33:00.004+08:00

Its a strange coincidence of scheduling but this coming October will be a huge celebration of operatic activity in Taiwan. Vocal affectionados here can rejoice while those overseas can perhaps plan a trip to these parts. Here's a brief timeline of what's happening:

First up, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China with two performances of Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand from the 9th to 10th. Its not an opera but with Wagnerian Irene Theorin singing Soprano 1, many of the islands best voices in other solo parts and the title's promise of a thousand performers, the vocal junkie is in for just as big a treat.

Next up, the Opera Studio will bring us Massenet's very rarely heard opera Sapho on from the 13th to 16th in Taipei and 22nd to 23rd in Kaohsiung . The Opera Studio is kind of like the island's Young Artist Program, but with more leeway on the 'young' part. This double cast production will star Tai Hsiao-Chun, last heard in Singapore as the Queen of the Night with the SLO.

But then if such a rare opera is not your cup of tea, perhaps you would prefer to make a trip down to Taichung instead for a Uniquely Singaporean experience: Maestro Lan Shui conducting Beethoven's Fidelio on the 14th. Unfortunately there's no word on who's singing or whether the performance is staged or in concert, but if you can't wait till 18 Feb 2012 for the SSO's version, this would satiate your appetite for a while.

Lastly, those who love the spectacle and star power of grand opera will be clamouring to attend the TSO's Aida, featuring a mostly Italian cast including Juan Pons as Amonasro and Salvatore Licitra as Radames; or rather, would have starred Licitra were it not for his unfortunate demise from a motorbiking accident a few days ago. Tickets are sales suspended for the moment while management is figuring out what's the next step to take.

So yeah that's quite an impromtu opera festival we've got going here. Check out the Events Page for details and tickets, and do drop me an email if you'd like to drop by so we can go CD shopping and have a cup of tea!

Philippe Jaroussky sings Faure Requiem

2011-09-10T13:00:00.000+08:00

Here's a somewhat unusual treat on a Saturday afternoon: Philippe Jaroussky's beautiful rendition of the Pie Jesu of Faure's Requiem.

Laurent Petitgirard's New Opera "Guru"

2011-09-04T21:11:00.001+08:00

Guru – Premiered on Recording in 2011
An opera in three acts

Laurent Petitgirard (b. 1950)
Libretto by Xavier Maurel, based on an original idea by the composer
Publisher: OSF Productions

Guru - Hubert Claessens (bass-baritone)
Marie - Sonia Petrovna (actress)
Victor, Guru’s assistant - Philippe Do (tenor)
Iris, the child’s mother - Karen Wierzba (soprano)
Carelli, the sect ‘scientist’ - Philippe Kahn (bass)
Marthe, Guru’s mother - Marie-Noële Vidal (alto)

Budapest Studio Choir, Hungarian Symphony

Guru is the second opera by French composer Laurent Petitgirard and is a parable inspired by the American mass suicide of 918 people in Jonestown. While the plot does not state a specific time, place, nor culture (there are no references to traditional Asian cultures despite the titular character’s name) the hallmarks are apparently similar to how a cult typically forms: a secluded locale (a deserted island), a self-absorbed megalomaniac (the titular Guru), scheming accomplices and a mass of resigned, world-weary followers in search of some apparent greater truth. This recording is the world-premiere, released before a single live performance is staged.

According to the making-of video kindly provided by Naxos, Petitgirard and Maurel wrote this opera as a warning against those likely to join such cults. With that idea in mind, they set about creating a world where manipulation by a single person on a large group of people is possible, leading us into their thought processes and in turn questioning our own concept of reality.

Composer Petitgirard and librettist Maurel

The story starts with a group of new disciples arriving at the island where Guru holds court. His belief, which he shares with his breathren, is that human food containing calories and vitamins only prolong the decay of your mortal body, delaying your eventual release into the freedom of ‘transparency’. Hence he and his followers subsist on seawater, waiting for the day when Guru’s new-born son will become the first to attain this ‘transparency’ and lead the way for all of them to follow.

Foiling his plan are the other lead characters, including Marie, the sole contradictory figure without any ulterior motive (the composer has written her as a spoken character, albeit speaking fixed in rhythms to match the accompaniment, to reflect that she is the only sane character among this bunch of loonies), his accommodating mother who only saw too late how mad her son had became, Iris, mother of his new-born son, and Carelli and Victor who help to manipulate the disciples in return for what they believe to be monetary rewards. It eventually dawned on all of them that Guru is no longer a swindler but has come to believe in exactly what he preached, resulting in the highly dramatic and inevitable conclusion.

Musically speaking this opera is a sung-through series of monologues, the strange vocal lines composed to match speech patterns, while orchestration highlights the underlying mood of each line, shifting tempi and melodies rapidly according to what’s being sung. Having seen and reviewed the DVD of the composer’s first opera Joseph Merrick: Elephant Man (http://inkpot.com/classical/eleman.html) and found it dithering in some places, I find this sophomore effort a much tighter experience, propelling the plot forward with urgent minimalist-style repetitions of key themes. I find his vocal writing as befuddling as before, the most melodic moments happening in the orchestra such as the preludes or when accompanying Marie’s spoken monologues.

Bass-baritone Hubert Claessons sings in a rough-and-tumble declamatory style, while Phillippe Do’s high tenor can match up to the Florezs and Brownlees any day. Karen Wierzba sings a lot of heart-wrenching well with her light, shimmering soprano. Marie’s hoarse declamation is rather unusual in a largely sung opera but her dramatic fireworks are quite breathtaking.

In short, this is not quite something you’d listen to on the train (unless you are very conversant in French), but if you can spare about 2 hours with the CD and its online translation, this promises to be quite a dramatic musical experience.

À Tout le Monde in Review

2011-08-30T23:20:00.000+08:00

Hawk Liu reviews young flautist Jasper Goh's recital À Tout le Monde. The recital is published late due to miscommunications. Our apologies to Jasper.

À TOUT LE MONDE
27 June 2011, 8pm
1 Commonwealth Avenue, One Commonwealth Building #03-01
Singapore

Jasper Goh - flute solos
Teo Shaoming - flute (the duets)
Loh Wan Shan - piano

Fantasia No. 2 for Solo Flute – Georg Philipp Telemann
Flute Sonata in D, Op.94 – Sergei Prokofiev
Concertino for Flute and Piano, Op.107 – Cecile Chaminade
Duet No. 3, op.10 for Two Flutes – Friedrich Kuhlau
Rigoletto Fantasy for Two Flutes and Piano, Op.38 – Franz Doppler

A Review - written by Hawk Liu

I first heard Jasper playing a short Debussy flute solo just a few months ago and now i am hearing a whole concert. I was treated to a good range of repertoire in terms of classical periods. I seldom listen to recorded flute music because the flute doesn't record well. Even in a concert hall, its beautiful sound is lost among the other instruments and in the large spaces concert halls usually are. So, it was certainly great to be able to sit in this small venue of nearly-30 capacity to be able to hear all the nuances and glory of the instrument. Jasper certainly provided much of the beautiful sound from his playing. The tone was sweet, his technique was sure, and interpretation generally idiomatic.

In terms of skills, Jasper, barely 20, really had to show it all in the very demanding Prokofiev. The virtuosic writing in the last movement was exciting and Jasper really brought it home with the much of the runs and I did notice how very secure the low notes were in those runs. He certainly showed he could bring on the power in the sound of the instrument in especially that movement - amazing! The second movement had some short scalic runs that didn't work though. It did sound like he blew straight into the flute for those. But the Prokofiev was really demanding and the slower passages needed a more matured reading.

I love the Chaminade piece. Jasper brought out the song element really well. Both piano and flute worked exquisitely together to bring out all the beautiful things in the piece. The coloratura was delicious and very clean, and the cadenzas just right. Of all the pieces, I feel this was musically and technically the most successful!

Alright, the bad news before I get to the duets. The piece I felt didn't work was the Telemann. There is always the danger of playing baroque with 'late romantic' leanings in especially rubatos and dramatic phrasing. Yes, there were some questionable rubatos. The pace needed to be more consistent and the tone more intense especially in the slow movements. There appeared to have been some less graceful breathing, probably due to nerves.

Now in constrast, the Khulau duet was such a delight. The pair gave a very tight performance - and I mean very tight! They were matching each other well, taking turns in the music to accompany and then play the main themes as the composer weaved the material in many clever ways. Jasper, especially showed his skills and understanding of the contrast in playing accompaniment and and playing solo lines within the same piece. Here, I am witnessing good music making.

I should make mention of the accompanist before I get to the 'Rigoletto'. Loh Wan Shan was competent pianist in term of music making - the intentions were clear and provided a great musical canvas for Jasper to weave his music on. There were some really exquisite piano work in the 3rd movement of Prokofiev. However, I did wish care was taken not to overpower the flute in the dramatic sections of the finale. There was also the danger of overpowering in the 'Rigoletto', though not as much as the Prokofiev.

Now the 'Rigoletto' - what a joy. Aside from Liszt's Rigoletto paraphrase, I was now delighted to add to my treasure this double flute paraphrase of a few of the main themes from the opera. The piece started with the 'La rà, la rà, la la,' theme of Rigoletto in despair. This was where I wish there were lots of rubato! It was too straightforward and didn't imitate Rigoletto's anguish enough for me. However, the crowning glory were the several variations of 'caro nome'. There were surprising twists and turns in the writing and also a waltz variation. The flutes gave full justice to the score as a finale to the concert.

Solo flute and piano duly gave an encore in the form of Tambourin by Francois Joseph Gossec. A great finish to a night of beautiful flute sounds!
I do wish Jasper the best in his study of the instrument. With more years of music making, the maturity in interpretation should come and I look forward to hearing him again and again.

First Ever Audio Interview with Martin Ng

2011-08-29T23:45:00.003+08:00

So we at The Mad Scene has been doing interviews in writing for like the four years we've been around, so I guess its time enough to try something new. Hence allow us to introduce our new audio interview format! Joining me for the first time is Martin Ng, last seen in Salome and soon to be seen again this coming Saturday as part of the Lieder Festival.

What happened was that we decided to meet up for dinner at Orchard Road, and after our meal we got to doing some Q-and-As and taped it down (so please excuse the surrounding ambiant noise). Its only natural to pick Martin for this experiment, being such a close friend and all. But then this being the first attempt for both interviewer and interviewee, there are bound to be some hickups which might just be as interesting as what's intentionally communicated; hopefully things will become more polished with experience. Please feel free to offer any comments. So eh, enjoy!

Martin Ng Interview
Edit

The second installment of the Singapore Lieder Festival runs from 2 to 4 September 2011. Check out the Events Page for more information.

Singapore Lieder Festival - 19 to 21 Aug 2011 in Review

2011-08-27T19:37:00.001+08:00

Our reviewer Christopher shares his opinion on the recent Lieder Festival (Schubert Complete Song Cycles):

The art song genre is often neglected in Singapore; while we have no shortage of performances of symphonies, operas and instrumental recitals, song recital is still rare. Kudos to the Sing Song Club and The Arts House for taking on the task of organising the first ever Singapore Lieder Festival, both to offer a performing platform for the young (and not so young) vocalists as well as to expose the audience to this genre of music. This year's festival comes in two installments: the first on Franz Schubert Complete Song Cycles (19 to 21 August) and the second on Robert Schumann Song Cycles of 1840 (from 2 to 4 September).

The first installation featured Franz Schubert's Die Schoene Mullerin (19 Aug), Schwanengesang (20 Aug) and Winterreise (21 Aug), performed by Peter Ong, Daniel Fong and Adrian Poon respectively. All three vocalists are well prepared and well rehearsed. Both Peter and Daniel possess a large voice with a darker hue, while Adrian had a sweet lyrical voice. All three singers are able to grasp the content of the pieces, and bring out the lines and diction well and clear. One can also sense a certain enthusiam (or anxiety) and perhaps inadequate breathing spaces were allowed in between individual songs, this is particularly obvious in Winterreise, when that space is very important to colour the depressed mood.

All three soloists sang with scores, this had been an acceptable performance practice. However, Peter Ong seems to be over-reliant on the scores, what a pity, he could have had more interaction with the audience. Comparatively, Daniel and Adrian only refer to their scores sparingly, taking advantage of the small hall to allow more eye exchanges with the audience.

One could not say that the soloists are perfect in their vocal techniques; however, their conviction in their interpretation largely overcame their technical deficiencies. Ultimately, German lieders are more than mere singing, they are tone pictures that convey a certain atmosphere, a certain mood. One can sense the amount of preparation in their earnest attempt to interpret the songs (sometimes perhaps too much details was focused on such that the big overall picture was lost).

Throughout all three nights, Shane Thio give his usual supportive accompaniment and complimented the performers well.

The Arts House Living Room is a perfect venue for song recital. It is intimate, and not overbearing as it would be in a larger concert hall. Acoustics are warm and complimentary for setting lieder performances. One would certainly like to have more of such perfomances in the future.

Xu Shu-Ming Vocal Recital in Review

2011-08-24T23:38:00.000+08:00

Concert Review Of Soprano Recital By Xu Shuming

Reviewed By: Xiao Chunyuan

Performed at Singapore Conference Hall on 14th August 2011, this recital showcased various genres of music such as Chinese, German, French and English art songs and three operatic arias. From what I understood, the soloist, Miss Xu Shu-Ming was born of China and studied under various teachers such as Miss Stella Zhou Ming Lun, Madam Nancy Yuen and Mr Lim Shieh Yih, just to name a few and this concert was to help her support her studies in the USA. She is currently a vocal student from the Department Of Vocal Studies at Longy Conservatory Of Music at Boston, United States.

Frankly speaking, I heard her singing during another concert which was organised by Hsinghai Arts Association. She was invited by the organisation as a soloist. I did not really enjoy that previous performance so when I heard that she was giving a solo recital, I decided to hear her because I wanted to see if she had made any improvements this past year.

Upon looking at the program booklet, the list of songs did not match the ones that was printed on the ticket. Some pieces were changed at the last minute. The accompanist was Mr Su Heng, one of the best accompanists in Singapore Chinese art scenes. I must say the host for the concert was very horrible, speaking in Chinese-style English and did anybody hear of the word 'Interval' being called 'Internal'? Here’s the evidence:

As a vocalist, Miss Xu was introduced to the audience as a singer with a voice that encompasses three octaves. Three octaves! To me, to have this wide a vocal range is a rare jewel if you are a singer with good singing voice. But that is not the case for Miss Xu. On the singing, her voice is small and very weak. This can be seen when she tells the audience what she was singing as her encore, cannot be heard at all! Performance wise, I must say the whole first half of the programme was very horribly done. I couldn't understand a word of what she was singing, whether it is English, Italian or Chinese. The operatic aria Signore Ascolta, taken from the opera Turandot by Puccini, was sung half in Italian and Chinese. This meant the singer both did not know the words, and worse still, did not respect both the composer and the librettist, and for that I did not applause during the first half. Besides the performance, the host is also one horrible fellow. Do not know how to speak, and still claims he done hosting before. The second half was slightly better, although I still did not understand her singing of the Western pieces and underwhelmed by her lack of vocal power.

In summary, I must say I was very disappointed with the performance and I hope that the next time I hear her again, it will not be so horrible!

Taiwan NSO's Elektra

2011-08-21T16:39:00.000+08:00

This was sent to me only a moment ago and seems a good fit to our on-going Strauss themed discussions: an excerpt of Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra's performance of Richard Strauss's Elektra that I attended earlier this year, with Australian Claire Primrose in the title role:

À TOUT LE MONDE - An Interview with Jasper Goh

2011-08-21T14:06:00.000+08:00

This interview of flautist Jasper Goh's concert by Hawk Liu came to me at a really busy time and I simply forgot to publish it. My apologies to Jasper and Hawk for the oversight.

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Our contributor Hawk Liu interviews Jasper Goh, a young flutist who was part of the LANXESS Singapore National Youth Orchestra concert reported here not too long ago. Here is a closer look at one of our rising young musicians:

À TOUT LE MONDE
A Solo Concert by Jasper Goh (flute)
27 June 2011, 8pm
1 Commonwealth Avenue, One Commonwealth Building #03-01

Programme

Fantasia No. 2 for Solo Flute – Georg Philipp Telemann
Flute Sonata in D, Op.94 – Sergei Prokofiev
-Intermission-
Concertino for Flute and Piano, Op.107 – Cecile Chaminade
Duet No. 3, op.10 for Two Flutes – Friedrich Kuhlau
Rigoletto Fantasy for Two Flutes and Piano, Op.38 – Franz Doppler

The concert is sold out.

An Interview with Jasper
(By Hawk Liu)

I met Jasper while reporting on a bloggers' session that explains some myths of classical music.

Jasper Goh started learning the flute at the age of 13, and subsequently auditioned for a Summer Festival in North Dakota when he was 15, where he received tutelage from renowned flutists Laurel Ridd and Deborah Harris. Subsequently, he auditioned for the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and was awarded a scholarship to study under Brokmiller Evgueni (Associate Principal Flute, Singapore Symphony Orchestra), Wang Tong, and currently Roberto Alvarez (Associate Principal Piccolo, Singapore Symphony Orchestra). Jasper has also participated in various master classes by Andrea Griminelli, Hiroshi Matsushima, Anders Norrell, Michael Hasel (Associate Principal Flute of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), Paul Edmund Davies (Former Principal Flute of the London Symphony Orchestra), as well as Mihi Kim. Jasper was named the Winner of the Open Division Category in the Flute Competition organized in conjunction with the Flute Festival 2010.

These were my questions for Jasper:

The Mad Scene: How did you get interested in music?

Jasper: When I was in Primary School, I joined the Maths Club as my CCA, but for some reason I was really attracted to the recorder. I managed to play the chromatic scale of two octaves on the recorder, whereas the other kids were struggling with a simple three-note melody. This inspired me to continue reading music and try to play everything on the recorder. It also helped that my brother was from the symphonic band in ACS(I) as a clarinettist, but he also taught himself the flute.

The Mad Scene: How did you come to choose the flute as your instrument?

Jasper: My brother told me to pick up the flute as it was more expressive and had more repertoire compared to other instruments in the band. I followed his advice when I joined the band in Maris Stella High School. However, for almost an entire year I couldn't really produce a real sound on the flute. This was rather demoralizing and I was almost transferred to the euphonium section. However, the second year was a good year for me and I improved really quickly and managed to get a scholarship to study in a summer music camp at North Dakota, sponsored by the Ministry of Education. Subsequently, I passed the audition for the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and attained a Distinction in my Grade 8 in Flute Performance, Trinity.

The Mad Scene: What do you hope your musical journey will be in the future?

Jasper: Upon completion of the National Service two years later, I hope to pursue music education in France, to achieve my aim into being a professional musician. I hope to become an orchestral musician, occasionally holding solo recitals such as the one that I will be having on 27th of June.

The Mad Scene: Which composers do you like? Why?

Jasper: I like many composers - ranging from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Ravel, Mozart and Prokofiev. There are too many to name, but the primary reasons why I am drawn to these composers, other than Mozart, is because of their orchestral works. Although Mozart didn't like the flute at the time he wrote the two flute concerti, I still like both his flute concerti as well as all the flute quartets which he composed.

THANK YOU

SLO Salome Review

2011-08-20T14:45:00.000+08:00

You've read all our pre-performance features, you've seen the pictures and read my immediate post-performance thoughts; now Hawk Liu shares his opinion on how the evening went yesterday:

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R Strauss - Salome
Esplanade Theatre, Singapore
19 August 2011

Salome - Janice Watson
King Herod - Hubert Francis
Herodias - Bernadette Cullen
Jokanaan - Dawid Kimberg
Narraboth - Kota Murakami
Page - Anna Koor
First Jew - Melvin Tan
Second Jew - Raymond Lee Pei Khoon
Third Jew - Ruben Aldea
Fourth Jew - Antoine Garth
Fifth Jew - Brent Allcock
First Nazarene - Martin Ng
Second Nazarene - Reuben Lai
First Soldier - William Lim
Second Soldier - Huang Rong Hai
A Cappadocian - Martin Ng
A Slave Girl - Su Yi Wen

Director - Andrew Sinclair
Conductor - Peter Selwyn
Assistant Conductor - Timothy Carey
Set Designer - Justin Hill
Costume Designer - Phylia Poh
Lighting Designer - Lim Yu-Beng
Choreographer - Gani Karim

Review - by Hawk Liu

I like operas that jump straight into the action without a 'formal' overture and Salome is one of those. The music elements take one straight into the mood of the piece. The stage is quite bare except for the huge entrance to Joknaan's dungeon at stage right and a stark, giant palace entrance at stage left. The singers made very good use of the stage and all stage business was interesting to watch.

All the leads were vocally wonderful. Even every one of the smaller roles was in good voice. Salome had an even voice from top to bottom and enough stamina to spare for the whole opera and another one after that. It's a difficult role, demanding full acting abilities throughout. I did believe her when she repeatedly demanded Jokanaan's head on a platter. Herod was a delight to watch as it was quite a bit of an acting role and his diction was excellent, though that did interfere with a few high notes. Herodias was a solid mezzo throughout and did play her play well. Jokanaan had a reliable solid tone too. The thing that bothered me about Jokanaan was his appearance. I was too conscious of his wig, his make up and his costume as being less than real compared to the rest. All the other roles were taken well. The difficult mob scenes were strong and the first Jew (Melvin) did stand out in the aspect of acting.

A highlight was the dance of the 7 veils where six well defined, muscled, bare-chested male dancers came on and showed us how R Strauss' sexy music could be very sexy....anyway, my eyes were glued to my binoculars for a while and I didn't fall asleep....

The orchestra did a great job with the score. All the nuances were there and the music certainly true to the R Straussian style. However, there were quite a few moments where I truly, truly wish they would swell in volume WITH the singers and not OVER the singers.

The overall production was true to the spirit of the opera and one does go off feeling the music of Strauss in this idiomatic work. I am not quite sure if the head of Jokanaan shocked me as I expected it to, maybe if Salome were to make a bigger deal of reality of the blood being everywhere on her, it might make it more real for the audience.Nonetheless it was a really enjoyable performance, one that I would recommend readers to watch.

SLO Salome in Review

2011-08-20T01:11:00.001+08:00

Phew... just got back from quite an exhilarating experience. The cast of singers were fantastic, all four leads sang wonderfully. Apart from a colourful Dance of the Seven Veils, the stage was rather bare, but it was the dramatic cohesion and involvement by the entire cast that made the evening worthwhile. Janice Watson and director Andrew Sinclair created an innocent little child, rather spoilt, ignorant to the ways of the world and very capable at thinking of harebrained schemes to get her way. The wry smile she directed at Mommy Dearest before beginning the dance was that of a sly little girl keeping some naughty tricks up her sleeve, a small gesture that spoke loudly. While she wisely saved her voice for the difficult finale, dramatically she went full-out in response to the energetic cast. The voice in full-bloom was quite a sound to behold, a full lyric soprano with lots of room for dynamic outbursts. In contrast, Dawid Kimberg's and Hubert Francis' full masculine voices rang out solidly across the hall. Bernadette Cullen as Herodias has comparably less music to sing but built a strong rapport with her cast-mates. The supporting roles were luxury casting featuring many SLO leading men and ladies, and the results speak for themselves.

About 15 minutes into the show there was some cock-up when the conductor literally stopped the performance and asked Watson to go turn on the lights in the orchestra pit. No wonder the orchestra playing sounded scrappy. But this turned out to be a good thing as the entire performance was started again and audiences were treated to an impromptu 'encore'. Orchestra playing sounded a little small by my admittedly limited impression of what 'chaotic Strauss' should sound like, but they played expressively and blended well with the singers. Too bad the audience turnout was not that strong, and during curtain calls the enthusiastic applause from a half-full theatre did not create much of an effect. Perhaps, contrary to what we diehards have been saying, what Singaporeans really needs is yet another Carmen. But then there are still another three performances in this run so if you haven't made plans to watch this production, please do make the effort to check it out, it really is quite an enthralling experience.

Salome in Pictures

2011-08-19T16:02:00.001+08:00

Photo Credit: Singapore Lyric Opera

Consider this our most breaking news item yet. Here's the Singapore Lyric Opera's Salome opens in four hours time but you can catch a first glimpse here. Check out the complete set of 18 pics on our Facbook Page!

If you haven't already bought tickets for this exciting run, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!?!

Singapore Lieder Festival - 19 to 21 Aug, 2 to 4 Seep 2011

2011-08-15T23:29:00.002+08:00

The first ever Singapore Lieder Festival will be held at The Arts House from 19 to 21 August 2011, and then again from 2 to 4 September 2011. If the immoral cacophony of Salome is too much for you, perhaps you would like to check out these recitals instead? Here's a list of the performances:

August Performances:

19 Aug Fri | Die Schöne Müllerin

- Peter Ong, Tenor
- Shane Thio, Piano

20 Aug Sat | Schwanengesang
Part songs for male chorus

- Daniel Fong, Baritone
- Adrian Poon, Tenor
- Peter Ong, Tenor
- Wilson Goh, Tenor

21 Aug Sun | Winterreise

- Adrian Poon, Tenor
- Shane Thio, Piano

September performances:

2 Sept Fri | Liederkreis Op. 24
Kerner Lieder Op. 35

- Adrian Poon, Tenor
- Shane Thio, Piano

3 Sept Sat | Liederkreis Op. 39
Frauenliebe und Leben Op. 42
Myrthen Op. 25 (excerpts)

- Rebecca Li, Soprano
- Daniel Fong, Baritone
- Martin Ng, Baritone
- Shane Thio, Piano

4 Sept Sun | Sechs Gedichte von Reinick Op. 36
Dichterliebe Op. 48

- Peter Ong, Tenor
- William Lim, Baritone
- Shane Thio, Piano

The Mad Scene speaks to singers Adrian Poon, Peter Ong and Daniel Fong about the event:

Name: Adrian Poon

Fach: Tenor

Nights and pieces I will be performing:

I will be performing Winterreise on Sunday, 21 August 2011, as well as participating in the partsongs on Saturday, 20 August 2011.

What I love about this piece:

I fell in love with Winterreise the first time I heard it when I was 15. It was not something I understood then, but I was immediately taken by its beauty and construction; every single song in that cycle is a jewel of the highest quality. As I continued my music studies, my admiration for it grew. I did not study it in great depth, however, as I've also always had a fear of the work given its monumental scale, musically, mentally and emotionally. To be able to learn it now, and to present it is a huge privilege for me. It is a work that I will want to revisit for the rest of my life because it is so open-ended, and open to experiments and re-interpretation. In fact, Shane and I are already planning for our second performance of this work ;-)

Favourite recordings of this piece:

I think all recordings of this cycle have something to offer. It is impossible to sing it and not be moved by it. In particular, I have a great admiration for the Britten/Pears recording on Decca. Both are wonderful artists and Britten must be one of the last of that wonderful combination of composer/performer. Such wonderful piano playing on his part. Also, I have a lot of time for Ian Bostridge's recording with Leif Ove Andsnes. He is a tenor of the highest quality and intelligence in my opinion. I can't wait for a recording of Winterreise with him and Mitsuko Uchida!

Favourite classical artist:

Too many to name, so I will name those that are still alive!

I suppose the singers that are most constantly played on my ipod are Ian Bostridge and Felicity Lott, both I admire for their musicianship and intelligence. Am a great admirer of Graham Johnson, Malcolm Martineau and Julius Drake also. I've had the privilege of watching them live many times, and they never cease to amaze me!

In terms of choirs, I am particularly enamoured of the Netherlands Chamber Choir, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus. I love their repertoire and their sound.

My favourite composers at the moment are James MacMillan and local genius Kelly Tang. I wish James MacMillan will write more songs for voice and piano in the future. Having the opportunity to perform his Scots Song in July was a real treat for me. I will also have lots of time for Dr Tang's vocal works. Tough as they are, one cannot help but be in awe of his ability to construct something beautiful. Write more songs please Dr Tang!

And of course all the wonderful people that I work with for our Sing Song Club performances. It's always amazing to find like-minded singers, and Shane is such a god-send! It's been a privilege to have him for an accompanist and a friend the past 12 years.

Favourite non-classical artist:

I grew up with lots of different type of music in my house, so the range of music that I like is quite broad. Karen Carpenter always for that special voice. Eurhythmics and Annie Lennox for their amazing work and her amazing song writing ability. Same with Kate Bush and Rufus Wainwright. And Queen!

Favourite CD/DVD of the moment:

Again too many to name!

Again, any song recitals with Ian Bostridge, James GilChrist, Felicity Lott go to the top of my list, but to be honest, I listen to lots of different things all the time. There is something to be learnt from everything one listens to. I spend way too much money of scores and CDs, but no regrets.

DVD of choice will the Paul Agnew's recording of Platee by Rameau. Probably my favourite opera.

Why should we catch the Singapore Lieder Festival (optional: instead of the SLO’s Salome which runs concurrently with the first festival?)

I think you should go for both! Salome is still on for two more days after the Schubert cycles are over, so no excuses!

In any case, we are both presenting something that Singapore has not seen before, so why miss either?

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Name: Peter Ong

Fach: Tenor

Nights and pieces I will be performing:

Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, August 19,
Schubert's male chorus arrangements, August 20
Schumann's Dichterliebe, September 4

What I love about these piece:

Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin: It's such a masochistic piece. And to dig in under those layers of masochism, that's very interesting to me. And the genius of Schubert. You can hear the 'babbling brook' throughout the whole cycle, rousing the miller to carry on, murmuring its disapproval, staying stubbornly silent, inviting the miller to his death, rocking the miller to sleep, and much more. Sheer genius. For me, the intertwining, the dialogue, of the 2 voices of the miller and the brook makes this piece very exciting. Is the brook really speaking to the miller? Or is the miller lad just off his rocker to begin with? He's not a typical male hero. He's completely emasculated, loving from afar, willing to suffer for love, and just in love with love. Until he is confronted by a virile masculine other, who triumphs, of course, in getting the miller maid. It's one of those things...

Schumann's Dichterliebe: I get very excited every time I get to sing this piece. Unlike Schubert's cycle, this one does not contain many strophic verses which makes it more contained, more to the point. So every single note and word counts in this piece. Schumann's economy of emotion: to say and mean so much in such a short span, is just incredible. Again, it's a delving into the world of unrequited love and masochism. Except with more bite. You can literally hear the call of the grave. And it's an internal struggle for this poet. So he's probably not as off his rocker as the miller lad - he doesn't hear voices talking to him. Schumann's piano gives so much colour to the angst of the poet as he croons, and sighs, and rants against unrequited love. It is a real piano virtuoso piece which Shane Thio does a marvellous job in accomplishing.

Favourite recordings of these pieces:

Schubert: Werner Güra and Jan Schultsz
Schumann: Mark Padmore and Kristian Bezuidenhout

Favoourite classical artist (why?):

Too many to list... but at the moment I'm frequently listening to Rene Jacobs' recordings of Mozart's operas and he's just an amazing conductor. He brings so much vigour and passion, drama and comedy to Mozart, it's like sharing these familiar pieces anew.

Favourite non-classical artist (why?):

So many! Top hits on my iPod include Judy Garland, Bon Jovi, Amy Winehouse, Danny Brillant, Ute Lemper, Bette Midler, Lady Gaga, Sheila Majid, Pink Martini... but I'm in love with 2 Malaysian singers at the moment who are just phenomenal! Atilia for her jazzy rearrangements and that beautiful song, Angel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngx-poSosRA). The other one is Najwa, an upcoming R and B Malaysian singer who's got soul in droves. And such a velvet voice too (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np6n4OS5hDw)

Favourite CD/DVD of the moment:

Easy! Najwa's album, Innocent Soul. If you're soul and R and B fan of the old school, this is the gal! Go get a copy today!

Why should we catch the Singapore Lieder Festival (instead of the SLO’s Salome which runs concurrently with the first festival?)

Because you can still catch Salome on Monday and Tuesday!

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Name : Daniel Fong

Pieces: 20th Aug, Sat. 8pm, Schubert’s Schwanengesang

What I love about these piece:

I love how each song contains a wealth of feelings and emotions. Though the themes of love, lost-love, yearning and unending isolation are common to most of the songs, I find each song encapsulates different aspects of sadness and happiness, which expresses the subtleness of human emotions.

I especially love Die Doppelganger, in which both the text and the music speak of a real and poignant sense of personal isolation, grieve and regret.

Favourite recordings of these piece:

I have a few recordings of Schwanengesang. The one I particularly adore is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s EMI recording with Gerald Moore. I find he has that uncanny ability to ‘speak’ the text, and communicate a message that is truly from his heart. I also love Ian Bostridge’s recording of all of Schubert’s Cycles.

Favourite classical artist:

Hmm. This question has always been difficult. I guess my preference changes over –time. For the moment, it would have to be Fischer-Dieskau. In the world of Lieder, he is almost untouchable. I find he sings not only with intelligence, but also from the heart, and his voice is almost technically perfect. I remember hearing his recording of Schumann’s Ich grolle Nicht, in which his High A at the end of the song was to me pure perfection!

Favourite non-classical artist:

I like Dolly Parton. I find some of her songs strangely moving, especially I Will Always Love You and Travelin’ Through. I also find her life quite inspiring. From a young girl with no money and hardly any formal education, she was courageous enough to enter the music industry on her own and made it. Now, she is not only just another country singer, but is regarded as a music legend.

Favourite CD/DVD of the moment:

I am currently listening to Gerald Finley’s Songs by Samuel Barber, with Julius Drake as the accompanist. I have always loved Barber’s Hermit Songs, and Finley sings it with such sensitivity. On top of that, the dark hue of his voice makes it magical.

Why should we catch the Singapore Lieder Festival (instead of the SLO’s Salome which runs concurrently with the first festival?)

I personally think it is an exciting project as the entire Schubert and Schumann cycles is being performed back to back. It will provide an excellent opportunity for people to experience the full spectrum of both composers’ abilities, and a deeper understanding of their lives through their works. For example, Schubert wrote Schwanengesang at the very end of his life. I believe it is no coincidence that many of the songs express a deep grief and melancholy. Indeed, Schubert’s emotional and physical sufferings were poured into his music. Songs are in themselves such intimate and delicate pieces, and have the direct ability to touch the listener. I am sure people who come for the festival, will not only listen to beautiful songs, but will be personally affected by the wide range of emotions that are expressed through the music just as the composers intended.

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Check out the Events Page for ticketing details!

Time Out Singapore Feature plus Leftovers

2011-08-14T21:11:00.001+08:00

So like if you haven't already read my exciting feature on this month's issue of Time Out Singapore, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?!?!?!?!?! (there's no online version this month for some reason but please please please check out the print edition...) Anyway, here are some excerpts with director Andrew Sinclair and 'Salome' Janice Watson that did not make the final article due to length considerations, but are too valuable to go unread. Enjoy!

The Mad Scene: You have had a long and fruitful relationship working with the SLO in Singapore, how do you find working in Singapore?

Andrew Sinclair: I love it .SLO has an extremely loyal and hardworking Chairman and staff and an energy and desire to go forward in opera production. I am grateful to them for giving me the chance to direct SALOME. I have directed other Richard Strauss operas(DER ROSENKAVALIER and ARIADNE AUF NAXOS) but this will be my first SALOME.

The Mad Scene: What can we expect from your upcoming Salome production? Where do you stand on the “regie” VS traditional scale?

Andrew Sinclair: I started my career very much influenced by traditional opera productions , I have done a lot of them and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it provided you do it the right way. Too often they are concerts in costume and people think that is what opera is and they’re wrong. Directors such as the late Goetz Friedrich and Harry Kupfer showed me that there was a new and exciting way to direct opera while still remaining faithful to the text and the music. I think it is perfectly possible to do a traditional style opera production but the text and music have to be explored deeply so that the characters really emerge and make the audience think about their behavior. An arresting visual image is not enough. It’s part of it but not all of it. People today are far too concerned with a visual image that woos and excites them without having to use their minds.

I think “Regie” in certain parts of Europe and elsewhere has gone completely mad. I am fine about a production which I personally may not care for but where I can see that the director has a valid interpretation of what is happening in terms of music and text. I come back to what I always say – “We are there to serve the piece, the piece is not there to serve us”. There are some wonderful “new style” productions and I think my work falls in between styles. It’s what they call “Personenregie” which is about character direction. This also means that the audience has to know a bit about the libretto so that they can fully appreciate what the director and the singers are trying to present.

The visual style of my SALOME production will lean more towards the traditional but with the occasional variation. Usually this means that the costumes help to say something about the character rather than being strictly in period.

The Mad Scene: As Salome is not exactly a tale that preaches good moral behavior, how would you convince audiences to sympathise with the crazed, homicidal title character?

Andrew Sinclair: (from an earlier paragraph included in Time Out).....Jokanaan is not blameless when it comes to Salome’s fate. He has distanced himself so much from the world that he has almost completely lost touch with it. He has the power to help Salome and to save her, but because his views are extremely one-eyed he fails her. He rejects her, not only because he believes that Woman brought the sins of the world into existence, but also because he feels desire for her and is therefore threatened by her. Why else would he return voluntarily to his miserable existence in the confined and gloomy cistern? In despair over his rejection, and in her misguided desire to posess him, she goes completely off the rails. The result is tragedy. Perhaps in the end she realises she has killed the man who MIGHT have helped her? Maybe she realises she has nothing to live for? In the end WHO is responsible for what happens? Herod and Herodias, Jokanaan, or Salome herself? Should we not feel some pity for her? But this is all for discussion in rehearsal!

The Mad Scene: Conductors Edward Gardner and Antonio Pappano have described Salome as the opera that they would least like to conduct (in this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL_WaGvfhvE&feature=player_detailpage#t=690s) because of its ‘sickening’ nature. What do you have to say in response to those statements?

Andrew Sinclair: I know and admire both these outstanding conductors and have been extremely fortunate to have worked on a number of productions with Maestro Pappano. Each rehearsal is like a Master Class in terms of his knowledge and what we can all learn from him. Both conductors simply say that SALOME isn’t “ their thing”. They don’t say it’s a bad piece.It’s not a pretty subject but it’s not much different to any police drama we might see on television these days.It’s an opera. CARMEN and BARBIERE aren’t MY thing but I can appreciate that there is some wonderful music in both of them and lots of directors want to do them. Not me. So, it’s a matter of taste really.

For some reason, Janice Watson preferred to answer all of my questions in one long answer, essay style, so here it is:

Janice Watson: I am very excited to be singing Salome in Singapore in the summer. I have heard that Singapore is a very lively and exciting city, with a fascinating arts scene. There are many places to visit and interesting foods to eat. Having worked in Kuala Lumpur, I have had a little experience of the warm weather and will enjoy it. I am also very interested in the traditions of the people . .

Salome is for me a wonderful character to play. I like to make her a very spoiled {as we all know} but young and excitable energy, but as she finally gets her way I feel she then becomes almost two personalities. One she switches on to get attention to achieve her goals, and the other is totally dominating and without remorse. If you look at the libretto in the last scene you see both sides.

I also believe every character in the opera has a definite reason to be there, and needs to be very strong. For instance, without the constant battle of Herod and Herodias, you don't understand Salome's reasons for being so mixed up. It all needs to be as strong as it is in the orchestra score.

Salome, if performed well, I think is a most beautiful part to sing and I think the dance of the seven Veils is usually left to the director to organise. I am not too bad a dancer and can hold my own but would also be happy to embrace any other ideas that a director may have. We will have to wait and see.

I tend to think that vocally, of course Salome can be sung by a big Dramatic soprano and that is fine, but I feel the lighter, more girlish passages are harder to achieve with a big voice. Salome needs to soar like an excited teenager in love for the first time, she needs to sound exhilarating and fresh, so I tend to go for voices like Cheryl Studer in recording. I also listen to bigger voices to hear how they pace themselves. I look forward very much to showing you all my interpretation.

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Interesting eh? Want to see how their insightful thoughts will play out in the actual performances? Then get your tickets at SISTIC now!

Liebeslieder (5 Aug 2011) in Review

2011-08-09T22:34:00.004+08:00

Guest contributor Alvin Koh attended SOTA's Liebeslieder on 5 August, featuring singers Jeong Ae-Ree, Ralph McDonald, Phua Ee Kia and Reuben Lai as well as Shane Thio and Hye-Son Choi on the piano. In his second review with us he shares with a few thoughts about the concert:

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Liebeslieder was an ideal way for me to end my day (or rather the start of the evening). This year, I have seen 3 song concerts, 2 at Yong Siew Toh Recital Hall and last night's concert.

Besides the endearing favourite german songs I knew such as Ganymed by Schubert, Widmung by Schumann and Zueignung by Strauss (which I enjoy listening to more than singing it), the lesser known songs, (at least not in my vocabulary) such as Talismane, the Witches' Song and the Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltz Songs were, together with the more well known ones mentioned, indeed an aural feast, an ambitious attempt to represent the spirit of the art of the german Lied with a small selection from the pantheon of songs by these important composers.

The singers, of diverse backgrounds, each focusing on two to four songs and coming back together for the exquisite Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltz Songs for a quartet, did an admirable rendition generally. The evening was started off by Mr.Reuben Lai whose rendition could not be spoken unkindly of, given his precarious situation as a consequence of a most pernicious cold. I have great admiration for his commitment and he cleverly employed a lighter tone and finta in his singing. His vocal tone, though not in top form, hinted at a great potential to render art songs with appropriate colour and virtuosity when aided with a healthier disposition.

Mr. Phua Ee Kia's countertenor did not lend itself well to most of the lieder repertoire, I dare say, and certainly not in the songs he sang. Widmung ideally requires colourful medium low notes (which he struggled with) and needless to say a good medium high full voice to sing this exciting lied.The choice to sing Zueignung, of a slightly similar theme, is more forgiving. Unfortunately, the necessary piano (some singers might have had even taken the risk to sing it pp) in the first one and a half lines and crisp diction required are lacking and failed to do justice to the sensitive treatment by pianist Hye-Son Choi on the pianoforte. The grand and glorious "Heilig, heilig an's Herz dir sank" is indeed not easy to produce by a countertenor voice but Mr. Phua did not do a bad job at all.

Ralph McDonald's delightful and informative introduction of the theme of the concert was very helpful in perpetuating the musical mood and helping the audience to appreciate the hoch art form of vocal recitals. His excellent choice and rendition of songs were commendable, as was his steadfast vocal technique, although I would prefer that he went straight ahead to the 'Or' vowel in "Wie im MORgenglanze.." in Ganymed instead of slowly sliding between the consonant "m" and the proceeding vowel.

Miss Jeong Ae Ree stole part of the glamour of the evening not only with the superb musical treatment of her songs (a set of Mendelssohn lieder) but also by the drama created intentionally and not at all unaptly. The Witches' Song was daringly played and dramatised and yet without crossing the boundary between operatic acting and art song showmanship. Although Miss Jeong's petite leggerio soprano voice may be considered 'small' for this song, she used it quite well to create the suitable dramatic effect. Seldom has a light voice created such a 'ringing' in my ears and though Miss Jeong's was not the first to do that, my ears were certainly 'ringing' amidst her solos and her singing in the quartet ( FYI,the great Dilber was the first.). Mr. Shane Thio and Dr. Hyeu played with much musicality and sensuality in their collaboration with the lovely singers.

Indeed, I was very pleased to have participated as part of the audience and as I walked down the treacherous steps proceeding away from SOTA, I told myself I had to dig up my old german song cds and revisit the charming experience I had at Liebeslieder.

Quick Chat with Hubert Francis (Herod)

2011-08-09T22:34:00.001+08:00

Name: Hubert ‘Hugh’ Francis

Nationality: Australian

Role: Herod

SLO debut? Yes

I love my role in Salome because…
Because of the broad spectrum of emotions in the character.

The characters of Salome are such a frightening bunch, why does your character deserve our sympathy and support?

We are all a product of everything which has happened to us until this moment. These characters are products of their time and circumstances, just as we are in our contemporary world. There may be some differences in how we live today, but also many similarities.

What can audiences look forward to in your performances of your role?

I hope that I can do justice to the music of Strauss and to my portrayal of the character.

My favourite recordings of Salome are:

Haven’t listened to any!

What I love about working in Singapore:

The weather and food! The steamed and roasted chicken rice at Waterloo Centre Food Court is strongly recommended!

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The Singapore Lyric Opera's production of Salome opens on 19 August and runs till 23 August (no show on 21st). Get your tickets now at SISTIC.

What I'm Doing Tomorrow

2011-08-06T20:16:00.000+08:00

Its quite an honour to be invited by my friend Iris Koh of Athenarts to be a guest performer at her student concert, happening tomorrow at 3pm at Marina Square's Yamaha recital hall on the third floor. With a cast of kids I will unfortunately be the oldest one in the group once again (as usual). Tickets are at $10 each, do drop by if you have the time!

Quick Chats with Dawid Kimberg and Bernadette Cullen

2011-08-06T16:26:00.001+08:00

Our series of SLO exclusives continue with Dawid Kimberg (Jokanaan) and Bernadette Cullen (Herodias). these short interviews are commissioned by the SLO to be published on their website, but are first published here with kind permission from the SLO. Do check out their website to find biographical information about the high-profile cast. Meanwhile, here's some trivia information about the supporting cast:

Name: Bernadette Cullen

Nationality: Australian

Role: Herodias

SLO debut? Yes

I love my role in Salome because…

She is so dramatic and powerful, a very interesting character to play.

The characters of Salome are such a frightening bunch, why does your character deserve our sympathy and support?

She does not. Herodias is manipulative, power mad and neglectful of her daughter Salome.

What can audiences look forward to in your performances of your role?

All of the above (I hope), dramatic and very powerful.

My favourite recordings of Salome are:

The one by Dr. Birgit Nilsson!

What I love about working in Singapore:

It is a beautiful place; so pretty, so clean with nice people. I am enjoying it.

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Name: Dawid Kimberg

Nationality: Estonian – born and grew up in South Africa

Role: Jokanaan

SLO debut? Yes. (Although Singapore audiences may have already seen him in action as Morales in Cathay Cineplex's presentation of Carmen 3D).

I love my role in Salome because…

Jokanaan is a complicated character with great music to sing. A lot of his scenes are declamatory but he also has some moving moments.

The characters of Salome are such a frightening bunch, why does your character deserve our sympathy and support?

My character is imprisoned for his beliefs whether they are right or wrong. For that he deserves a certain amount of sympathy although his beliefs are muddled and contradictory.

What can audiences look forward to in your performances of your role?

I hope that the audience will believe my portrayal as a realistic human being who is disturbed by visions and his beliefs.

Why did you decide to sing in Singapore and with the SLO?

I was invited by the director and jumped at the opportunity!

What I love about working in Singapore:

The weather is great and very good for the voice. The people are kind, courteous and hospitable. I love Singapore!

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The Singapore Lyric Opera's production of Salome opens on 19 August and runs till 23 August (no show on 21st). Get your tickets now at SISTIC.

A Quick Chat with Andrew Sinclair

2011-08-03T20:29:00.000+08:00

The Singapore Lyric Opera's production of Salome opens in two weeks time on 19 August! Here's the start of a slew of exclusive coverage from The Mad Scene. We speak to director Andrew Sinclair and get his take on what we can look forward to when the production opens:

Name: Mr Andrew Sinclair

Nationality: British/ Australian.

Previous SLO Experience:

La Boheme, Cavalleria Rusticana and i Pagliacci. Yes, Salome is my third production for SLO, although I suppose if you count Cav and Pag as two operas (which they are), rather than a double bill, it’s my fourth.

Why did you choose to work with the SLO on Salome?

First of all because they asked me to do the piece and I was extremely keen to do it. Next, because it’s a very exciting new departure for this company and I wanted to be part of that. I don’t think people here realise how lucky they are to have an opera company - and particularly one that does Salome.

What are the directorial challenges of Salome?

Well, some people regard it as sensationalist, so I suppose the challenge is to overcome that aspect and get to the heart of the piece - the tragedy of an unhappy teenager and what makes her the way she is.

What can audiences expect to see when this production opens on 19 August?

Many people who have not been to an opera have a misguided perception that they are too long with plots that take place over several years. Not Salome! It lasts for just over an hour and a half and the action takes place in “real time”, from the time she meets Jokanaan to the tragic end when they are both dead. It’s action packed. People who have never been to the opera will know the music to The Dance of the Seven Veils. All the music is exciting, beautiful and dramatically fascinating. If you want action you’ve got it all in Salome!

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Coming up are more quick chats with star Janice Watson and Dawid Kimberg. Meanwhile check out ticketing and other information on the Events Page.

Upcoming Performances from Music Space 11

2011-07-30T14:06:00.001+08:00

If you are planning your shcedule for the coming weeks, perhaps you many like to include one or two events organised by new group Music Space (http://musicspace11.wordpress.com/)? Here are some events that are coming up, including a classical vocal recital:

classical

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Adrian Poon

How often do you hear a trumpet, a tenor and a recorder in a single recital? Come and experience the triple-bill of Romantic pieces presented by Edric Liew, Adrian Poon and Jun Zubillaga-Pow. The young musicians will revive luscious music from the 19th- and 20th-centuries by famous and less-known composers.

Where: Chamber at The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane MRT: City Hall/Raffles Place When: August 7, 7pm Admission: $28 Tel: 6332-6919 Info: www.bytes.sg

PLUCKED STRING PLUCKED!

Ding Yi Music presents a chamber concert of fusion plucked strings music. Alongside popular traditional pieces, the quintet playing the pipa, zhongruan, yangqin and sanxian has specially commissioned new pieces from eminent Singaporean composers, Hoh Chung Shih, Tan Tuan Hao and Alicia de Silva.

Where: The Substation MRT: City Hall When: August 13, 7.30pm Admission: $18 Tel: 6337-7535 Info: www.musicspace11.wordpress.com

THE SINGAPOREAN STRING QUARTET

Artsylum String Quartet

Two young string quartets - Artsylum and Oxley - join forces to perform an entire programme of contemporary music created by Singaporeans. Featured composers include Lee Yuk Chuan, Leong Yoon Pin, Jeremiah Li, Phoon Yew Tien, Kelly Tang and Jun Zubillaga-Pow.

Where: Esplanade Recital Studio MRT: Esplanade/City Hall When: September 2, 8pm Admission: $19 Tel: 6337-6128 Info: www.esplanade.com

FROM UTRECHT TO JOO CHIAT

Jun Zubillaga-Pow

Stay tune for some classical Dutch-Malay fusion as recorder player Jun Zubillaga-Pow brings you back on a journey of Baroque-folk and recreates the ambience of seventeenth-century Singapura.

Where: The Substation MRT: City Hall When: September 10, 7.30pm Admission: $18 Tel: 6337-7535 Info: www.musicspace11.wordpress.com

film

A FLORIDA ENCHANTMENT
A young woman discovers a seed that can make women act like men and men act like women. She decides to take one, then slips one to her maid and another to her fiancé. The fun begins. This silent film from 1914 is accompanied by new electronic music composed by Singaporean composer Chong Li-Chuan.

Where: Screening Room at The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane MRT: City Hall/Raffles Place When: August 8 and 12, 7pm Admission: $10 Tel: 6332-6919 Info: Rating to be advised: www.bytes.sg

gig

REGGAE SINGAPURA
Local reggae band Bushmen reinvents themselves after 15 years in popular showbiz. Come and groove to their original singles of Reggae pop music sung solely in English and Malay.

Where: The Substation MRT: City Hall When: October 15, 7.30pm Admission: $18 Tel: 6337-7535 Info: www.musicspace11.wordpress.com

Interview with Selena Tan

2011-07-24T23:31:00.001+08:00

The Mad Scene is proud to announce our first ever interview with theatre and TV veteran Selena Tan (woo hoo)! Its been many years since you readers reflected that you would like more musical theatre featured here (in addition to opera and classical vocal of course), with this step I hope it'll be a worthwhile effort to branch out and cover other aspects of our performance arts scene. Anyway, Selena Tan is such a known personality that this article probably needs no introduction. Just check out the promos of Into the Woods later on, and do consider attend k?

The Mad Scene: You are producing this run of performances as well as playing the role of the Baker's Wife. How do you cope with such multiple roles?

Selena Tan: I surround myself with very talented and generous people. It really helps to have amazing teammates like Shireen as well as a great Production Manager, Denise, and they really keep the show running. Could never do any of it on my own!

The Mad Scene: You are working with two foreign imports alongside your usual "kakis". What has influenced your choosing of the two performers? Have they brought something new in their participation?

Selena Tan: Ria Jones from the West End is an incredible talent. She is wonderful technically, and she is also able to bring to the role of the Witch a tremendous heart and her acting is sincere and her singing is truly faultless. I first met her when she came to Singapore to perform in A Twist of Fate in 1997. We had a wonderful time working together then and are having a fabulous time now too! Sheila Francisco, I met when she came to do one of the runs of Chang and Eng in 1999. I have always remembered her amazing voice and wonderful presence on stage. She has also since been performing in Singapore in a re-run of A Twist of Fate as well as The Full Monty amongst other shows. She is a lovely addition to our cast, a stunning voice and very soulful performer. Both are certainly indispensable to this production of Into the Woods.

The Mad Scene: Which part of the musical would you say is your favourite part?

Selena Tan: I love them all. My secret plan is to keep on doing the show again and again so I get to play every single part … hmmm … someday, I’ll even play the Baker! Haha. Seriously though, I love every single character from the Step-Sister to Rapunzel to Witch. The work is so intricate and every character says so much (even those with few lines) and each of the main characters have such beautiful songs. But if I were forced to pick a favourite favourite, it would be the Baker’s Wife (her current role in this production).

The Mad Scene: Do share what has influenced your casting of some of the local performers for their roles?

Selena Tan: Glen (Goei) the director did the casting but we did have many discussions. I feel that Adrian (Pang) is perfectly cast as the Baker. He has heart and humour and a lovely singing voice to boot. Also, I think where Adrian and I are now in our lives, 17 years on from the 1st production of Into the Woods that we did, older and having been round the block a bit, we are relishing the Baker and the Baker’s wife so much! Emma (Yong) is the quintessential Cinderella and it’s a joy having Robin (Goh) and RJ (Rosales) together again as Princely brothers!

The Mad Scene: There are so many wonderful characters portrayed in the musical. If voice and gender are not an issue, what other role would you most like to play (besides your own of course).

Selena Tan: Baker. I love the issues he goes through about parenthood. What’s right? What’s good?

The Mad Scene: On a more serious note, Emma Yong has recently told the media of her recovery from stage four cancer. We audiences are certainly relieved to have her back onstage safe and sound. How does it feel to be working with her again?

Selena Tan: It is always a joy to work with someone as talented as Emma. It feels just like old times. She is as energetic and enthusiastic … actually I think she’s even more energetic and enthusiastic. We have great fun and she’s an actress so cares so much about the work, she’s always challenging you and making sure that we strive towards perfection. That’s why she is an invaluable asset to Singapore Theatre.

The Mad Scene: Lastly, you described this production as one that "we would be proud to invite Mr Stephen Sondheim himself to". Shall the audience look out for any twist or unusually elements in this production?

Selena Tan: We have remained true to Sondheim’s masterpiece … would not have it any other way. Any cuts made were purely cosmetic and merely to keep things moving along so that audiences won’t be kept beyond 2 and a half hours. But I believe there’s so much meat and so much joy to be gained from this musical that everyone will be swept along our journey Into the Woods.

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Read The Mad Scene's earlier post about Into the Woods here.

Ticketing details available at the Events Page.

Upcoming Concerts

2011-07-24T00:06:00.000+08:00

The weekend preceeding National Day is choke-full of recitals it seems. Perhaps our singers feel the need to sing in praise of the nation, or they are simply optimistic that folks will use of the long-weekend to attend their concerts?

Starting on Friday 5 August, the teachers of SOTA will present Liebeslieder, at the school's concert hall. On the bill are Reuben Lai, Phua Eekia, Ralph McDonald and Jeong Ae Ree. Check out the following FB page for more info and free tickets.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=225958237438052

That weekend will be a busy one for Jeong Ae Ree, as her company New Opera Singapore will also be presenting a staged recital titled Opera Comique (in the Office) on 6 August, Saturday, at the Arts House. Seems like quite a welcome departure from the usual recital format so do check it out.

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1#!/event.php?eid=236492993045673

The company will be facing some competition though, as the Victoria Chorale will be staging their annual performance In Song 2011 at the exact same time. Their event will be held at the Esplanade Recital Studio and tickets can be purchased at the door.

SLO Children's Choir "Encore" - 15 July 2011

2011-07-16T19:03:00.002+08:00

Encore
SLO Children’s Choir
With members of the SLO Youth Choir
Conductor: Khor Ai Ming
Assistant Conductor: Cherylene Liew
Pianists: Beatrice Lin, Bertrand Lee

Its perhaps a little ironic to see an ad for August’s Salome on the backcover of the program for this children’s choir concert, but then I suppose it’s a good way to teach young people in these days of equal opportunity that girls can be perverts too!

Anyway, it was heartening to see these kids take on such a long and varied program. True to being members of an opera company, the kids sang and danced onstage for close to 2 hours, delivering almost entirely from memory favourites and lesser-knowns from classic musicals, Hokkien, America and British folksongs, contemporary pieces in French and English and of course, operatic excerpts. (My companion remarked that some of the performers are more teenagers than children, of which I replied that since we as a nation are not producing enough kids to replace the older choir members, the old children will just have to chip in a little longer, just like how we will be working till 65).

Of special interest are four pieces newly commissioned for this concert in celebration of the Choir’s 5th anniversary. Emily Koh’s A Painted Bus starts off sounding like the folksong The Water is Wide, but soon develops into her own optimistic style with overlapping melodic lines suffused with a modern twist. Chen Zhang Yi’s contemplative Island is a melodic piece nonetheless uses adventurous harmonies to tug the heartstrings. Benjamin Lim Yi’s If You Were Coming is a heartfelt love ballad which will probably engage listeners more with repeated listening. Liong Kit Yeng’s After the Rain is a happy xinyao tune that helped the children close the show on a happy note. Their colourful clothes and umbrella-waving brightened up the stage. Congratulations to the four composers for their good work, and to the kids for making these piecescome to life. Good job!

Pluck!'s "Musical Arson" on Time Out

2011-07-13T01:01:00.001+08:00

Check out my article on UK-based comedy string trio Pluck! in this month's issue of Time Out! Their hilarious show Musical Arson runs at the DBS Arts Centre (the one at Riverview) till this coming Sunday so do check them out if you are interested.

http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/pluck-string-trio

Rant Against the Machine

2011-07-11T22:25:00.001+08:00

Yes I have left Singapore for some time, two years in fact, but is it just me or has inflation gone through the roof lately? I mean, forget the oft-reported ridiculous costs of housing these days, but just how did a cup of ice teh-O come to cost $1.80 at foodcourts? And if you ever need to photocopy stuff at the library, know first that you first need to buy a cashcard for $10, which comes with a stored value of... FIVE DOLLARS!!! How did the people who decided on this ever think its acceptable to make the public pay double for a piece of plastic that's supposed to hold the cash in? Its daylight robbery!!!

And so today marked my return, after a hiatus of two years, to the 9 to 6 work crowd (abeit on a short-term basis). Imagine my surprise at the MRT platform to find a mob of people trying to swarm inside an already packed train. It was like Chinatown during CNY except this was just a regular Monday morning! And after jostling around for 10 minutes in the sweltering heat, I finally managed to squeeze into the fourth train that arrived. It then took another 10 minutes just to travel ONE STOP from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan, crawling and stopping intermittently.

What is going on here? I mean, what's the point of having the economy grow 14% when cost of living is rising at an equally manic speed and quality of life is actually going downhill? I can't believe that this is the work of the government that I had supported and voted for all these years (not the recent one though, as I was abroad)! Let's hope it won't be another 5 years before we repent from our collective decisions again.

Cranky Old Granny Speaks Out

2011-07-09T23:44:00.003+08:00

I chanced upon this video interview of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, where she shares a few simple truths that rather resonate with me, such as how most opinions today are worthless, how to build your own style (just pick a few pieces of clothing and keep wearing it), what is the ultimate status symbol and most of all, why the arts are so important in our lives today.

Little Singers of Monaco (8 July)

2011-07-07T11:20:00.000+08:00

The Little Singers of Monaco return tomorrow (8 July) for another concert, this time to lend the NAFA Student Relief Fund a helping hand. Check out details below:

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The Return of the Little Singers of Monaco (摩纳哥王室少年合唱团)

Under the royal patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco

Friday, 8 July 2011, 8pm

SCO Concert Hall

Under the royal patronage of H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Little Singers of Monaco (LSM) will make a triumphant return to Singapore on Friday 8 July at the SCO Concert Hall. Since their successful debut in Singapore two years ago, the 31-strong European royal choir, under the musical direction of Pierre Debat, the Chapel Master of the Palace of the Prince of Monaco, returns to treat choral music lovers with a programme that reflects their strong musical tradition. Choral music fans will love the showcase of works by Bach, Mendelssohn, and Charpentier, and be intrigued by their rendition of Gregorian chants, folk songs and more.

Singapore is the first stop for the choir’s Asian tour and it is in the name of charity that the popular choir will be performing this summer. The local concert is organised by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) where nett proceeds from the performance will go towards the NAFA Student Relief Fund. The fund aids NAFA students who encounter sudden financial difficulty in their school term, to pay for tuition fees, text books and art materials. After Singapore, the little singing ambassadors of Monaco will perform in East Timor and China to benefit various local charity programmes.

The group of 9 to 37-year-olds tour extensively outside Monaco with their message of peace, winning critical acclaim and fans wherever they perform. Residing in the Cathedral of Monaco, the 37-year-old LSM is internationally renowned for their musical sensitivity and rich traditions of European royal choirs. 11 choir members will be performing in Singapore for the first time, among them the two youngest members. In addition to the diverse age range, diverse nationalities form the choir, including a Monaco Permanent Resident who came from Russia, reflecting the small country’s residency made up of over 100 nationalities.

Tickets are available from SISTIC at S$45, $35, $25 and student concession is at S$15. Group bookings of 20 tickets or more enjoy 15% discount off ticket prices. OCBC Credit & Debit Cardmembers, CSC Members, Friends of SSO, PAssion Card Holders and MadAboutArts Card Holders enjoy 10% discount off ticket prices. All discount offers exclude SISTIC booking fee and SISTIC terms and conditions apply.

LANXESS SNYO Classic's A Musical Chemistry in the Woods

2011-07-06T19:16:00.002+08:00

Which one of you here doesn't like freebies? Thank LANXESS then for sponsoring this FREE SNYO concert at the Botanic Gardens this coming Sunday. Here's more information:

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A Musical Chemistry in the Woods

Shaw Symphony Stage
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Sunday, 10 July

The LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC invites the public to an evening of classical music at the Shaw Symphony Stage, Singapore Botanic Gardens on Sunday, 10 July. Featuring the talents of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO), A Musical Chemistry in the Woods brings the music performed at the LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC concert in April to the lush backdrop of Singapore’s iconic garden.

Jason Lai, whose recent post includes Principal Conductor of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra, will conduct the outdoor performance. He has made appearances with the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain among many others. A prizewinner at the 2005 Leeds Conducting Competition, Jason also conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and the Oxford University Orchestra.

“We are very pleased with the response that we received for the concert we held at the Esplanade Concert Hall earlier in April, and we are delighted to share A Musical Chemistry with everyone, this time in a more intimate setting,” says Kaye Lim, President of Corporate Communications, LANXESS.

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More details including concert program available here.

"Into the Woods" by Dream Academy

2011-06-29T01:04:00.001+08:00

Dream Academy will be presenting Stephen Sondheim's classic musical Into the Woods, opening from 29 July to 7 August at the Esplanade Theatre and featuring an all-star cast including Selena Tan, Adrian Pang, Sebastian Tan, Emma Yong, Denise Tan, George Chan, Lim Kay Siu, RJ Rosales and Robin Goh, together with Ria Jones (London West End: Chess, Cats, Les Miserables; Singapore: A Twist of Fate) and Sheila Francisco (London West End: South Pacific; Singapore: The Full Monty). Here's more information and quotes from the cast and director Glen Goei:

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A WITCH, A SPELL AND WISHES COME TRUE:
DREAM ACADEMY’S BRAND NEW ADVENTURE INTO THE WOODS!

Dream Academy brings Into The Woods, the TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, to the Esplanade Theatre for the first time! Featuring a stellar cast of musical theatre talents from Singapore, the region and London’s West End, Into The Woods is Dream Academy’s tribute to the classic Broadway musical.

The cast list reads like a dream: household names in the local theatre scene, as well as Ria Jones (London West End: Chess, Cats, Les Miserables; Singapore: A Twist of Fate) and Sheila Francisco (London West End: South Pacific; Singapore: The Full Monty), who have each earned acclaim with roles in West End productions.

Ria plays the chameleon role of the Witch, originated by the award-winning Bernadette Peters on Broadway. Ria was last seen in A Twist of Fate in Singapore, as heroine Emma West. Sheila Francisco recently brought the house down here as the hilarious Jeanette Burmeister in The Full Monty. She plays another kooky character in Into The Woods – Jack’s mother.

This new staging of Into The Woods is led by director Glen Goei, collaborating with ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED ART DIRECTOR, Ian Bailie (Films: Atonement, Pride and Prejudice, The Blue Mansion), who pulls double duty as set designer and overall production designer.

Into The Woods is a homecoming of sorts for some of the cast and the director. Says Glen: “I first directed ‘Into The Woods’ in 1994, when I returned from the UK. In that production, I cast a newcomer called Selena Tan in the role of Little Red Riding Hood, and Adrian Pang also a newcomer to Singapore theatre, as Jack. In this Dream Academy production, Adrian and Selena have grown into the roles of the Baker and his
Wife. It’s wonderful to see how much they’ve matured as actors. I had always wanted to revisit this classic Sondheim musical and show how relevant it still is, and to give it a fresh twist for today’s young audiences.”
Emma Yong and Sebastian Tan are not newcomers to fairy-tale character roles either, having played Cinderella and Jack previously in pantomime productions.

Says Emma: “I've always loved ‘Into The Woods’ and was thrilled when Selena told me she wanted to do it! I've played the role of Cinderella before but THIS Cinderella is different, she comes to realize in the course of the show that maybe life isn't a fairytale, relationships are complicated and perhaps what she's been dreaming of isn't actually what she really wants. She's a Cinderella that gets to grow up into a woman!”

Into The Woods will also be a reunion for Robin Goh and RJ Rosales, who play brothers again for the first time since their memorable depiction of Siamese twins, Chang and Eng. This time they will thrill and seduce as the vain Princes Charming. Ex-The Dance Floor judge, George Chan, is the one playing twin roles this time: as the character of Wolf, who lustily pursues Little Red Riding Hood, and as the production’s choreographer.

For Selena Tan, producing Into The Woods is a dream come true: “’Into The Woods’ is my all-time favourite musical! There are so many wonderful layers to the musical that I’m still discovering. Yet it is a story that has all the elements you could wish for in a musical – a riveting story, lots of action and excitement, special
effects, comedy and songs that will keep you humming for days! It is pure entertainment for the entire family!”

“This production is truly a labour of love, and we fully intend to awe the audience with an amazing set, an almost filmic lighting design and fashion-forward, whimsical costumes, hair and make up. This is a production we would be proud to invite Mr Stephen Sondheim himself to. You never know, this wish could come true - just as wishes do in ‘Into The Woods’!”

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Ready to go "Into the Woods"? Check out the Events Page for tickets!

An Interview with Janice Watson

2011-06-26T03:23:00.000+08:00

Here's an interview that at reader has found about Janice Watson, Grammy award winning artist and soon to be Salome at the SLO production opening in August. Here she discusses singing another Strauss opera, the Marschallin. Look out for our own Mad Scene exclusive coming soon as the dates draw nearer!

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/watson-0508.shtml

Audition for 2012 "L'elisir d'amore"

2011-06-23T22:40:00.003+08:00

Click on images below to enlarge

Jeong Ae-Ree is launching her own opera company and is inviting YOU to take part! Exciting news this is indeed. The company is called New Opera Singapore and will stage Donizetti's beloved comedy L'elisir d'amore. Here's more information :

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New Opera Singapore

We are a non-profit organization comprising of a new generation of Singaporeans with a passion for Opera and Western Vocal music. We believe in the power of music and theatre to influence lives positively and we are committed in making classical music more accessible to the community. We seek to premier quality works with a fresh direction and provide a quality platform to young talents in Singapore and in the region.

Our first production will be Gaetano Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in August 2012. We are holding open auditions soon and are inviting all interested singers and vocalists to apply!

L'elisir d'amore Open Auditions

Date: 15 and 16 July
Venue: TBC

- Please prepare 2 opera arias
- 1 of which must be in Italian
- Bring resume and photo to audition
- You may bring your own pianist but one will be provided
- Email or snail mail music together with application

Interested applicants please email newoperasingapore@gmail.com
Application forms will then be emailed to you.

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As it is, the unintentionally controversial soprano is using her unfortunate recent past to garner early hype for the company, landing a Sunday Times feature that will hopefully lead to more funding and sponsors.

Think you have what it takes to be prima donna or primo tenore of a new opera outfit? Then take part by downloading the application form here!

Vox Camerata's "Aurora" in Review

2011-06-20T09:51:00.000+08:00

VOX CAMERATA
AURORA
11th June 2011
THE ARTS HOUSE CHAMBER
A review by Hawk Liu

Aptly named Aurora, the concert given by Vox Camera, a vocal ensemble of 12 women and 9 men, sang mostly works of composers whose origins were in the cold, northern nations of Estonia , Serbia , Norway , Finland and Sweden. Most pieces were written in the same vein as Renaissance music of the church, with a heavy slant to difficult (but yet tonal) harmony, and also of contemporary melodies, quite like that of John Rutter's. It's a brave endeavour to present an evening of music where most of the pieces have such a huge amount of difficult harmonies and all in their original languages.Though a young ensemble, it showed it's steel and determination in hitting out all the difficult harmonies, to a mix of mostly success despite a number of uncertain
vocal entries.

There was a verbal introduction before each composer's set of works were performed. This was certainly very useful and made for interesting reflection of each work. Having different narrators for each set was a nice idea. For me, it's top marks for the final narrator who was the most lively one. Narrators reading from their phones was quite slick! The concert presentation was well thought out and rehearsed - down to who would switch off the mics after each narration, how long to bow as well as the big smiles after each piece.

The first 2 pieces by Arvo Part seemed laboured. I would say it was due to both pieces taken way too slow. From the third piece on, the ensemble was more in their element. Time and again through the evening, they showed what they were made of when they enjoyed the music they were singing.

As a choral ensemble, their vocal blend was rather good. Except for a few difficult high notes for the women in pianissimo, the blend was tight, consistent and pleasing. That is amazing for a non-auditioned set of singers. The women's voices were especially warm when they smiled! I would prefer a more hefty sound from the choir by having more basses. Oh, yes, there was a delightful soprano singing some solo bits in one spiritual song at the end.

With a good blend of choral sound, what was then missing was a greater use of dynamics. In general, the expression was rather conservative. Some pieces required more movement and a quicker pace might help.
There were many other wonderful pieces throughout the concert. My favourite piece was the James E Moore's 'An Irish Blessing'. They were inspiring and reflective. The harmonies were interesting and there was always something interesting to hear in each piece. Thanks for a concert well thought out and pieces well chosen. It was a delightful evening.

Opera in the Park 2011

2011-06-07T11:58:00.002+08:00

The Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO)'s popular annual Opera in the Park series is taking place once again at the Botanic Gardens on 11 June 2011. On the bill is a cast of familiar and new faces to SLO regulars. Here's a quick introduction to who we will be hearing this coming Saturday:

JOSHUA KANGMING TAN - Conductor

2nd Prize winner of the 2008 Dimitri Mitropoulos International Competition and Juilliard graduate, Singaporean conductor JoshuaKangming Tan’s rise to prominence on the international scene has
been marked by recent sensational debuts in Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie Berlin, Mariinsky Hall, Taiwan, Japan, Shanghai and Beijing. He has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the
Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Award, NAC-Shell Scholarship and is the first ever recipient of the Charles Schiff Conducting Prize from the Juilliard School for outstanding achievement.

Joshua has come to the attention of the leading conductors of today and has been mentored by James DePreist, Charles Dutoit, David Zinman and Kurt Masur. Recent engagements include performances with the National Center for Performing Arts Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Russiche Kammerphilharmonie, Macao Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra,
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Kaoshiung City Symphony Orchestra, St Petersburg State Capella Symphony Orchestra and the St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, amongst others.

Upcoming highlights include concert debuts with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, Academic Symphony Orchestra of St Petersburg Philharmonia and the Okayama Symphony Orchestra.

CHERYLENE LIEW – Soprano

Born in Singapore, Cherylene Liew studied at The University of Queensland, Australia, under the tutelage of Mark Jowett where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Honours Class I) and a Master of Philosophy in Music Performance (Voice).

During her time in Australia, she was Musician-in-Residence at St. John’s College, The University of Queensland. There, she conducted the St. John’s College Choral Scholars, as well as the St. John’s College Inter-College Choral Festival Choir. Cherylene was also a Pipe Organ Scholar at the college for 4
years.

Cherylene has performed as a soloist extensively in Australia, making regular appearances at The University of Queensland’s Lunchtime Concert Series and the Customs House Concert Series. In Singapore, Cherylene performed at Singapore Lyric Opera’s Opera in the Park, Airs d’Opera for The National Museum’s Christian Lacroix Exhibition, as well as, The Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and Frasquita in Carmen, both also by the Singapore Lyric Opera.

EVELYN ANG - Soprano

Evelyn graduated from the degree course at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) with a BA (Hons) in Music (Second upper) in 2010. She was awarded the Tan Ngiang Kaw/Tan Ngiang Ann Music Merit Award for the academic year 2009-2010. Evelyn spent her years at NAFA under the tutelage of renowned soprano, Nancy Yuen and has performed in four Opera Scenes held at the Lee Foundation Theatre.
Some of her roles include Valencienne in excerpts from Lehar’s The Merry Widow in 2008 and 2009, Armida in excerpts from Handel’s Rinaldo, 2009 and Pamina in excerpts from Mozart’s The Magic Flute in 2009.

Evelyn has also worked with several young local composers in the premiere of their pieces
and has shared many wonderful performances with the Singapore Lyric Opera Chorus and the NAFA Choir. She is an active recitalist who has performed in numerous concerts in NAFA, the Esplanade Concourse,
the Esplanade Concert Hall, Kuching (Sarawak) and Johor Bahru (Malaysia). Evelyn is currently studying under tenor, Lim Shieh Yih, the Head of the Voice faculty at NAFA.

MELVIN TAN – Tenor

Described as the “star of the evening” and a “gifted Tenor… gloriously rich, musical voice that instantly captivated and enthralled”(Oxford Times), Singapore-born Melvin studied at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) (London), graduating with honours, and awarded the Bilsland Prize and 2nd prize
in the Ludmilla Andrew Russian Song Competition adjudicated by Simon Keenlyside. The only Singaporean
finalist at the recent 1st Singapore International Vocal Competition, Melvin was also a finalist at the 1st Festa
Canzona Art Song competition (Singapore), winning the Lieder prize.

Melvin graduated with a Masters in English Literature (University of Edinburgh) then received a National Arts Council bursary to study at the RAM with Diane Forlano and Dominic Wheeler. Melvin has participated in master classes with Robert Tear, Philip Langridge, Sergei Leiferkus, and Ioan Hollander. In 2009/2010, Melvin joined the Flanders Opera Studio (Belgium) performing Oronte in Handel’s Alcina and creating multiple roles in the world premiere of Brackx’s La mort au Bal Masqué. For the SLO, Melvin has performed notably as Pang in Puccini’s Turandot, Cascada in Lehár’s The Merry Widow, Andrès/Cochenille/Frantz/Pitichinaccio in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffman and was Tenor Soloist in its Opera in the Park Concert 2010. In the UK, Melvin has sung with Opera South, Guildford Opera, Clonter Opera, Opera Holland Park, Grange Park Opera and Garsington Opera. Recently, Melvin was the Tenor Soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the World Expo, Shanghai under Maestro Cao Peng.

REUBAN LAI - Tenor
Singaporean tenor Reuben Lai studied at the Guildhall in London under David Pollard and with Peter Alexander Wilson and Stephen Robertson at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

While studying in Scotland, Reuben was selected to sing for numerous masterclasses and was the runner up for the prestigious Ye Cronies Opera Prize. He is also the first Singaporean to be awarded for the prestigious Samling scholarship and participated in public and private performances at the Sage, Gatehead in Newcastle with Sir Thomas Allen and Isobel Buchanan. He was also invited to sing for Jose Cura for an international project at the Royal Academy of Music in September 2008.

Recent operatic roles that Reuben has performed include Lenski in Evgeny Onegin, the Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos, Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues des Carmelites. Described as a “…first rate tenor” by Opera magazine for his role as Truffaldino in L’amour des trios oranges by Prokofiev. Reuben was in demand as a concert and oratorio singer throughout the UK, and his repertoire included Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation and numerous masses. He was also until recently a full time member of the chorus at Glyndebourne opera, and covered the role of Bardolfo for them on tour.

WILLIAM LIM - Baritone
Born in Singapore, William Lim studied under Michael Rippon in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong, Rudolf Pierney in The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and Patrick McGuigan in The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. He was awarded the Silver Rose Award
at the Rosa Ponselle International Voice Competition, New York.

William has sung in Mozart’s Die Zauberflote, Don Giovanni, Bizet’s Carmen, Britten’s Noye’s Fludde, The Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Verdi’s La Traviata, Ernani, Rigoletto, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Die Fledermaus, Suchraritkul’s Mae Naak, Weill’s Street Scenes, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, St. Pauls, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, B Minor Mass, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, The Creation etc- all these in collaboration with The Singapore Lyric Opera, The Singapore Symphony Orchestra, The Hong Kong Oratorio Society, The Hong Kong Singers, The Bangkok Opera, The Penang Art’s Council, Friends of the Scottish Opera, Choral Trust Chamber Ensemble in Nottingham (England), Lleisiau Gwent Choral Society (Wales) and Orpheus Choir (England).

In recent years, William sang My Dream for the National Day Parade (2001) as well as the
Olympic Anthem for the 2005 IOC Opening. In 2006, William has sung Dottore Bartolo in
Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Bass solos in Bach’s Mass in B minor and Poulenc’s Le Bal Masque
and Silver Screen concert for Singapore Lyric Opera.

In 2007, William has sung in SLO’s Viva Verdi and Basilio in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and
SSO’s Seven Last Words from the Cross by MacMillan. In 2008, William will take part in The
Philharmonic Chamber Choir’s Mass in B minor by Bach, Te Deum by Charpentier, Haydn’s
Lord Nelson Mass and Donizetti’s Il Campanello di Notte and Weill’s Three Penny Opera for
Bangkok’s NUNI production.

Works for 2009 include Singapore Lyric Opera’s production of Offenbach’s Les Contes
D’Hoffmann, Haydn’s Nelson Mass for Nanyang Academy for Fine Arts, Mozart’s Vespaere
solennes de Confessore for the Festival Chorus, Airs d’Opera for National Museum’s Christian
Lacroix Exhibition and the Singapore Arts Festival’s Final Fantasy concert.

Piano VS Guitar Fest on TimeOut

2011-06-04T16:08:00.000+08:00

I know I know that this blog hasn't been updated for ages. I've been swamped with assorted work and everything requires top priority, including 2 recitals and one more coming up. Meanwhile, here's my contribution to the June issue of TimeOut Magazine,do check it out and thanks for your support!

http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/battle-of-the-hands

2011-05-28T22:02:00.000+08:00

Introducing a new Vivaldi specialist virtuoso: Kimchilla Bartoli:

The real deal (for comparison purposes):

SSO 2011/12 Season Announced

2011-05-19T16:24:00.001+08:00

And probably the most exciting event this coming season is 18 February 2012's concert performance of Beethoven's Fidelio. Other highlights include the return of Guangzhou-born Yang Jie, once the SLO's most formidable dramatic mezzo and an awesome Azucena. Check out www.sso.org.sg for a complete list of concerts, or the Events Page for just the vocal events.

Sumi Jo + AAM in Review

2011-05-19T16:03:00.000+08:00

ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC and SUMI JO
16th May 2011
Concert Hall, Esplanade
Singapore

Written by Hawk Liu

The glorious sound of the Academy of Ancient Music, using authentic instruments, opened the all-Baroque concert with Handel's Concerto Grosso Op 3 No 2. (Why opus 3 and not the more interesting and superior opus 6 concerti! Arrgh !)

As I was saying, the sound of the ensemble was glorious from start to finish. For those of you who are interested, there were 4 first violins, 4 seconds, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1 double bass, 2 oboes, 1 bassoon, 1 harpsichord, and 1 trumpet that came in only for the solos. The balance was perfect. About everything was perfect. All the strings were using gut strings and they are definitely great for articularion notes. Remembering my experiences using gut strings, I think the gut gave stronger incisive tones and exciting vibrations. Also, I made a point to listen to how 2 cellos and a doublebass would do - just the right amount of bass! Oh, I forgot about the theorbo - that 'lute' like thingie (as my friend put it) with an extension section for lower strings. The instrument was so soft I couldn't hear it most of the time. The pleasure of it's beautiful tones came only when it, with the harpsichord, were the only only instruments accompanyng Sumi Jo in Purcell's Music for a While. It was an exquisite piece, with embellisments I've had not heard another singer put in. It was great listening to 2 rare instruments live with the singer as a trio. Pleasure is the word.

Albinoni's concerto in C for 2 oboes op 9 no 9 really highlighted the beauty of the solo instruments. The 2 soloists were animated and competent. It was certainly a great display of an instrument seldom heard in our concert hall.

The second half started with Purcell's Suite from The Fairy Queen. Lovely pieces. I can't say enough good things about the magnificent Academy of Ancient Music with their wonderful instruments - entries were spot on, balance always good, tempi well chosen (except in Sonata a 5 - but that's only my opinion). Another Handel opus 3 (no. 5) was played in the 2nd half of the concert. (yawn - why not opus 6...). Alright, I did find some interesting moments in the concerto.

The only piece that didn't do it for me was Handel's Sonata no. 5. I always saw the first movement of this piece as a poignant and meloncholic one. The ensemble here took it quite brisk with the effect of it being too happy and frivolous. I almost wanted to tell the players not to smile ....too happy! Also, the solo violinist, in various places put in some 'late romantic'-like rubatos in both tempi and dynamics. I felt uneasy. However, in the rest of the movements, they were back in business. In fact, they were really exciting in the last movement where they brought out the motives well.

The programme ended with the ever popular Arrival of Queen Sheba. As usual, very exciting playing! Wish the piece was longer!

The format of the concert was the Academy playing one or two suites and Sumi Jo singing one or two pieces and so they alternated. As a vocal junkie (next paragraph for explanation), I found it hard to appreciate the concert that alternated vocal and instrumental pieces. To me, It's a bit like juxtaposing pop songs and opera arias in an alternate order in a concert. Hmm...difficult.....

Vocal Junkies - I learned that term a long time ago from another junkie - classical music enthusiasts who love listening to solo voices (usually operatic ones). We are the ones who would want to listen to a concert of solo voice(s) with no overtures or sonatas or any instrumental interludes between the vocal pieces. It's not that we don't enjoy the orchestral sounds, we did come to a Sumi Jo concert to just listen to Sumi Jo and anything else would be a delay of reaching that goal! (I imagine other musicians throwing stones at me). Don't get me wrong, it was a great treat hearing the amazing Academy play but I did wish it didn't play half the programme in a concert which would be well attended by vocal junkies. I am not alone in this respect.

A little bit about the acoustics of the concert hall. I find it too cavernous. The instruments did sound as if they were playing in a hall too large for their sound. Instruments and voices do not articulate well in the huge space and that had an overall sound that was less focused. It sounded like the reverb in a recording turned up just a notch too high.

Sumi Jo - this would be the first time I was hearing her live. What a treat - great silvery tones, a pure upper register, secure low notes, and a great smile! Oh, yes, there were 3 dresses! The first concert half had her in a shiny red gown that also came with giant lacy frills. She came into the second concert half with a most beautiful blue and while gown which she had to literally carry the lower half of while walking onto the concert stage. It had giant lacy frills. The third dress was a gold sequined gown. Yes, it came with giant lacy frills too! I see a theme here. She took a bow with the last gown and the audience obliged with enthusiastic applause.

Vivaldi's Nulla in munda pax was a joy, as was every other piece she sang! It was a polished gem with enjoyable embellishments in the da capo. Every low note was audible and secure.

Handel's Tornami a vegheggiar was exciting. This piece had the effect of making me smile every time I heard its introduction and I didn't stop smiling the whole way through the piece that night. The B section ended with a lovely cadenza. She did trip on a high note here. The da capo was magnificent. I was glad she didn't copy Joan Sutherland's embellishments here (overused by many singers) and I was kept on my toes, listening to interesting runs she came up with. The crowning glory was in the last cadenza. This time, she had this high note going on a surging long crescendo which went into subito piano with no lost of tone intensity! I missed a heart beat there!

Vivaldi's sposa, son disprezzata ended the first concert half. Although not taken too fast, I did wish for more 'sadness' in the interpretation. At this point, I did notice her putting in pianissimos in random places - and this happened in most of the other pieces too. I suppose the pianissimos might make sense in a small venue but I think it's hard to justify pianissimos in a 'cavernous' hall where the beauty of any pianissimos would be missed. Also, the choice of pianissimo placement seemed rather random for most parts. Sigh...

The trumpet came on to accompany on Handel's Let the bright Seraphim. This piece was always a crowd pleaser, so I waited excitedly to hear both singer and the authentic trumpet do their magic. I was duly rewarded with joyful music; incredible, articulate trumpet tones and exciting virtuosic singing. The piece is notorious for it's awkward breathing points, and Sumi Jo put us at ease with her fearless negotiation of those points, as well as with her fearless runs.

I waited eagerly for Sumi Jo's last programmed piece - Vivaldi's agitata, da due venti - very popular in the last decade with many singers. It's got fiendish interval jumps, unforgiving runs and mutliple, rapid, repeated notes. Due to the low vocal range of the piece, it enjoyed much success with mezzo sopranos. Well, the virtuosity held no fear for Sumi Jo and every note was there. The rapid, repeated notes were strong and sure. However, I noticed her body physically heaving for most of the runs. The interval jumps had near inaudible low notes (difficult for sopranos perhaps). The da capo was a good home run though. The higher flying embellishment notes were easy and always exciting. It was a great finish with the soprano beaming there. Lascia ch'io pianga as an encore piece was exquisite, apart from a few random pianissimos. (Sigh again.) For this piece she did put in an extra pound of passion. She sang full out in the last encore (Eternal source of light) with two extra pounds of passion - the piece's notes lying very nicely for her comfortable range and she ended with the highest note of the night!

Sumi Jo had an exquisite and skillful instrument. Although a light voice, it carried very well in the 'cavernous' (repetition intended) concert hall. There were notes a plenty where the voice floated effortlessly out of her and delivered to the spaces. The top register was always pure and beautiful. I did notice the voice taking up a variety of vocal timbre when she used different vowels because of the text, causing uneven vocal colours within single phrases. All in all, it was an experience to listen to a great voice doing its thing! Brava!

Sumi Jo + AAM Interview Part 2

2011-05-16T14:36:00.002+08:00

You've read my feature of Sumi Jo on TimeOut Magazine, about her concert with the Academy of Ancient Music (and if you haven't, please read it here). Below are some leftovers from Sumi and the orchestra's first violinist, ed verbatim, that unfortunately couldn't be used in the original feature but I feel is too good to go unread.

From Sumi Jo:

Is this the first time you are working with a baroque period instrument orchestra?

[한글답변] 원전악기로 연주하고 녹음한 앨범을 이전에 낸 적이 있습니다. (……언제 어떤 앨범인지 적으시면 되겠습니다.) 하지만 바로크 음악을 원전악기와 이렇게 공연하게 된 것은 처음인 것 같습니다.

[영문답변] I have made a recording an album with old instruments many years ago. But this seems to be my first Baroque concert with Baroque period instrument orchestra.

You became an international star by singing Mozart’s Queen of the Night and is well-known for your bel canto repertoire. What made you decide to go into baroque repertoire?

[한글답변] 처음 음악을 시작하면서 오페라에 대한 열정이 매우 컸습니다. 오페라 무대에 서는 꿈을 내일 꾸었지요. 이태리에 유학을 하면서 제게 가장 적절한 스타일을 찾아 가는 과정에서 Coloratura Voice를 가지게 되었고 운이 좋게도 Queen of the night을 연주하면서 많은 경험을 쌓게 되었습니다. 그 이후에 자연스럽게 오페라 이외의 다른 노래 영역을 많이 알게 되었고 차례차례 도전해 오고 있습니다. 바로크음악은 매우 음악적으로 잘 정제되어 있어서 좋은 연주를 하기 위하여는 많은 음악적으로나 삶에 대한 경험을 많이 필요로 한다고 생각합니다. 수년전 “Journey to the Baroque”라는 앨범을 내면서 바로크 음악에 淪臼많은 공부를 할 기회가 있었습니다. 그러한 경험으로 이번에는 바로크 음악을 원전악기 연주단체와 함께 만들게 되었습니다.

[영문답변] Once I dreamt about myself being an opera singer, I had a very strong passion for it. Everyday, I went to bed dreaming of performing on opera stage. While studying in Santa Cecilia, I finally found the most suitable vocal technique, coloratura for my voice and lucky enough to have an opportunity to sing Queen of the night. Over many years, I travelled various opera houses (as I continue to do it nowadays), I started to find other challenging areas of music naturally. I have been fascinated by concert stages that I can meet with many music lovers right in front of me. Many concert opportunities also provided me an opportunity to put more time on studying new and differ ent styles of music over the years. I also started to challenge myself to extend my repertoire as much as possible.

To perform Baroque music with quality, I believe, not only musical skill but also life experience plays very important role. With my Baroque album “Journey to the Baroque” recording few years ago made me study much about the Baroque music. With these experience, I would like to put best effort to make this concert.

What is your approach toward ornamentation of your baroque arias program?

[한글답변] 우선 원전악기와 연주하는 만큼, 연주와 노래가 좋은 음악적 효과를 내도록 노려할 생각입니다. 많은 분들이 영화와 같은 매체를 통하여 원전악기의 음색과 스타일을 기억하시리라 생각합니다. 작곡자의 의도에 충실하게 해석할 생각이며 때에 따라서 관객들과 쉽게 호흡하고자 노력할 예정입니다.

[영문답변] First of all, since I play with ancient instruments, I will try to produce best ensemble with voice and ancient instruments. I believe many audience should be familiar with Baroque music from movies (like Amadeus) and other media, therefore audience would understand different style and sound with ancient instruments. I will do my best to follow the composer’s intention of the song and also try to breath with audience in the concert hall.

AAM First Violinist Pavlo Beznosiuk:

The AAM is one of the pioneers of the Historically Informed Performance movement. How do you think the movement has evolved from the early days of the 70s till today? Also how do you think the HIP movement should advance and how do you see the AAM as a part of this advancement?

The differences between the early days and now are a natural manifestation of the different cultural backgrounds of the two eras. The HIP scene in the 70's, as in the world of avant-garde theatre or "progressive" rock music, was marked by a general feeling that there was freedom to experiment, there was a hunger for the new and it seemed as though it was easier to get projects off the ground. In London there certainly was an awful lot going on and although I was still at school my sister Lisa (a previous principal flute of AAM) was in the thick of it professionally and was taking me off to all sorts of concerts. While it took me a while to really "hear" and appreciate what that generation of musicians was trying to do there was a palpable sense of excitement at things being new and revolutionary. It would be dishonest to suggest that everything was totally fantastic of course, people were still finding out really how to deal with these different types of instruments and were just establishing a new vocabulary for all sorts of unfamiliar repertoire. In the string world, techniques of string and bow making were rather less sophisticated than now and in these and other ways the whole movement has matured and developed, in part due to the explosion of recording activity and the increase in touring during the 80's (my first tour with AAM was to Japan and Taiwan in 1984 on what was the first Far Eastern tour of a Western period-instrument group).

HIP is now pretty "mainstream". Practically every music festival in the world will have a period-instrument group of some sort. And modern orchestras' approach to the core classical repertoire has undoubtedly been influenced by the pioneering work of bands such as AAM - one can hear this in the number of players which modern bands tend to use now for Mozart and Beethoven and in the approach to tempi, articulation and to colour. This is all good of course, it's a big part of what the whole period instrument movement was about in the first place, to get audiences and musicians to re-consider musical traditions which had built up through the 19th and early 20th centuries. As we look to the future though, I think it's really important to re-connect as much as possible with the exploratory spark which started off the HIP movement 40/50 years ago. The "early days" were also marked by a sense of connection between performers and audiences, as though both were embarking on a journey together, and the AAM aims to keep this alive. All sorts of groups are now trying to exploit the Internet and modern communication in general to this end. While the Internet makes it easier for things to go corporate, large-scale and "Global" it should also be possible to use it to develop and enhance the intimate communication between composer, musician and audience member which is the essence of all music-making. Interviews with players, rehearsals available online, live streaming of concerts, tour blogs, message boards etc. these are becoming ever more popular and expected by the classical music audience, and the AAM is developing these important media (see the AAM’s youtube channel at www.youtube.com/acadofancientmusic). I think that in AAM the exploratory spark is also kept alive by trying hard to be imaginative in programming – for instance, later this year we will be releasing the world-premiere recording of music by Christopher Gibbons. With Richard Egarr at the helm there's certainly never going to be a sense of "resting on laurels" and his daring performing approach ensures that things stay fresh.

FYI - Pavlo has recently released a much acclaimed recording of JS Bach's solo sonatas and partitas on the Linn label.

NO REGRETS - a tribute to Edith Piaf

2011-05-07T13:48:00.000+08:00

NO REGRETS - a tribute to Edith Piaf

(Gala Night)

DBS Arts Centre

5th May 2011

reviewed by Hawk Liu

featuring:

Hossan Leong
Denise Tan
Robin Goh
Hilde Home
Angela Scundi

What's an Edith Piaf's music cabaret show doing in The Mad Scene you may wonder. I had seen the 2007 movie on her life, and after coming out of this show last night, I'd say the life of Piaf deserved an operatic treatment. Hossan Leong, as the narrator, gave us her life story, interwoven with at least 24 Piaf songs by the cast. There was never a dull moment in Hossan's very lively narrative style. It was serious, poignant and funny throughout and the scriptwriting certainly worked well, bringing out the most essential and interesting aspects of her dramatic life story.

Arriving in the auditorium, I was greeted by a 4-man music set (piano, drums, syns, double-bass) on stage and I was surrounded by the audience of French-speaking Caucasians. I felt like I was in 'Little Paris" and a little fearful that Hossan would be rattling off in French the whole time as I knew that he was fluent in French. Thankfully for me, he spoke almost exclusively in English. The songs were mostly delivered in French by the largely non-French speaking cast and I was certainly impressed with the rather verbose songs they all had to sing. Some songs were sung in English and they did lose the essence of 'Frenchness' for me and some of the other people I spoke to, but as a justification, I was then told Piaf had sung many of her songs in English when she became an international star. So, the songs being given in English gave me a good idea of her art in English as well as in French, and in my opinion, a good decision.

Piaf's most famous song, La vie en rose, given in both English and French, began the show after Hossan's short narrative start. The singers came on by turns and one gets an overview of the different voices right from then. They were all wonderful voices. They all sung as if they meant every word and I would have believed them all if only I understood French. The emphatic manner of singing for many of the songs represented very well Piaf's singing style. You would always feel that she had something important to sing in each song. There were the dramatic songs as well as the soft ballads, all delivered to good measure by all the singers. My favourite voice of the night was Angela's attractive tone and range which she put to good use in many of her big solos. Robin's tone was also likeable and showed a good expressive range. Hilde had the reliable voice which was consistent throughout and Denise showed her commitment to everything she sang. Hossan had only a few duets and was totally enjoyable to listen to. The singers sounded well together in the harmony numbers. However, the sound balance could be better when they were doing backups to soloists. Their individual voices stood out too much. I reckon giving them harmony material might do better for them as backup singers.

Talking about balance, I was certainly pleased that the band was sensitive to being accompanists to the singers and not stand out too much. The danger of having a drum set in a small band is the balance. Under the watchful eye of Elaine Chan (music direction from the piano), it was a delight to hear sensitive playing from all. I must mention that the synthesizer player doubled as the solo violin, and it was lovely playing. Halfway through the concert, I realised how many of Piaf's songs were in 3/4 time and the incessantly 'oom pah pah' from the snare drum was tiring on the ears. Other than that complaint, it was very sensitive drum work throughout. The only song which was totally off balance for me was 'Black trousers and motorcycle boots'. That heavy metal of a song (was that really a Piaf song??) had a really loud metal guitar going and I swear I couldn't hear any of the lyrics except for 'Black trousers and motorcycle boots' in the chorus! Nonethesless, I was happy to hear an otherwise sensitive band playing and it helps to have good musicians behind the instruments.

The ending was poignant, with the cast singing as a duet to Piaf's own vocals on 'La vie en rose'. I came away knowing Piaf's life a little more and shared her joys and sorrow, and her strong drive for life and for realising her dreams in life.

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No Regrets runs till 14 May 2011. More information below:

No Regrets, a Tribute to Edith Piaf

Venue: DBS Art Centre

Dates: 4 May – 14 May 2011

Tickets: Available at Sistic
Come discover the magical story of the most celebrated French icon of all time with No Regrets, A Tribute to Edith Piaf. Feel her life unfold with a musical revue hosted and narrated by Hossan Leong and experience the events that marked the rise of this extraordinary woman behind the classic La Vie en Rose. Along the way, marvel at her zeal for life. Despite the multiple tragedies that befell her, she could still find joy and passion in her singing and her many love affairs.
For more information, visit www.singtheatre.com.

Sumi Jo Feature on TimeOut

2011-05-06T13:07:00.000+08:00

Mahler's Ressurection Symphony is playing in my head as I type this: thanks to the diva-power of Sumi Jo my professional writing career is thus revived! Check it out TimeOut magazine debut via the links below:
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/sumi-jo

http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/brass-explosion

Martin Ng's "From Monteverdi to Mascagni" in Review

2011-05-01T23:19:00.001+08:00

From Monteverdi to Mascagni
Exploring the Ialian Song Through the Ages
Martin Ng (bass)
28th April 2011
Esplanade Recital Studio
written by Hawk Liu

It's always good to have local singers featured as soloists at the esplanade - am I bias?

Singapore born Martin Ng gave us an evening of Italian art songs from the baroque to the late romantic period so we got a palette of styles in one evening. Composers featured included Caccini, Monteverdi, Cesti, Scarlatti, Caldara, Vivaldi, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Ponchielli, Puccini, Leoncavallo and Mascagni, in that order. It was a nice treat!

The first half had early music from Caccini to Vivaldi and a cembalo was used! YAY! It was a pleasure to hear the rare instrument featured so strongly in any concert here. Shane Thio did a splendid job with the embellishments and fiendish, difficult runs in Vivaldi. The instrument seemed schizophrenic to me in terms of sound. There were many moments it actually overpowered the singer, especially in the appeggios, and then there were times when the dynamic levels were so low, especially in the fast passages. Nonetheless, it was a joy to listen to it, and well played. The second half used a sub-six-foot grand. I thought the balance between voice and piano was perfect!

The voice was a large and rich one. Throughout the evening I was thinking of a similar voice in the recorded catalogue that Ng's voice could match. It seemed to remind me of a few voices and I couldn't place my finger on any specific one. I did keep one in mind and it was Samuel Ramey. I had trouble placing Ng's voice because, for a good half of the programme, Ng was giving a whole palette of different vocal colours, even within individual phrases, so much that I didn't know which voice was his. The low notes were secure and the high ones easy enough once he had warmed up. Negotiating intervals was easy and he certainly placed the voice well when he had to do the jumps. I particularly like his ability at florid passages, they were easily executed and exciting to listen to. They are the true 'bel canto' runs where notes are supposed to melt into one smooth string of pearls and not the incisive ones that one might get from, say, Cristina Deutekom who represents that kind of technique. Just to qualify, I enjoy both types of technical styles of doing runs.

Not all was well though. Amarilli, being the first piece, didn't do it for me with the over dramatising, which happened for the next few pieces as well. Because of the frequent change in dynamics (can't hear the pp notes!), the voice sounded like a clumsy bass at first. Maybe it wasn't so much the over dramatising per se, but the frequent changes in vocal colours that unsettled me. I wasn't sure what his real voice was - sometimes, there was the deep, big voice, sometimes there was the bright ringing one, and then there was a slightly nasal middle high note here and there, and there was the mezza voce which stuck out a bit when the immediately preceding notes are ringing so nicely (I wasn't so keen on the mezza voce because the larynx was pulled a bit too low for my liking). So I was confused. In the first two sets of songs, he didn't keep the intensity in the vocal line for much of the time.

The major element that didn't go well for the evening was the pitching - singing the actual notes. I would say for half of the time in some songs, he sang approximate pitches of the notes he was supposed to sing, or he would arrive at a note by micro-slides and would continue to micro slide from that note! At times, it sounded as if he slided through all the notes in the single phrases. I didn't recognise the melodies in some pieces, such as Gia il sole dal Gange and Amarilli.

In terms of presentation, my friends did mention that he didn't look at the audience enough. I disagreed. It happened only during the first piece and then he was connecting enough after that. Maybe what my friends perceived as non-communication might be the facial expressions used. That was quite a bit of expressions that were more for the execution of making the voice than for emoting and I was hoping for a more relaxed style of presentation. Certainly, I noticed a very pleasant smile whenever he took his bows and that was needed for most of the songs.

Despite the negatives, there were many enjoyable moments. He had a reliable and beautiful trill, albeit soft whenever executed. The Vivaldi - sol da te was a good example of bel canto singing and there were fewer off-pitching moments. I totally enjoyed the other Vivaldi (orribile lo scempio) with the florid passages well executed. The Vivaldi pieces, for the first time, showed that Ng was certainly capable of clean vocal lines and exceptionally delivery.

In the second half, the Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi numbers were regularly done and I started to feel more comfortable with the voice. By the time he got to Ponchielli (Dimenticar ben mio), I was hearing a more majestic voice with much, much longer flowing vocal lines. The voice was even in its range. There was the hint of Samuel Ramey's timbre. The ever popular Sole e amore (Puccini), sharing material with the quartet of La Boheme's third act, was slightly less flowing. I am glad to see the mischievous smile on Ng's face when he sang Puccini's name (originally written into the song) at the end. Another Puccini song, E l'uccelino, was used as the only encore, and it was well delivered. Mascagni and Leoncavallo were also well sung.

To sum up, the voice was more enjoyable in the second half of music from the Romantic and Late Romantic /Verismo periods. The voice blossomed in the Ponchielli piece more than any other, even more than the verismo ones. We were treated to many moments of beautiful long vocal lines, not forgetting the delightful runs and trills. We do wish Ng a good success in his career.

NAFA's Partnership with Royal College of Music

2011-04-27T00:23:00.000+08:00

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at an event hosted by NAFA's music faculty to commemorate a new partnership with the Royal College of Music of our former colonial master. Its so nice to see young aspiring musicians get opportunities that I never had at the time, even nicer than ingesting radioactive sushi!!! But school fees without subsidy now cost almost four times of what I'm paying at my private university in Taipei, so they can suck it.

A "Black Swan" Moment

2011-04-27T00:14:00.000+08:00

It was about 2a.m. in the morning yesterday probably, and there I was in my dorm of eight, fast asleep which is unusual for an incurable insomniac. All of a sudden I had this dream that lasted all of two seconds, not something that I saw but heard in my sleep: my own voice singing an upward chromatic scale starting from my lowest chest note all the way up to the very highest end of my head voice, ending with a whopping top note worthy of Lucia! All of a sudden I woke up in a shock and found myself sitting upright, with arms outstretched as if I just gave a virtuoso performance. What the heck was that!?!

Thankfully my roommates found it all rather bemusing than shocking since young people don't really need much sleep. The next day I kind of likened it to the final scene of La Sonnambula but on closer thought, it does kind of bring to mind Natalie Portman's haunting performance in Black Swan, about how a talented, innocent and virginal young ballerina drove herself crazy trying to play the Black Swan in Swan Lake. Now I've been neither innocent nor virginal for a long time (nor young for that matter, and 'talented' is really subjective...) but then I wonder if this Freudian slip is in anyway similar to what was so vividly described in the movie? Perhaps I just need a short break, but let's see what happens next. Hopefully nothing!

LANXESS / SNYO Classic "A Musical Chemistry" in Review

2011-04-24T16:36:00.000+08:00

Hawk Liu attends the LANXESS SNYO Classics concert with Lara St. John and tells us everything about it:

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LANXESS / SNYO CLASSIC
present
A MUSICAL CHEMISTRY
Thursday 21st April 2011
Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore
Singapore National Youth Orchestra
conductor: Alexander Polishchuk
guest soloist: Lara St. John

Programme:
Richard Wagner - overture to "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg"
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto D major
Darrell Ang - Fanfare for a Frazzled Earth (world premiere)
Cesar Franck - Symphony D minor

written by Hawk Liu

The concert commenced with a short video introduction of the collaboration between LANXESS and the SNYO. In brief, LANXESS is a Germany-based chemicals company that has chosen to support the arts by running a mentorship and cultural exchange programme for musicians of SNYO. The video showcased Lara St. John's masterclasses during orchestral sessions with the SNYO. There was also the recent trip to Italy by 3 flautists of the orchestra to learn from master flautist Andrea Griminelli.

The pompous fantare of the Meistersinger overture started the concert proper. I was immediately greeted by the lush sounds of the string section, and I knew it was going to be a good evening - and it was. As I knew the overture quite well, I was looking out for all the nuances of the piece and almost everything I was hoping for was there. All the pomp, fanfare and lyricism were there. My only complaint for the piece was that the articulation in fast legato sections were less clear where single bowing was used.

Next came the violin concerto. Lara St. John literally jiggled throughout the piece, dancing to the notes of the music. In her green flowing gown, she did look like a nymph dancing for Gaia, the green earth. The first movement was one where there could be a good variety of interpretation and the soloist did give her own to it, notably with the variations in dynamics. To be specific, there was a great range of dynamics used within single phrases and sometimes alternate notes were so soft I couldn't make them out. This occurred quite a number of times throughout the first movement. I did not enjoy missing the notes I didn't get to hear - I must qualify that I am still a fan of St. John's as I own a few of her albums, nonetheless she did give all the necessary oomph to the piece. It was an unusual first movement for me because of the play on dynamics but the 2nd and 3rd movements were the regular Tchaikovsky and I was smiling through to the end. Although the orchestra played a supporting role in the work, I was keen to listen to how they handled it. The first test for me was the first orchestral tutti in the first movement. When it came on, I was beaming! Everything was there! Tchaikovsky music features woodwinds prominently and the 2nd movement gave opporturnites for the principal flautist, clarinetist and oboist. Boy, did they shine! I was excited by what I heard. In fact, the whole woodwind section was good. At the end of the concerto, the conductor pointed out the woodwind soloists to the audience.

After the intermission, we heard Darrell Ang's premiere of his short piece, commisioned by LANXESS to exhort human beings to care for the environment. Ang was asked to compose an encore piece with oriental elements and so it included a Chinese folk tune. The piece was also influenced by Stravinsky, Bartok and Berg. It's a typical 21st century piece with lots of dissonance and difficult notes to play. Now I finally get to see the percussion section put to work, and they were really really busy! There was so much to see. It was a busy piece, with the entire orchestra was on a roll and not letting up. The Chinese folk melody came in the middle of the piece, played by the lower strings amidst the bustle. I did understand the relevance of the dissonance in probably depicting the industrial elements of the earth while the melody was playing but I did struggle to hear the melody with all that gong ringing at the same time. Perhaps, the 'industrial noise' could do more to not overpower the folk song, dynamically speaking.

The symphony in D minor was generally strong throughout, and quite French. French music has a habit of building prolonged climaxes that don't quite happen.... compared to Italian music.... but I digress. The horn soloist is featured extensively and performed quite well in the work. The horn is a notorious instrument to pitch and I think the soloist did a good job all round. The woodwind soloists were well featured again here, particularly the English horn. Good tone quality in all the soloists. The harp player got to play solo in the symphony too; although she played well, I swore the harp was not tuned to the orchestra's pitch! It was a good conclusion to the concert, although I did wish it was a work that contained more catchy motives as it was the concluding piece of the concert.

So my first encounter with the SNYO was more than satisfying. I was literally smiling through much of the Wagner and Tchaikovsky because, musically, I got what I wanted out of them. The orchestral sound was generally lush and I must add that their entries were spot on. The horn section was a joy to hear because I know how notorious the instrument is. Much good has been said about the woodwinds and they were given their dues during the applause. I do like the balance in the strings. The large ensemble in the 2nd violins and violas was good in supporting the 1st violins. I think getting a few more cellists might complete the string sound, but this is just an opinion.

I should also mention the conductor who, at least in my opinion, chose the most satisfying interpretations for the evening's pieces. He brought out the 'romantic' sounds in the orchestra quite well. The tempi were great, not a dull moment. Thanks for doing such a great job with our musicians.

Nonetheless there were a few hiccups here and there, and I reiterate that the articulation passages which require single bowing for the strings were not clear much of the time, strangely, more so in Wagner and Tchaikovsly than in Franck. I observed that only the middle third of the bow was used much of the time. I did wish they would use more of the entire length of the bow for stronger articulation and tone (even for soft passages). Horn players created the occasional 'noise' (putting down of mutes) in their quick switching of mutes and there were bows of the string players knocking on the stands on a number of occasions. Alright, nothing too dramatic to mar the evening but something that members should be more aware of in future concerts. It was a most enjoyable evening and I thought the orchestra played to a very good standard. I was hearing a very good romantic sound in the orchestra. Good command of the late romantic style! I shall be curious to see how they might handle Baroque music - hopefully soon!

Interview with Martin Ng

2011-04-19T00:07:00.003+08:00

Fans of SLO productions would be familiar with the face and voice of Martin Ng Hon Wai, the bass-baritone who has sung numerous supporting roles with the company since winning their only competition many years ago. Come 28 April 2011 Martin will finally take centrestage at YMS's After 8 series (but held at the Esplanade Recital Studio so don't get the locations mixed-up!), in a recital titled From Monteverdi to Mascagni. This is a comprehensive survey of Italian songs from the Baroque to Romantic periods (more info here). Here, Martin tells us what we can look forward to and what he has been up to since last appearing at the SLO's Magic Flute:

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The Mad Scene: Tell us, what have you been up to since the SLO’s Magic Flute?

Martin: After SLO's Magic Flute I returned to Italy and auditioned for Bach's Magnificat and sang the Bass soloist under Alberto Rasi, an early music exponent in Verona. I've also been involved in a series of contemporary music dedicated to Jewish music and composers who died in the concentration camp, it was my first experience with modern music and I have to say that the experience was wonderful. And finally, I won 2nd prize in an international competition singing Rossini and Haydn.

The Mad Scene: Describe your recital From Monteverdi to Mascagni in your own words. What can music lovers look forward to at the event?

Martin: It is a representation Italian music from the early baroque to the verismo period. From the early music of Caccini and Monteverdi to middle and late Baroque of Alessandro Scarlatti and Vivaldi. And then to the bel canto period of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini and then to the Romanticism of Verdi and Ponchielli and concluding with the verismo of Puccini, Leoncavallo and Mascagni. In a few words a kaleidescope of Italian vocal chamber music (musica da camera) from 1600 to 1900.

The Mad Scene: Shane Thio will be accompanying you on harpsichord and piano. What differences are there when performing with these two instruments?

Martin: Well for a start , we all know the sound of the pianoforte... for the harpsichord...mmmm as Thomas Beecham puts it so well...The sound of a harpsichord - two skeletons copulating on a corrugated tin roof in a thunderstorm. It just has to be that sound that accompanies you when you're singing anything before 1800.

The Mad Scene: Verdi and Puccini wrote art songs? You’d never have guessed from the thousands of recordings and concerts of their arias! Given the popularity of these composers why do you think their chamber art songs are so seldom featured in performance?

Martin: Well I guess its because they didn't write art songs as well as they wrote their operas. Their real genius's was in writing music for the theatre, I.e. dramatic music. Just as Schubert's operas aren't as well known as his lieder. But on the other hand, studying the art songs of these masters helps us understand better their style. In their songs, we can often identify pieces of which, are similar or identical to the famous arias or duets we hear in their operatic masterpieces.

The Mad Scene: What’s engagements do you have after your homecoming gig?

Martin: I'm singing the First Nazarene in Strauss' Salome for the SLO and bass soloist for Bach's Saint John's Passion at Santa Maria under Alberto Rassi, and Faure's Requiem in Villafranca, Verona.

The Mad Scene: Lastly, who do you prefer, Callas or Tebaldi?

Martin: Mmmmmmmm how about Siepi?

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Yes Cesare Siepi to Martin is just like champagne while Callas and Tebaldi are both like Coca-Cola. Check out Martin Ng in From Monteverdi to Mascagni on 28 April 2011. Ticketing information at the Events Page.

Farewell to Mr. Leong Yoon Pin (1931-2011)

2011-04-15T00:20:00.000+08:00

The Mad Scene is saddened to report the passing of composer Mr. Leong Yoon Pin, one of the pioneers of Singapore's music scene. Nonetheless we are grateful for all the work he has done to educate and inspired many younger and not-so-young musicians, professional and amateur. Go to Pianomania for a full report.

SLO Children's Choir to Premiere 4 Pieces by Singaporean Composers

2011-04-12T22:52:00.000+08:00

Now that I'm a full-time music student I can finally appreciate what a pain contemporary music is. A score with no key signatures used to mean the key of C major which of many things is simply easier to sight-read. Now it means that the composer will be adding lots of sharps and flats as we go along and changing keys where ever and whenever possible with no discernible melodic lines. So kudos to the kids at the SLO Children's Choir for performing no less than 4 world-premieres by local composers. Read more to find out:

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18 March 2011 – The concert on 15 July 2011 marks the 5th year of the founding of SLO Children’s Choir. To commemorate its success, Singapore Lyric Opera, the parent organisation of the SLO’s Children’s Choir, commissioned four of Singapore’s most promising composers Mr Chen Zhangyi, Mr Lim Yi Benjamin, Miss Liong Kit Yeng and Miss Emily Koh.

Audiences will also be enchanted by favourites from opera composers such as Mozart, Bizet and Puccini. The conductors are Khor Ai Ming and Cherylene Liew.

Ms Ng Siew Eng, GM of Singapore Lyric Opera says: “Singapore Lyric Opera encourages the nurturing of talents whether it is vocalists, musicians, conductors or composers. We have to put in place a repertoire of songs that Singaporeans can identify as their own. There is a limited list of songs that we can call our own. SLO takes upon itself to nurture the writing of these songs which can also be used as our true blue Singaporean export when we perform overseas as well.”

With a growing career as a composer based in Baltimore, Chen Zhangyi, composed a piece entitled Dao, based on a poem of the same name by Cultural Medallion recipient Dr. Liang Wern Fook. Also translated as Island, it poetically depicts a heartwarming relationship between father and son. Zhangyi is also currently a master’s candidate for composition and music theory pedagogy at the Peabody Institute of Music, Johns Hopkins University. Besides a composer, Lim Yi Benjamin is also a sheng (Chinese reed pipe mouth organ)
performer, guitarist and educator whose works have been commissioned and performed by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, and re:mix String Orchestra, just to name a few. He will be contributing his piece “If You Were Coming”.

Liong Kit Yeng who has had prior experience in composing music for choirs, music ensembles, dance, and theatre productions, went on to pursue her music education with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, under the tutelage of Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai. His piece for the performance will be “After the Rain”.

Currently pursuing her Master of Music degree in composition and music theory pedagogy at the Peabody Conservatory, Emily Koh is a valedictorian who has studied composition with Ho Chee Kong and double bass with Guennadi Mouzyka. Emily will be composing her very own piece, “There is Painted Bus.”In addition to these four songs, SLO Children’s choir will also sing Dr Kelly Tan’s The Daffodils based on the poem by William Wordsworth. Other performances to look forward to are Over the Rainbow by H Arlen arr. A Snyder, Chorus of the Street Boys (from Carmen) by G Bizet, and a refreshing take of Don’t Stop Believin’ (arr. from R Emerson) from hit television series, Glee.

These talented composers mark the next generation of maestros who will be spearheading the opera industry in the next few years to come. Be sure to catch them in their prime and lend your support to the local burgeoning heroes of opera.

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Aren't you just brimming with excitement to find out just what the kids will be singing? Get your tickets NOW at the Events Page!

SNYO and Lara St. John - 5 Pairs of Tickets to Giveaway

2011-04-10T00:53:00.002+08:00

OK check out the spiel for this concert, cos LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC is kindly giving away 5 pairs of tickets to readers of The Mad Scene!

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LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC 2011 “A Musical Chemistry”

Thursday, 21 April 2011

7.30pm

The Esplanade Concert Hall

LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC presents A Musical Chemistry, a one-night only concert by the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO). Under the baton of guest conductor, Maestro Alexander Polishchuk from the St Petersburg House of Music, the orchestra will perform Wagner’s Overture to Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg and César Franck’s Symphony in D minor. Performing as guest soloist will be the critically acclaimed Canadian violin virtuoso Lara St John. She will be performing, together with the SNYO, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. The concert will also feature the world premiere of Darrell Ang’s composition, Fanfare for a Frazzled Earth.

The LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC is a 3-year mentorship and cultural exchange programme created by LANXESS, a leading global specialty chemicals company, in support of Singapore youth’s passion for music and to make classical music accessible to everyone.

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Can't wait to attend? All you have to do is send an email to themadscene@gmail.com with the following details:

Subject title: LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC Concert

Body text: Your name and telephone number.

First five readers to write in will receive a pair of tickets each. Winners will be notified during the coming week. LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC and The Mad Scene reserves the right to amend the rules and regulations if necessary. So WRITE IN NOW FOR YOUR FREE TICKETS!!!

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UPDATE: Congratulations to our five winners! Andrew Xiao, Karen Siah, Faizah Jamal, Ed Cruz and Wiepke van Aaken have each won a pair of tickets to LANXESS SNYO Classic's concert with Lara St. John on 21 April 2011. More details will be emailed to you shortly.

A Bloggers' Guide: Busting Classical Music Myths

2011-04-08T00:23:00.003+08:00

German chemicals company LANXESS recently held a talk and music appreciation session with special guests John Sharpley and Darrell Ang. Our contributor Hawk Liu was there to cover the event:

Venue: The Pigeonhole, 52 and 53 Duxton Road
Tuesday, 5th April 2011
Written by Hawk Liu

I entered the cosy 2-unit cafe at Duxton Road and was greeted by smiling people from the PR team from Phish Communications, who made sure I was comfortable for the next 20 minutes - alright it was longer than that - they made sure I was never lonely for more than a few moments. There were sofas and comfortable places to put your lazy bodies down, order a drink from the counter, and just chat. Nice setting for a Q & A session. I caught up with a few friends, including two of the guest speakers - John Sharpley and Darrell Ang.
While more guests were arriving, we helped ourselves to a generous layout of snacks. An introductory video played on a projection screen, showing some clips from an Italian training trip for musicians, organised by LANXESS.

In brief, LANXESS is a Germany-based chemicals company that has chosen to support the arts by running a mentorship and cultural exchange programme for musicians of SNYO (Singapore National Youth Orchestra).

We were each given a goodies bag from LANXESS containing a thumb drive (with information - documents, vidoes, photographs - about SNYO and their collaboration with LANXESS), and an invitation to the next concert of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (details below). This would be their second concert and Lara St John would be playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the orchestra!

The people from LANXESS came to chat with me (and I must add that they were so very welcoming and warm) and that gave me a chance to find out what their company was all about and what role they played in the event. The latest project was taking a team of 3 young flautists to Italy (13 to 18 March 2011) to learn from the master, Andrea Griminelli . The 3 youths (Jasper Goh, Rachel Ho and Tu Siling) said they are now inspired to go all the way to making music their career.

While everyone made themselves comfortable on lazy sofas, Kaye Lim (who chaired the whole meeting) from LANXESS introduced the special guests - Olive Kan (representing the Singapore National Youth Orchestra), Darrell Ang (international conductor), and John Sharpley (composer and lecturer).
Darrell expressed his wish for a general appreciation for classical music in the population, John gave a very good background on Debussy's approach to music which involved integration of elements from various genres and cultures of his time, Olive talked about her own music journey. She also gave us more insight into the LANXESS-SNYO collaboration.

The panel gave their wisdom and knowledge on a number of issues - could musicians make their dreams come true even if they were financially disadvantaged, how the appearance of new media infrastructure like Youtube promote easier access to classical music, how the performance scene today is more vibrant compared to the rare visits to Singapore by world class international musicians 20 years ago, how nurturing creativity in music education can enhance appreciation, and where could bloggers start their adventure in seeking out classical music for enjoyment.

In the middle of all that, John conducted a game of musical trivia and that drew a lot of laughter and giggles. And lastly, what is an event on music with no music? And so the 3 young flautists who recently returned from their Italian training trip each gave a solo rendition on their instruments.

I am glad that LANXESS is doing this for classical music. In fact, I am glad anyone is doing something for classical music - there is so much wealth of music to be discovered by our youths! This is an evening well spent! So bloggers - let's look forward to the next session!

Do read about LANXESS on this link http://lanxess.sg/en/lanxess-snyo-classic/, and the SNYO on http://www3.moe.edu.sg/ccab/musicdance/snyo.htm

UPCOMING CONCERT:
LANXESS SNYO CLASSIC 2011 “A Musical Chemistry”
Thursday, 21 April 2011
7.30pm
The Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets are priced at $9 (excluding booking fee)
Available at all SISTIC outlets

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Gosh! I feel so inspired as I'm typing this in between my (self-funded) music conservatory courses. Isn't wonderful that our young budding musicians get these wonderful breaks? I wonder what is being planned to help slightly more mature artists who have contributed many more years to the arts scene in Singapore, or to independently run e-zines that help promote these fantastic concerts?

Belleepoque for Japan

2011-04-06T12:44:00.000+08:00

Every now and then I can't help but wonder, just what place does the arts have in society. And then something like this comes along and reminds us what the arts can do to help:

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Dear Friends,

Bellepoque and the Arts House will present a special music night in support of Japan's victims.

Friday 15th April, 8pm, the Arts House/Living Room.

Tickets at 28SGD (plus 2 SGD charges)

tickets sale starts on 6 April 2011

www.bytes.sg hotline : 6332 6919

If you can't make it, please help us spreading the word around

We hope to see you there

Sabrina

Please visit the Events Page for ticketing information.

Nanyang Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra in Taipei

2011-04-02T00:07:00.003+08:00

Its tempting to get all smaltzy with this story but I should add a disclaimer that I attend just about every concert held in my school auditorium anyway. Still it was at least a lovely treat to have a such a big group from home come all the way here and perform literally right at your doorstep. The evening was hosted by the university's Chinese Orchestra Society but the guys and gals from the Nanyang Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra performed the bulk of the programme.

As such cultural exchange concerts go, programming typically consist of works from both the visitors' and hosts' countries, and the orchestra did not disappoint with a varied repertoire ranging from Stephanie Sun to S.H.E. Of course, serious works were also presented and they delivered with enthusiastic, virtuosic flair. The team has obviously worked hard together as every cue and dynamic change was done with well-tuned precision and milked for theatrical effect.

Sorry for poor picture quality and lopsidedness

The orchestra moves on to Miaoli for a region-wide competition. I wish them all the best of luck and hope they will have a great time in Taiwan.

Martin Ng Recital - Monteverdi to Mascagni

2011-03-31T01:06:00.001+08:00

After playing numerous roles in SLO productions, baritone Martin Ng takes centrestage this time in a solo recital organised by the Young Musician's Society, which promises to be a comprehensive survey of Italian art songs through the ages. More details below:

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CONCERT DETAILS

Date: 28 April 2011 (Thursday)
Time: 8:00pm
Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio

Synopsis:
YMS’ after8 series puts the spotlight on the bass, a voice part seldom heard in solo recital.

Martin Ng presents an all-Italian recital tracing the Italianate school of solo singing from the early 17th century to 20th century. He follows the emergence of solo voice from polyphony, through the ‘recitar cantando’ movement of Monteverdi and his peers, the baroque, bel canto and Romantic eras, and ending with the post-Romantic verismo works of Leoncavallo and Mascagni. Represented in his repertoire are seminal Italian composers (and operanistas) Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Rossini, Verdi and Puccini, who were nevertheless little known as writers of the chamber solo song.

Trained at the Conservatorio Statale di Music “dall’ Abaco” in Verona and the Mozarteum Sommerakademie in Salzburg, Singaporean Martin Ng is currently based in Verona, Italy, where he has sung various roles in operas by Italian masters Puccini and Verdi. He has also performed as bass soloist for works such as Bach’s Magnificat, Mozart’s Requiem, and Rossini’s Petit Messe Solennelle.

Martin will be accompanied by Shane Thio.

Programme:

I.
Amarilli - Giulio Caccini
Amor ch'attendi - Giulio Caccini
Perchè se m'odiavi - Claudio Monteverdi

II.
Intorno all'idol mio - Antonio Cesti
Già il sole dal Gange - Alessandro Scarlatti
Selve amiche - Antonio Caldara

III.
Sol da te - Antonio Vivaldi
Orribile lo scempio - Antonio Vivaldi
Lungi da caro bene - Giuseppe Sarti

IV.
Chi m'ascolta il canto usato - Gioacchino Rossini
Vaga luna ch'inargenti - Vincenzo Bellini
Il zeffiro - Vincenzo Bellini

V.
Leonora - Gaetano Donizetti
Il poveretto - Giuseppe Verdi
Dimenticar ben mio - Amilcare Ponchielli

VI.
Sole e amore - Giacomo Puccini
E l'uccellino - Giacomo Puccini
Lasciati amar - Ruggero Leoncavallo
Serenata - Pietro Mascagni

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Check out the Events Page for ticketing details.

Be "Fearful"

2011-03-22T23:41:00.001+08:00

One of the most popular videos among vocal enthusiasts in these parts with over 1 million views since October last year: basically what happens when a German musicologist composes a "folk song" for his virtuoso singer wife: an unstoppable wave of outright chinkiness coupled with a huge dose of irony:

And here's the perfect outfit to go with it:

Shanghai Beach in Eeewnglish

2011-03-20T23:02:00.000+08:00

Want to know how Italians feel about other folks singing their operas into English? Check out this clip and empathise:

Audition Notice for "Belle Epoque Shanghaied"

2011-03-18T17:31:00.000+08:00

See if you would like to be a part of this company's blend of theatrre, music and comedy. Good luck!

AUDITION NOTICE

After the success in December 2009 of “Belle Epoque! “ and the enthusiastic feedbacks on Bellepoque launching concert “A Night with Tosti & Friends”, Arts House February 2011, Bellepoque is proud to present

Belle Epoque Shanghaied

An operetta of intrigue, passion and frivolity at the turn of 20th century, on the notes from the great masters such as Jacques Offenbach, Franz Lehar, Johann Strauss II and many others

To be staged from 8 to 10 December 2011 ‐ at Esplanade Recital Studio –

Directed by Nicole Stinton ‐ Musical Direction by Francesca Lee

We are looking for 3 strong male singers/actors of various ages, and races. 2 tenors (Asian) + 1 baritone (possibly Caucasian or Indian origins)

As this show is more a concert with theatre elements, than a proper musical, the quality of the singing will be the most important.

This play is mainly in English but there are some songs in French/German/Italian and Chinese.

Rehearsal time frame is tentatively 10am to 17pm on weekends, occasionally extra week day rehearsals may occur, mostly in the evenings.

The period of rehearsal is approx.5 weeks before the week of the show, i.e from 12 November 2011.

Ø Audition Dates/Time: Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April 2011 (call back) from 2pm

Ø Venue: Theatre at Alliance Francaise, 1 Sarkies Road (by Newton Circus)

Ø What you'll be required to do during the audition:

1. ALL: Sing one number of your choice (choose a song from light opera, operetta, classical style musical theatre, or Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire.

2. TENORS: Sing “Une Grisette mignon” from “Veronique’ by A. Messeger -
No need to speak French, we just wish to check how comfortable you are with foreign languages!

3. BARITONE: Sing “I am the very model of a modern major general” by Gilbert & Sullivan

Music sheets are available on request

Saturday 16th April: You must bring your own pianist or minus one CDs.

Sunday 17th April/call back: pianist will be provided, pls bring your own music sheets

To get an audition appointment : Please e-mail at Sabrina.zuber@arsmedia.com.sg your singing/performing resume and a recent photo as soon as possible.

For enquiries, please call +65 9018 6358

Opera Siam's Bluebeard Castle

2011-03-17T12:42:00.000+08:00

This may be the kind of thing opera lovers should travel for:

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Opera Siam and the Embassy of Hungary

with the cooperation of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture present the Thai premiere of Bela Bartok's BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE

With Geza Gabor as Bluebeard

Grace Echauri as Judit

director Stefan Sanchez

The Siam Philharmonic Orchestra

conducted by Somtow Sucharitkul

APRIL 27th, 8 pm at the NATIONAL THEATRE

in Hungarian with English and Thai supertitles

The brooding, sensuous music of Bartok's only opera contains the seeds of all the classic horror movie scores ... but this opera is more than a scary tale of a mysterious aristocrat and a woman who pries too much into his dark secrets. It's one of the greatest masterpieces of Hungarian art, a volcano of passion packed into one bare hour of music.

To celebrate Hungary's presidency of the EU, the Embassy of Hungary collaborates with Bangkok Opera Foundation/Opera Siam to produce an original new production of this masterwork, one of the few productions of Bluebeard's Castle ever staged in Asia.

The newly refurbished National Theatre will be the venue for this production. Please note this date in your calendars!

Information about tickets and reservations will be available shortly. Tickets will be for sale in about one weeks' time.

As this will be Opera Siam's first production in the newly renovated National Theatre, the Bangkok Opera Foundation intends to organize, if demand warrants, coaches from an easily accessible central location as part of its ticket service. Information will be available shortly.

Tickets will be available from Ticketmaster outlets, from the Bangkok Opera offices, and at certain hours from the Bangkok Shopera at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (details TBA).

Bangkok Opera Foundation (02) 231-5273, or write to ratana@bangkokopera.com

There will only be one performance of BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE.

Our Prayer

2011-03-14T00:08:00.000+08:00

To the people of Japan and Christchurch.

Upcoming Events from MTL

2011-03-12T23:01:00.000+08:00

Musical Theatre Limited (MTL) presents two original musicals hot from the oven: Casino and Madoff will be presented at The Arts House for the very first time. Entry is free so do drop by and see if the talented cast, crew and creative team will be presenting the next musical sensation of Singapore!

CASINO THE MUSICAL (Concert Style; 90mins)
by Ken LYEN and Richard LORD

Everett gets drawn into the high-stakes world of the Big Casino -
strangely resembling the world of high finance.
Will he survive the great melt-down?

THE HALL at the ARTS HOUSE
2011 Mar 30 WED - Show-1 (8pm)
2011 Mar 31 THU - Show-2 (8pm)
To register for seats please email:
casino.musical.register@gmail.com

MADOFF THE MUSICAL (Concert Style; 80mins)
by Kate INGBER

Henry, a young trader, wants to learn the secret of Bernie Madoff”s
money-spinning “ proprietary strategy.” When he finds out, he faces
a dilemma – should he blow the whistle on Madoff?

CHAMBER at the ARTS HOUSE (2oo seats)
2011 Apr 6 WED = SHOW 1 (8pm)
2011 Apr 7 THU = SHOW 2 (8pm)

To register for seats please email (FREE Event):
madoff.musical.register@gmail.com

Please come and bring your friends! Admission is free.
“Pay as you please” donations will be invited after the show.

Brought to you by
THE INCUBATION TEAM, MTL!