Mahler: Symphony No.1 "Titan" - review by Derek Lim

I've been to many SSO concerts, but these were very special and memorable to me. It was the first time I participated in any of their concerts -- I sang as part of the Singapore Symphony Chorus in the first half "Choral Fantasy". Then there was the extremely high quality of music-making in the performance of Mahler's First Symphony.

Are we running short of good Mahler conductors? This question has been raised a number of times. Judging by the two concerts, I venture to answer "no". Shui Lan has led the SSO since January 1997 -- in this period I have seen quite a bit of his conducting, both superb and mundane. But I think that in this time and age it will be his Mahler conducting that many will remember him most for.

On the first night, I found myself a seat after the first half in the first-row circle seats. These are especially good visually if not sonically, since one gets to see everything happening inside the orchestra. Shui Lan started the Symphony in a relatively relaxed manner on both days. Tension was often allowed to ebb in areas, but an air of mystery was always present. The entry of the strings on their first-note harmonics is one of the most unforgettably original symphony beginnings, and in this Shui Lan managed to convey the sound of the rarified morning air.

The woodwinds and brass were all in fine shape on Friday. Intonation problems in the strings were all but undetectable on both nights. Assistant conductor Bart Folse was off-stage with three trumpeteers to conduct the introduction's three opening fanfares, all well-played.

Shui Lan (right) has a very physical idea of conducting -- he jumps to emphasize, he hides below the score in pianissimo passages. He shakes his head and implores the orchestra to do his bidding. He excites everyone playing under him. Solti- or Bernstein-esque? Perhaps. But his conducting is quite unlike Solti's. Shui Lan is much more poetic, for example, though that doesn't mean he's an introvert.

The first main theme is the "walking" tune of the second "Wayfarer" song, where Mahler's traveller takes a morning walk through a field. Shui Lan treated the first phrase lovingly and beautifully, with carefully thought-out rubato at the end of the phrase. It was a delight. In the cello section there was much lovely portamento, not affected at all. The first movement was as a whole very successfully performed -- so well in fact, that the conductor and orchestra were applauded when it ended. On the whole I thought that ensemble work was better on the first night, with the timpanist happily BIM-BAMM-BIM-BAMMing away in the coda.

The second movement was well-played and rhythmically tight. The principal horn's solo that starts the second Ländler theme (the trio) was very well done on the first night. The trio was imaginatively handled, though I would have liked to have seen bigger tempo changes. The strings played their glissandi with much style, very Viennese and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. I thought, overall, though that there could have been more "dance" in the Ländlers. The scherzo could on the whole have been more playful. The first night found the first horn in better condition, though on the second night they were by no means the only offenders!

The third movement is supposed to depict a hunter's funeral, where he is followed by a cortege of village animals. This was well played, though, I felt, undercharacterized. It may seem strange to say so, but the double-bass solo at the beginning was much too tunefully and beautifully played, something that is a little out-of-character in this banal tune. Also, on Friday the solo slowed down, whereas in the score it is specifically asked that it should not ("nicht schleppen"). But this was not really a problem.

The trumpets were in good form, but they didn't seem to be enjoying themselves so much. They didn't sound very "Jewish". I thought that the march could have been a little more roughly played, with more parody. The harp entry into the Gesellen song theme "auf der Straße" was not very satisfying, though I'd be hard-pressed to point out exactly why. Perhaps it was not very subtle. The violins, especially the concert-master and his assistant, played the ensuing melody with much feeling, and very tunefully. Later, after the timpani re-entry of the opening rhythm I felt the whole thing could have sounded more reckless -- Shui Lan should take more chances! It is after all a Jewish dance. This movement was handled in mostly the same way on both nights, rather successful, but more characterizing would have made the whole thing much more memorable. This was after all Mahler's first "strange" movement.

The finale on the first night was not nearly as satisfactory as that on the second. After the shocking cymbal crash, the outburst "like a snake's tongue" (Mahler), the movement has many climaxes and contrasting passages. I thought of the first night that the finale could not be much better played, but I was proven wrong. On the second night, Shui Lan made the orchestra play more intensely -- short notes were made shorter, staccati were made even sharper, he slowed down and sped up even more convincingly, such that when the climax came it was even more effective.

For example, there is a point where the orchestra slows down very dramatically and is requested to take a "Luftpause", a pause for breath. What comes after the "Luftpause" determines the rest of the symphony -- the orchestra comes in fff -- very very loudly and triumphantly. This is a very psychologically dramatic and tense moment in the Symphony, possibly the climax, and is therefore of utmost importance. This was very well-done on the second night, though I thought it could have been emphasized even more. It was not apparent at all on the first night.

Overall Shui Lan showed a good conception -- he balanced climax against climax rather well. On disc, this movement can often sound rambling. Performed "live" this was never a problem. Shui Lan did not over-sentimentalise anything, even the nostalgic segment that precedes the final coda, something that some conductors like to do. He managed to bring out much of the angry counterpoint in the strings, not allowing the brass to swamp them. When we reached the coda of the finale, I felt truly as if a battle had been won. The orchestra was totally involved. The violists were especially absorbed. Their committed playing in the minor of the very quick three short notes when the orchestra is completely silent was truly wonderful. This whole intensity of the moment is best experienced live.

Unfortunately Shui Lan did not ask the trumpets to stand in places, though the audience and I hardly found this a problem. When the Symphony came to its triumphant end, some people downstairs, I was told, cheered. The circle audience was hardly less responsive -- many gave Shui Lan and the SSO a standing ovation. Their combined applause was nothing short of thunderous, despite the glaring empty seats in much of the Victoria Concert Hall.