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A Taste of the Annual British Musical Festival
A near successful week of 'promenading' for the habitants of
Klang Valley in this joint musical festivity between the Malaysian
Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO).
Stuffy dress code, lack of aggressive publicity
and poor response to the musical talks preceding the proms aside,
it was a rather successful week of concertizing for instrumental
music fans of the Klang Valley as they enjoyed the varied repertoire,
from Mozart to the more contemporary post-modernism of Turnage,
the drum riffs of Rouse and the classical-jazz style of Wilder.
Having more of a crowd around would be more in spirit but since
this is a maiden attempt by the Dewan Filharmonik, one must still
applaud their tenacity for carrying the event off. Malaysia was
the last stop for the Asia-Australia tour of the BBCSO, after Australia
and Taiwan.
11th -12th May 2002
This happened to be the introduction weekend to the proms as Dr
Marc Rochester gave us a run down on the historical timeline of
the proms, a yearly informal event held in London by BBC to improve
the quality of musical appreciation as well as introduce the concert-goers
to a less standard repertoire by including contemporary, experimental,
pop and rock works. Dr Rochester introduced two British composers,
Edward Elgar and Sir William Walton, to whet our appetites in preparation
for their debut performances in Malaysia. There are also performances
by the Kampung Strings Community Orchestra and the MPO chamber musicians.
13th May 2002
An interestingly semi-formal interview with the conductor laureate
Sir Andrew Davis and the General Manager of BBCSO, Paul Hughes.
They proved that not all British are staid and bereft of humour.
They were rather chirpy for someone who had just gotten off the
plane within a few hours of the interview. We got to know more about
the BBC orchestra, about their varied musical careers and even some
interesting tidbit concerning some of the music to be performed
and the knighting of Davis.
14th May 2002
Ah, the concert proper. There is the ebullient Sir Andrew Davis
(as endearing on stage and off) with his child-like demeanour with
the BBCSO and the very charming Janice Watson (whom I got to speak
to personally on the last night ) with her melodiously sonorous
voice and remarkable power of declamation. BBCSO performed the very
familiar Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra made popular by
the movie Space Odyssey 2001. In the list included was his
emotive lieder-like Vier Letzte Lieder, sung by Watson and
that graceful gossamer of a ballet suite by Stravinsky, The Firebird.
The BBCSO also played an introductory encore piece to MPO's next
day's performance.
15th May 2002
The afternoon chamber orchestra was well attended as a lunch-break
activity, though the quality of appreciation was poorer, as you
can see the audiences treating it like a cinema experience. The
BBCSO chamber players are a gifted lot in their respective instruments,
though the performance was a little less inspired than usual and
lack the usual sensitivity. Perhaps it's a hangover from yesterday's
excitement or the rather poor acoustic conditions (with unwarranted
noises). Professionalism prevailed however and the performance was
still enjoyable. The night concert should be dubbed Rachmaninov
night with all three performances being the works of the esteemed
composer. There was a very spirited Capriccio that reminded one
of East-European influences, the near perfect rendition of the Piano
Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, with its demand for high-virtuoso
technique by Michel Dalberto at the piano, and the rather uninspiring
performance of the Symphony No.3 in A minor. The Orchestra in performance
was the MPO, and to round off the evening they played the 2nd movement
of Elgar's Symphony No.3 as an encore piece.
16th May 2002
The night saw a musical fare consisting of two British modern composers
and one German classical composer. Louis Lortie, a Canadian pianist,
played a very beautiful Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor
with charisma that would had made the late composer proud. Turnage's
A Quick Blast was a real blast to our untrained senses but
fun nevertheless. Elgar's Symphony No.3 was adequately ceremonious
and well orchestrated by Anthony Payne but atavistic to our post-imperialistic
mind. It is an enjoyable performance of Elgar but a tad too long
for a less eager fan. Nevertheless, the crowd seemed to love everything.
17th May 2002
This performance saw a mix crowd of music-lovers beyond the dress-to-kill
classical evening concert crowds. Homegrown talents of the group
Rhythm in Bronze performed under the baton of Kevin Field and with
some orchestra members from MPO and BBCSO. While the gamelan ensemble
was interesting, the novelty for this evening would be Rouse's Bonham
featuring a line-up of 6 drummers with a mix of tribal, percussive
rhythms and rock-inspired drum riffs, and Walton's Façade,
an entertaining poems declamation to musical intonation. It is a
refreshing and hilarious experience with Sir Andrew Davis and Janice
Watson at the vocals, despite being a little outmoded for a modern
Asian audience.
18th May 2002
The afternoon chamber music by MPO was very interesting to say the
least, though it started off with the played-to-death Haydn String
Quartet in C (Op. 76 No.3), but that was quickly followed by novelty
pieces that were more enjoyable to the ears without being watered-down
gruel. We got to hear composers like Wilder, Persichetti and Svendsen
- their works are less known but not lesser in stature to other
better-known composers.
This night is modelled after the BBC Last Night
of the Proms, though the dress code was only slightly relaxed. Each
member of the audience and the spectators at the KLCC Park were
handed a Malaysian and Proms flag to wave during the concert. The
sound system was rather good in the park and was not as cacophonic
as feared, though the fountains were a small irritation except during
the time when Debussy's La Mer was performed, when it provided
a rather apt backdrop. Within the hallowed halls, the audiences
are as polite as ever until the time Pomp and Circumstance
March No.1 in D was played. Only then was it realized that some
very patriotic Brits were in the midst of the audience and they
started singing Land of Hope and Glory, which rather marred
the original intention of the composition and performance. To some
of us, it might be a blatant display of post-colonialist hangover
but redemption was at hand with the performance of Tanah Pusaka
and a medley of traditional children's songs arranged by music teacher
Vivian Chua. The pieces were indeed swinging and exciting to the
feet but it would had been enhanced by cleaner exposition and less
cluttering with embellishments.
The pre-interval performance introduced the audience
to an array of orchestral instruments with Britten's Young Person's
Guide to the Orchestra. The left-handed virtuosity of Louis
Lortie via the Piano Concerto in D for the left hand by Ravel proved
that even with playing only with the left hand, an awe-inspiring
performance could be created under a virtuoso. Debussy's La Mer
was very impressionistic and left the uninitiated gasping. Post
interval performances showcased Mozart's arias and a small section
taken from Johann Strauss II 's Die Fledermus, Mein Herr
Marquis. Janice almost did not perform the piece as it was at
a much lower range than the previous arias but we were glad that
she decided otherwise. The concert ended with a literal bang as
showers of confetti rained over the audience.
Lunchtime performances and evening concerts, including
the live relay broadcast on the last night were very much in the
spirit of the British Prom. We hope for a more ambitious musical
festival in the future that encompass even more international acts
and a more varying repertoire of contemporary, Jazz and world music.
To find out more about the BBC Proms that will go on in London from
19th July to 14th September 2002, go to http:/www.bbc.co.uk/proms.
CLARISSA
LEE
takes a breather from all that running around.
6.6.2002
© Clarissa
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