Mozart's popular Violin Concerto No. 4 in D needs no introduction. A piece of music rich with melodic material, it is charming and exudes beauty in the simplest of ways. Soloist Tanja Becker-Bender (left) from Germany is a multi-award winning young violinist who certainly shows promise. Faltering a little in the beginning of the concerto with a couple of misplaced pitchings, she soon regained control and exhibited clean technique and a marvellous tone.

I thought it was an enjoyable performance in general, but I was uncomfortable with the broad vibratos she used, which over-sentimentalised that simplistic charm in Mozart's melodies. Especially in the Andante cantabile, this became quite unnerving for me as it seemed to be turning into a parody. As much as the music is passionate and "romantic", I thought this style just did not work. The SSO strings provided an adequate accompaniment, though often displaying in this light music an uncalled-for heaviness that seemed to have been leftover from the previous piece.

While the soloist seemed to want to exercise a little more flexibility with the tempi by employing rubato, Choo Hoey seemed reluctant to budge, keeping a very conservative tempo throughout. The communication between soloist and conductor was almost non-existent, I thought, and this almost certainly curbs the good performance of any concerto. The conductor is responsible for planning his programme - working with a soloist, surely some consideration must be shown to her (or him). I mean, if there is a rationale to sandwich a Mozart concerto between a modern work and a turn-of-the-century Russian symphony, it would be far more meaningful and satisfying to a paying audience (and a professional orchestra) to somehow explain it. I've always been frustrated at this seeming lack of communication - Choo seems clearly to want to introduce modern works but a lacklustre performance (such as this Takemitsu) only ruins everyone's impression of an otherwise marvellous work. No one benefits like this.

Choo Hoey seems to have something for "epic" Russian symphonies - in past seasons we have heard Shostakovich and Borodin under his direction. This time, it's Reinhold Glière (1875-1956), a distinguished Russian who taught composition at the Moscow Conservatory and who could boast of having students like Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Myaskovsky, and Aram Khachaturian. His own works have not attained the same "greatness" as those of his students. Characterised by fresh invention and sweeping "Romantic" notions, Glière (below left) is often criticised for lack of depth and originality. Of his work, I can say I am only familiar with his Horn Concerto, the popular encore "Russian Sailor's Dance" and the Suite from The Red Poppy. This first hearing (a Singapore premiere) of his Symphony No.2 in C minor (1907-8) left a good impression though most of it sounded like movie soundtrack material.

A "Romantic" soundscape of Russian lore in the grand manner, this symphony held the audience's attention from start to finish. The horns were in top form tonight, providing that edge to the otherwise tame brass section. Though the brass in general faired well tonight, it lacked the "bite" so common to the finest performances of Russian symphonies. Even the trumpet section was most obviously reserved, in contrast to their usual bright sound. The upside to that is of course a more refined, balanced orchestral sound that is less straining compared to their performance of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 last year (reviewed here). Jusifiably, because this is certainly not the same kind of music as the Shostakovich.

The string sections were not impressive tonight, with running notes all a blur. This was especially so with the cellos and basses, muddying up the many running passages that give the impression of their unfamiliarity with the piece. This was most evident in the outer movements. The final movement, in the meter of 12/8, was certainly less effective because of this.

Reyngol'd Moritsevich Glier (Reinhold Glière) was born in Kiev on 11 January 1875 (6 years before Mussorgsky's death) and died on 23 June 1956 (when Stravinsky was 74!). A student of and later Professor of Composition at the Moscow Conservatory, Glière was also the chairman of the USSR Composers' Union. He was a decorated composer, conductor and pianist with 4 State Prizes and the title of People's Artist of the USSR awarded in 1938. Glière also possessed a doctorate in art criticism. Glière is considered a "direct heir to the Russian Romantic tradition", excelling in expressive melody and large-scale compositions. Among his most well-known works are the ballets The Red Poppy and The Bronze Horseman; others include Earth and Sky (an opera-oratorio after Byron), operas, three symphonies, a Harp Concerto, a Concerto for Coloratura Soprano, and a concerto each for horn, violin and cello. All his "symphonies, concertos and symphonic poems show a monumentality of image and a brilliant aural imagination." Glière is recognised as the father of Soviet ballet, the music of which is marked by "particular sensitivity and beauty, colourfulness and pictorialism". He also maintained a deep interest in the music of Eastern Europe and helped foster the development of professional music in the region. Information based on The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (ed. Sadie, 1980).

This piece also spotlights many of the talented soloists in the orchestra, with Principal Horn Mr. Han Chang Chou delivering what I thought to be the most beautiful solo in the evening. The wind soloists all did very well. The cor anglais solo that was featured in the third movement was a little overshadowed by the orchestra - quite a pity, because it introduced the beautiful theme that was to see six variations in the movement. This is not new, but is still an interesting idea - to use a set of variations each of a different character, that together form the traditional 'Andante' movement of a symphony. Glière's product was fairly effective, and I particularly enjoyed the variation in which the violas carried the main melodic line, which the SSO phrased beautifully. I've always had something for the sounds of the viola and cello - Glière and the viola section really made an impression with this one.

Choo Hoey was obviously most comfortable in this piece of music, as we saw more attempts to help the orchestra shape the phrases. He created some nice moments and well-defined climaxes that were very convincing. However, his uncertain beats caused messy entrances in the orchestra, which was having trouble reading his conducting. Though there were bits of good ensemble-playing under his direction, the SSO is badly in need of precision when under Choo Hoey's baton.

Overall, a symphony that one would expect from a Russian composer composing in the "Romantic" vein, and one that would certainly leave the audience wanting to hear more of Glière. Judging from the applause, this was certainly the piece the audience enjoyed most.

The programme itself is interesting and challenging for both audience and orchestra, the diversity which hopefully will come up again in future SSO seasons. The Takemitsu could have been better focussed and the Glière more thoroughly rehearsed. One can only hope that more concert-goers would be more adventurous and support programmes with less familiar pieces so the orchestra can be encouraged to move on to more contemporary works. Tonight's less-than-satisfactory performance could perhaps be partly due to the fact that the hall was ¾ empty - that must have really dampened the mood of the musicians. Yes, it is good music - but it isn't just that this music may be unpopular/unknown, but that it's pointless if the orchestra isn't prepared to play it properly. Can one then blame the audience for not coming? For the sake of the audience at least, this phenomenon should not be allowed to pass.

Adrian Tan has a passion for Tango. really.

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485: 20.5.1999 ©Adrian Tan

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