Bravissimo! - Singapore Symphony Orchestra

B
ravissimo !
OCTOBER 2011 Vol. 12 No. 4
MICA (P) 013/05/2010
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
A musical tribute
for S R Nathan
Tasmin Little: A little faith goes a long way
Alexander Shelley: Poetry and brilliance
Lynnette Seah: Chilli crab makes me happy
www.sso.org.sg
Editorial
In this issue of BraviSSimO!, we bring you conversations with two of the most prominent
English musicians in the scene today – rising young conductor Alexander Shelley and
violin virtuoso Tasmin Little, whose Naked Violin project, offering a free downloadable
CD of works for solo violin, reached out to hundreds of thousands around the world who
never thought they would fall in love with classical music. Then learn more about the
culinary adventures of our very own Co-Leader, Lynnette Seah, hot on the heels of her
exciting guest chef stint at Italian restaurant Rubato.
Enjoy this issue!
CINDY LIM
Editor
cindy@sso.org.sg
Contents
SSO News SSO News 04
03
Singapore Symphony 07
Children’s Choir
Conrad Celebrities: 08
Tasmin Little & Alexander Shelley
SSCC 07
A Kitchen Symphony 16
On the cover:
A musical tribute for S R Nathan
Photography by Collin Tan
Symphony Society 10
SSO Friends 14
Book Review
The Autograph Collector
15
A Kitchen Symphony
16
Editors: Cindy Lim
Chang Tou Liang
Writer:
Joyce Tan
BraviSSimO! is published by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Printed by First Printers.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.
SSO tribute to S R Nathan
SSO Co-Leader Lynnette Seah and Principal Harp Gulnara Mashurova gave a joyful rendition of Massenet’s Méditation
from Thaïs, while bassoonist Liu Chang, clarinettist Yoko Liu and pianist Liu Jia polished off Elgar’s Salut d’amour.
The evening ended on a high note with a heartfelt rendition of Home – written by Dick Lee and arranged by Kelly Tang
– performed against a touching photo-montage documenting Mr Nathan’s 12-year contribution to Singapore.
Mr and Mrs S R Nathan greeted members of the orchestra and past President’s Young Performers at the post-concert
reception, concluding the wonderful night with warm smiles and embrace. !
The SSO gave a delightful interpretation of Carnival of the Animals
Mr Nathan greets piano soloist Abigail Sin
Mr Nathan with SSO musicians Lynnette Seah and Alexander Souptel
sso news
The SSO saluted the nation’s former president, Mr S R Nathan, for his fervent support to the orchestra with a special
tribute concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall on October 2. Joined by two past President’s Young Performers, pianists Lim
Yan and Abigail Sin, conductor Lim Yau led the SSO in a delightful interpretation of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals.
A gift of music in the park
A 2500-strong audience turned up for SSO’s concert at the Botanic Gardens on August 27 despite the wet
weather. The heavy downpour did not dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd who immersed themselves
in splendid melodies from noted pieces such as Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Mendelssohn’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sibelius’ Karelia Suite. Ardent fans of the orchestra even struck merry poses
for the camera at this outdoor concert event as part of our Facebook photo contest. !
All smiles despite the wet weather
Lim Yau led the SSO in a rousing performance
Trumpeter Jun Ikebe with son Daiki
04
bravissimo!
Principal Harp Gulnara Mashurova with son Jasper
The downpour did not dampen the spirits of the 2500 strong audience
SSO @ The Racecourse
The SSO celebrated Mid-Autumn’s Festival at the Singapore Racecourse (Kranji) with a delightful crowd of 3,000 on the
evening of September 10.
Audiences revelled in timeless symphonies as well as Mandarin crowd-favourites – The Relentless Galloping Horse and The
Moon Represents My Heart. Both adults and children picked up free Mid-Autumn goodies and balloons at the event while
10 lucky contest winners walked away with souvenirs courtesy of Singapore Turf Club and the SSO. !
Lunchtime
Concert
The SSO’s Community Outreach concerts
for 2011/12 kicked off with a lunchtime
concert held at Esplanade Concert Hall
on the afternoon of August 25, attracting
almost 500 music aficionados who
basked in the lighthearted and serene
melodies of the orchestra. !
Congratulations
Our heartiest congratulations to cellist Guo Hao and violinist Xu Jue Yi on
the arrival of their son Guo Xin Xin on August 30. !
bravissimo!
05
Two new faces aboard
The Board of the Singapore Symphonia Company Limited has been
re-appointed by the Minister for Information, Communications and
the Arts, Associate Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, for a two-year term
beginning September 26.
The new 13-member Board chaired by Mr Goh Yew Lin will include
two new Directors: Mr Chng Hak-Peng and Mr Lionel Choi. Mr Chng
is Managing Partner of Devaro Partners, a leadership and strategy
execution advisory firm. Mr Choi is Vice President at Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management, and his involvement in music – from piano to
choral conducting to singing – dates back to when he was a child and
he is currently Artistic Director of the annual Singapore International
Piano Festival.
Two Directors will be stepping down: Prof Bernard Tan, who has
served on the Board for 32 years, and Mrs Gretchen Liu, after seven
years. The SSO is extremely grateful for their invaluable contributions
over the years. !
06
bravissimo!
Mr Lionel Choi
Mr Chng Hak-Peng
A Conversation
with Gabriel Ching
13-year-old Gabriel Ching has been singing
with the Singapore Symphony Children’s
Choir since 2007. He is currently a voice
student at the School of the Arts (SOTA).
What do you enjoy most about singing, and what are some
of your favourite songs so far?
What I like most is the exposure to many different types of
songs in different languages, and two of my favourite pieces
so far are Callers and I bought me a cat.
My voice teacher at SOTA is Mr William Lim, but as my
voice is currently changing, I have switched to the recorder
until my voice totally changes, so for now my recorder
teacher is Mr Ralph McDonald.
How do you feel before a performance? What is it like on
stage?
I do feel kind of nervous at first at the thought of so many
people watching, but I get over it when the audience is
clapping as it feels like a great accomplishment.
How do you look after your voice before a performance?
I usually try to avoid fried food before a performance, as it
sometimes makes my throat phlegmy.
What do you like most about performing?
It is exciting because you never know what the audience
will be like, or how they will respond to your performance.
What has been your most challenging concert to date?
Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 in 2008. It was the most challenging
because the German words were very
difficult to pronounce, so we needed
a lot of practice to get it right.
Other than singing, what are your
other interests?
I have always liked robots and how
you can programme them to do
certain actions, or follow a specific
route. Similarly, heavy machinery
can also be programmed in a way to
do certain things. My other hobbies
include collecting stamps, notes and
coins, cycling and reading. !
By Cindy Lim
Gabriel with his parents and younger brother
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY Children’s Choir
What made you join the SSCC?
Prior to joining the SSCC, I was in the Anglo Chinese School
(Primary) choir since Primary Two. I wanted to get more
experience in singing so I auditioned for the SSCC.
tasmin little
A little faith goes
a long way
CONRAD CELEBRITIES
She picked up the violin when she was seven and auditioned
successfully for the Yehudi Menuhin School just a year later.
Today the British violinist is admired by audiences the world
over for her beauty of sound and remarkable musicality.
An Ambassador for The Prince’s Foundation for Children and
the Arts, Tasmin Little, 46, is passionate about reaching out to
young people and across a wide spectrum of society. Apart from
her work on the violin, she is also adoring mother to Chloe, 11,
and Ashley, 9. She plays a 1757 Guadagnini violin and has, on
loan from the Royal Academy of Music, the ‘Regent’ Stradivarius
of 1708.
In 2008 she initiated The Naked Violin project, offering a free
downloadable album of works for solo violin – by Bach, Patterson
and Ysaye – complete with educational audio introductions.
This proved a phenomenal success, garnering 250,000 visitors
on her website.
“I was touched by so many of the emails that I received – and I
received hundreds! Even now, people still write to me and come
up to me after concerts to say that I have led them to classical
music because of the Naked Violin. Once again, it reminded
me to never try to second guess what music people will enjoy.”
This ambitious project was spurred by a busking experiment she
did earlier at the Waterloo Station in London one cold wintry
Tasmin Little will perform
Elgar’s Violin Concerto with
the SSO and Polish conductor
Krzysztof Urbanski at the
Esplanade Concert Hall on
November 11.
morning, surrounded by flying pigeons and bird poo – following
a similar attempt by Joshua Bell in Washington D.C.
“The older generation who would presumably pay lots of money
to go to a concert hall weren’t remotely interested to stop and
listen to me… The younger people, especially children, were
more prepared to stop and listen in the more informal, even
grotty surroundings. It made me re-think: How do we get these
audiences?”
She believes, however, that reaching out does not necessarily
need to be done at the expense of the music, and has faith that
classical music needs no dressing up to appeal to people from
all walks of life. “It’s important because we live in an age where
there is a tendency to find quick solutions or easily digestible
sound bites, instead of encouraging people to experience
something in its fullest form.”
“The whole world of classical music relies on people really
taking the time to listen – and allowing the music to grow on
you. Some pieces aren’t immediately easy to get to know, but
once you take the time and trouble to do so, they can be some
of the most rewarding experiences to have.” !
by Cindy Lim
Alexander Shelley
Poetry and
brilliance
As
a young boy, whenever he was proffered a bedtime story by his parents,
Alexander Shelley would instead ask to listen to a symphony or tone poem. Says
the emerging British conductor: “I have always been fascinated by the sound of an
orchestra and particularly by the repertoire written for it. I found that the imagery
contained in the music was far stronger than words.”
Alexander Shelley will appear
with the SSO and British pianist
Stephen Hough at the Esplanade
Concert Hall on December 2. The
programme includes Rachmaninov’s
Third Piano Concerto and Strauss’
Don Juan.
All of fourteen when he first conducted his school orchestra, Shelley studied cello
at the Royal College of Music and then at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in
Dusseldorf, before making the switch from cello to baton. He was awarded first prize
in the 2005 Leeds Conducting Competition.
The son of professional musicians – his father is the pianist and conductor Howard
Shelley and his mother the pianist Hilary MacNamara – he grew up with four concert
grand pianos in the home and spent a part of his childhood travelling to some of the
world’s finest concert halls with his parents.
For his Singapore debut on December 2, the 32-year-old maestro will conduct a
programme which includes Strauss’ Don Juan and Rachmaninov’s Third Piano
Concerto: “Quite apart from the virtuosic, tuneful and deeply romantic piano
concerto, the audience can look forward to three very dramatic tone poems. My
personal favourite – and a piece which I conduct regularly – is Don Juan. It is full
of life and love, youth and romance and never fails to transport the listener (and
performer) into a world filled with beautiful women and wild adventures!”
Embarking on a conducting career has meant that he has little time for the cello.
“Although I still have my cello and bows at home, I unfortunately find very little
time to play the instrument nowadays. Having studied cello has, however, been of
enormous use in my conducting. As is obvious to anyone watching an orchestra, the
sheer number of string players means that a working knowledge and understanding of
their colours, ranges and limits is instrumental to getting the most out of the group.”
Currently Principal Conductor at the Nuremberg Symphony, a post he took up two
years ago, he says his work in Nuremberg has been “hugely exciting”.
Conrad Centennial Singapore offers a
choice of exciting wining and dining
venues. Dine on contemporary Cantonese
cuisine and innovative dim sum creations
by top Hong Kong chefs at award winning Golden Peony. Oscar’s offers
delicious buffets for breakfast, lunch and
dinner as well as a delectable Amazing
Graze Sunday brunch with free flow
champagne, wine and beer. Oscar’s is open
24 hours. Or savour delightful afternoon
tea and Executive lunch at Lobby Lounge.
“We have further built on our already healthy subscription audience and developed
our regional responsibilities, performing across Bavaria. We have also been making
regular trips abroad, including to the Musikverein in Vienna and opened a new
600-seat rehearsal venue in which we will be presenting concerts for our younger
audience. On a personal level, the relationship with the orchestra has blossomed
and gained much through the hard work we have been doing, week in, week out.”
Off the podium, Shelley’s passions include good food and wine, spending time
with friends, and “balancing it all out with as much sport as possible.” He strongly
believes that a conductor should never be nervous before a performance: “I rarely if
ever feel nervous – nerves in a conductor are not helpful for an orchestra – but I do
feel focused. I find that while studying music at my desk and while conducting it on
the rostrum, there is a necessity to be absolutely alert and in the moment.” !
By Cindy Lim
bravissimo!
09
A fitting tribute for
Mr S R Nathan
Invited guests of the SSO Tribute to S.R. Nathan concert on Oct 2 were treated to a cosy,
post-concert reception. The crowd savoured pleasant snacks whilst entertained by soothing melodies
performed by Cannosian School’s young percussionists.
symphony society
Several guests seized the opportunity to pose for photographs with Mr and Mrs S R Nathan, while
some obtained autographs of the former president and guest performers Abigail Sin and Lim Yan. !
Mr Nathan posing with past President’s Young Performers Lim Chun, Lee Shi Mei, Albert Lin, Mervyn Lee, Abigail Sin,
Chan Yoong-Han & Lim Yan
Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin, Mr & Mrs S R Nathan & Mr Gerard Ee
Mrs Alice Lee-Seah, Mrs Wong Nang Jang, Mr Moses Lee & Mr Wong Nang Jang
Mr Nathan with Mrs Goh Chok Tong
Mr & Mrs Lee Suan Hiang, Mr & Mrs Tan Boon Teik
Mrs Nathan with Mdm Ho Ching
Mrs Charlotte Goh & Ms Ang Bee Lian
Mr Nathan greets SSO musicians Yoko Liu and Liu Chang
Ms Elim Chew with Ms Christina Foo
Mdm Ho Ching with Mr Goh Yew Lin
bravissimo!
11
Playing for the
President
This year’s President’s Young Performers – conductor Joshua Tan, violinist Loh Jun Hong and pianist
symphony society
Azariah Tan – gave impeccable performances with the SSO at the Esplanade Concert Hall on July 8. With the
glistening city skyline in the background, guests mingled with President S R Nathan and the young musicians
at a post-concert reception at the concert hall foyer. !
Joshua Tan led the SSO in a programme of popular classics
Young violinist Loh Jun Hong with the SSO
Mr John Lim, Mr Lee Suan Hiang & Prof Leo Tan
President S R Nathan with Joshua Tan
Mrs Cheong Hee Kiat, Prof Cheong Hee Kiat, Prof Leo Tan, Dr Sylvia Chong & Dr Dennis Sng
Azariah Tan greets Mr S R Nathan
Mr & Mrs Lim Soon Hock
President S R Nathan with the Loh family
bravissimo!
13
New Privileges for
SSO Friends!
Artists Academy
•5% off musical instruments and
accessories
•10% off sheet music, books and scores
•20% off studio bookings, workshops
and concerts at/by Artists Academy
•15% discount off performance
rack rates for private and corporate
functions: please visit www.artistsacademy.com.sg for details
•Special rental discounts on selected
instruments
Conrad Centennial Singapore
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Valid till 30 Dec 2011
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OChre Italian Restaurant | Bar
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Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road
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Valid till 30 Apr 2012
Commonwealth Lane #03-01
Tel: 6659 1860
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Si Chuan Dou Hua
Medley Music School
•10% off school fees
•$48 registration fee waiver in your
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Valid till 31 Mar 2012
KUMO Japanese Kaiseki
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45 Burghley Drive
#01-09, Block B
Tel: 6282 8636
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•20% off total bill
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Parkroyal @ Beach Road
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•Si Chuan Dou Hua: 15% off total
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You may view all Friends privileges on www.sso.org.sg.
To sign up as a Friend of the SSO or learn more about the host of exclusive privileges,
please contact our Friends’ officer at 6602 4225/friends@sso.org.sg.
the
Autograph
collector
In this issue, we look at the autographs of some composers who have
worked with the SSO over the years. Opportunities to meet composers
arise as the orchestra regularly plays and records new works, usually with
the composers in attendance. With their guidance and seal of approval,
these performances and subsequent recordings get to be become
definitive ones.
BRIGHT SHENG
The Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng
(Sheng Zongliang) was one of the earliest to
work with the orchestra under the direction
of Music Director Lan Shui. Together they
recorded a CD of his Concerto for Orchestra
“China Dreams”, the Flute Concerto “Flute
Moon” and Postcards. Typically he signs in
Chinese and Romanised script.
CHEN YI & ZHOU LONG
The husband and wife pair of composers,
born in China and resident in USA, are
among the most highly regarded Asian
composers of our time. Their music,
combining Asian aesthetics with Western
contemporary techniques have found a
universal audience. Both have had CDs of
their music recorded by the SSO, and both
choose to sign in Chinese script.
BLAST FROM THE PAST:
KAREL HUSA (1988)
Back in 1988, the Czech-American
composer Karel Husa conducted the SSO
in a concert strangely titled as a tribute
to American music despite all the music
performed being Czech. The works included
Martinu’s Second Violin Concerto (with
SSO’s Czech concertmaster Pavel Prantl
as soloist), Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony and
Husa’s own Music for Prague 1968. His
autograph is a straight-forward inscription
of his name.
If you have interesting autographs to contribute, please send a high resolution scan and accompanying texts to: cindy@sso.org.sg.
Happy autograph hunting for 2011!
It puts into context Sibelius’s rise as a unique musical voice, running parallel with
Finnish nationalism, and his position as an icon in 20th century symphonic writing. The
struggles and paradoxes that dogged his personal life are also illuminated, including
his “silent” final three decades which saw the destruction of his unpublished Eighth
Symphony. This is not a fawning or uncritical account, but one which also delves
into the surprising variability of his output, which besides great symphonies and tone
poems also included much salon music and kitsch.
JEAN SIBELIUS
By Guy Rickards
Published by Phaidon
$24.76 at Books Kinokuniya
Part of Phaidon’s 20th Century Composers series, it is copiously illustrated and
has helpful lists of works and a discography at the end. Musical jargon is kept at a
minimum, and every effort is made to engage the reader with the slightest interest in
one of the great composers of the last century.
WIN A $30 KINOKUNIYA BOOK VOUCHER
by answering the following questions:
1.In which year did Sibelius specialist Okko Kamu first
conduct the SSO?
2.What was the name of the large-scale symphonic choral
work by Sibelius which has been designated a symphony?
(Clue: Okko Kamu conducted it here in 2006)
A. Kuolema
B. Karelia
C. Kullervo
D. Kathakali E. Kalevala
Please send your answers and particulars to:
BraviSSimO! Kinokuniya Book Quiz
Kinokuniya Bookstores of Singapore
391B Orchard Road #13-06
Ngee Ann City Tower B, Singapore 238874
Or e-mail: Corp_Affair@kinokuniya.co.jp
The correct answers to last issue’s quiz:
Closing date: 30 November 2011
The first correct entry to be drawn will be
notified accordingly.
Congratulations!
1. B. J.S.Bach was born in Eisenach
2. E. PDQ Bach was not one of Bach’s
sons.
The winner was Jimmy Lim.
Book Review
This is a handy and concise biography of Finland’s greatest composer, one that is
useful as a concertgoer’s companion to this season’s SSO Sibelius symphony cycle
conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Okko Kamu.
A kitchen symphony
with Lynnette Seah
“When I cook, I rely
on my sensitive palate
and sense of smell”
Step into the cosy residence of SSO Co-Leader Lynnette
Seah and what immediately catches your eye are a sleek oven
and induction stove from Miele, and two refrigerators – the
larger one stocked with cakes, desserts, bread (“I can’t live
without it!”) and various sauces and condiments – which
adorn the kitchen and dining area.
When she is not rehearsing or performing, the accomplished
violinist enjoys rolling up her sleeves and whipping up a
spread for her family and friends. She says working in the
kitchen takes her mind off the daily stress in life and helps her
unwind after months of preparing for a concert.
backstage
“As a child I used to help my mum prepare dinner and cook
the rice in a pot as we did not have rice cookers in those days.
I perfected the art of not burning the rice by listening for the
little crackling noises from the bottom of the pot… That’s when
I knew it was time to switch off the fire.”
“I also learnt the basics of cooking from my mum who baked
cakes with a wooden spoon as we did not have Kenwood
machines back then. I helped her pound the chillis and helped
to buy fresh produce and vegetables in the market.”
Her hallmark dishes include Peranakan food, roast lamb, roast
beef, sugee cake and tiramisu. She tells you that she never
measures her ingredients when preparing a meal. “When I
cook, I rely on my sensitive palate and sense of smell. I know
by taste, memory and my imagination what ingredients and
spices I need, and I taste as I cook.”
She however had to put pen to paper when she was invited
to contribute a chilli crab recipe for Heritage Feasts, a charity
cookbook featuring recipes by various Singaporean luminaries.
“Chilli crab for me is comfort food. I feel happy when I eat it
especially when the sauce is well-seasoned and the crabs are
big. One day my friends from London came for dinner and
Lynnette with restaurant owner Michael Edwin at Rubato Modern Italian Trattoria
requested for chilli crab as we had a disappointing meal at a
restaurant. I decided to cook it with my own recipe and they
loved it!”
In June this year, Lynnette donned the chef’s whites for a guest
stint at Rubato Modern Italian Trattoria in Clover Park. Her
task for the evening: to cook a five-course meal for 50 guests,
including a number of SSO colleagues who had turned up in
a show of support. For the main course, the menu included
a choice of roast ribeye with rosemary, truffle mustard and
foie gras sauce in red wine reduction, or pan seared cod with
pumpkin puree.
“There was a lot of planning two weeks before the dinner. I had
a few discussions with the chef of Rubato on the menu and
ingredients. There was a chef and three assistants in the kitchen
to help with the final touches and plating.”
“I made three batches of tiramisu – using homemade chocolate
sponge and mixed berries layers – which was served for dessert.
By the end of the night I realised I had not eaten and was
starving! It was a truly memorable and exciting night for me.”
This December Lynnette will embark on her second guest stint
at Rubato. In her leisure, she relishes spending time with her
two sons, Maurice and Andre. “I like going to the East Coast Park
for evening walks and swimming in my condominium pool. It
helps me to de-stress and relax after a week of performing.” !
By Cindy Lim