Monday, November 28, 2005
Concert: Edo De Waart with SSO
26 November (Saturday), 7.30pm, Esplanade Concert Hall
Mozart - Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201 & Mahler - Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Titan'
I won a pair of tickets to this concert after joining an SSO E-mail Club contest and answering two questions. Obviously, the complimentary seats we got were those that no one wanted - three rows in front of the stage.
The concert featured the renowned Dutch conductor Edo De Waart with one of Asia's premier orchestras, the SSO. The jovial four-movement piece by Mozart showcased the string sections with their natural, warm atmospheric tones. Mahler's piece, a work that he claimed contained his whole life, lived up to its name 'Titan'. It was a stunning orchestral work, relying mainly on the brass and percussion section (especially the timpani) to bring out the awesome power of the piece. I found the third movement, a grotesque picture of Death, sarcastic - it being a twisted march version of the nursery song Frere Jacques (the tune of Are You Sleeping Brother John?). No encore was given but the conductor received bravos and a long applause from the audience. It was a night I thoroughly enjoyed, having experienced the full power of the orchestra once again.
9:31 am *
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Concert: Orchestral Greats
10 November 2005, Thursday, 7:30 PMUniversity Cultural Centre Hall
The Conservatory Orchestra celebrates the National University of Singapore’s centennial with great orchestral masterpieces including Sibelius’ best known overture, Finlandia, Prokofiev’s elegant and high-spirited Classical Symphony and Jupiter, the most famous movement of Holst’s spectacular work, The Planets. Zhou Yi, first prize winner of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concerto Competition 2005, takes centrestage with Gyula David’s passionate Viola Concerto.
It was a concert that was not to be missed. The Viola Concerto, as it promised, was a showcase of highly developed technicality and passion. The borrowed viola on which he performed, after all, was crafted in 1749! Zhou Yi received bouquets of flowers and reappeared on stage bowing round after round. Later, Holst's stirring "Venus" and ever-popular "Jupiter" gave me the chance to enjoy these pieces first-hand (in front of a real orchestra) for the first time in my life. It was such a contrast to the recordings I had heard on CD! The wonderful performance put up by the Orchestra received much applause. To end the night, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie was dedicated to NUS's centennial celebrations.
1:35 pm *
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Irish-tuned!
We did Irish tunes for the second week today. The objective was to get everyone to play the tune on his or her major instrument together. This was rather hard especially for those on transposing instruments - they had to attempt to transpose real-time as they played. My major instrument is the electone organ, but I couldn't possibly lug the 79 kg instrument to school - so I made do with the keyboard.
The emphasis now for Performance is improvisation. We got into groups to improvise a melody above a 12-bar blues scale in G Major, which we have to perform the next lesson. Problem is, we were going to be randomly grouped so we just had to go along with the flow and improvise.
I went through Hanon exercises 1-10 and natural minor scales in all minor keys this week, though it was not fully effective as it was done on an electone organ instead. I have also covered the "Only Hope" piano score halfway through. What was more effective was my playing-through of easier grade electone organ scores in my bid to get accustomed back to the techniques of playing my major instrument, improving my sight-reading along the way as well. Regarding theory, I have been working on revision on ABRSM Grades 1 to 4 through the holidays and am currently nearing the end of Grade 4. I plan to move on to Grade 5 soon and hopefully take the Grade 5 theory exam next March, as well as resume my electone organ lessons once I feel I am "ready" for it.
7:01 am *
Monday, November 28, 2005
Concert: Edo De Waart with SSO
26 November (Saturday), 7.30pm, Esplanade Concert Hall
Mozart - Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201 & Mahler - Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Titan'
I won a pair of tickets to this concert after joining an SSO E-mail Club contest and answering two questions. Obviously, the complimentary seats we got were those that no one wanted - three rows in front of the stage.
The concert featured the renowned Dutch conductor Edo De Waart with one of Asia's premier orchestras, the SSO. The jovial four-movement piece by Mozart showcased the string sections with their natural, warm atmospheric tones. Mahler's piece, a work that he claimed contained his whole life, lived up to its name 'Titan'. It was a stunning orchestral work, relying mainly on the brass and percussion section (especially the timpani) to bring out the awesome power of the piece. I found the third movement, a grotesque picture of Death, sarcastic - it being a twisted march version of the nursery song Frere Jacques (the tune of Are You Sleeping Brother John?). No encore was given but the conductor received bravos and a long applause from the audience. It was a night I thoroughly enjoyed, having experienced the full power of the orchestra once again.
9:31 am *
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Concert: Orchestral Greats
10 November 2005, Thursday, 7:30 PMUniversity Cultural Centre Hall
The Conservatory Orchestra celebrates the National University of Singapore’s centennial with great orchestral masterpieces including Sibelius’ best known overture, Finlandia, Prokofiev’s elegant and high-spirited Classical Symphony and Jupiter, the most famous movement of Holst’s spectacular work, The Planets. Zhou Yi, first prize winner of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concerto Competition 2005, takes centrestage with Gyula David’s passionate Viola Concerto.
It was a concert that was not to be missed. The Viola Concerto, as it promised, was a showcase of highly developed technicality and passion. The borrowed viola on which he performed, after all, was crafted in 1749! Zhou Yi received bouquets of flowers and reappeared on stage bowing round after round. Later, Holst's stirring "Venus" and ever-popular "Jupiter" gave me the chance to enjoy these pieces first-hand (in front of a real orchestra) for the first time in my life. It was such a contrast to the recordings I had heard on CD! The wonderful performance put up by the Orchestra received much applause. To end the night, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie was dedicated to NUS's centennial celebrations.
1:35 pm *
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Irish-tuned!
We did Irish tunes for the second week today. The objective was to get everyone to play the tune on his or her major instrument together. This was rather hard especially for those on transposing instruments - they had to attempt to transpose real-time as they played. My major instrument is the electone organ, but I couldn't possibly lug the 79 kg instrument to school - so I made do with the keyboard.
The emphasis now for Performance is improvisation. We got into groups to improvise a melody above a 12-bar blues scale in G Major, which we have to perform the next lesson. Problem is, we were going to be randomly grouped so we just had to go along with the flow and improvise.
I went through Hanon exercises 1-10 and natural minor scales in all minor keys this week, though it was not fully effective as it was done on an electone organ instead. I have also covered the "Only Hope" piano score halfway through. What was more effective was my playing-through of easier grade electone organ scores in my bid to get accustomed back to the techniques of playing my major instrument, improving my sight-reading along the way as well. Regarding theory, I have been working on revision on ABRSM Grades 1 to 4 through the holidays and am currently nearing the end of Grade 4. I plan to move on to Grade 5 soon and hopefully take the Grade 5 theory exam next March, as well as resume my electone organ lessons once I feel I am "ready" for it.
7:01 am *
