Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Debut Concert
Finally after months of hard work, the MPYO had it's first public inaugural concert yesterday. The MPYO consists of practically the best talents scouted from all over Malaysia through auditions held last year so it's feverish anticipation to hear how they would sound like playing as a cohesive ensemble. Tickets for the only public concert were snapped up like hot cakes yet they had a concert played at previous night for invited audiences. My feedback from fellow musicians who are MPYO members confirmed the orchestra were a little bit exhausted after previous night's concert yet they still displayed great playing and spirit.
The orchestra began the afternoon's concert by performing a world premiere piece composed by Malaysia's most celebrated contemporary composer Adeline Wong entitled "Ria". I felt the work was too daunting to be played as an opening piece, especially since the orchestra was still "warming up". There's terrific and gorgeous sounds projected by the percussion section and only by latter half of the piece the orchestra got it's groove on. Anyways, the Adeline Wong piece screams "Messiaen" all over, especially if you have heard Turangalila Symphony. Afterwards, the orchestra played the first movement of Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony. There's great melancholic sound by the cellos in the beginning yet the oboe melody followed on was a little sharp. My first gripe with the second subject is the wind accompaniment which was rhythmically insecure. It was fascinating though to hear how Kevin Field highlights the classical form of the work rather than the romantic aspects of it. In the development, there's haunting mood by the violins and the frightening tremolos by the celli which leads to eventual climax reminiscent of the Giuseppe Sinopoli's Philharmonia recording. Tchaikovsky's "Elegy" for strings comes after Schubert and I was delighted that the string ensemble found a perfect tempo compared when I heard them rehearse the last time in Shah Alam. The result, of course was sensous. Kevin Field wraps up the first half as soon as the "Elegy" ended with the "Bacchanale" piece from Samson and Delilah composed by Saint-Saëns. Frankly despite great playing by the winds, the strings balances were underwhelmed and only in the frenzied last few minutes the orchestra gave sizzling playing which wowed the audiences.
After the intermission, the orchestra displayed it's greatest potential in Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade". Apart from numerous oppurtunities for orchestra principals to show off his/her solo playing, it is also an showcase of ensemble virtousity so it is not an easy piece especially for a new orchestra like the MPYO to tackle. Did they managed it? I am glad to report they handled their task superbly. Nami Mathi Baradan took over the concertmaster job from Lim Jae Sern and tackled the "Scheherazade" solos quite well. Other notable contributions including the gorgeous bassoon solo in the beginnning of "The Kalender Prince", presumably by Chong Chun Khoi, the killer exhausting trumpet triple-tonguing playing in "Festival at Baghdad" tackled superbly by Isaac and his gang and also another killer double-tonguing passage for flute in the same movement tackled with ease by the flute section led by Vincent. Well to say the rest of the wind section not doing as superb job as they are is simply not doing justice to them. While in Shah Alam I felt the shipwreck was underwhelming, Kevin Field managed to conjure adreneline rush this time round like how it feels to listen to the coda of a Bruckner Fifth. Concert(mistress) Nami wraps up the whole symphonic suite with her graceful playing of the recurrent "Scheherazade" theme.
There is little doubt that MPYO can compete with the other great youth orchestras in the asia region, especially given how they have been formed for only a year. Most string players in the orchestra did not have any ensemble playing background and the rehearsal sections plus camps have certainly moulded them to play in unison as ensemble players rather than individual soloists which credit must go with them. Yet they still have some work to do if they are to improve further. Firstly of all, perhaps they could be exposed to great youth orchestras of the world which are of much higher caliber like the Deutsche Junge Philharmonie (which recorded one of technically perfect interpretation of Mahler's Fifth Symphony), New England Youth Conservatory Orchestra and Simon Bolivar Youth Ensemble of Bolivia (led by the latest world maestro sensation Gustavo Dudamel). The MPYO's individual principal's calibre still needs loads of work to attain an international standard level where perfectionism is the norm and playing "safe" is considered dull. The string section has danger of being underwhelmed in balances and they need the Berlin Philharmonic strings as their role model. Most importantly, the MPYO needs the commitment from the management to continue to exist and to get continuous support from principals of MPO. Right now despite being back by wealth of Petronas, MPYO's future is still vague as to date. Please do not let that concert be the last for the sake of Malaysian classical music's future.
The orchestra began the afternoon's concert by performing a world premiere piece composed by Malaysia's most celebrated contemporary composer Adeline Wong entitled "Ria". I felt the work was too daunting to be played as an opening piece, especially since the orchestra was still "warming up". There's terrific and gorgeous sounds projected by the percussion section and only by latter half of the piece the orchestra got it's groove on. Anyways, the Adeline Wong piece screams "Messiaen" all over, especially if you have heard Turangalila Symphony. Afterwards, the orchestra played the first movement of Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony. There's great melancholic sound by the cellos in the beginning yet the oboe melody followed on was a little sharp. My first gripe with the second subject is the wind accompaniment which was rhythmically insecure. It was fascinating though to hear how Kevin Field highlights the classical form of the work rather than the romantic aspects of it. In the development, there's haunting mood by the violins and the frightening tremolos by the celli which leads to eventual climax reminiscent of the Giuseppe Sinopoli's Philharmonia recording. Tchaikovsky's "Elegy" for strings comes after Schubert and I was delighted that the string ensemble found a perfect tempo compared when I heard them rehearse the last time in Shah Alam. The result, of course was sensous. Kevin Field wraps up the first half as soon as the "Elegy" ended with the "Bacchanale" piece from Samson and Delilah composed by Saint-Saëns. Frankly despite great playing by the winds, the strings balances were underwhelmed and only in the frenzied last few minutes the orchestra gave sizzling playing which wowed the audiences.
After the intermission, the orchestra displayed it's greatest potential in Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade". Apart from numerous oppurtunities for orchestra principals to show off his/her solo playing, it is also an showcase of ensemble virtousity so it is not an easy piece especially for a new orchestra like the MPYO to tackle. Did they managed it? I am glad to report they handled their task superbly. Nami Mathi Baradan took over the concertmaster job from Lim Jae Sern and tackled the "Scheherazade" solos quite well. Other notable contributions including the gorgeous bassoon solo in the beginnning of "The Kalender Prince", presumably by Chong Chun Khoi, the killer exhausting trumpet triple-tonguing playing in "Festival at Baghdad" tackled superbly by Isaac and his gang and also another killer double-tonguing passage for flute in the same movement tackled with ease by the flute section led by Vincent. Well to say the rest of the wind section not doing as superb job as they are is simply not doing justice to them. While in Shah Alam I felt the shipwreck was underwhelming, Kevin Field managed to conjure adreneline rush this time round like how it feels to listen to the coda of a Bruckner Fifth. Concert(mistress) Nami wraps up the whole symphonic suite with her graceful playing of the recurrent "Scheherazade" theme.
There is little doubt that MPYO can compete with the other great youth orchestras in the asia region, especially given how they have been formed for only a year. Most string players in the orchestra did not have any ensemble playing background and the rehearsal sections plus camps have certainly moulded them to play in unison as ensemble players rather than individual soloists which credit must go with them. Yet they still have some work to do if they are to improve further. Firstly of all, perhaps they could be exposed to great youth orchestras of the world which are of much higher caliber like the Deutsche Junge Philharmonie (which recorded one of technically perfect interpretation of Mahler's Fifth Symphony), New England Youth Conservatory Orchestra and Simon Bolivar Youth Ensemble of Bolivia (led by the latest world maestro sensation Gustavo Dudamel). The MPYO's individual principal's calibre still needs loads of work to attain an international standard level where perfectionism is the norm and playing "safe" is considered dull. The string section has danger of being underwhelmed in balances and they need the Berlin Philharmonic strings as their role model. Most importantly, the MPYO needs the commitment from the management to continue to exist and to get continuous support from principals of MPO. Right now despite being back by wealth of Petronas, MPYO's future is still vague as to date. Please do not let that concert be the last for the sake of Malaysian classical music's future.
posted by Corgan Sow at 8:37 pm
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