Singapore Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Hecht

MUSIC OF THE NIGHT

SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/THOMAS HECHT

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS CONCERT HALL

23 FEBRUARY 2013

An edited version of this review was published in The Straits Times on 25th February 2013 under the title "Explosive Night of Musical Colours".

Swopping its regular performing venue at the Esplanade for the more intimate School of The Arts Concert Hall, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's offerings explored a vastly different musical direction from its usual programming. Due to the smaller hall, the repertoire called for a smaller-sized orchestra, including a septet which opened the concert.

Commissioned by the Erard company to display the expressive range of its double-action pedal harps, Ravel's Introduction And Allegro was scored for solo harp and accompanied by a string quartet, flute and clarinet. Harpist Gulnara Mashurova gave an excellent account of this miniature harp concerto, always alert to the collaborative effort of this chamber work. Sweeping arpeggios were executed with pristine clarity and the cadenza was convincingly delivered.

Revelling in the sheer cheekiness of Ravel's writing, the ensemble was admirably cohesive, especially in the hemiola-ridden second theme.

Dvorak's Serenade For Strings teemed with elements of Bohemian culture. Clearly inspired by conductor Okko Kamu's innate affinity for the music, the orchestra brought out myriad colours. The way they indulged in the languid lilt of the waltz in the second movement and sang wistfully in pianissimo in the finale was nothing short of breathtaking.

Although Manuel de Falla's Nights In The Gardens Of Spain is technically a piano concerto, Kamu made the soloist a member of the ensemble. American pianist Thomas Hecht, head of piano studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, was the perfect partner in this collaboration, demonstrating muted flamboyance while navigating the glittering fingerwork with an air of nonchalance.

The orchestra responded to every subtle nuance of the impressionistic score. Particularly pleasing were the evocative piccolo passages in the boisterous third movement, which were delightfully presented for all their gypsy flair by Roberto Alvarez. Kamu held a tight rein, crafting an air of mystery in the opening tremolos and dancing through the Andalusian rhythms in the second movement before unleashing the boisterous festivities of the finale.

It was in Mozart's Symphony No. 35, nicknamed the Haffner, that the orchestra truly earned their dues. Skirting the temptation of overindulgence, Kamu's fuss-free reading of the first movement allowed the strings to deliver the opening unison with utter conviction. Juxtaposing the pomp and fanfare of the first movement was the grace and elegance of the second movement, and the orchestra's ability to convince with a variety of moods was further conspicuous in the explosive third and fourth movements where the trumpets gave a triumphant showing.

#thomashecht