Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra with Yew Shan

SCHUMANN & BRAHMS

BRADDELL HEIGHTS SYMPHONY ORCHSTRA/YEW SHAN, VIOLIN

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS CONCERT HALL

9 APRIL 2013

This review was published in The Straits times on 11th April 2013 under the title "Romantics Played with Passion"

It is a pity that despite non-professional ensembles being formed with regularity in Singapore, there remains just one community-based orchestra - the long-standing Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra. Their commitment to providing a performing platform for musicians from all walks of life and their dedication to promoting local talents are admirable.

One can only hope that more performing groups here adopt that ethos. In their season-opening concert, they proved that musical excellence is within their grasp.

Led by music director Adrian Tan, who also doubled as emcee for the concert, the orchestra exuded confidence from the get-go. It is testament to their self-belief that they opened the concert with a work from the classical period, Joseph Haydn's Overture In D Major. The strings in particular shone brightly, with every member coaxing a sweet homogenous tone out of their instruments and roistering in Haydn's wit and humour.

The sudden variance in dynamics were well-executed for the most part, though a more robust approach to the louder sections would have made the contrast more distinct. Despite several flubs at the beginning, the horns acquainted themselves well and the general cohesiveness of the ensemble was remarkable for an "amateur" orchestra.

Taking centre stage in Brahms' monumental Violin Concerto In D was Singaporean violinist Yew Shan. A former Best Performer award winner at the National Music Competition, and concertmaster of the Asian Youth Orchestra, it has been years since he last performed here.

His infusion of nervous energy into the violin entrance in the opening movement and his refusal to indulge in sentimentality set the mood for the fantasy-like work, before submerging himself into the most pristine and breathtakingly delivered central theme of the movement.

The ethereal mood of the second movement was brilliantly set by both soloist and orchestra, with Yew giving nuance to every line and in particular the heartfelt oboe solo by Makiko Kawamata, and it was in the boisterous third movement where the music took flight.

Throwing caution to the wind, Yew delivered with wonderful precision. Injecting the music with a infectious, gypsy dervish quality, the performance was almost hypnotic. In return, the orchestra responded with warmth and enthusiasm that rounded up the work.

While tentative in their execution in the earlier works, the brass and woodwinds sections were in top form in Schumann's Symphony No.3. Although not note-perfect, to dwell on such imperfections would be nit-picking.

While the second movement could have been better served with a touch of subtlety from both conductor and ensemble, they nevertheless conjured a surreptitiously quiet opening to the finale before gathering exuberance to end the festive work in a triumphant blaze.

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