Familiar Favourites: Beethoven Violin Concerto by Singapore Symphony

LAN SHUI Music Director

SUBSCRIPTION CONCERT / FAMILIAR FAVOURITES

BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO 24 August 2018

Esplanade Concert Hall

Performing Home of the SSO Andrew Litton, conductor Augustin Hadelich, violin

MALAYSIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA From Across The Causeway

1 Sep 2018 7:30PM

Eiji Oue, conductor Gonzalo Esteban, clarinet VIVIAN CHUA Mercu Kegemilangan COPLAND Clarinet Concerto BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Presented By

@vchhomeofthesso

SSO.ORG.SG

24 Aug 2018, Fri

FAMILIAR FAVOURITES: BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO Singapore Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton, conductor LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 42’00 1. Allegro ma non troppo 2. Larghetto 3. Rondo: Allegro

Augustin Hadelich, violin

Intermission 20’00

Augustin Hadelich will sign autographs in the stalls foyer.

GUSTAV MAHLER

Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan” 53’00 1. 2. 3. 4.

Langsam. Schleppend. “Wie ein Naturlaut” – Immer sehr gemächlich Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell Trio: Recht gemächlich Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppend Stürmisch bewegt

Concert duration: 2 hrs 10 mins Go green. Digital programme booklets are available on www.sso.org.sg. Scan the QR code in the foyer to view a copy.

S ing a p or e S y mp hon y Or c he s t r a

Since its founding in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has been Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene in the cosmopolitan city-state. In addition to its subscription series concerts, the orchestra is well-loved for its outdoor and community appearances, and its significant role educating the young people of Singapore. The SSO has also earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity, having garnered sterling reviews for its overseas tours and many successful recordings.

Since Lan Shui assumed the position of Music Director in 1997, the SSO has performed in Europe, Asia and the United States. In May 2016 the SSO was invited to perform at the Dresden Music Festival and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. This successful five-city tour of Germany and Prague also included the SSO’s return to the Berlin Philharmonie after six years. In 2014 the SSO’s debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London received critical acclaim in the major UK newspapers The Guardian and Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.

The SSO makes its performing home at the 1,800-seat state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall. More intimate works and all outreach and community performances take place at the 673-seat Victoria Concert Hall, the home of the SSO. The orchestra performs 100 concerts a year, and its versatile repertoire spans all-time favourites and orchestral masterpieces to exciting cutting-edge premieres. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in the concert season. This has been a core of the SSO's programming philosophy from the very beginning under Choo Hoey, who was Music Director from 1979 to 1996.

Notable SSO releases under BIS include a Rachmaninov series, a “Seascapes” album, two Debussy discs “La Mer” and “Jeux”, and the first-ever cycle of Tcherepnin’s piano concertos and symphonies. The SSO has also collaborated with such great artists as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Diana Damrau, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham.

“A fine display of orchestral bravado for the SSO and Shui” The Guardian

ANDREW LITTON conductor Named Principal Guest Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 2017, Andrew Litton is also Music Director of the New York City Ballet, where he recently extended his contract through 2022. Litton was Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony from 19881994, producing 14 recordings, including the Grammy-winning Belshazzar’s Feast. As Music Director of the Dallas Symphony from 1994-2006, he hired over one third of the players, led the orchestra on three major European tours, appeared four times at Carnegie Hall, created a children’s television series broadcast nationally and used in school curricula, produced 28 recordings, and helped raise the orchestra’s endowment from $19 million to $100 million. He regularly guest conducts leading orchestras and opera companies around the globe and adds to his discography of over 130 recordings, which have garnered America’s Grammy Award, France’s Diapason d’Or and other honours. This season, besides conducting over 30 ballets at the New York City Ballet, Litton returns to the Singapore Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra,

Bergen Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, and the Utah Symphony among others. He will also make his debut with the Norwegian Opera and Ballet. Litton’s work with New York City Ballet has earned praise from critics, dancers, and audiences. An accomplished pianist, he often performs as a piano soloist, conducting from the keyboard, most recently Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in Singapore. An acknowledged expert on Gershwin, Litton has performed and recorded Gershwin widely as both pianist and conductor and serves as Advisor to the University of Michigan Gershwin Archives. Born in New York City, Litton has Bachelor’s and Masters degrees from the Juilliard School in piano and conducting. His many honours include Norway’s Order of Merit, Yale’s Sanford Medal, the Elgar Society Medal, and an honorary Doctorate from the University of Bournemouth.

AUGUSTIN HADELICH violin Augustin Hadelich has firmly established himself as one of the great violinists of today. He has performed with every major orchestra in the U.S., as well as an evergrowing number of orchestras in the UK, Europe, and the Far East. He will make his much anticipated debut in Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra in October 2019. One of the highlights of Hadelich’s 2017/2018 season was a return to the Boston Symphony, performing the Ligeti Concerto with Thomas Adès on the podium and featuring the world premiere of Adès’s new cadenza for the concerto. Additional highlights included performances with the symphonies of Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Pittsburgh. Abroad, Hadelich performed with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish National Radio Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Recent and upcoming worldwide engagements include the BBC Philharmonic/Manchester, BBC Symphony/London, Bournemouth Symphony, Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Amsterdam, Danish National Symphony, Finnish Radio Orchestra, Hamburg

Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Mozarteum Orchestra/Salzburg, Netherlands Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, NHK Symphony/Tokyo, São Paulo Symphony, and the radio orchestras of Cologne, Frankfurt, Saarbrücken and Stuttgart. A prolific recording artist, Hadelich won a 2016 Grammy Award – “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” – for his recording of Dutilleux’s Violin Concerto, L’arbre des songes, with the Seattle Symphony under Ludovic Morlot. His newest disc – the complete Paganini Caprices for Warner Classics – was released in January. Hadelich’s career took off when he was named Gold Medalist of the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. Since then, he has garnered an impressive list of honours, including the inaugural Warner Music Prize in 2015, an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in the UK (2017); and Musical America’s “2018 Instrumentalist of the Year”. He plays the 1723 “Ex-Kiesewetter” Stradivari violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

SSO MU SICIAN S Lan Shui Music Director joshua tan Associate Conductor andrew litton Principal Guest Conductor Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster FIRST VIOLIN Igor YuzefovichÂ° Concertmaster, The GK Goh Chair Yumi Hwang-Williams^ Concertmaster Lynnette Seah~ Co-Concertmaster Kong Zhao Hui* Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Gu Wen Li Jin Li Cindy Lee Lim Shue Churn^ Sui Jing Jing Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe SECOND VIOLIN Zhou Qi^ Principal Michael Loh Associate Principal Hai-Won Kwok Fixed Chair

Kong Xian Long^ Nikolai Koval* Lee Shi Mei^ Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Ikuko Takahashi^ Lillian Wang Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing* VIOLA Zhang Manchin Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Tan Wee-Hsin Janice Tsai Wang Dandan Wei Jun-Ting^ Yang Shi Li Yeo Jan Wea^ CELLO Ng Pei-Sian Principal Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Khachatur Khachatryan^ Lin Juan^ Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Guennadi Mouzyka Principal Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova

Julian Li^ Ma Li Ming^ Jacek Mirucki Wang Xu FLUTE Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo

HORN Han Chang Chou Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Hoang Van Hoc^ Kartik Alan Jairamin^ Lewis Poh^ TRUMPET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin Douglas Waterston^ TROMBONE Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong

COR ANGLAIS Elaine Yeo Associate Principal

BASS TROMBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal

CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping BASS CLARINET

TUBA Hidehiro Fujita Principal TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal

Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal PERCUSSION BASSOON Wang Xiaoke Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue

Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Lim Meng Keh Tan Pei Jie^ Zhu Zheng Yi

CONTRA BASSOON

HARP

Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal

Gulnara Mashurova Principal

*With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. °Igor Yuzefovich plays an instrument generously loaned by Mr & Mrs G K Goh ~Lynnette Seah performs on a J.B. Guadagnini of Milan, c. 1750, donated by the National Arts Council, Singapore, with the support of Far East Organisation and Lee Foundation. ^Musician on temporary contract Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

Supporting the Local Arts and Cultural Scene Partner of SSO since 1978 NSL is a long-standing sponsor for Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). We have been instrumental in helping the Orchestra reach out to the community-at-large as SSO brings music to the world. A leading industrial group in the Asia Pacific with businesses in Precast & Prefabricated Bathroom Unit and Environmental Services, NSL believes that while achieving business goals is important, its actions need to also create a positive impact on the community, environment and all stakeholders.

NSL LTD 77 Robinson Road #27-00 Robinson 77 Singapore 068896 Tel: 6536 1000 I Fax: 6536 1008 I www.nsl.com.sg

30.8.2018 星期四 Thursday 7.30pm 滨海艺术中心音乐厅 Esplanade Concert Hall

Photo Credit: Phillip Knott

音乐总监 / 指挥：葉聰 Music Director / Conductor: Tsung Yeh

超级巨星，炫弦中西！格莱美奖的小提琴家约夏·贝尔二度返新携手葉聰与新加坡华乐团呈献首首佳作。别错过经典小提琴协奏曲《梁山伯与祝英台》、名作《泰伊斯冥想曲》、《流浪者之歌》、《中国花鼓》。当代顶尖作曲家谭盾、郭文景的《黄土地》与《滇西土风三首》也将由新加坡华乐团演奏。

GRAMMY® Award winning violinist Joshua Bell returns to perform with SCO! Watch him perform much-loved classic violin concerto Butterfly Lovers and other masterpieces including Thaïs: Méditation, Zigeunerweisen and Tambourin Chinois. SCO will perform works by renowned Chinese composers Tan Dun and Guo Wen Jing, Yellow Earth and Dianxi Folk Tunes. Joshua Bell appears by arrangement with Park Avenue Artists and Octagon. Mr Bell records exclusively for Sony Classical.

票价 (未加SISTIC收费) Ticket Prices (before SISTIC fee)

$308, $258, $208, $158, *优惠价 Concession

Out $68/$30* Sold

ets Tick ing l l Se t! Fas

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T he G K G oh C h a ir The SSO Concertmaster Chair is named for Mr GK Goh. We would like to thank the Family and Friends of Mr Goh Geok Khim for their donations. We are especially grateful to Mr and Mrs Goh Yew Lin for their most generous donation.

Igor Yuzefovich, Concertmaster The GK Goh Chair

L ARGE GIF T S The SSO recognises large gifts in a variety of ways, including the naming of a position in the Orchestra. Endowing a Musician Chair associates your name with an orchestral position that has a special significance to you.

For more information about making a gift to the SSO, please write to peggykek@sso.org.sg

HEART F E LT THANK S TO S S O CORPORATE PATRON S AND SPON S OR S We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the following companies and organisations that support our mission to create memorable shared experiences with music. Major Corporate Patrons Temasek Foundation Nurtures CLG Ltd Far East Organization Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd Interchem Pte Ltd John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Aquilus Pte Ltd Lee Foundation, Singapore G K Goh Holdings Ltd Kingsmen Exhibit Pte Ltd NSL Ltd Major Corporate Sponsors Conrad Centennial Singapore Singapore Airlines Ltd Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Join our p r e s t ig ious l is t of c or p or at e pat r on s a nd sp on s or s Support Singapore’s national orchestra and form a special relationship with one of the country’s most celebrated arts groups. By committing to growing the arts through the SSO, you can increase your organisation’s visibility and reach an influential and growing audience. Corporate donors may also enjoy attractive tax benefits.

For more information on donations and sponsorships, please write to director_development@sso.org.sg

Thank you for attending Augustin Hadelich's SSO debut!

BRAHMS PIANO CONCERTO 2 SPELLBINDING ENCHANTMENT 31 AUG 2018

Our next guest soloist is pianist Martin Helmchen, but also in the programme, the Singapore premiere of the 47-minute orchestral fantasy The Mermaid by Zemlinsky, a contemporary of Mahler. Hans Graf, conductor Martin Helmchen, piano Sponsored by

PRESIDENT'S YOUNG PERFORMERS CONCERT

BEGINNINGS AND BLOSSOMINGS 21 SEP 2018 Our annual young musician showcase presents violinist Kong Xianlong, in Mozart's effervescent Violin Concerto No. 5, written when Beethoven was 5 years old. Joshua Tan, conductor Kong Xianlong, violin

BORODIN QUARTET

SSO CHAMBER SERIES, VCH PRESENTS 13-14 OCT 2018 The legendary Borodin Quartet arrives for two nights of mesmerizing string music, including Schubert's soul-searing String Quintet and Shostakovich's Piano Quintet - members of the Borodin Quartet played the latter with the composer in 1947. Ruben Aharonian, violin Sergei Lomovsky, violin Igor Naidin, viola Vladimir Balshin, cello

MASTER OF VIOLIN: JAMES EHNES VCH PRESENTS 23 OCT 2018

For more violin artistry, don't miss acclaimed Canadian violinist James Ehnes in a recital with pianist Andrew Armstrong at the Victoria Concert Hall. James Ehnes, violin Andrew Armstrong, piano

A S ta nding Ovat ion to o ur Donor s a nd Sp on s or s PATRON SPONSOR

Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club) $200,000 and above

Temasek Foundation Nurtures CLG Limited Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin Christopher Ho & Rosy Ho $100,000 and above

Far East Organization John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Santa Lucia Asset Management Pte Ltd Anonymous $50,000 and above

Lee Foundation Singapore Singapore Press Holdings Ltd Aquilus Pte Ltd G K Goh Holdings Limited Tan Chin Tuan Foundation Anonymous

$20,000 and above Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd Singapore Institute of Management Keppel Care Foundation Grace Yeh and Family Kris Foundation Dr Julie Lo Paige Parker & Jim Rogers Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin & Christopher Martin

United Overseas Bank Ltd Geoffrey Wong & Ai Ai Wong Dr Thomas & Mrs Mary Zuellig Holywell Foundation Limited Maisy Koh & Dr Beh Swan Gin Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao Yong Ying-I

$10,000 and above Allen & Gledhill LLP Irene Tedja Dr Gralf Sieghold ABRSM Su Pin & Mervin Beng At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy BinjaiTree Boardroom Limited Lito & Kim Camacho CellResearch Corporation Pte Ltd Prof Chan Heng Chee Cara & Tamara Chang Chip Eng Seng Corporation Limited Choo Chiau Beng DBS Bank Ltd Frasers Property Dr Geh Min Sam Goi, Tee Yih Jia Group

Amy & Kevin Gould Hong Leong Foundation Judy Hunt Interchem Pte Ltd LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd Liew Wei Li Devika & Sanjiv Misra Nicholas A. Nash and Phalgun Raju One North Capital Pte Ltd Prima Limited Raffles Medical Group Mr & Dr Peter Sheren Stephen Riady Group of Foundations Total Trading Asia Pte Ltd Neil & Mijong Tottman Van Cleef & Arpels Peter CY Wong Anonymous (6)

$5,000 and above Chng Hak-Peng Vinod & Melissa Kumar Manju Vangal & Arudra Vangal Robin Ian Rawlings Odile & Douglas Benjamin Lionel Choi Heinrich Grafe

Steven & Liwen Holmes Ross & Florence Jennings Dr AndrÃ© Klein Lin Diaan-Yi Loke Cheng Kim Foundation Marie Elaine Teo Anonymous (2)

$1,000 and above Philippe Capdouze Prof Arnoud De Meyer Christopher & Bernice Franck Takashi & Saori Kousaka Taizo Son Guru Vishwanath Eric Wong Adam Levinson Dr Tan Chin Nam Lawrence & Celeste Basapa Pauline Chan & Jean Nasr Guy J P Hentsch Mr & Mrs Winston Hauw Kennie Ting Wei Jin Paterson Lau & Pauline Tan Tina Lee Lim Swee Lin Tony & Serene Liok Mark Dembitz Oscar Mico Vihari Poddar Bernard Jean Sabrier Seah & Siak Wendy Leong & Martin Siah Ron & Janet Stride Serene Tan & Carol Shieh Alicia Thian Christopher James Thomas Kris & Elizabeth Wiluan Zhang Weihua Ong Kong Hong Timothy Pitrelli Adya Elizabeth Sunindar Robert Langstraat Igor Yuzefovich Taehyon Ahn Aloha Dental Pte Ltd Prof Kanti Bajpai John Chen Ying-ru Chen-Keong Belinda Chua Arthur Davis Eugenia Gajardo Fatima Terrill Florian Hoppe Elizabeth Fong Aaron Hardy High Notes Music Solutions Jenny Kim Jiwon Peggy Kek Ad Ketelaars Khoo Boon Hui Paul Kitamura Prof Tommy Koh Dr Norman Lee Lek Lee Yong Wendy Leong Marnyi Dr Brian Lo Vanessa Martin Million Lighting Co Pte Ltd

Ng Pei-Sian Dr Agnes Ng Monique Ong Pauline Ang Hooi Yeong Michael & Megumi Schlesinger Prof Richard Smith Tan Lian Yok Wee Kok Wah Iwona Wiktorowska Dr Yeo Ning Hong David Harris Zemans Aznan Abu Bakar Ang Seow Long Cees & Raife Armstrong Marcie Ann Ball John & Eliza Bittleston Alexander Bock Chan Ah Khim Chan Wai Leong Cynthia Chee Christopher Chen Richard Chen Margaret Chew Sing Seng Evelyn Rachel Chin Chua Guek Hoon Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng Barry Duncan Clarke Hartley Clay John S Davison Maureen Derooij Jamie Lloyd Evans Karen Fawcett Christopher John Fussner Brian Holt Gambrill Patricia Gaw Goh Chiu Gak Cara & Tamara Chang Goh Sze Wei Jerry Gwee Mark Edward Hansen William H Hernstadt Khor Cheng Kian Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Innocentia Krisnawati Vincent Lam Ho Ming Eugene Lee Lee Li Ming Lee Peck Gee Lee Shu Yen Lee Siong Ted Viktor Leendertz Leong Keng Hong Leow Oon Geok Li Xiao Bettina Lieske Alvin Liew Liew Geok Cheng Mavis Lim Geck Chin/Lim & Tan Securities Pte Ltd Lim Hong Eng Janet

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L UDW IG VAN B EETHOVEN (1770 –18 27 ) Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 42’00 A crown jewel in the firmament of great violin concertos, the Beethoven Violin Concerto is one of the most significant of all 18th and 19th century concerti. A watershed work, it is one of the Romantic era’s earliest violin concertos, and marks the transition from Classical into Romantic era. Composed in Vienna in the summer of 1806 and premiered in December of the same year, it comes from the middle of the German composer’s heroic period, which spanned 1802 to 1812. Typifying both the Beethovenian heroic and the Beethovenian sublime, it was commissioned by the then 26-yearold Franz Clement, a lifelong friend of Beethoven’s and one of Vienna’s most outstanding violinists. Composed with the technique, style, and musical idiom of Clement tenderly in mind, its combination of endless, undulating, and contrastively linear and geometric lines, as well as robust double-stopping, reflects music clearly designed for an orchestral concertmaster and soloist. Here, Beethoven also showcases the elegance, beauty, and virtuosity of the French violin school.

Colossal in scope and shining with unprecedented symphonic grandeur for a violin concerto for his time, the first movement alone exceeds the dimensions of even some Haydn and Mozart symphonies in their entirety. Stately and palatial, it opens with five startlingly quiet timpani drumbeats. An innovation almost iconic for Beethoven – observe a similar but greatly accelerated threenote repetition in the opening of the Fifth Symphony – this five-note sequence will, as a motif, significantly reappear in a variety of guises. Answered by a gentle chorus of woodwinds and then substantial orchestral exposition, Beethoven here creates at points thunderously symphonic music with both martial and bucolic air. Here, the quasi-improvisatory and soaring violin part ebbs and sings with warmth and lyricism. First with pinnacles of rising octaves, then falling into triplet undulations, then rising again, it moves within the august harmonic landscape with many a twisting and chromatically embellished turn. Shining with ennobled virtuosity, it is radiant with exulted and abiding lyricism. In the second movement, Larghetto, Beethoven paints a picture of extraordinary and pastoral stillness. Set in the G major subdominant, a tonal and harmonic horizon from which it does not, in its entirety, move, it is hushed, pristine, and pure. With episodic call-and-response sections between solo violin and muted strings

as well as small ensemble-esque inset sections, Beethoven here writes music that resembles, at points, an almost neoBaroque hearkening of orchestral ripieno through a series of concertino-like musical dialogues.

Warmly supported by the orchestra which hums it along encouragingly, the singing and lissome violin solo draws upon both highest and deepest registers of the violin. Sung winsomely from moderately to then high atop the fingerboard, this is music out of which joy and happiness surges, particularly in its boisterous and thunderously fortissimo finale. Perhaps deemed light-years ahead of its time, Beethovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Violin Concerto then soon fell into obscurity after its premiere. Its revival was the result of a rediscovery of the work made by the same society that commissioned Beethovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monumental Symphony No. 9, the Philharmonic Society of London. Re-programmed for a new premiere only decades later, in 1844, the work was once again heard with Felix

Joachim, who assiduously studied the score, did such a marvellous job of insightful interpretation that it was met with warm and critical acclaim, particularly for an audience by now accustomed to soaring and expansive Romantic dimensions. He was to perform the score all his life. It remains a familiar favourite today. Programme note by Duana Chan

Instrumentation flute 2 oboes 2 clarinets 2 bassoons 2 horns 2 trumpets timpani strings World Premiere: 23 Dec 1806, Vienna First performed by SSO: 25 Apr 1980 (Yossi Zivoni, violin)

PROGRAMME NOTES

Seamlessly linked to the second movement, the third movement, a lively and ebullient Rondo-Allegro finale in 6/8 time, opens with the soloistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduction of (yet another) five-note melody. This time tuneful and lilting, the melody is made completely from falling and rising fifths and thirds respectively. Thus music of a horn and hunt-like quality, it preserves a sense of an enlivened pastoral and bucolic idyll earlier in the second movement glimpsed prior.

Mendelssohn at the helm and conducting the great Hungarian Romantic violin virtuoso, Joseph Joachim, then only all of 12 years old.

23&September 3 4 September 2018 2018 9am - 6pm 10am onwards The SSCC offers training and performance opportunities to children by developing their vocal technique, music literacy and musicianship, with an aim to help fledgling singers achieve their fullest musical potential. Singing with the SSCC requires discipline and teamwork, which in turn fosters confidence, self-esteem, and helps develop important life skills. Besides our own concerts, the SSCC offers the extraordinary experience of performing monumental choral classics with the combined forces of the Singapore Symphony choruses and orchestra. *Please note that the SSCC repertoire may include some liturgical works. For children ages 8 (born 2010) to 15 Fee: $25 per participant Registration closing date: 15 September 2018 (Audition time slots will be pre-allocated)

SSChildrensChoir

SSO.ORG.SG/SSCCAUDITIONS

G U S TAV MAHL ER (18 6 0 –1911) Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan” 53’00 1. Langsam. Schleppend. “Wie ein Naturlaut” – Immer sehr gemächlich (Slow. Dragging. “Like a sound of nature”– Always very easygoing) 2. Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (With vigorous movement, yet not too fast) Trio: Recht gemächlich (Well moderated) 3. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppend (Solemn and measured without dragging) 4. Stürmisch bewegt (Stormily)

Mahler was just 28 when he finished his gigantic First Symphony, one of the greatest Firsts ever written. It was begun in 1884 and completed four years later. Mahler subtitled the work “Titan”, after a novel by Jean Paul. The first performance took place in Budapest on 20 November 1889 with the composer conducting. In 1896, Mahler eliminated the so-called “Blumine” (Flowers) movement, which did not resurface until 1959. Among the innovations one can point to in this symphony are the largest assemblage of orchestral musicians hitherto required in a symphony, and the incorporation of café, pop and gypsy music, especially in the “Funeral March” of the third movement. The evocation of nature in a symphony had been realised

before (notably in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and in Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique), but nowhere else are the very sounds of nature so pervasively and integrally bound up with the symphonic thought than in the first movement of Mahler’s First. The opening moments of the work are unforgettable — that sustained, distant sound of strings spread across a six-octave range vividly suggests the mystery and peace of the night into which are interjected cuckoo calls, far-off fanfares and fragments of still-unformed melodies. The mood of the lengthy slow introduction is finally dispelled by the sprightly theme of “Ging heut’ morgen über’s Feld,” (one of the Songs of a Wayfarer, first heard in the cellos), followed by another lusty, outdoorsy theme. The music grows in fervor and intensity, culminating in a mighty outburst from the entire orchestra. The release of enormous, pent-up energy is crowned by three great whoops from the horn section, and the movement continues on its merry way to its ultimate conclusion. The robust scherzo second movement is notable for its heavy rhythmic impulses derived from the Ländler, a rural Austrian dance. Special effects here include the use of the woodwind section en masse (often up to twelve players) in featured roles, breathtaking fanfares from the horns and trumpets. A charming Trio, introduced by a poetic horn call, provides gentle contrast. The third movement opens with a sinister, minor-key variant of the popular French folksong “Frère Jacques” (“Bruder Martin” in German-speaking lands). The original title of “Funeral March” refers to Mahler’s parodistic portrayal in sound of a mock funeral procession, depicted in a book of Austrian fairytales. Beasts of the forest

accompany a dead woodsman’s coffin to his grave. The use of a double bass instead of a cello to begin the “Frère Jacques” tune adds a touch of the grotesque. The tune is used as a canon or round, with additional instruments taking up the tune in turn (bassoon, cellos, tuba, etc.) without waiting for the previous one to finish.

Anyone who has dozed off to the third movement’s funereal tread will be instantly and rudely shocked back to his senses with the hellish outburst that opens the finale, one of the most frightening passages in all music. To Mahler, that opening cymbal crash followed by the roar of drums represented a flash of lightning emitted from a thunder cloud. Strings swirl and rage, woodwinds in their highest registers scream in anguish, brass proclaim terrifying fanfares, and percussion evoke the din of battle and cataclysmic conflicts. When the torrent of notes finally subsides, strings sing a consoling, infinitely tender and yearning song. The violent conflicts return, but this time they result in heroic

Programme note by Robert Markow

Instrumentation 4 flutes, 3 doubling on piccolos 4 oboes, 1 doubling on cor anglais 4 clarinets, 2 doubling on E-flat clarinet, 1 doubling bass clarinet 3 bassoons, 1 doubling on contrabassoon 7 horns 5 trumpets (3 off-stage) 4 trombones tuba 2 timpani bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbals, triangle, tam-tam harp strings World Premiere: 20 Nov 1889, Budapest First performed by SSO: 14 Jun 1980

PROGRAMME NOTES

After this material has run its course we hear a new, sentimental theme in the oboes, this one also bearing a countertheme, now in the trumpets. Suddenly the sounds of a country fair intrude, music of a gypsy band with its corny melodies and relentless “um-pah” accompaniment. And then, as if from another world, Mahler offers an interlude of quiet repose – almost a dream sequence – in music of sublime beauty and gossamer textures. Eventually the mournful “Frère Jacques” music returns and the movement slowly recedes into the furthermost reaches of audibility.

proclamations from the brass. However, victory and fulfillment are not quite yet achieved. In another long, generally quiet passage, the music slowly gathers momentum, ultimately reaching a towering climax for which Mahler instructs the entire horn section to stand while it delivers fanfares from within an orchestra gleaming in a thousand dazzling, spectacular colours.

THE SSCC EXPERIENCE 3 & 4 September 2018 9am - 6pm For kids with a passion for singing! Join us for an unforgettable day of choral music-making. Help your child discover his or her own voice with workshops conducted by our Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) conductors. Participants will get a chance to experience a day in the life of an SSCC singer and even have the opportunity to sing on stage at the iconic Victoria Concert Hall! The SSCC Experience is a programme for treble voices. If you’ve got a transitioning voice and are still keen to join us, we’d be glad to have you! *Please note that the repertoire may include some liturgical works.

For treble voices, ages 8 (born 2010) to 15 Fee: $88 per participant Registration closing date: 25 August 2018

SSChildrensChoir

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Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chairman) Ms Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chairman) Mr Ang Chek Meng Mrs Odile Benjamin Mr Chng Hak-Peng Mr Lionel Choi Mr Warren Fernandez Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Liew Wei Li Ms Lim Mei Mr Sanjiv Misra Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Mr Paul Tan Dr Kelly Tang Mr Yee Chen Fah

Prof Cham Tao Soon (Honorary Chairman) Mr Alan Chan (Chairman) Mr Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Mr Goh Geok Khim Mr Khoo Boon Hui Prof Tommy Koh Mr JY Pillay Dr Stephen Riady Ms Priscylla Shaw Dr Gralf Sieghold Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Dr Tan Chin Nam Ms Tan Choo Leng Mr Tan Soo Nan Mr Wee Ee Cheong

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