5 April 2019 Esplanade Concert Hall
Performing Home of the SSO
EĂmear Noone, conductor Victoria Songwei Li, soprano Jade Tan, mezzo-soprano Singapore Symphony Youth Choir & Friends Wong Lai Foon, choirmaster
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5 Apr 19, Fri
SSO POPS: VIDEO GAMES CLASSICS Singapore Symphony Orchestra Eímear Noone, conductor Victoria Songwei Li, soprano Jade Tan, mezzo-soprano Singapore Symphony Youth Choir & Friends Wong Lai Foon, choirmaster Fanfare for the Common Man 3’ by Aaron Copland World of Warcraft Medley 5’ (orch. Benoît Grey) by Jason Hayes Mars, the Bringer of War from The Planets 6’ by Gustav Holst Wesker Battle from Resident Evil 5 4’ (orch. Wataru Hokoyama) by Kota Suzuki Clair de Lune 5’ (arr. Lucien Cailliet) by Claude Debussy Confutatis Maledictis from Requiem in D minor, K.626 3’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dragonborn Theme from Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim 4’ by Jeremy Soule Finale from The Firebird Suite 4’ by Igor Stravinsky Intermission 20’
Super Mario Bros. 4’ (orch. Nic Raine) by Koji Kondo Kingdom Hearts 4’ by Utada Hikaru The Storm from Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” 4’ by Ludwig van Beethoven Advent Rising Suite 7’ by Tommy Tallarico et al. Malach, Angel Messenger, from World of Warcraft 7’ by Eímear Noone Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII 4’ by Nobuo Uematsu Tetris Opera (Korobeiniki) 4’ trad. arr. Greg Cox O Fortuna from Carmina Burana 3’ by Carl Orff
Post-concert autograph signing with Eímear Noone and the two soloists in the stalls foyer
Concert duration: 2 hrs Go green. Digital programme booklets are available on www.sso.org.sg. Scan the QR code in the foyer to view a copy.
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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. 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. Under the Music Directorship of Lan Shui from 1997 to January 2019, 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. Notable SSO releases under BIS include a Rachmaninoff 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, Gustavo Dudamel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Diana Damrau, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and Gil Shaham. The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. The mission of the Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated performing groups, we spread the love for music, nurture talent and enrich Singapore’s diverse communities.
EÍMEAR NOONE conductor Eímear Noone is a California-based conductor and award-winning Irish composer, composing extensively for film and videogame. She is responsible for some of the most enduring soundscapes on World of Warcraft and other bestselling videogames. She has conducted orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, Pittsburg Symphony and The Philadelphia orchestras and has worked on scores for directors such as Gus Van Sant and Joe Dante, orchestrating for Oscar nominee Javier Navarrette (composer of Pan’s Labyrinth) creating haunting music for thrillers Mirrors and The Hole. She founded a major European game music festival in Ireland and is an advocate for and mentor to creative women in technology and music. Eímear has performed sold-out shows at The Mann Center, Wolftrap and Beijing’s Olympic Stadium performing to an audience of 80,000. She has led some of the world’s great ensembles, including Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Symphony Orchestra
and conducted the orchestra for the Los Angeles Ballet in their inaugural production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker earning recognition from the Los Angeles Times. Through her music on World of Warcraft, Eímear’s music has reached over 100 million people and continually inspired players to invent and build new worlds for nearly 15 years. The scores achieved the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Video Game Score and was nominated for five “Annual Game Music Award” and the “ASCAP Composers’ Choice Award” upon release. She has recorded almost all of the scores for Blizzard Games over the past nine years, including: Overwatch, Starcraft II, and conducted the BAFTA nominated score to Diablo III. From the greatest musical and storytelling traditions; Eímear Noone is a timeless artist and a woman of right now.
Victoria Songwei Li
JADE TAN
soprano
mezzo-soprano
Victoria Songwei Li is a London-based Singaporean soprano, and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music (BMus Hons) and the Guildhall Artist Masters (Distinction).
Praised in The Straits Times as a mezzosoprano who sings with “nuance [and with] great ability in portraying emotion and meaning”, Jade Tan was honoured the title of Singapore’s President’s Young Performer, Grand Prize winner of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, and Third Prize winner and Best Singaporean Artist in the Singapore Lyric Opera’s ASEAN Vocal Competition in 2016. Jade graduated from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music as valedictorian of her graduating cohort with a Bachelor Degree in Music (First Class Honours). She was a recipient of the NUSS Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Operatic roles include Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites (Poulenc), Poppea in L'incoronazione di Poppea (Monteverdi), and Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore (Donizetti) with New Opera Singapore, Cricket and Pepik in The Cunning Little Vixen (Janácek), and First Singing Apple in The Little Green Swallow (Dove) with the British Youth Opera. She has recently performed as the soprano soloist in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the LA Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Victoria was a finalist in the 2016 Singapore Lyric Opera – ASEAN Competition, a semi-finalist in the Jack Donnelly National Mozart Singing Competition and the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition. She has been generously supported in her studies by The Leverhulme Trust, William Ganz Scholarship, and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Derek Butler Award.
Currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Operatic Performance in the Hannover Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien, she has performed and studied the roles across various styles and periods, ranging from Dorabella from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, the Composer from Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, as well as Zora from new music composer Ana Sokolovic’s opera Svadba.
Singapore Symphony Youth Choir & friends WONG LAI FOON choirmaster ADRIANA CHIEW accompanist An energetic addition to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO)’s choruses, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir (SSYC) was formed in 2016 to complement the orchestra with a chorus of young people’s voices. It is a platform for young adults to pursue their interest in choral singing, as well as enable mature members of the Children’s Choir to continue their development in classical choral singing. Comprising Singapore’s finest young choristers aged between 17 and 28, the SSYC has performed various notable choral masterpieces with the SSO, including Scriabin’s Prometheus, Brahms’ Shicksalslied, Puccini’s La Bohème, and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances. Joining the youth choir are members from the Singapore Symphony Chorus and Children’s Choir, choristers of the Anglo Chinese School (Independent) Choir and friends from all walks of life who came through an open call. After several months of vigorous training, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir & Friends are finally ready for the battle!
Singapore Symphony Youth Choir & friends SOPRANO Anne-Sophie Cazaubon Ariane Cazaubon Andrea Chee Chen Lihong David Cho Nia Edwards Clarissa Eyu Gu Deyu Charissa Gurvinder Riley Huang
Tania Ibrahim Jayden Lai Millicent Lao Silvia Lara Laura Lee Janice Lim Sherilyn Lim Josephine Loh Kylee McIntyre Chloe Ong
Michael Robinson Tiffany Tam Carine Tan Tan Yuqing Lorraine Tan Cheyenne Tso Floria Wang Mao Yamaura
ALTO Arnie Arfiee Emily Chai Meredith Cheong Elizabeth Goh Maria Erika Goh Ikabella Heaps Trixi Lim
Kerris Loh Michelle Mak Desiree Seng Samyukta Sounderraman Tai Jien Nee Tan Li En Freda Tan
Laura Tan Angelina Tan Crystal Tee Melissa Wan Yap Fangyu Abigail Yeo
TENOR Jorim Chua Samuel Chng Jason C. Carranceja Joseph Dermawan Margaret Devadason Fan Mun Hoi Elijah Goh Bryan M. Kojongian Wilbert Kurniawan Edric Kusnadi Frederico Lim
Zachary Lim Janzen Leong Loh Shao Wei Matthew Ng Ryan Ng Oh Chin Aik Jonathan Ong Wesley Oon Doran Oon Collier Ow Pan Wei Hang
Timothy Putra Qi Jian Malcolm Ravindran Tan Tong Wei Nicholas Tay Jason Tejaputra Quek Chun Meng Joshua Wong David Wong Samuel Yuen
BASS Amir Hamzah Jason W. Budiono Ryan Chua Patrick Cianata Alfonso Yuji Cortez Victorius Dharmawan Jack Ho Aaron Koh Henry Lee Rayston Leong Jermyn Leong
Andrew P. Lim Isaiah Lim Hann Caleb Liu Jon Loh Christofer Louis Nguyen Manh Duc Kent Pangestu Kenneth Prasetyo Jared Robertson Michael Santoso Calvin Sebastian
Nicholas Sirait Bjorn Soo Hayden Tan Daniel Tan Andrew Tansu Kenneth Tay Lorenzo Wibisono Adrian Wong Yeo Hong Yeo Zhe Hao
Wong lai foon choirmaster As Choirmaster of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) and the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir (SSYC), Wong Lai Foon oversees a family of choral ensembles that is dedicated to the development of young voices, and the continuing appreciation of choral and classical music. At the helm of the Children’s Choir since its inception in 2006, the choir has garnered praise for its impressive choral tone under her leadership. The choir’s recording of Bob Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass, featured on their CD, And I’ll Sing Once More, has been complimented by the renowned composer for its “fine sound and style”. Apart from performances with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Wong has led both choirs in collaborations with other ensembles. The Concert Choir has shared the stage with the celebrated ensemble, The King’s Singers, the Maîtrise de Radio France at the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur. The Youth Choir performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on their tour to Kuala Lumpur. The current season has seen both choirs in SSO’s performances
of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, while the SSYC also featured in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, and a concert of Video Games Classics with Eímear Noone. Committed to growing the body of treble choral works by local composers, Wong has commissioned works by Chen Zhangyi, Kelly Tang and Lee Chin Sin. New commissions by Zechariah Goh and Darius Lim will be premiered by the Concert Choir in its upcoming concert, Song Bridges. Having worked with ensembles which include the Singapore Symphony Chorus, the Singapore Lyric Opera, Westminster Opera Theatre, and The Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Wong is equally adept at the symphonic, operatic and a cappella choral repertoire. She studied with Joseph Flummerfelt and is a graduate of Westminster Choir College.
JOIN US! Singapore’s finest young choral singers revel in the best of all musical worlds and styles. An energetic addition to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s choruses, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir was formed in 2016 to complement the orchestra with a chorus of young people’s voices. If you’re aged between 18 and 28, we’d love to hear you. Auditions happen all year round!
CHORAL@SSO.ORG.SG
SSO MU S ICIAN S joshua tan Associate Conductor andrew litton Principal Guest Conductor Choo Hoey Conductor Emeritus Lan Shui Conductor Laureate Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster
Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing* Zhao Tian* 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 Yang Shi Li
FIRST VIOLIN
CELLO
Igor Yuzefovich1 Concertmaster, The GK Goh Chair Lynnette Seah2 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^ Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe Yew Shan^
Ng Pei-Sian Principal Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er
SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Hai-Won Kwok Fixed Chair Nikolai Koval* Li Quanshuai#
DOUBLE BASS Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Jacek Mirucki Guennadi Mouzyka 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 BASS OBOE
TRUMPET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin TROMBONE Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong
Kwan Sheung Fung^ BASS TROMBONE COR ANGLAIS Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping BASS CLARINET Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal
Wang Wei Assistant Principal TUBA Ngiam Xing Hao^ TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal PERCUSSION
Wang Xiaoke Principal Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue
Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mark de Souza^ Lim Meng Keh Wang Shan^ Yap Siu Yan^ Zhu Zheng Yi
CONTRABASSOON
HARP
Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal
Gulnara Mashurova Principal
HORN
PIANO Shane Thio^
BASSOON
Han Chang Chou Principal Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Chua Tek Xin^ Hoang Van Hoc Kartik Alan Jairamin^
ORGAN Isaac Lee^
*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 2 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 Organization and Lee Foundation. # Member of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy ^Musician on temporary contract Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis. 1
Thank you for watching Video Games Classics!
If you'd like to pass some time before the concert begins, or you're waiting in line for the bathroom during intermission, we invite you to break our special code we've inserted in the facing page. Solving this code will not only earn you awesome kudos on top of being a game music lover - it's also a discount code for our next SSO Pops concert in the 19/20 season, on sale in April! Here's a nifty clue for you: think Konami Code. May the force be with you.
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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) $500,000 AND ABOVE
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$20,000 and above BinjaiTree Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi-Martin & Christopher Martin European Union Delegation to Singapore Kingsmen Group Kris Foundation Maisy Koh & Dr Beh Swan Gin Dr André Klein Dr Julie Lo Leong Wai Leng Christina Ong
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$5,000 and above Prof Arnoud De Meyer Chang Hwee Nee Chng Hak-Peng Lionel Choi Warren Fernandez Goh Sze Wei Heinrich Grafe Steven & Liwen Holmes Institut Français Singapour Vinod & Melissa Kumar Lee Kok Keong
Lin Diaan-Yi Eddy Ooi Robin Ian Rawlings Chandra Mohan Rethnam Dr June & Peter Sheren Tang See Chim Manju & Arudra Vangal David Harris Zemans Anonymous
$1,000 and above Aznan Bin Abu Bakar Ang Sze Peng, Brenda Taehyon Anh Cees & Raife Armstrong Prof Kanti Bajpai Marcie Ann Ball Lawrence & Celeste Basapa John & Eliza Bittleston Philippe Capdouze Darren Yong & Connie Chaird Cham Gee Len Chan Ah Khim Chan Wai Leong Vivian Chandran Cynthia Chee Christopher Chen Ying-ru Chen-Keong Dr Faith Chia Evelyn Rachel Chin Pamela Chong Belinda Chua Sally Chy Arthur Davis John S Davison Mark Dembitz Enhao Reuben Ong Karen Fawcett Elizabeth Fong Christopher & Bernice Franck Christopher John Fussner Eugenia Gajardo Gan Chee Yen Patricia Gaw Vivien Goh Jerry Gwee Mark Edward Hansen Heart Partner Clinic Guy J P Hentsch Dr Dang Vu & Ms Oanh Nguyen Chua Guek Hoon Florian Hoppe Mr & Mrs Simon Ip Peggy Kek Khoo Boon Hui Khor Cheng Kian Jenny Kim-O'Connor Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Dr Koh Chee Kang & Ms Chang Ting Lee Lorinne Kon Takashi & Saori Kousaka Krisnawati Kwan Meng Hui Robert Langstraat Mr & Mrs Paterson Lau Dr Lee Shu Yen Tina Lee Lee Suan Yew Dr Norman Lee This list is for donations from 1 Feb 2018 to 31 Jan 2019.
Lek Lee Yong Leong Keng Hong Adam & Brittany Levinson Alvin Liew Lim Swee Lin Mavis Lim Geck Chin Lim Hong Eng Janet Candice Ling Tony & Serene Liok Stuart Liventals Low Boon Hon Benjamin Ma Andre Maniam Vanessa Martin Gillian Metzger Oscar Mico Million Lighting Co Pte Ltd Kathleen Moroney Pauline Chan & Jean Nasr Dr Agnes Ng Hunter Nield Zack Ong Kong Hong Monique Ong Herve Pauze Timothy Pitrelli Vihari Poddar Quek Boon Hui Robert Khan & Co Pte Ltd Bernard Jean Sabrier Arend Schumacher Winifred Dente degli Scrovegni Seah & Siak See Tho Kai Yin Caroline Seow Retno Setyaningsih Serene Tan & Carol Shieh Naoyoshi Nick Shimoda Siah Geok Wah Susan Sim Lee Koon Taizo Son Stanley Lim Leong Thian Ron & Janet Stride Dr Tan Chin Nam Ivan Tan Meng Cheng Tan Kok Kiong Gordon H.L. Tan Tan Kok Huan Tan Yee Deng Giles Tan Ming Yee Daniel Tando Teo Ee Peng Eddie Teo Fatima Terrill Alicia Thian Jamie Thomas Kennie Ting Guru Vishwanath Zhang Weihua
Iwona Wiktorowska Kris & Elizabeth Wiluan Yip Teem Wing Eric Wong Wicky Wong Wong Liang Keen Wong Nang Jang Wu Guowei Valerie Wu Peichan Satoru Yano Dr Yeo Ning Hong Yong Seow Kin Anonymous (19)
2019 B e ne f i t dinne r donor s Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who gave through the 2019 Benefit Dinner.
PRESENTING SPONSOR Butterfield Trust
$150,000 AND ABOVE Christopher & Rosy Ho
$100,000 Tote Board
$50,000 Aquilus Pte Ltd G K Goh Holdings Mr Hsin Yeh & Family
$20,000 to $35,000 Far East Organization Maisy Koh & Dr Beh Swan Gin Kris Foundation Mr & Mrs Eugene Lai Clarinda & Christopher Martin
Paige Parker & Jim Rogers Stephen Riady’s Group of Foundations United Overseas Bank Ltd Dr Thomas Zuellig & Mrs Mary Zuellig
$10,000 Odile & Douglas Benjamin Lito & Kim Camacho Choo Chiau Beng Judy Hunt Liew Wei Li
Marina Bay Sands One North Capital Pte Ltd Sinfonia Ristorante Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao
Total Pte Ltd V3 Group Djafar Widjaja Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong Anonymous
Special thanks to Goh Yew Lin, FICOFI, Lim Ming San, Conrad Centennial Singapore, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, Valrhona Far East (Singapore Office), Chef Massimo Pasquarelli, Chef Vincent Bourdin
This list is accurate as of 27 March 2019. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time.
V IDEO GAME S C L A S SIC S So much of the great game music we love are rooted deeply in classic repertoire. Therefore, to create this program, I contacted some of my favourite game composers, whose music we are performing in this concert, and asked them, “What are the pieces that most inspired their music?” The classic scores are their choices – and an appropriate pairing with their great contemporary scores. The audience may come to hear Skyrim, but I know that they will also love Stravinsky, once they hear it. – Eímear Noone
World of Warcraft Medley With Chorus (orch. Benoît Grey) by Jason Hayes The Warcraft game franchise is 25 years old this year, a series that, alongside the worlds of Starcraft and Diablo, placed its developer, Blizzard, at the forefront of gaming minds. Based in the fantasy world of Azeroth, the Warcraft games revolve around the histories and conflicts of various races, including the Orcs, Humans and Elves. This medley comprises themes from Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft, including Legends of Azeroth, heard at the login screen.
glhf
The mighty Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, as one of 18 fanfares written to begin each of their 1942/43 season concerts. These fanfares paid tribute to various aspects of the American effort in World War II, with such titles as A Fanfare for Airmen, Fanfare for Freedom, and Fanfare for the Signal Corps. The only one of the 18 still heard today is Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. It begins, starkly from the darkness, with drums and tam-tam slams. Trumpets pierce the darkness. The horns join them, the trombones raise their arms, the tuba opens the path as Copland’s Fanfare invokes the spirit of determination and hope, justice and fate.
Mars, the Bringer of War from The Planets by Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934) Mars, the fearsome musical portrait of the god of war, is the opening piece from British composer Gustav Holst’s stunning orchestral suite, The Planets. A truly spectacular showcase of orchestral power, its relentless drive, threatening brass and chilling chords rip through the air and land without mercy – musical mana for warcraft. This famous work has been used in games ranging from Commander Keen V (1991) to Dota 2 and Saints Row IV (2013, in the game’s Klassik FM radio station).
PROGRAMME NOTES
Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland (1900 – 1990)
Our conductor Eímear Noone was responsible for much of the original orchestration when this music was first recorded for the games – one of her first jobs in the industry.
Wesker Battle from Resident Evil 5 (orch. Wataru Hokoyama) by Kota Suzuki (b. 1980) Also known as Winds of Madness, this visceral battle music accompanies the final boss battle in Resident Evil 5, the seventh instalment in the popular bio-horror action game.
Clair de Lune (arr. Lucien Cailliet) by Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) The Evil Within is a third-person survival horror video game directed by Resident Evil series creator, Shinji Mikami. In the game, the Safe Haven or “Save Room” is a recurring area where the player can save the game. It is accessible by finding mirrors throughout the game, their appearances marked by Debussy’s famously serene tune, Clair de lune (French for “moonlight”).
Confutatis Maledictis from Requiem in D minor, K.626 With Chorus by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) Mozart, next to Beethoven, is one of the most famous classical composers of all time. The Requiem is a type of vocal/ choral piece of sacred music written for funeral services. Many composers have written one and Mozart’s is one of the most well-known – in part because he died before completing it.
In the first-person shooter adventure game, Bioshock Infinite, various themes from Mozart's Requiem appear in the Lady Comstock exhibit in the Hall of Heroes. The final room, “The Vengeance of the Prophet”, depicts a battle between Zachary Comstock (the main villain) and his opponent Daisy Fitzroy. Comstock chases Fitzroy and her dissident group, the Vox Populi, off the edge into the fiery pits of Hell. The relentless Confutatis Maledictis from Mozart’s Requiem depicts this uncompromising, calamitous moment.
Dragonborn Theme from Elder Scrolls V — Skyrim With Chorus by Jeremy Soule (b. 1975) Skyrim (2011) is the acclaimed RPG from the long-running Elder Scrolls series, wherein the player/hero is the Dragonborn, or Dovahkiin, a rare individual born with the blood and soul of a dragon. They can naturally learn and speak the ancient and powerful tongue of the dragons, called the Thu'um, using it to shout magical spells. The stirring Dragonborn song by Elder Scrolls soundtrack composer Jeremy Soule is a heroic invocation of the hero’s feats, filled with warlike determination and defiant grandeur.
Finale from The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971)
Kingdom Hearts by Utada Hikaru (b. 1983)
The music written for The Firebird ballet is by Stravinsky, one of the 20th century’s most important composers. The work, made in collaboration with the legendary choreographer Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballet Russes company, was a great success early in his career, which propelled the Russian-born composer to further fame with subsequent works. The ballet tells of the tale of the hero Prince Ivan and how he defeats Koschei the Immortal with the help of the Firebird, which concludes with this jubilant finale.
The Kingdom Hearts series is a collaboration between Disney and Square Enix under the direction of veteran character designer Tetsuya Nomura. The games feature a crossover of characters from the worlds of Disney, Square Enix and Pixar. The main theme songs of Kingdom Hearts were written and performed by Japanese pop star, Utada Hikaru. This orchestral arrangement features one of them, Hikari.
Super Mario Bros. (orch. Nic Raine) by Koji Kondo (b. 1961) The name of Japanese composer and sound director Koji Kondo is synonymous with the game Super Mario Bros. One of the most famous themes in gaming history, the jaunty calypso-style signature theme still rings a bell for many today, young and old. Of the six themes he wrote for the game, Kondo said this was the hardest to pin down. The final result perfectly captures the rhythms, movements and interactivity in the game. Video game music composer Tommy Tallarico – whose Advent Rising Suite is played in tonight’s programme – cites Kondo as his inspiration for why he got into music.
“I always say that if Beethoven were alive today? He'd be a videogame composer”, says Tommy Tallarico, video game music composer, sound designer and producer, who has worked on over 300 video game titles, including Advent Rising. “[Beethoven] was all about putting somebody in an emotional state of mind..... And that’s exactly what we do in video games music, without all the dialogue.” Tallarico is passionate about identifying the link between classical music and video games music, to prove the latter’s artistic and cultural significance. The name Beethoven is famous all over the world, even to those who don’t play or listen to his music. Besides the well-known “da-da-da-DAAH!” motif, many famous tunes heard in entertainment media are by
PROGRAMME NOTES
- Intermission -
The Storm from Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
this legendary classical music composer, who suffered from deafness for much of his life. The fourth movement from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, also known as the Pastoral Symphony, is an orchestral depiction of a thunderstorm, starting from little drops and growing in fury. Beethoven’s way with the orchestra is astonishing for his time, both in visual and emotional effect. (The joyous first movement of the Pastoral is also used in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance).
Advent Rising Suite With Soprano and Chorus by Tommy Tallarico et al. Advent Rising is a science fiction actionadventure following the hero, Gideon Wyeth, on an urgent mission to save humanity from destruction by an alien race, with a script co-written by famed science fiction writer Orson Scott Card. The game’s magnificent, multi award-winning soundtrack has been praised for powerfully evoking the game’s epic story.
Malach, Angel Messenger, from World of Warcraft With Mezzo-soprano and Chorus by Eímear Noone Our conductor tonight Eímear Noone contributes her own composition, the fan favourite Malach from World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, a piece dedicated to her son Aaron, who died tragically
before birth. A stirring musical journey, by turns melancholy, defiant, driven with determination in the face of fate. Eímear wrote, “This piece from WoW: Warlords of Draenor features Aaron's theme and is influenced not just by the incredible artists at Blizzard, but also by Aaron's timeless Jewish heritage and the story of Masada. It is the epic adventure he might have had, told through a mother’s lullaby.” Malach means “angel messenger” in Hebrew.
Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII With Chorus by Nobuo Uematsu (b. 1959) Liberi Fatali is the music that opens Final Fantasy VIII, written in the form of a Latin choral and orchestral piece. “Liberi Fatali”, which translates to “Fated Children”, refers to the protagonists in the game. The main melody and elements of this piece are referenced in other themes in the game, including “The Landing”, “The Stage is Set”, “Premonition”, and the game’s “Ending Theme”. While most of the song is in actual Latin, exhorting the children to awake and “light the darkness of the world”, the opening chant, “Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec”, is an anagram of the phrases “Succession of Witches” and “Love”, two of the main themes in the game, and not actual words in Latin.
Tetris Opera (Korobeiniki) With Soprano and Chorus trad. arr. Greg Cox Korobeiniki (“The Peddlers” in Russian) is a 19th century Russian folk song that tells
the story of a peddler and a girl, as they haggle and bargain with each other in a naughty tale of courtship. But outside of Russia, Korobeiniki is better known as the Tetris theme (the “A-Type” in the game), as heard in the Nintendo Game Boy version of the game.
drop that one legendary set item you need, despite your hundreds of hours of farming. And sing along to that last line, mecum omnes plangite! (“and everyone weep with me!”). GG. Programme notes by Chia Han-Leon
The “opera” version heard here features a solo soprano voice accompanied by choir. The soprano sings of the peddler’s ploys, with the choir adding atmosphere during the night scene. The music is colourful and dramatic, unfailingly catchy in its folksy dance-like rhythms. If you thought opera is boring, think again!
Carmina Burana is a famous compilation of naughty, irreverent poems and dramatic texts from medieval times. However, today it is better known in the form of the gigantic one-hour choral and vocal drama of the same name, by German composer Carl Orff. The most famous excerpt is the “O Fortuna” chorus that opens and closes the work. This is not only widely recognised in classical music, but in popular culture, often used to accompany (and meme) situations of doom – which is not inappropriate considering how the text is a rant against the whims of lady luck. As you listen to this piece, think of the time your best archer missed that vital shot, that facepalm moment when your tankiest character is killed by hunger, and every single time the RNG gods simply refused to
PROGRAMME NOTES
O Fortuna from Carmina Burana With Chorus by Carl Orff (1895 – 1982)
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