Jason's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

18 & 19 MAR 2017 Sat & Sun | Victoria concert hall Home of the SSO

Programme MAURICE RAVEL

Bolero

GUSTAV HOLST

Saint Paul’s Suite (for strings): IV. Finale: The Dargason

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36: III. Scherzo: Pizzicato ostinato

JOHN WILLIAMS

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Suite for Orchestra III. Nimbus 2000

AARON COPLAND

Fanfare for the Common Man

MIKHAIL GLINKA

Ruslan and Ludmilla: Overture

Supported by

– “A Musical Discovery” “Lim & Tan Securities – A Musical Discovery” is an outreach program to help underprivileged children discover the joy of music. Under this scheme, Lim & Tan Securities partners the SSO to provide free tickets for children to attend SSO concerts.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra 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.

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 Prague Spring International Music Festival. 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.

‘Orchestral playing at the peak of refinement and beauty’ Fanfare

Jason Lai conductor Jason Lai is a leading light in a new generation of Asian conductors. He is the Principal Conductor of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra and also the Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Early success came when he won the BBC Young Conductors Workshop in 2002 and was awarded the post of Assistant Conductor to the BBC Philharmonic, where he worked closely with principal conductor Gianandrea Noseda, and conducted other BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers in various concerts and recordings. He made his BBC Proms debut with the BBC Philharmonic in 2003.

Jason was also the presenter and conductor for Project Symphony for Okto channel in Singapore, where he was filmed setting up a community orchestra.

For BBC he has appeared on the panel of BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and was a judge for the BBC2 classical talent show Classical Star. He was also one of the conducting mentors in the BBC2 series Maestro.

Born in the UK Jason Lai began his musical studies at the age of eleven and was awarded a scholarship to Chetham’s School of Music to study cello with Raphael Wallfisch and Gillian Thoday. A Hadow Scholarship enabled him to study cello and composition at Oxford University where he also toured extensively with the Allegri Quartet. After becoming a finalist in the BBC Young Composers Award his piece Synopsis was performed by London Sinfonietta. He completed his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he was awarded the Fellowship in Conducting.

SSO Musicians Music Director

Lan Shui

Conductor Emeritus

Choo Hoey

Associate Conductor

Jason Lai

Principal Guest Conductor

Okko Kamu

Associate Conductor

Joshua Tan

Choral Director

Lim Yau

FIRST VIOLIN

VIOLA

FLUTE

BASSOON

BASS TROMBONE

CONCERTMASTER Igor Yuzefovich°

PRINCIPAL Zhang Manchin

PRINCIPAL Jin Ta

PRINCIPAL Zhang Jin Min

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Wang Wei

COCONCERTMASTER Lynnette Seah

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Guan Qi

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Evgueni Brokmiller

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Liu Chang

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER Kong Zhao Hui*

FIXED CHAIR Gu Bing Jie*

Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan

Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue

TIMPANI

Marietta Ku Luo Biao Shui Bing Tan Wee Hsin Tong Yi Ping Janice Tsai^ Yang Shi Li

PICCOLO

CONTRA BASSOON

PRINCIPAL Christian Schiøler

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Roberto Alvarez

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Zhao Ying Xue

OBOE

HORN

PRINCIPAL Rachel Walker

PRINCIPAL Han Chang Chou

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Pan Yun

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Gao Jian Jamie Hersch Marc-Antoine Robillard

FIXED CHAIR Chan Yoong-Han Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Gu Wen Li Jin Li Cindy Lee Sui Jing Jing Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe SECOND VIOLIN

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Michael Loh FIXED CHAIR Hai-Won Kwok Nikolai Koval* Priscilla Neo Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Lillian Wang Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Ye Lin* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhang Si Jing*

CELLO

PRINCIPAL Ng Pei-Sian ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Yu Jing FIXED CHAIR Guo Hao Chan Wei Shing Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Peter Wilson Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS

PRINCIPAL Guennadi Mouzyka ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Yang Zheng Yi FIXED CHAIR Karen Yeo Olga Alexandrova Ma Li Ming Jacek Mirucki Wang Xu

Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo COR ANGLAIS

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Elaine Yeo CLARINET

PRINCIPAL Ma Yue ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Li Xin Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping

Hoang Van Hoc^ Kartik Alan Jairamin

TUBA

PRINCIPAL Hidehiro Fujita

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Jonathan Fox PERCUSSION

PRINCIPAL Jonathan Fox ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Mark Suter Mark De Souza Lim Meng Keh Zhu Zheng Yi HARP

TRUMPET

PRINCIPAL Jon Paul Dante

PRINCIPAL Gulnara Mashurova

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL David Smith Lertkiat Chongjirajitra^ Teerapol Kiatthaveephong^ Sergey Tyuteykin

BASS CLARINET

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Tang Xiao Ping

TROMBONE

PRINCIPAL Allen Meek ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Damian Patti Samuel Armstrong

deep appreciation to Mr & Mrs Rin Kei Mei for their generous loan of string instruments from the Rin Collection. * With Igor Yuzefovich plays an instrument generously loaned by Mr & Mrs G K Goh

°

^ Musician(s) on temporary contract Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.

MAURICE RAVEL (1875–1937) Bolero French composer Maurice Ravel originally wrote Bolero for a ballet, with the following programme: “Inside a tavern in Spain, people dance beneath the brass lamp hung from the ceiling. [In response] to the cheers to join in, the female dancer has leapt onto the long table and her steps become more and more animated”.

Ravel originally thought that orchestras would refuse to play it, but it has since grown to be his most famous and frequently performed composition.

Over the snare drum’s repeated rhythm, two melodies are each played twice, either by a different instrument or combinations of instruments. Try to identify which instrument has the melody at each point!

GUSTAV HOLST (1874–1934) St Paul’s Suite – IV. Finale: The Dargason Gustav Holst was the director of music at St. Paul’s Girls’ School in West London. After the school built a sound-proof music studio for him, Holst wrote the St Paul’s Suite for the school’s string orchestra, with optional wind parts.

The Finale of the Suite starts with the jaunty British folksong, “Dargason” on violins, before the full string orchestra joins in.

Midway through, however, the cellos introduce another song, “Greensleeves”, and these two folksongs are played together to bring the finale to a rousing close.

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) Symphony No. 4 – III. Scherzo: Pizzicato ostinato There are many ways which string instruments can be played – one of them involves using a finger to pluck the string. The Italian term, “pizzicato”, is used to describe this action. While many composers have used this effect extensively, Tchaikovsky is unique in having devoted much of his 4th Symphony’s Scherzo to the pizzicato.

Listen out for the dynamic contrasts! The strings start very softly and get louder across the movement, culminating in strummed chords which introduce the central section of the movement. The woodwinds then take over, before the brass instruments march in. The wind instruments play their tune over the brass march; listen out for the piccolo thrilling away with its high notes. The pizzicato strings, woodwind and brass tunes reappear, mixing freely in the last section of the movement.

JOHN WILLIAMS (b. 1932) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Suite – III. Nimbus 2000 John Williams wrote several key themes that were used across the first three films of the Harry Potter film franchise, of which – one of them titled “Nimbus 2000” after Harry’s broomstick – is associated with flying and mischief in the film. It is usually used with the more famous Hedwig’s Theme, with John Williams switching between the two ideas fluidly through the film.

This quick and fast-moving theme is scored for woodwinds and in two parts – the first features a rhythmic yet playful melody, bubbling over and skipping forward magically. The second part flies upwards, channelling the exhilarating excitement of flight but reminding us of the danger which accompanies it.

AARON COPLAND (1900–1990) Fanfare for the Common Man To help lift spirits and commemorate the war effort, several American composers were tasked to write fanfares during the Second World War. 18 were written, but only Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man is frequently performed today.

Used in several films since, including Saving Private Ryan, the brass and percussion sections blaze forth, evoking heroism and the strength of the common, everyday man.

MIKHAIL GLINKA (1804–1857) Ruslan and Ludmilla: Overture Glinka was the first Russian composer who wrote significant operas, the second of which was Ruslan and Ludmilla. Its story centres around a conflict between good and evil, via fantastical adventures and fairy tale love. Much of the music is now regarded as jewels in the Russian operatic repertoire, and its brilliant overture has become a popular concert opener worldwide.

The exuberant Overture overflows with energy, and a rather Russian brand of enthusiastic heroism. Strings scurry at breakneck speed and the cellos and violins sing one of the most famous arias (songs) in the opera. These themes are developed and brought back in different forms, bringing the Overture to a stirring conclusion.

Programme Notes by Christopher Cheong

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Peter and the Wolf

18 JUN 2017

Michael Knudsen organ Act 3 Theatrics Adriel Yap organ builder

SUN, 2PM & 4PM VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

As a fitting finale to the VCH Organ Series in the 2016/17 season, discover interesting facts about the iconic Klais organ from organ builder Adriel Yap, and young audiences will also enjoy the Prokofiev’s popular classic Peter and the Wolf.

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FREE ADMISSION Please come early to secure the best seats as seating in the concert hall is limited. Doors open half an hour before the concert. This concert will last approximately 45 minutes and is suitable for ages 5 and above. No admission for infants-in-arms.

SPONSORED BY Singapore Symphony Orchestra

www.sso.org.sg/vchorgan

SWIRE–SSO

Ticketing Scheme for Students Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Choa Chu Kang Secondary School

Gan Eng Seng School

Angsana Primary School

Chongzheng Primary School

Guangyang Secondary School

Bedok Green Secondary School

Chung Cheng High School (Main)

Hillgrove Secondary School

Blangah Rise Primary School

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DEL-Care Edu Centre Pte Ltd

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Endeavour Primary School

Montfort Junior School

CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh)

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Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

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