N G P E I - S I AN P L AYS S H OS TAKOV I C H THE HERO WITHIN 8 JANUARY 2021
WATCH THE STREAM ONLINE ON SISTIC LIVE
DEDICATED TO
AS THE WINDS BLOW SAT 16 JAN 2021 7.30PM
ESPLANADE CONCERT HALL
WOODWIND & BRASS ENSEMBLE OF THE SSO
Live at the Esplanade Concert Hall: an all-wind programme with the Woodwind and Brass Ensemble of the SSO! Our intrepid band of musicians will present music from across the ages. Witty Hindemith, magical Mozart, seafaring shanties with Arnold, all-trombone Brucknerian solemnity and the brass sextet by underrated German trumpeter-composer Oskar Bรถhme will fill the hall together with the Renaissance splendour of Gabrieli and Byrd.
TICKETS FROM $28
N G P EI- S IA N PLAY S SH O ST A KO VI C H THE HERO WITHIN
8 Jan 2021, 8pm (Online premiere on SISTIC Live) Viewable from 8 Jan to 22 Jan with valid tickets.
Singapore Symphony Orchestra Hans Graf Chief Conductor Ng Pei-Sian cello
S HO ST AK O V I CH
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107
30 mins
B EET H O V E N
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
47 mins
Concert Duration: 1 hr 20 mins
T Watch our online Pre-Concert Talk on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Your feedback helps us improve your concert experience. Take our survey and stand a chance to win a free ticket! www.surveymonkey.com/r/SSVMNW9
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, as well as outreach and community performances take place at the 673seat Victoria Concert Hall, the home of the SSO. The orchestra performs over 60 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 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 The Telegraph. The SSO has also performed in China on multiple occasions.
In the 2020/21 concert season, the SSO welcomes renowned maestro Hans Graf as its Chief Conductor. Notable SSO releases on the BIS label include a Rachmaninoff series, a “Seascapes” album, three Debussy discs “La Mer”, “Jeux” and “Nocturnes”, 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 our diverse communities.
H ANS G RAF Chief Conductor
Tote Board’s goal is to help build a
flourishing society. We want to inspire positive change and contribute towards building an inclusive, resilient and vibrant community, while fostering a caring and compassionate nation.
As a broad-based grantmaking organisation, Tote Board works closely with stakeholders and partners to support broad and diverse worthy projects in the sectors of Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, Health, Social Service and Sports. Through these projects, Tote Board helps to uplift the community by giving hope to vulnerable groups and improving the lives of all in Singapore.
ToteBoardSG ToteBoardSG
www.toteboard.gov.sg
© BRYAN VAN DER BEEK
NG PEI-SIAN PL AYS SH OSTAKOV IC H | 8 JAN 2 0 2 1
H A N S G RAF Chief Conductor
Hans Graf is a frequent guest with major orchestras around the world including with the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestras, the London Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, the Seoul, Hong Kong and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestras. Hans Graf’s discography includes all symphonies of Mozart and Schubert, the complete orchestral works by Henri Dutilleux and the world premiere recording of Zemlinsky’s opera Es war einmal. His recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck with the Houston Symphony won the ECHO Klassik 2017 award and the Grammy 2018 for Best Opera Recording.
The Austrian conductor Hans Graf is the Chief Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra from the 2020/21 concert season. He held the role of Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra 2001–2013, making him the longest-serving Music Director in the orchestra’s 100 year history. Prior to this, he was Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic and of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. He has also held the post of Music Director at the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg and the Basque National Orchestra.
Hans Graf has been made Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur by the French Government (2002) and was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria (2007). He is also Professor Emeritus for Orchestral Conducting at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. 6
N G P EI - S I A N PL AYS SH OSTAK OV IC H | 8 JA N 2021
N G P E I -SI AN cello
Š TIMOTHY TEO
Ng Pei-Sian was Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2007, winner of the Gold Medal and First Prize at the 55th Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition held in London. He has performed concertos with the major Australian symphony orchestras, Singapore Symphony (SSO), Malaysian Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Estonian National Symphony, Oulu Symphony, Sinfonia ViVA, City of Southampton Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Music Makers and performed around the world in venues including Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Konzerthaus (Berlin), Lincoln Centre and Carnegie Hall.
International Cello Festival. Ng performed Tan Dun's Crouching Tiger Cello Concerto with The Festival Orchestra under the baton of the Academy Award-winning composer and also performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Cho-Liang Lin and Renaud Capuçon.
Born in Sydney in 1984, he began studies in Adelaide with Barbara Yelland and later with Janis Laurs at the Elder Conservatorium of Music before winning the prestigious Elder Overseas Scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Ng Pei-Sian completed his studies under Ralph Kirshbaum during which he was awarded the RNCM Gold Medal, the highest prize given by the college.
Ng is currently Principal Cellist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore. He performs on a 1764 Giovanni Antonio Marchi cello, Bologna.
Ng has had appearances in important music festivals including the Brighton, Edinburgh, Manchester International Cello Festival, Kronberg Academy, MecklenburgVorpormmern Festival and Adelaide 7
SECO N D VIOL IN
T HE ORC HE S T R A
Michael Loh Associate Principal Nikolai Koval* Hai-Won Kwok Chikako Sasaki* Margit Saur Shao Tao Tao Wu Man Yun* Xu Jue Yi* Yeo Teow Meng Yin Shu Zhan* Zhao Tian*
HANS GRAF Chief Conductor JOSHUA TAN Associate Conductor ANDREW LITTON Principal Guest Conductor
VIO LA
CHOO HOEY Conductor Emeritus
Zhang Manchin Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo Biao Julia Park Shui Bing Janice Tsai Wang Dandan Yang Shi Li
LAN SHUI Conductor Laureate EUDENICE PALARUAN Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster
CELL O Ng Pei-Sian Principal, The HEAD Foundation Chair Yu Jing Associate Principal Guo Hao Fixed Chair Chan Wei Shing Jamshid Saydikarimov* Song Woon Teng Wang Yan Wang Zihao* Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er
FIRS T VI OL I N Kong Zhao Hui# Acting Concertmaster/ Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han Fixed Chair Cao Can* Chen Da Wei Duan Yu Ling Foo Say Ming Jin Li Kong Xianlong Cindy Lee Karen Tan William Tan Wei Zhe Ye Lin* Zhang Si Jing*
D O U B LE BAS S Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga Alexandrova Jacek Mirucki Guennadi Mouzyka Wang Xu
8
FLUTE
TR U M P ET
Jin Ta Principal Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan
Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong Sergey Tyuteykin
PICCOLO
TR O M B O N E
Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal
Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong
OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier Elaine Yeo
B A SS T R O MBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal TU B A
COR ANG L AI S
Tomoki Natsume Principal
Elaine Yeo Associate Principal TIM P A N I CLARINE T
Christian Schiøler Principal Jonathan Fox Associate Principal
Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu Yoko Tang Xiao Ping
P ER CU SSIO N
Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal
Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mario Choo Lim Meng Keh
BAS S OON
H A RP
Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue
Gulnara Mashurova Principal
BAS S CL AR I NE T
C EL EST A Shane Thio^
CONTRABAS S OON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal HORN Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Hoang Van Hoc
* With deep appreciation to the Rin Collection for their generous loan of string instruments. # Kong Zhao Hui 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. ^ Musician on temporary contract. Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis. 9
ONLY THE FINEST MUSIC
2020/21 Season Patrons Our story began just over four decades ago when we played our first concert in January 1979. This journey would not have been possible without patrons who believe in sharing the gift of music. Thank you for your generosity.
PATR ON SPONSO R Tote Board Group (Tote Board, Singapore Pools & Singapore Turf Club)
MAE STR O C IR C L E Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin Temasek Foundation The HEAD Foundation
SYMPHONY C IR C LE Aquilus Pte Ltd Embassy of France in Singapore John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Lee Foundation The New Eden Charitable Trust
C ONC E R TO C IR C LE Far East Organization Ho Ching Kris Foundation Paige Parker & Jim Rogers Andreas & Doris Sohmen-Pao United Overseas Bank Ltd Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong Dr Thomas Zuellig & Mary Zuellig
O VER T U RE PAT R ONS ABRSM BINJAITREE Lito & Kim Camacho Prof Cham Tao Soon Alan Chan Prof Chan Heng Chee Cara & Tamara Chang Chng Hak-Peng Mr & Mrs Choo Chiau Beng Prof Arnoud De Meyer Vivien Goh Hong Leong Foundation Maisy Koh & Dr Beh Swan Gin Leong Wai Leng LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd
Michael Lien Beatrice Lim FC Mavis Lim Geck Chin Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd Devika & Sanjiv Misra Kai S. Nargolwala NSL Ltd Pavilion Capital Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd Prima Limited Prof Gralf & Silvia Sieghold Stephen Riady Group of Foundations Peter C.Y. Wong Catherine & David Zemans Anonymous (2)
S ER E N AD E PAT R ONS Samuel Armstrong Dennis Au & Geraldine Choong Charles Brooks Lionel Choi Goh Sze Wei Jerry Gwee Havas Media Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Steven & Liwen Holmes Angela Huang & Geo Chen Robert Khan Lee Kok Keong Leong Wah Kheong A.D. Lim Lin Diaan-Yi
Mak Hoe Kit Dr Adrian Mondry Ng Pei-Sian Joyce, Swee Meng Ng & family Ng Yong Ngee Eddy Ooi Mark Procyshyn Mr & Mrs Robin Ian Rawlings Dr Alban Salord Ivan Tan Meng Cheng Kennie Ting Manju & Arudra Vangal Anonymous
R H A P SO D Y PAT RONS Ryoichi Akao Allen & Gledhill LLP Ang Ming Yi & Tanyatorn Lewchaleamwong Jocelyn Aw Odile & Douglas Benjamin Vivian Chandran Dr Faith Chia Evelyn Chin Mr & Mrs Dorian Goh Lorinne Kon KRPL Family Fund Mr & Mrs Patterson Lau
Dr Lee Shu Yen Dr Leong Keng Hong Ong Kong Hong Esme Parish & Martin Edwards Greet Pelckmans Ron & Janet Stride Tibor Zoltan Szabady Anthony Tay Teo Lay Lim Dr Dang Vu & Ms Oanh Nguyen Wicky Wong Anonymous (3)
P R ELU D E PAT RO NS Ang Seow Long Kaiyan Asplund & family Dr Daniel N. Bach Prof Kanti Bajpai Lawrence & Celeste Basapa Bryan Carmichael Chan Ah Khim Jeanie Cheah Dr Cynthia Chee Cheng Eng Aun Cheng Wei Margaret Chew Dr Peter Chew Chong Eun Baik Chong Mi-Li Pamela Belinda Chua Chung Sui Foh Sally Chy Arthur Davis Ridzuan Farouk Elizabeth Fong Gan Chee Yen Gan Yit Koon Pavitar Kaur Gill Goh Chin Sean Goh Chiu Gak Mrs Goh Keng Hoong Goh Shin Ping Chiraporn Prof Goh Suat Hong Ilya Gutlin Owen Hawkes & Eunice Tan William Hernstadt Shaun The-Huan Hoang Vanessa & Darren Iloste Simon Ip Jordan Isac Jellycat Sg Peggy Kek Khor Cheng Kian Paul Seiji Kitamura
Belinda Koh Yuh Ling Dr Koh Chee Kang & Ms Chang Ting Lee Koh Han Wei Helen Koh Colin Lang Mr & Mrs Winson Lay Lee Eng Lye Andrew Lee Li-Ming Dr Norman Lee Viktor & Sonja Leendertz Lek Lee Yong Er Stephen Leong Wendy Leong Marnyi Leow Oon Geok Dr Bettina Lieske Lim Shue Churn Suzanne Lim Lim Yuin Wen Lin Xiangqian Candice Ling Firenze Loh Dr Loh Kai Woh Low Boon Hon Fabian Lua Joshua Margolis Clarinda & Christopher Martin Capt Isac Mathews Meng Dr Agnes Ng Ngiam Shih Chun Monique Ong Audrey Phua Preetha Pillai Raymond Quah Queenie & Friends Rak Syscom Pte Ltd Ian & Freda Rickword Robert Khan & Co Pte Ltd Alexey Rumyantsev
Andreas Ruschkowski Audrey Ruyters Michael Schlesinger Caroline Seow Retno Setyaningsih Naoyoshi Nick Shimoda Susan Sim Marcel Smit & Hanneke Verbeek Soh Leng Wan Veiter Soo Yukari Takada Casey Tan Khai Hee Tan Cheng Guan Daniel Tan Gordon H L Tan Tan Lian Yok Tan Pei Jie Tan Yee Deng Aileen Tang Abel Teo Daniel Teo Valerie Thean Alicia Thian & Brian Bonde Toby & Margit Oliver Trianto Q. Mevr. Marie-Christine Van Meel Kris Wiluan Paul Winfindale & Huong Nguyen Wong Lai Foon Wu Guowei Zhang Xinyue Haruna Yamabayashi Lillian Yin Darren Yong & Connie Chaird Yong Seow Kin Anonymous (21)
This list reflects donations that were made from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020. We would like to express our sincere thanks to donors whose names were inadvertently left out at print time. The Singapore Symphony Group is a charity and a not-for-profit organisation. Singapore tax-payers may qualify for 250% tax deduction for donations above $50. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate or www.giving.sg/sso.
We love orchestral music and there is nothing like a live orchestral performance!
because... I have many happy memories with my family at the SSO Babies’ Proms, Pops and Christmas concerts…
The SSO brought Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang and Leonidas Kavakos to me in Singapore!
The SSO is an arts charity and depends on donations. If you love the SSO, please consider making a donation to support your orchestra –
Every gift makes a difference.
As a valued donor patron of the SSO, you will receive many benefits. PATRON CATEGORIES
PAT R O N BENEFITS
Prelude
Rhapsody
Serenade
Overture
Concert0 Circle
$1,000 - $2,499
$2,500 - $4,999
$5,000 - $9,999 $10,000 - $24,999 $25,000 & ABOVE
–
–
–
–
6 tickets
10 tickets
12 tickets
16 tickets
20 tickets
2. Gala /Christmas/Pops
–
–
2 tickets
4 tickets
6 tickets
3. SSO Special Gala Concerts
–
–
–
–
2 tickets
Tax Benefits Priority Booking Discounts for all SSG concerts Invitation to special events Donor listing: 1. Concert booklets and website 2. Donors’ Wall at VCH
Complimentary tickets to the following concert types: 1. Subscription /VCHpresents / Family / SIPF /SISTIC Live
*The benefits above do not apply to supporters who give through an event.
To find out more, please visit www.sso.org.sg/support-us, or write to Nikki Chuang at nikki@sso.org.sg.
Corporate Patronage Form a special relationship with Singapore’s national orchestra and increase your name recognition among an influential and growing audience. Our concerts provide impressive entertainment and significant branding opportunities. SSO Corporate Patrons enjoy attractive tax benefits, Patron of the Arts nominations, acknowledgements in key publicity channels, complimentary tickets, and invitations to exclusive SSO events. Temasek Foundation The HEAD Foundation John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Embassy of France in Singapore Lee Foundation Aquilus Pte Ltd SPONSORS SMRT Corporation Symphony 924 Singapore Airlines Ltd Conrad Centennial Singapore
For more details, please write to Chelsea Zhao at chelsea.zhao@sso.org.sg.
欢迎 关 注 新 加 坡 交 响 乐 团微信账号， 与我 们 一 起 ， 共 创 难 忘 的音乐体验。
FO LLOW US ON OUR NEW WECHAT ACCO UNT @SINGAPORESYM PHONY - CONNECT WITH US! New season launches, rehearsal footage, behind-the-scenes with guest artists, National Day livestreams, full concert videos, autograph session photos, names of encores and more – our social media channels are the best way to keep up-to-date with the latest news from the Singapore Symphony
FACEBOOK* @SINGAPORESYMPHONY
I N ST AG R AM @ S I N G A P ORE SY MPH ONY
YOU T U BE @ SINGA PORE SY MPHONY
TW ITTER @S I N G APO R ES YMPH
*Facebook hides page posts from majority of fans. Turn on “See First” under Following settings to ensure you can always see our posts.
W ECHA T 新加坡交响乐团
I II III IV
Allegretto Moderato Cadenza Allegro con moto
Shostakovich burst onto the Russian musical scene as a bright youngster full of potential in the early 1920s, but his brush with Stalin’s wrath caused him to live almost two decades of his life in fear of negative political opinion. His opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was panned by Pravda in 1936, marking the start of the Great Terror that swept through Russia’s artistic circles, with many ending up dead or in the gulags. Concerned with avoiding the same fate, Shostakovich rehabilitated his image during the Second World War, writing a string of rousing successes, though his chamber music continued to show him at his ambivalent, grotesque best.
a concert staple despite its difficulties. Listeners who are familiar with the sunny Second Piano Concerto should expect a diametrically opposed world: the first movement is jittery and nervous, and even the calmer mood of the second is nothing like an oasis of peace, but a quasi-lullaby filled with painful dissonances. (Listen out for the ghostly duet between cello harmonics and celesta toward the end.) The third movement is for solo cello alone, essentially a massive cadenza — like the one bridging the final two movements of the First Violin Concerto from a decade earlier — and reuses themes from the first two movements. It charts the same path as the first movement, starting low and rising throughout its five-minute duration to several climaxes, eventually leading to the finale. This strange dance, announced with big orchestral chords, faces down some real horrors while looking back over its shoulder at earlier moments, eventually turning into a headlong rush towards a harsh and abrupt end.
His life was not all smooth sailing after that, however, and he was dismissed from his teaching positions not long after the war, in a long series of tussles with Soviet officials. Things only improved after Stalin’s death in 1953, and by the time of the first cello concerto, Stalin was six years dead but not forgotten. The music shows how familiar Shostakovich was with balancing on the line between tonality and dissonance, between anguish and barbarism, between terror and excitement.
Instrumentation 2 flutes (one doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons (1 doubling on contrabassoon), horn, timpani, celesta, strings
A cello part packed to bursting with vertiginous feats of technical wizardry is contrasted with extremely light orchestration, lending this piece an almost chambermusic feel. Written for Rostropovich, who memorised the whole concerto in only four days for the premiere, it has remained
World Premiere 4 Oct 1959 (Mstislav Rostropovich, cello) First performed by SSO 23 Oct 1987 (Truls Mørk, cello) 17
N G P EI - S I A N PL AYS SH OSTAK OV IC H | 8 JA N 2021
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107 (1959)
NG PEI-SIAN PL AYS SH OSTAKOV IC H | 8 JAN 2 0 2 1
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica” (1803) I II III IV
Allegro con brio Marcia funebre. Adagio assai Scherzo. Allegro vivace Finale. Allegro molto
The Eroica symphony was first performed to extremely mixed reviews. Contemporaneous accounts showed audiences divided into two clear camps, with Beethoven’s friends on one side trumpeting the work’s genius and calling it a masterpiece, and the other denying it had any artistic value. What was agreed upon was that the whole symphony, lasting around 50 minutes, was far longer than symphonies were expected to be at that point in time. More than 200 years on, with audiences now familiar with the gigantic works of Bruckner and Mahler, that charge seems faintly ridiculous, but it is undeniable that Beethoven broke new ground when writing his Third Symphony, with innovations in instrumentation, form, and content.
climax after a turn towards a fugue passage, where the instruments imitate one another in succession. The long drawn-out return to the original mood is very thoughtfully composed, and the movement peters out into nothingness. The orchestra chugs back into life with the super-fast Scherzo, a third movement of relative brevity. Beethoven shows admirable restraint in keeping the volume low for a while, projecting bubbling excitement before a full fanfare. This lighter mood continues throughout and eventually spills into the optimistic final movement, which is a happy set of variations on a dance-like theme. Beethoven had used this theme before on several occasions, including a similar set of variations for the piano, and it proved to be the only theme he would reuse so many times in his life. Other than serving as a piano piece, it had its origins in a set of orchestral dances before being co-opted to function as the finale to a ballet. The symphony takes a much more dramatic approach, however, and even though the piano variations are longer than this Finale movement, the formal weight of the symphony had to be balanced accordingly. To this end, Beethoven employed wideranging modulations, two fugues, a slower section in a completely different tempo, and several different kinds of dances before sweeping up the full force of the orchestra
Mozart’s own famous E-flat major symphony (No. 39) was only 15 years in the past, and the Eroica’s first movement shows Beethoven’s familiarity with that particular work, being constructed along largely similar lines. However, the devil is in the details, and Beethoven’s confidence in his compositional prowess allowed him to come up with several unexpected turns of harmony and interpolate additional passages, including the famous “early return” of the main theme in the horn that confused many of the first listeners. The second movement is a long and stately funeral march, justifiably celebrated for its Beethovenian touches: a suddenly dramatic 18
N G P EI - S I A N PL AYS SH OSTAK OV IC H | 8 JA N 2021
Drawing of Beethoven by August von Kloeber, made in the summer of 1818 in MÜdling Š Beethoven-Haus Bonn Source: beethoven.de in a rousing ending, with punchy E-flat major chords tying the package up neatly.
Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
Programme notes by Thomas Ang
World Premiere 7 Apr 1805, Vienna First performed by SSO 28 Jun 1979 19
BOA RD OF D IRE C T ORS & C OMMI T T E E S CHAIR Mr Goh Yew Lin SSO COUNCIL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ms Yong Ying-I (Deputy Chair) Mr Ang Chek Meng Mr Chang Chee Pey Mr Chng Hak-Peng Mr Chng Kai Fong Mr Warren Fernandez Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Liew Wei Li Mr Sanjiv Misra Mr Paul Tan Dr Kelly Tang Mr Geoffrey Wong Mr Yee Chen Fah NOMINATING AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Mr Goh Yew Lin (Chair) Prof Arnoud De Meyer (Treasurer) Mr Paul Tan Ms Yong Ying-I
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE Ms Yong Ying-I (Chair) Prof Arnoud De Meyer Mr Yee Chen Fah Dr Kelly Tang INVESTMENT COMMITTEE Mr Geoffrey Wong (Chair) Mr David Goh Mr Sanjiv Misra AUDIT COMMITTEE Mr Yee Chen Fah (Chair) Mr Heinrich Grafe Ms Lim Mei SNYO COMMITTEE Ms Liew Wei Li (Chair) Mr Ang Chek Meng Ms Vivien Goh Dr Kee Kirk Chin Mrs Valarie Wilson
S S O M U S I C I A N S’ C O M M I T T E E Mr Jamie Hersch Mr Ng Pei-Sian Mr Mark Suter Mr Christoph Wichert Ms Elaine Yeo Mr Yeo Teow Meng
Prof Cham Tao Soon (Honorary Chair) Mr Alan Chan (Chair) Mrs Odile Benjamin Prof Chan Heng Chee Mr Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh Min Mr Goh Geok Khim Mr Khoo Boon Hui Prof Tommy Koh Ms Lim Mei Mr JY Pillay Dr Stephen Riady Ms Priscylla Shaw Prof Gralf Sieghold Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao Prof Bernard Tan Dr Tan Chin Nam Ms Tan Choo Leng Mr Tan Soo Nan Mr Wee Ee Cheong S S O L A D I E S’ L E A G U E Mrs Odile Benjamin (Chair) Mrs Kwan Lui (Deputy Chair) Mrs Celeste Basapa Mrs Maisy Beh Mrs Kim Camacho Mrs Rosy Ho Ms Judy Hunt Prof Annie Koh Dr Julie Lo Mrs Clarinda TjiaDharmadi-Martin Ms Paige Parker Ms Kris Tan Ms Manju Vangal Mrs Grace Yeh
SIN G A P OR E S Y MP HO N Y G ROUP M A N AG E ME N T
CHIEF E XECUTIVE OFFICER Mr Chng Hak-Peng
ARTISTIC PL ANNING
CEO OFFICE
C O R P O R AT E S E R V I C E S
Mr Hans Sørensen (Head)
Ms Shirin Foo
Ms Lillian Yin (Head)
Programmes (SSO) Ms Kua Li Leng Ms Teo Chew Yen Ms Jodie Chiang
Customer Experience Mr Randy Teo Ms Dacia Cheang Ms Nur Shafiqah bte Othman
Finance, IT & Facilities Mr Rick Ong Mr Alan Ong Ms Goh Hoey Fen Mr Md Zailani bin Md Said
Community Outreach Ms Vanessa Lee Ms Samantha Lim Choral Programmes Ms Regina Lee Ms Whitney Tan
DE VELOPMENT & PA R T N E R S H I P S Corporate Communications Ms Haslina Hassan
Programmes (VCH) Ms Erin Tan Ms Lynnette Chng
Development Ms Chelsea Zhao Ms Nikki Chuang Ms Charmaine Fong
ORCHESTR A MANAGEMENT
MARKE TING C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
Mr Ernest Khoo (Head)
Ms Cindy Lim (Head) Mr Chia Han-Leon Ms Elizabeth Davis Ms Myrtle Lee Ms Jana Loh Ms Hong Shu Hui Ms Sherilyn Lim Ms Melissa Tan
Orchestra Mr Chia Jit Min Ms Karis Ong Concert Operations Ms Kimberly Kwa Ms Chin Rosherna Mr Ramayah Elango Library Mr Lim Lip Hua Ms Wong Yi Wen Mr Avik Chari
D I G I TA L S S O Ms Cindy Lim (Lead) Mr Chia Jit Min (Asst Lead) Mr Chia Han-Leon Mr Hans Sørensen
Human Resources & Administration Mr Desmen Low Ms Melissa Lee Mr Cheah Heng Seng Ms Evelyn Siew Legal Mr Edward Loh S I N G A P O R E N AT I O N A L YOUTH ORCHES TR A Ms Pang Siu Yuin (Head) Ms Tang Ya Yun Ms Tan Sing Yee ABRSM Ms Hay Su-San (Head) Ms Patricia Yee Ms Lai Li-Yng Mr Joong Siow Chong C O V I D -1 9 R E S P O N S E C O O R D I N AT I O N Ms Lillian Yin (Lead) Mr Rick Ong (Asst Lead)
# H e lp Us P la y O n Mus ic fo r a l l t i m e, th e m us ic of h o p e — During our absence from the concert halls since Circuit Breaker, you welcomed the SSO into your homes as we performed our new digital concerts for you. We are now working hard to put up live concerts in front of a live audience in the coming months. If you miss the SSO, please #HelpUsPlayOn by responding to this appeal.
“I miss the excitement of catching a live concert, online concerts aren’t quite the same…”
More than 700,000 people across Singapore enjoyed SSO concerts for free during Circuit Breaker - that’s seven times the number of people who would normally encounter the SSO in concert in a year
Every digital concert costs $25,000 more than a concert for live audience
“…my biggest heartache was foregoing Beethoven’s Gala Concert this year!”
The SSO is an arts charity and depends on donations and matching grants, which we need to survive. We need your help. Your donation unlocks matching grants that we need to sustain our digital operations. For every dollar donated, we will receive another from the Cultural Matching Fund. So your donation will make twice the difference. These are challenging times for many, but if you are able to help, please #HelpUsPlayOn and consider making a gift to the SSO. For tax and other patron benefits, please visit www.sso.org.sg/support-us/patron-benefits
Ways You Can Donate: - Visit giving.sg/sso/HelpUsPlayOn or sso.org.sg/donate to make a donation via Credit Card - Scan the QR code in PayLah! or PayNow For more information, please contact: - Ms Nikki Chuang at nikki@sso.org.sg - Ms Charmaine Fong at charmaine.fong@sso.org.sg
S UPPOR T E D BY
PATRO N S P ON S OR
MATCHE D BY
M A JO R D ON OR S
Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin
S E A S O N PA R TN E R S Official Community Partner
Official Outdoor Media Partner
Official Airline
S EA S O N PATRO NS
Christopher & Rosy Ho
Aquilus Pte Ltd
The mission of the Singapore Symphony 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 our diverse communities. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate.