ConcertsUpcoming ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S 22PSYCHO&23Sep 2022, 7:30PM Victoria Concert Hall Watch the movie on a big screen at the Victoria Concert Hall while the SSO performs, live on Tickets:stage.$20- $58 TO BROADWAYWITHLOVE 1 & 2 Sep 2022, 7:30PM Esplanade Concert Hall Music from The Sound of Music, The King and I, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and more. Tickets: $20 - $88
Aug 2022 HANS GRAF AND VADIM GLUZMAN – BEETHOVEN AND SHOSTAKOVICH 5 & 6 Aug 2022, Fri & Sat Victoria Concert Hall 16 For the enjoyment of all patrons during the concert: • Please switch off or silence all electronic devices. • Please minimise noises during performance. If unavoidable, wait for a loud section in the music. • No photography, video or audio recording is allowed when artists are performing. • Non-flash photography is allowed only during bows and applause when no performance is taking place. Go green. Digital programme books are available on www.sso.org.sg. Photographs and videos will be taken at these events, in which you may appear. These may be published on the SSO’s publicity channels and materials. By attending the event, you consent to the use of these photographs and videos for the foregoing purposes. MOZART PIANO CONCERTO 24 AND BRAHMS SYMPHONY 1 18 Aug 2022, Thu Esplanade Concert Hall 23 PRESIDENT’S YOUNG PERFORMERS CONCERT 26 & 27 Aug 2022, Fri & Sat Victoria Concert Hall 28 A Autograph sessionA
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. In 2021, the SSO clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone
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In July 2022, the SSO appointed renowned Austrian conductor Hans Graf as its Music Director, the third in the orchestra’s history after Lan Shui (1997–2019) and Choo Hoey (1979–1996). Prior to this, Hans Graf served as Chief Conductor from 2020, leading the SSO in keeping music alive during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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
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.
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
take place at the 673-seat 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. The SSO launched its digital concert hall, SSOLOUNGE, in 2021. Bridging the musical traditions of East and West, Singaporean and Asian musicians and composers are regularly showcased in the concert season. Beyond Singapore, 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 second performance at the Berlin Philharmonie. 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. The SSO has released more than 50 recordings, with over 30 on the BIS label.
The most recent critically acclaimed albums include a Rachmaninoff box set (2021), Richard Strauss’ “Rosenkavalier and Other Works” (2020), and three Debussy discs “La Mer”, “Jeux” and “Nocturnes”. A Four Seasons album and a complete Mozart Violin Concerto cycle with Chloe Chua and Hans Graf will be released in the near future. The SSO has also collaborated with such great artists as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Joe Hisaishi, Neeme Järvi, Okko Kamu, Hannu Lintu, Andrew Litton, Lorin Maazel, Martha Argerich, Ray Chen, Diana Damrau, Stephen Hough, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, HANS GRAF Music Director Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Krystian Zimerman.
The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, and the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano & Violin Competition.
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.
Born near Linz in 1949, Graf is Professor Emeritus for Orchestral Conducting at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. For his services to music, he was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur by the French government, and the Grand Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria.
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Hans Graf's extensive discography includes all the symphonies of Mozart and Schubert, the complete orchestral works of Dutilleux, and the world-premiere recording of Zemlinsky’s Es war einmal. Graf’s recording of Berg’s Wozzeck with the Houston Symphony won the GRAMMY and ECHO Klassik awards for best opera recording.
Graf was formerly Music Director of the Houston Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Basque National Orchestra and the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. He is a frequent guest with major orchestras around the world including the orchestras of Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Vienna, Leipzig Gewandhaus, DSO Berlin, Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw, Oslo, Hallé, London, Royal Philharmonic, the Bavarian, Danish and Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestras, Budapest Festival, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Russian National, and the orchestras of Melbourne, Sydney, Seoul, Hong Kong and Malaysian Philharmonic. Graf has led operas in the opera houses of the Vienna State Opera, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Strasbourg, Rome and Zurich. In 2014 he was awarded the Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis for Strauss’s Die Feuersnot at the famed Vienna Volksoper, where he returned in 2021 to lead Rosenkavalier
HANS GRAF Music Director With the distinguished Austrian conductor Hans Graf, "a brave new world of musicmaking under inspired direction" (The Straits Times) began at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, where he was appointed Chief Conductor from the 2020/21 season, and Music Director from the 2022/23 season.
Universally recognized among today’s top performing artists, Vadim Gluzman breathes new life and passion into the golden era of the 19th and 20th centuries’ violin tradition. Gluzman’s wide repertoire embraces new music, and his performances are heard around the world through live broadcasts and a striking catalogue of award-winning recordings exclusively for the BIS label.
The Israeli violinist appears with world’s leading orchestras and conductors, including Tugan Sokhiev with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony and Orchestre de Paris; Neeme Järvi with Chicago Symphony and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Riccardo Chailly with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Santtu-Matias
Rouvali with Gothenburg Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as with the Cleveland Orchestra under the batons of Hannu Lintu and Michail Jurowski. He appears at Ravinia, Tanglewood, Grant Park, Colmar and the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, which he has founded in 2011.
Highlights of the current season include performances with the Chicago Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic and KBS Orchestras, as well as concerts at Ravinia, Aspen, Blossom, Domaine Forget and Kronberg Festivals. Vadim Gluzman also continues to lead performances with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio, where he serves as Creative Partner and Principal Guest GluzmanArtist.has premiered works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Moritz Eggert, Giya Kancheli, Elena Firsova, Peteris Vasks, Michael Daugherty and Lera Auerbach. In the upcoming seasons he will introduce a new violin concerto by Erkki-Sven Tüür with Oregon Symphony, HR Frankfurt Radio Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony. Gluzman performs on the legendary 1690 ‘ex-Leopold Auer’ Stradivari, on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
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STEFAN BLUNIER conductor
Stefan Blunier has been Chief Conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música since the beginning of 2021. In addition to his engagements in Porto in the 2022/23 season, Stefan Blunier will conduct the Orchestre National de Lille and the Copenhagen Philharmonic. The 2021/22 season brought him as a guest to the podiums of the Orchestre Suisse Romande, the Bern Symphony Orchestra, the Darmstadt State Orchestra and the Orchestre symphonique de l'Opéra de Toulon. In June 2022, he returned to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein with Verdi’s Macbeth.
Stefan Blunier’s guest-conducting engagements have taken him to nearly all the German radio orchestras as well as the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Duisburg Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Museumskonzerte, and numerous orchestras in Denmark, Belgium, the Far East, Switzerland and France. Recent highlights include the NHK Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, South Netherlands Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio, and the Century Symphony Orchestra of Osaka. Alongside his appointment in Bonn, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Belgique (2010–Stefan2013).
1SYMPHONYBRAHMSAND24CONCERTOPIANOMOZART 2022AUG18| SCHAFGANS© 6
Blunier was born in Bern, Switzerland and studied piano, horn, composition and conducting in Bern and at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. He is also a founder of the Ensemble für Neue Musik Essen. The early part of career began with successes in the Besançon and Malko Conducting Competitions, which were followed by appointments in Mannheim (Associate Chief Conductor) and Darmstadt (Music Director and Chief Conductor 2001–2008). From 2008–2016 he served as General Music Director of the Opera Bonn and Beethovenorchester Bonn.
Steven Osborne is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians. Described by The Observer as “always a player in absolute service to the composer”, his two recent Hyperion recordings, Prokofiev’s War Sonatas, and French works for piano duet with Paul Lewis, were both shortlisted for a Gramophone Award. Steven Osborne’s recitals are publicly and critically acclaimed without exception, and 21/22 sees his focus shift to Debussy and Rachmaninov in preparation for his next recordings. He has performed at many of the world’s prestigious venues and his concerto performances take him to major orchestras all over the world. 21/22 sees Steven as Artist-in-Residence with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, performing Brahms with Elim Chan and Beethoven with Philippe RecordingHerreweghe.plans
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Born in Scotland, Steven Osborne won first prize at the prestigious Clara Haskil Competition (1991) and the Naumburg International Competition (1997). He is Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Patron of the Lammermuir Festival and in 2014 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music in the 2022 Queen’s New Year Honours.
continue with French repertoire, with 2022 seeing the release of solo works by Debussy, his 32nd CD for Hyperion. A label artist since 1998, his 31 recordings have accumulated numerous awards including two Gramophone Awards, three Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Awards and a Choc in Classica Magazine in addition to a clutch of Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and Recordings of the Year from The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times and The Sunday Times
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EALOVEGABEN© STEVEN OSBORNE piano 1SYMPHONYBRAHMSAND24CONCERTOPIANOMOZART 2022AUG18|
Having completed a Bachelor degree in conducting at the Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Artes de Venezuela, Barráez also studied a Bachelor and Master degree in conducting at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. Rodolfo made his European debut at Philharmonie Berlin in 2019 with the Hauptstadt SinfonieOrchester. In summer 2022, he was selected to take part in the Conducting Fellowship of the Verbier Festival, where he was assistant conductor to Charles Dutoit and Gianandrea Noseda, among others. Some of his most recent guest conductor performances include the Appasionato Orchestra at the Verbier Festival 2022, Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias, The Hallé Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony, Bogotá Philharmonic, Yucatán Philharmonic, Querétaro Symphony Orchestra, UNAM Philharmonic Orchestra, Minería Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Berlin-based Venezuelan conductor Rodolfo Barráez made his debut with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin in 2020. A natural communicator with infectious charisma, Rodolfo brings remarkable vivacity, sensitivity and zeal to his artistry. In 2020, Barráez took the Second Prize at the Inaugural Siemens-Hallé International Conductor Competition in Manchester, leading to immediate invitations with The Hallé. He was also awarded First Prize at the 2018 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México International Conducting Competition (OFUNAM).
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RODOLFO BARRÁEZ Associate Conductor
The 2022-23 season sees him join the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as Associate Conductor, as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a Dudamel Conducting FutureFellow.highlights include his US debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a series of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.
Currently,(2018).Pualina is pursuing her Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano, under the guidance of Pei-Shan Lee and Cameron Stowe at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In addition to receiving a full scholarship and the coveted Dean’s Scholarship, she is supported and sponsored by Singapore’s Trailblazer Foundation. Pualina would like to thank her inspirational teachers who have helped shaped her growth including Albert Tiu, Bernard Lanskey, Lim Yan, and Thomas Hecht.
PUALINA LIM piano
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Pualina Lim Mei En is a Singaporean pianist with a passion in collaborative music. Pualina received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Yong Siew Toh (YST) Conservatory of Music. She graduated with Highest Distinction, and in recognition of her all-around excellence, was awarded the NUSS Medal for Outstanding Achievement by the National University of Singapore Society. As an undergraduate, Pualina won 3rd Prize in the Senior Category of the 2019 National Piano and Violin Competition. Shortly after, she won 2nd Prize in the Piano Category of the 2020 YST Concerto Competition, Best Accompanist Award, and was additionally selected as a Top 3 Prize Winner across all instrument Pualinacategories.isan avid collaborative pianist and has diverse experience in duo, chamber, orchestral, and choral settings. Pualina represented YST as part of WAN Trio at Musical Chairs 2020, a chamber music festival at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, in Canada. Pualina has played in lessons and masterclasses by Jonathan Feldman, Soovin Kim, and Zlatomir Fung among others. Beyond piano, Pualina is a composer and an award-winning electone player. She has represented Singapore by performing her compositions at the Asia Pacific Electone Festival in Singapore (2017), Indonesia (2018), and the prestigious Yamaha Electone Concours in Japan
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Jun Rui has resumed his studies at YST as a third year undergraduate.
QUEK JUN RUI oboe
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Quek Jun Rui began playing the oboe at the age of 10 under the tutelage of Simon Lee and Elaine Yeo. He was an oboist with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) since 2013, and was appointed Principal Oboe in 2017. As a soloist, he made his debut after winning the SNYO Concerto Competition 2021. Being in the SNYO gave him lots of exposure to the professional music world and opportunities to grow and develop as a musician. Besides participating in various music workshops and masterclasses by musicians of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, he also participated in overseas engagements. He toured with the orchestra to Malaysia in 2016, and to China and Hong Kong in 2018 for the inaugural Asian Pacific Youth Symphony Orchestra Festival. In 2016, he was featured in an episode of “On the Red Dot” titled “Passion Pursuits”, which shed light on youths taking up music as a career despite being tied down with Inacademics.2017,Jun Rui was accepted into the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST) Young Artist Programme, and was subsequently granted early admission into the Bachelor of Music (Honours) programme the following year, under the faculty of Rachel Walker and Carolyn Hollier, at the age of 17 years old. He also participated in masterclasses by Josep Domenech, Celia Craig, Wei Weidong and Melinda Maxwell. In 2020, he deferred his studies to serve national service as a military musician in the Singapore Armed Forces Band. He was appointed the woodwind section leader of the ceremonial band, while occasionally performing with the central band as a guest oboist.
credits include: Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Music On Site, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Chicago Summer Opera, title role in The Coronation of Poppea with Manhattan School of Music, Sandman in Hansel and Gretel with the Orchestra of the Music Makers and New York Lyric Opera. Other roles/scenes include: Governess, Manon, Micaëla, Cleopatra, Juliette, Eurydice, Servilia, Adina and Norina.
Evangeline is a recent alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Young Artist Vocal Academy. She was scheduled to make her operatic debut with Singapore Lyric Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte before the cancellation due to COVID-19. She will be joining Chicago’s prestigious Grant Park Music Festival as a fellow this summer.
The Straits Times for her “impressive voice”, Evangeline Ng is a promising young Singaporean soprano “destined for great things.” A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, she most recently won First Prize and the Olly Kukepuu Award in the New York Young Performers Prize Competition 2021 and was a national finalist in the Classical Singer Competition. Other accolades include: First Prize at the inaugural Singapore Lyric Opera ASEAN Vocal Competition, Gold Award at the Asia Arts Festival, Second Prize at NAFA Vocal HerCompetition.operatic
Evangeline had been kindly sponsored by The Trailblazer Foundation. Currently based in New York City, she studies with Joan Patenaude-Yarnell and owns Teavva, an opera-themed bubble tea store on the Lower East Side, Manhattan.
EVANGELINE NG Hailedsopranoby
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FIRST VIOLIN (Position vacant) Concertmaster, GK Goh Chair Kong Zhao Hui1 Associate Concertmaster Chan Yoong-Han2 Fixed Chair Cao ZhangYeWeiWilliamKarenCindyKongJinFooDuanChenCan*DaWeiYuLingSayMingLiXianlongLeeTanTanZheLin*SiJing* SECOND VIOLIN Michael Loh Associate Principal Nikolai ZhaoYinYeoXuWuShaoMargitChikakoHai-WonKoval*KwokSasaki*SaurTaoTaoManYun*Jueyi*TeowMengShuZhan*Tian* VIOLA Manchin Zhang Principal Guan Qi Associate Principal Gu Bing Jie* Fixed Chair Marietta Ku Luo YangDandanJaniceShuiJuliaBiaoParkBingTsaiWangShiLi CELLO 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 Wu Dai Dai Zhao Yu Er DOUBLE BASS Yang Zheng Yi Associate Principal Karen Yeo Fixed Chair Olga WangGuennadiJacekAlexandrovaMiruckiMouzykaXu HANS GRAF Music Director RODOLFO BARRÁEZ Associate Conductor CHOO HOEY Conductor Emeritus LAN SHUI Conductor Laureate EUDENICE PALARUAN Choral Director WONG LAI FOON Choirmaster The Orchestra
TRUMPET Jon Paul Dante Principal David Smith Associate Principal Lau Wen Rong TROMBONE Allen Meek Principal Damian Patti Associate Principal Samuel Armstrong BASS TROMBONE Wang Wei Assistant Principal TUBA Tomoki Natsume Principal
CONTRABASSOON Zhao Ying Xue Assistant Principal
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FLUTE Jin Ta Principal, Stephen Riady Chair Evgueni Brokmiller Associate Principal
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. Chan Yoong-Han performs on a David Tecchler, Fecit Roma An. D. 1700, courtesy of Mr G K Goh. Musicians listed alphabetically by family name rotate their seats on a per programme basis.
Tang Xiao Ping Assistant Principal BASSOON Liu Chang Associate Principal Christoph Wichert Zhao Ying Xue
TIMPANI Christian Schiøler Principal PERCUSSION Jonathan Fox Principal Mark Suter Associate Principal Mario Choo Lim Meng Keh HARP Gulnara Mashurova Principal
Roberto Alvarez Miao Shanshan PICCOLO Roberto Alvarez Assistant Principal OBOE Rachel Walker Principal Pan Yun Associate Principal Carolyn Hollier
Elaine Yeo COR ANGLAIS Elaine Yeo Associate Principal CLARINET Ma Yue Principal Li Xin Associate Principal Liu TangYokoXiao Ping BASS CLARINET
HORN Gao Jian Associate Principal Jamie Hersch Associate Principal Marc-Antoine Robillard Associate Principal Hoang Van Hoc
Guest Musicians HANS GRAF AND VADIM GLUZMAN – BEETHOVEN AND SHOSTAKOVICH | 5 & 6 AUG 2022 FIRST VIOLIN Zachary De Pue Guest Concertmaster SECOND VIOLIN Yew Shan BASSOON Riccardo Terzo Guest Principal MOZART PIANO CONCERTO 24 AND BRAHMS SYMPHONY 1 | 18 AUG 2022 FIRST VIOLIN Wang Xiaoming Guest Concertmaster CELLO Lin Juan DOUBLE BASS Julian Li BASSOON Ignas Mazvila Guest Principal PRESIDENT'S YOUNG PERFORMERS CONCERT | 26 & 27 AUG 2022 SECOND VIOLIN Sherzod Abdiev Edward Tan HORN Alan Kartik CELESTE Nicholas Loh HORN Bryan AlexanderChongOon CELESTE Nicholas Loh TRUMPET Nuttakamon Supattranont HORN Bryan Chong BASS TROMBONE Jasper Tan 14
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5 & 6 Aug 2022, Fri & Sat Victoria Concert Hall 8 mins 30 mins 20 mins 39 mins Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 50 mins (with 20 mins intermission) HANS GRAF AND VADIM GLUZMAN – BEETHOVEN AND SHOSTAKOVICH Singapore Symphony Orchestra Hans Graf Music Director Vadim Gluzman violin* 承 Flow SSO Commission/World Premiere Violin Concerto No. 2 in C-sharp minor, Op. 129* SSO SymphonyIntermissionPremiereNo. 6 in F major, Op. 68 “Pastoral” ZECHARIAH BEETHOVENSHOSTAKOVICHGOH Intermission autograph signing with Vadim Gluzman at the Level 2 Foyer.A CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App. SHOSTAKOVICHANDBEETHOVEN–GLUZMANVADIMANDGRAFHANS 2022AUG6&5| 16
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ZECHARIAH
Zechariah Goh Toh Chai graduated from NAFA in 1989 and went on to finish his master in piano performance and doctorate in Composition at the University of Kansas in December 2005. He is also the recipient of the NAC Young Artist Award and NAFA distinguished Alumni Award. His compositions for choir, wind ensemble, and orchestra are performed regularly across Asia, Australia, and America. Zechariah is the Head of Composition (NAFA) and the Artistic Director of the Singapore Saxophone Symposium since 2011. His other orchestral works include, Blossoms (SSO, 2017), Iridescence (NAFA, 2015), Nuances: Soundscapes from a distant land (SNYO, 2014). GOH (b. 1970)
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承 Flow – The Chinese character 承 means to inherit. Together with the English word “flow”, I wish to convey in this orchestral work, the cultural richness we have inherited from our forefathers over the past two thousand years. The seven-string zither, Guqin or 古琴, has been the main inspiration of this work. Some characteristics of Guqin articulations such as pizzicato, harmonics and glissando are used quite extensively in beginning of the piece. The low sonorous sound played by the double basses and cellos pays homage to this beautiful instrument. More instruments are added to the orchestration as the piece progresses. From this point onwards, the work continues to expand in terms of size and volume. It also gains momentum and tessitura as it snowballs to a loud and powerful ending. One can observe the sensation of “flow” from soft to loud, low to high, small sections to tutti orchestra, East to West, China to Nanyang, past to present, demure to pompous, composer to the performers, performers to the listeners, and finally me to you. The overarching form of this work is a series of golden proportions where each section continues to grow and expand. Towards the end of the piece, South Indian inspired rhythmic cycles are used to represent the multi-cultural soundscape of Singapore.
ZECHARIAH GOH (b. 1970) 承 Flow SSO Commission/World Premiere
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Instrumentation 2 flutes, piccolo, oboe, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contra bassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, tuba, timpani, xylophone, harp, celesta, strings
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The opening of this concerto hints at E major, but it takes Shostakovich into wild reaches of dissonance as the orchestral forces dip in and out of this slowly-building maelstrom. Unlike the much more wellknown First Concerto, which is Mahlerian in its universal mourning, the Second portrays a man haunted by ghosts, and while outwardly the dryness of the orchestral commentary resembles a lot of Shostakovich’s symphonic writing, the violin eventually marshals the musical argument into an extended solo passage that is full of tortuous twists and turns, as if searching for an answer to a deep spiritual problem. That this answer is the first C-sharp minor chord in the orchestra is no coincidence either. Shostakovich was only just recovering from a heart attack and saw, in his own struggles parallels with other great composers: Beethoven’s own late C-sharp minor quartet is an easy reference, and the opening of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony is a funeral march in the same key — Mahler’s widow had approached him to complete the
unfinished Tenth, a task that Shostakovich very wisely turned down. The movement makes a half-hearted attempt to get going again, but the energy has dissipated; pizzicato chords in the solo violin and a quiet, spare orchestral texture betray the march rhythm’s desire to keep going. Shostakovich’s quasi-Baroque passacaglialike second movement is directly in parallel with the huge third movement from the earlier violin concerto, but this is mourning of a much more inward fashion. The harmonies are simpler here, and Shostakovich plays fewer games with tonality: the music is modal, almost religious. Here, as in the first movement, is a cadenza, but spun out from a slow start into flights of folk-like virtuosic fantasy, only to return to the flute melody from the beginning of the movement. This is the finest poetry from the master’s quill, with every moment to be savoured carefully.
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) Violin Concerto No. 2 in C-sharp minor, Op. 129 (1967) SSO Premiere
A lone horn note from the ending solo lingers into the final movement, with the solo violin picking it up and exploring new ideas. Here is a return to the sardonic Shostakovich, with a strange call-and-response between solo violin and muted horn bringing an Allegro dance to the fore. The humour in this movement is strident and acidic, and while the music moves in and out of various episodes, some recalling earlier moments in this piece and some looking further back into Shostakovich’s other compositions, it
DMITRI
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AdagioAdagioModerato– AllegroIIIIII
The later Shostakovich compositions form a body of work rivalling (and perhaps exceeding) even Beethoven’s in profundity and scale. The boisterous energies of his youthful period are transformed into the private agonies of his fertile imagination, and the works from his last 15 years are filled with apocalyptic moods and political strife, roiling with uneasiness and tension.
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Instrumentation flute, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contra bassoon, 4 horns, timpani, tom-tom, strings World Premiere 26 Sep 1967, Moscow always returns to the dance tune, each time with some new surprises. The drums in the middle of the movement are unmissable, as is the moment when the orchestra drops out completely and the violin is left to struggle against silence by itself, taking fragments from the whole concerto and putting them together in mad combinations. It is eventually joined by oboe and clarinet in a weird chamber-music episode before the rest of the orchestra crashes back in to try to affirm a bright D-flat major. Whether that is triumph or forced laughter in the face of doom — each listener must decide for themselves.
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The bucolic spirit of the opening movement continues in the second movement, eluding a heightened aura of calm and placidity. Titled “Scene by the brook”, this movement is a set of free variations on a theme, serving as the symphony’s slow movement. In the manuscript score, Beethoven has woodwinds imitate bird calls: flute for the nightingale, oboe for the quail, and two clarinets for the cuckoo.
(1810) The Pastoral Symphony is also unique among Beethoven’s symphonies in that it is the only one of the nine with five movements and the last three fused into a unified span of Themusic.opening movement, “Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside”, puts the listener in a pastoral frame of mind from the outset with a gorgeous flowing theme over a rustic open fifth drone. Imitating the bagpipes played by peasants and shepherd, the opening theme instils the contentment of the composer, who once wrote, “What happiness I shall feel in wandering among groves and woods, and among trees, and plants, and rocks! No man on earth can love the country as I do.”
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 “Pastoral” (1808)
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In the third movement scherzo, titled “Merry Gathering of Country Folk”, Beethoven depicts country folk dancing and peasant humour. Anton Schindler, the composer’s associate and early biographer wrote, “Beethoven asked me if I had noticed how village musicians often played in their sleep, occasionally letting their instruments fall and keeping quite still, then waking up with a start, getting in a few vigorous blows or strokes at a venture, although usually in the right key, and then dropping to sleep again. Apparently, he had tried to portray these poor people in his Pastoral Symphony.”
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Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is one of his few works that explicitly contains programmatic content, and one of two symphonies that he purposely named. The Pastoral Symphony reveals the importance and power of nature in the composer’s life. Indeed, Beethoven’s letters are filled with such declarations, for example, “How delighted I will be to ramble for a while through the bushes, woods, under trees, through grass, and around rocks. No one can love the country as much as I do. For surely woods, trees, and rocks produce the echo that man desires to hear.”
A vivid “Thunderstorm” intrudes violently. The fourth movement uses a whole different range of instrumental tones to recreate nature’s rage. The sudden shudder of the lower strings topped with the tiny staccato droplets of the violins acts as a prologue to the violent upheaval. The sudden fortissimo fury, replete with the sounds of piccolo,
Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside (Allegro ma non troppo) Scene by the brook (Andante molto mosso) Merry gathering of country folk (Allegro) Thunderstorm (Allegro) Shepherd’s song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm (Allegretto)
Instrumentation 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, strings World Premiere 22 Dec 1808, Vienna First performed by SSO 15 Nov trombones1979andtimpani is characterised by Berlioz as “no longer just a wind and rain storm; but a frightful cataclysm, a universal deluge, the end of the world”. The storm gradually dies down and the opening mood of serenity is restored. The last movement begins with a Kuhreigen – a cow waltz, a simple melody traditionally played on the shepherd’s pipe and bugle as they drive their cattle on the pasture.
Exuding the feelings of joy and gratitude after the storm, the Shepherd’s Song in 6/8 begins light-heartedly as if emerging from a romantic’s dream. The theme pervades practically the whole movement. A secondary motif reminiscent of the stuttering figure from the symphony’s beginning adds a touch of symmetry to Beethoven’s peaceable landscape. The coda starts softly and gradually builds to an ecstatic culmination for the orchestra. After a brief period of afterglow, the work ends emphatically with two F major chords. Programme notes by Zechariah Goh, Thomas Ang (Shostakovich) and Lin Tonglin (Beethoven)
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18 Aug 2022, Thu Esplanade Concert Hall 17 mins 31 mins 20 mins 45 mins Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs 10 mins (with 20 mins intermission) MOZART PIANO CONCERTO 24 AND BRAHMS SYMPHONY 1 PURITY AND GRANDEUR Singapore Symphony Orchestra Stefan Blunier conductor Steven Osborne piano* Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52 SSO Premiere Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491* SymphonyIntermissionNo. 1 in C minor, Op. 68BRAHMSMOZARTSCHUMANN CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App. 1SYMPHONYBRAHMSAND24CONCERTOPIANOMOZART 2022AUG18| 23
The confidence with which Schumann ends the Finale by building on the main theme foreshadows his later mature style, making us forget that he was a relative newbie in the idiom.
Grander and faster than anything he had written before, the Finale starts with the main theme, an undulating rising figure in dotted rhythms in the violins, before giving way to the second theme, gentler and more lyrical, but sweeping in grandeur.
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ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856) Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52 (1841) SSO Premiere
Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings World Premiere Unknown 24
Behind every successful man there is a strong woman, or so the saying goes. In the German composer Robert Schumann’s case, it was his wife Clara Schumann née Wieck, herself a composer of note and one of the finest pianists of her time. Before marriage in 1840, he had composed only for the piano and voice, but afterwards, encouraged by Clara, he jumped into symphonic creation with his ‘firstborn’ work – the Spring Symphony of early 1841. In the same year, he began another symphonic work, the Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52. The bluntly descriptive title might equally have been rephrased as “Symphony without a Slow Movement” – indeed, Schumann originally considered it his second symphony, later calling it a sinfonietta or a suite, and told his publisher the movements could be performed alone. The Overture begins with an E minor Andante con moto, contrasting graceful leaping violins with aggressively threatening celli. The Allegro section takes us to E major for the Overture proper, with exposition but little development, yet like an opera overture, he manages to bring back the opening theme before racing to the end. Dotted rhythms mark the Scherzo, building up momentum like a zig-zag ski course, until the trio section brings respite with smoother gliding lyrical and arching melodies. On its second appearance, the trio sneaks in motifs from the Overture, and the Scherzo closes with the primary theme of the Overture
Premiered on 7 April 1786, a mere two weeks after completion, this piano concerto marked Mozart’s last major public appearance as soloist – he was returning to opera and the opening of The Marriage of Figaro was only a month away. Mozart may be best-known for his sweet major-key melodies, but anyone who has scratched beyond the surface will have noticed that Mozart has not only streaks of chromatic mania, but that it is often his minor-key works that express the full depth of what seems to be a depressive intensity in the darkest recesses of the composer’s heart.
The Larghetto in rondo form gives us a period of respite, with an opening theme reminiscent of Chopin’s nocturnes on solo piano, echoed by the orchestra in a hypnotic trance. Pure and transcendently simple, WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 (1786) AllegrettoLarghettoAllegroIIIIII this would have been hopeful sunshine in another context, but appears more quiet poignant moonlight when sandwiched between the brooding outer movements. Unusually, the final Allegretto is in a dancelike ‘theme and variations’ form, where in most of the variations, the winds state the melody before the piano. In two variations, we get major-key excursions – will happiness win? Alas, no – trouble follows us to the end with an unrelenting minor-key finish, dashing our hopes as the orchestra torments the piano to the end in a premonition of the Commendatore dragging Don Giovanni down to hell at the end of Don Giovanni. Upon hearing this concerto, Beethoven exclaimed: “Ah, we shall never be able to do anything like that!”.
The opening Allegro movement begins its punches early, exploring pathos with a harmonically advanced palette that goes through all 12 notes of the chromatic scale. Dark and numinous, haunting in its beauty like a black South Sea pearl, its tumultuous waves give way to the solitary piano rising like a rocky feature during low tide. High tide returns and the piano motifs are revealed between crashing waves that threaten to drag everything down. Despair and hopelessness mark the movement, with the piano passagework all in a whirl. Was this a reflection of Mozart’s situation of shrinking income, lavish lifestyle, and no savings?
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Instrumentation flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings World Premiere 7 Apr 1786, Vienna First performed by SSO 16 Sep 1988 (Alexander Korsantiya, piano)
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Just as Clara Schumann had been the catalyst for her husband Robert Schumann to start composing in a symphonic idiom in 1840, the two in turn were instrumental in prodding a young Johannes Brahms to take the same step. A 21-year-old Brahms had heard Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the first time in 1854, and vowed to write one in the same key, yet his first efforts ended up as rich material in other works. Robert Schumann in the same year strongly encouraged Brahms to continue and persevere, and to look to Beethoven as a model. While Schumann himself was to die in an asylum two years later, his advice took root – even if it took 14 years to produce Whyfruit. so long? Brahms had the most intense respect for Beethoven, and it was precisely this which made Brahms feel inferior and unworthy. “I shall never write a symphony,” Brahms said, “You have no idea how the likes of us feel when we hear the tramp of a giant like him behind us.” So it was not until 1876, when Brahms was 43, that his First Symphony in C minor was premiered in Karlsruhe. The symphony opens with Sturm und Drang aplenty – dramatic tension in the strings, insistent winds and brass, with timpani hammering repeatedly away. A sighing motif appears, followed by an arpeggiated motif, then the opening theme returns in a JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897) Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 (1855–1876) Un poco sostenuto – Allegro Andante sostenuto Un poco allegretto e grazioso Adagio – Più andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
IVIIIIII
An extended development follows where Brahms takes apart and tweaks the motifs, recombining them in dizzying combinations constantly interrupted by the violas and their three-note motif. The music is driven to the recapitulation, stable enough until violas bring the motif back, upsetting the order and making everything boil over in climax. Surprisingly, the result is a release of tension and we find ourselves in C major. The two middle movements are much more classic Brahms. The Andante second movement is radiantly lyrical, glowing with early autumn evening sunshine, featuring a searingly ecstatic violin line that prefigures those of his Violin Concerto, before ending Thecalmly.third movement begins Allegretto with a gentle clarinet theme that seems to soar like a bird above the gently rolling hills and landscape provided by strings and lower woodwinds. Varying in its intensity but never quite stopping, the music flows like the autumn wind into a trio, then the Allegretto returns, before ending delicately. 26
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reorchestrated form. Motifs are reworked and developed until suddenly, amidst the calm, a jerky three-note motif is introduced by violas. This is taken up by violins as they add a fourth note, giving us a shortshort-short-long rhythm – a reference to the famous ‘Fate’ theme from Beethoven’s Fifth.
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Instrumentation
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contra bassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings World Premiere 4 Nov 1876, Karlsruhe First performed by SSO 18 Dec 1981 The final movement brings us back to the drama of the first. After the initial crashes like lightning and thunder on a mountain, mysterious pizzicatos build tension, prolonged by long notes in the strings. This deathly atmosphere is broken by a melody on horns Brahms had heard played on alpine horns on the Swiss Alps. From this moment, the mood changes: flutes take over the horn call, then trombones and brass give us a chorale-like theme – the hills are alive with the sound of music! The Allegro follows, with a theme intentionally reminiscent of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, but this is quickly scattered as various themes from earlier make their appearance. Development and recapitulation melt into each other, increasingly complex, chromatic, and syncopated, until the alpine horn melody restores an uneasy calm. The second theme receives attention until the coda, where the chorale gets belted forth by the whole orchestra, and C major prevails again. Programme notes by Edward C. Yong
26 & 27 Aug 2022, Fri & Sat Victoria Concert Hall 7 mins 32 mins 20 mins 14 mins 11 mins Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 40 mins (with 20 mins intermission) PRESIDENT’S YOUNG PERFORMERS SingaporeCONCERTSymphony Orchestra Rodolfo Barráez Associate Conductor Pualina Lim piano1 Quek Jun Rui oboe2 Evangeline Ng soprano3 Pastorale d'été SSO Premiere Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, K. 271 “Jeunehomme” 1 Introduction,Intermission Theme and Variations for Oboe and Orchestra, Op. 102 2 SSO Premiere Four Songs, Op. 27 3 SSO PremiereR.HUMMELMOZARTHONEGGERSTRAUSS CHECK-IN TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT Scan this QR code with the Singapore Symphony Mobile App. CONCERTPERFORMERSYOUNGPRESIDENT’S 2022AUG27&26| 28
ARTHUR HONEGGER (1892–1955) Pastorale d’été (1920) SSO Premiere
The score is prefaced with a quote by French poet Arthur Rimbaud, ‘J’ai embrassé l’aube d’été’ (“I embraced the summer dawn”), and the work begins with the strings, hushed and stirring, a lone French horn playing a languid, lazy melody that is soon taken over by the oboe as a flute plays little fragments of birdsong. In the middle section, the mood shifts to one that is more vibrant: morning has broken, the day’s hustle and bustle has started. The opening mood returns, bringing the piece to a peaceful close. Pastorale d’été was premiered in 1921 in a concert series featuring new compositions, and was awarded the Prix Verley by a popular vote from the audience and sponsored by chemist Albert Verley.
Instrumentation flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, strings World Premiere 17 Feb 1921, Paris
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After being labelled as one of “Les Six” by music critic and journalist Henri Collet in January 1920, Arthur Honegger got so busy that he decided to travel to Switzerland for some respite in August. The season of summer, along with the sights and sounds of the Alpine mountainscapes – birdsong, the drone of the alphorn, Swiss houses, car-free streets and a constant view of the Bernese Alps from the resort village of Wengen – inspired him to compose the Pastorale d’été (“Summer Pastorale”), his first orchestral work.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, K. 271 “Jeunehomme” (1775) Rondo.AndantinoAllegroPrestoIIIIII
Although it seems to be a typically rousing finale to the concerto, Mozart makes the music come to a halt, unexpectedly changing the meter and the tempo, and writes in a sweet little minuet – perhaps a nod to Madame Jenamy’s father Jean George Noverre, a famous dancer and one of Mozart's friends – before the rondo theme returns.
Instrumentation 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings World Premiere 4 Oct 1777
Mozart’s Piano Concerto in E-flat major No. 9 had been mistakenly labelled “Jeunehomme” for over a hundred years until musicologist Michael Lorenz discovered that the French lady to whom it was written for was a Madame Victoire Jenamy. This was due to correspondences in which the name and variants “jenomy”, “jenomè” and “genomai” were used by Mozart and his father – and since Mozart’s nickname among some early 20th-century biographers was “jeunne homme” or young man, fact was mangled with fiction and the result was this misnomer. This concerto was regarded by musicologist Alfred Einstein as “his (Mozart’s) Eroica which he later would match, but never surpass”. It breaks several conventions established by 1771, including the very unusual entry of the soloist in the second bar, the constant, playful exchanges between soloist and orchestra, as well as the feature of the piano during the ending of the first movement.
The Andantino, in the sombre key of C minor, is Mozart’s first concerto movement written in a minor key. Over hushed, muted strings, the piano sings the highly embellished melody forlornly, culminating in an operatic quasi-recitative towards the end, with the cadenza being the emotional heart of the movement. In contrast, the Rondo is relentless, each phrase almost crashing into the next one.
First performed by SSO 27 Feb 1981 (Margaret Tan, piano)
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JOHANN NEPOMUK HUMMEL (1778–1837)
History has kept Johann Nepomuk Hummel from being as famous as Mozart or Beethoven after his passing, even though he was Beethoven’s classmate and a student of Mozart’s and Haydn’s. During his lifetime, however, Hummel was a composer and teacher of great renown, most associated with his piano music and treatise on piano playing. He spent the last 18 years of his life in Weimar, and was responsible for making Weimar the music capital of Europe by inviting the best musicians to play there.
SSO Premiere Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings World Premiere Unknown CONCERTPERFORMERSYOUNGPRESIDENT’S 2022AUG27&26| 31
Introduction, Theme and Variations for Oboe and Orchestra, Op. 102 (1824)
It was in Weimar that he wrote the Introduction, Theme and Variations for Oboe in 1824, a virtuosic work that is practically a concerto for oboe and orchestra. The Introduction begins dramatically in the key of F minor, and then makes way for the soloist to come in with long and lyrical lines. The introduction section is short, leading directly to the Theme, set in the cheerful key of F major. Four variations follow, the first two fast and the third one slow before picking up the tempo in the fourth. Hummel then does something unusual here: he includes an interlude with fragments of the theme, and as if to remind the listener of the theme’s existence, includes it again after the interlude. Variation no. 5 takes on the character of a waltz. The next two variations build up the excitement until the music ends, quite literally, on a high note.
When Strauss died on 12 September 1949,
HeimlicheCäcilie Aufforderung MorgenIVIIIIII in arpeggios, and the rays of sunshine with ecstatic high notes in the vocal line.
Morgen is known for its introspective and lengthy introduction by a solo violin, such that when the voice joins the music at the word Und (“and”), as if it is not a beginning but merely a continuation of the poetry in place. The sweet, dreamy nostalgia of the text and accompaniment leads us to hope that the couple will keep renewing their vows of love for a better tomorrow.
She was highly strung, fiery, and outspoken: a diva soprano who got her way; and he was stolidly calm and laid-back – a clear case of opposites attracting – their musical collaboration started off in the late 1880s and lasted throughout their marriage of fiftyfive years. Daughter of celebrated General Adolf de Ahna and an operatic soprano, Pauline Maria de Ahna had been a student of Richard Strauss and the original Freihild in his first opera, Guntram. Strauss had described her “very complex, very feminine, a little perverse, a little coquettish, never like herself, at every minute different from how she had been a moment before.”
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Pauline de Ahna was Strauss’s “muse, lover, his enemy. She was everything”, remarked Christian Strauss, the composer’s grandson.
Cäcilie, based on German poet Heinrich Hart’s love poem to his wife Cäcilie Hart, is an impassioned declaration of love set in three contrasting verses all beginning with “If only you knew” - the joy and freedom of love in the first verse set in a major key, tumultuous times set in the minor key in the second verse, and finally the love that transcends all in the third verse. Here, Strauss stresses the word lebtest in the concluding line “You would live with me”, as the song soars with a crescendo to a close. Pauline was known to perform this song regularly at recitals with Strauss accompanying her at the piano.
The last two songs, Heimliche Aufforderung (“The Secret Invitation”) and Morgen (“Tomorrow!”) were written by ScottishGerman poet John Henry Mackay. In the former, Strauss conjures up a festive, bustling party with rippling arpeggios, setting the scene for two lovers who slip away for an intimate moment. The song ends with a peaceful postlude after the protagonist’s plea for nightfall.
Strauss presented his Four Songs, Op. 27 to soprano Pauline Maria de Ahna as a wedding gift, having written the second song Cäcilie a day before his marriage in September 1894 and the others just days after he formally announced their engagement in May the same year. The set contains some of Strauss’s most endearing and beloved works for voice and piano, conveying the many facets of love and life that are still relevant today. Set to a poem by Karl Henckell, Ruhe, meine Seele (“Rest, my soul!”) urges the listener to move past adversity and rest their spirit, for troubled times will come to an end. Strauss illustrates rolling thunder in the text with massive chords, the swelling surf RICHARD STRAUSS (1864–1949) Four Songs, Op. 27 (1894) SSO PremiereRuhe,meine Seele
Instrumentation 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, celesta, strings World Premiere Unknown Ruhe, meine Seele! (Karl Henckell) Nicht ein Lüftchen Regt sich leise, Sanft entschlummert Ruht der Hain; Durch der Blätter Dunkle Hülle Stiehlt sich WasUndMeineRuhe,HirnBringenSindDieseWennWieHastHastGingenDeineMeineRuhe,Sonnenschein.lichterruhe,Seele,Stürmewild,getobtundgezittert,dieBrandung,sieschwillt.Zeitengewaltig,HerzundinNot—ruhe,Seele,vergiß,dichbedroht! CONCERTPERFORMERSYOUNGPRESIDENT’S 2022AUG27&26| Rest thee, my Soul Not a breeze is whatandmyRest,hearttheyareThesewhenlikeyouwithhaveyourmyRest,sunshinebrightshadedThroughthegentlystirring,sleepinggroverests;theleaves’foliage,shaftsofpeep.rest,soul,stormsbeenwild,rage,havetrembled,thebreakingwavestheyswell!timestremendous,troubleandmind—rest,soul,forget,troublesyou! Pauline also lost her will to live, and passed on a few months after his death. Programme notes by Natalie Ng 33
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Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, strings World Premiere Unknown Cäcilie (Heinrich Hart) Wenn du es wüßtest, Was träumen heißt von brennenden Küssen, Von Wandern und ruhen Mit der Geliebten, Aug’ in Auge, Und kosend und plaudernd, Wenn du es wüßtest, Du neigtest Dein Herz! Wenn du es wüßtest, Was bangen heißt in einsamen Nächten, Umschauert vom Sturm, da Niemand tröstet Milden Mundes die kampfmüde Seele, Wenn du es wüßtest, Du kämest zu mir. Wenn du es wüßtest, Was leben heißt, umhaucht von der Gottheit Weltschaffendem Atem, Zu schweben empor, lichtgetragen, Zu seligen Höh’n, wenn du es wüßtest, Du lebtest mit mir.
Cecilia If you but knew, what it is to dream of burning kisses, of wandering and resting with a beloved, gazing eye to eye, caressing and chatting, if I could tell you, your heart would accept. If you but knew, the fear of waking alone at night, shaken by the storm with no one to comfort the weary spirit. if I could tell you, you would come to me. If you but knew, what it means to live in the breath of divine inspiration, to soar aloft on light, to heights of bliss, if you but knew it, if I could tell you, you would live with me.
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Heimliche Aufforderung (John Henry Mackay) Auf, hebe die funkelnde Schale empor zum Mund, Und trinke beim Freudenmahle dein Herz gesund. Und wenn du sie hebst, so winke mir heimlich zu, Dann lächle ich, und dann trinke ich still wie du... Und still gleich mir betrachte um uns das Heer Der trunknen Schwätzer—verachte sie nicht zu sehr. Nein, hebe die blinkende Schale, gefüllt mit Wein, Und laß beim lärmenden Mahle sie glücklich sein.
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Doch hast du das Mahl genossen, den Durst gestillt, Dann verlasse der lauten Genossen festfreudiges Bild, Und wandle hinaus in den Garten zum Rosenstrauch, Dort will ich dich dann erwarten nach altem Brauch, Und will an die Brust dir sinken, eh’ du’s gehofft, Und deine Küsse trinken, wie ehmals oft, Und flechten in deine Haare der Rose Pracht, O komm, du wunderbare, ersehnte Nacht!
Instrumentation 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, trombone, timpani, snare drum, triangle, cymbals, harp,glockenspiel,strings World Premiere Unknown
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The Lover's Pledge Up, raise the sparkling cup to your lips, And drink your heart's fill at the joyous feast. And when you raise it, so wink secretly at Thenme, I'll smile and drink quietly, as you... And quietly as I, look around at the crowd Of drunken revelers – don't think too ill of No,them.lift the twinkling cup, filled with wine, And let them be happy at the noisy meal. But when you've savored the meal, your thirst quenched, Then quit the loud gathering's joyful fest, And wander out into the garden, to the Thererosebush,shall I await you, as often of old. And ere you know it shall I sink upon your Andbreast,drink your kisses, as so often before, And twine the rose's splendour into your Oh,hair.come, you wondrous, longed-for night!
CONCERTPERFORMERSYOUNGPRESIDENT’S 2022AUG27&26| Instrumentation 3 horns, harp, strings World Premiere 21 Nov 1897, Brussels Morgen (John Henry Mackay) Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen und auf dem Wege, den ich gehen werde, wird uns, die Glücklichen, sie wieder einen inmitten dieser sonnenatmenden Erde... Und zu dem Strand, dem weiten, werdenwogenblauen,wirstill und langsam niedersteigen, stumm werden wir uns in die Augen undschauen,aufuns sinkt des Glückes stummes Schweigen... Morning And tomorrow the sun will shine again and on the path that I take, she will again unite us, the happy ones on this sun-bathed earth... To the blue expanse of the beach will we serenely arrive, we will look in each other's eyes and upon us will wordless happiness descend. 36
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OVERTURE PATRONS CavazosBINJAITREETinajero Family Prof Cham Tao Soon Alan Chan Prof Chan Heng Chee Dr & Mrs Choy Khai Meng Far East MavisMichaelLianLeongLeeJCCIVanessaDrChristopherOrganizationFussnerGehMin&DarrenIlosteSingaporeFoundationLi-MingWaiLengHuatGroupLienLimGeckChin SERENADE PATRONS Aureus Group Pte Ltd Bryan CreativeCarmichaeEateries Pte Ltd MrDBS& Mrs Dorian Goh Goh Sze Wei Steven & Liwen Holmes Katherine Kennedy-White Leong Wah Kheong Suzanne Lim Chin Ping Prof & Mrs Lim Seh Chun Marina Bay Sands NSL Ltd Dr Eddy Ooi Pavilion PetrochemicalCapitalCorporation of Singapore Prima ProfPriscyllaLimitedShawGralf&Silvia Sieghold Tan Meng Cheng Ivan Tantallon Capital Advisors Pte Ltd V3 Group Limited (OSIM) Wong Hong Ching David Zemans & Catherine Poyen Anonymous (3) Dr Adrian AnonymousAndrewUnitedRhysAileenCharlesPSAOnmsm-productionsMondryCheongJewelleryCorporationLimitedRobertsonTangThompson&ZaraDangOverseasBankLtd&StephanieVigar(3) CONCERTO CIRCLE Dennis Au & Geraldine Choong Cara & Tamara Chang Chua Khee Chin Embassy of France in Singapore Holywell Foundation Devika & Sanjiv Misra Geoffrey & Ai Ai Wong Yong Ying-I Dr Thomas Zuellig & Mary Zuellig Anonymous (1)
RHAPSODY PATRONS Jocelyn Aw Lito & Kim Camacho Cham Gee Len Evelyn Chin Mr & Mrs Choo Chiau Beng Adrian Chua Tsen Leong KC Chuang Mr & Mrs Winston Hauw Khoo Boon Hui Kris WinstonSajithFoundationKumar&Valerie Kwek Viktor & Sonja Leendertz Er Stephen Leong Charmaine Lim Junko & Stuart Liventals Prof Tamas Makany & Julie Schiller Joshua Margolis & Chong Eun Baik EsméMeng Parish & Martin Edwards Ian & Freda Rickword Dr June & Peter Sheren Tibor GillianSzabady&Daniel Tan Tan Seow Yen Anthony Tay Jinny AnonymousWickyWongWong (8) PRELUDE PATRONS Marcelo Viccario Achoa Aloha Dental Pte Ltd Ang Seow Long Kaiyan Asplund & Family Dr Taige Cao Chan Ah Khim Vivian P J Chandran Chang Chee Pey Yuna TiffanyPamelaAnthonyBobbyDrPeterChengChengCynthiaJeanieChangCheahCheeEngAunWeiChewFaithChiaChinChngChongChoong & Shang Thong Kai Chor Siew Chun Lenny JennieClarenceJonathanChristinaAChuChuaChua Sally JohnElizabethFergusJeremyPierreChyColignonEeEvansFong&Pauline Foo Paul MrsCynthiaGohGaoGanGraceFooFuYitKoonWeiChiuGakGohGohKeng Hoong Michael Goh Goh Shin Ping Chiraporn Vivien Goh Jerry TheKaiyanMrHoIchiroDrRichardGweeHartungGuyJPHentschHiraoJinYong&MrsSimonIpAsplund&FamilyKauffman-YeohFamily
Ernest BelindaKhooKoh Yuh Ling Helen Koh Terri Koh In Memory of Timothy Kok Tse En Colin Lang Mr & Mrs Winson Lay Joshen Lee Kristen RobertGilbertRaymondPreethaAudreyMoniqueJoyNgiamDrFrancoiseMegan,AndreBenjaminAlwynLowLowFirenzeCandiceLimEdithDrLiWendyDouglasDrDrLeeMinsoukLeeLeeMunPingNormanLeeLeeSuanYewLeongLeongMarnyiDanqiBettinaLieske&SeanLimShueChurnLingLohBoonHonHongKuanLoyMaManiamRaeanne&GwynethMeiAgnesNgShihChunOchiaiOngPhuaPillaiQuahRKhan&CoPteLtd Danai Sae-Han Yuri BumkeSayawakiScheer Family Omar MarcelSlimSmit & Hanneke Verbeek Alex Soh & Jimmy Koh Soh Leng Wan Casey Tan Khai Hee Celine Tan Dr Tan Chin Nam Dr Giles Ming Yee Tan Gordon HL Tan Joanne Tan Tan Lian Yok Tan Pei Jie Tan Yee Deng Tang See Chim Tee MarioOliverJessieValerieDavidLindaTengTheanThngTriantoVande Meulen Manju & Arudra Vangal Amanda Walujo Nicole Wang Remes Wong Yan Lei Grace Jennifer S Wu Valerie Wu Peichan Ivan YongLillianYeoYinSeow Kin The Sohn Yong Family Yasmin Zahid Zhang AnonymousZheng(32) This list reflects donations that were made from 1 Jul 2021 to 30 Jun 2022. 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 made. You can support us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate or www.giving.sg/sso.
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While SSO is supported partially by funding from the Singapore government, a significant part can only be unlocked as matching grants when we receive donations from the public. If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to support your orchestra – Build the future by giving in the present.
SUPPORT THE SSO In our journey of 44 years in giving meaning to music, we owe our achievements and milestones to all who have helped build the SSO since day one - our passionate audiences, talented musicians, and generous patrons who have placed your national orchestra on the world map. How can you help?
As a valued patron of the SSO, you will receive many benefits. 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. To find out more, please visit www.sso.org.sg/support-us, or write to Nikki Chuang at nikki@sso.org.sg You, WE CAN BUILD The Future of Music.
*Complimentary ticket benefits do not apply to Esplanade & Premier Box seats, or supporters who give through a fundraising event. ^Discounts are not applicable for purchase of Esplanade & Premier Box seats. DONOR RECOGNITION & PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Concert booklets and website Patron of the Arts Nomination Donors’ Wall at 12MSSOLOUNGESSOGala/Christmas/PopsFamily/SIPF/SISTICSubscription/VCHpresents/VCHLiveSpecialGalaConcertsAll-AccessPass OTHER BENEFITS Invitation to special events Overture $10,000 - $24,999 16 tickets 4 tickets Prelude $1,000 - $2,499 6 tickets Rhapsody $2,500 - $4,999 10 tickets Concerto $25,000 - $49,999 20 tickets 6 tickets 2 tickets Symphony $50,000 & above 40 tickets 20 tickets 4 tickets Donations of $100 and above will entitle you to priority bookings, and discounts^ on SSG Concerts. For tax residents of Singapore, all donations may be entitled to a tax deduction of 2.5 times the value of your donation. For donations of $100 and above Serenade $5,000 - $9,999 12 tickets 2 tickets COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS*
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 SSOopportunities.Corporate Patrons enjoy attractive tax benefits, Patron of the Arts nominations, acknowledgements in key publicity channels, complimentary tickets, and invitations to exclusive SSO events. For more details, please write to Chelsea Zhao at chelsea.zhao@sso.org.sg. HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR CORPORATE PATRONS Temasek Foundation The HEAD Foundation Stephen Riady Group of Foundations Yong Hon Kong Foundation John Swire & Sons (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd Lee Foundation The New Eden Charitable Trust Foundation of Rotary Clubs (Singapore) Ltd IN-KIND SPONSORS SMRT SymphonySingaporeCorporationAirlines924 Your support makes it possible for us to host world-renowned artists, including the Singapore debut of piano legend Martha Argerich in 2018.
P r e s e n t e d b y W i t h t h e S u p p o r t o f D i v e r t i m e n t o f o r S t r i n g O r c h e s t r a P i a n o C o n c e r t o n o 2 i n B ♭ m a j o r , O p 8 3 ( s o l o i s t S i r S t e p h e n H o u g h ) BARTOK BRAHMS A VERY SMALL CONCERTO S i r S t e p h e n H o u g h p l a y s B r a h m s 2 I g o r Y u z e f o v i c h l e a d e r r e : S o u n d S u n d a y , 4 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 V i c t o r i a C o n c e r t H a l l , 8 : 1 5 p m W e d n e s d a y , 3 1 A u g u s t 2 0 2 2 V i c t o r i a C o n c e r t H a l l , 8 : 1 5 p m 2 N o c t u r n e s 5 t h S o n a t a E s t a m p e s P a r t i t a 3 P e t r a r c h S o n n e t s & D a n t e S o n a t a ( f r o m I t a l i a n A n n é e s d e P è l e r i n a g e ) CHOPIN SCRIABIN DEBUSSY HOUGH LISZT N I G H T S C A P E S S i r S t e p h e n H o u g h i n R e c i t a l T i c k e t s v i a S I S T I C $ 3 8 1 1 8 | w w w r e s o u n d c o l l e c t i v e o r g T W O E V E N I N G S w i t h S i r S t e p h e n H o u g h P h o t o c r e d i t : H i r o y u k i t o P h o t o c r e d t A n d r e w C r o w l e y
WeeTanTanDrProfAndreasProfPriscyllaDrJYLimProfKhooHeinrichMinGrafeBoonHuiTommyKohMeiPillayStephenRiadyShawGralfSiegholdSohmen-PaoBernardTanTanChinNamChooLengSooNanEeCheong
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yong(DeputyYing-I Chair) Chang Chee Pey Chng Hak-Peng Chng Kai Fong Prof Arnoud De Meyer Warren Fernandez Liew Wei Li Sanjiv Misra Prof Qin Li-Wei Paul GeoffreyTan Wong Yee Chen Fah Andrew Yeo Khirn Hin Yasmin NOMINATINGZahid AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Goh Yew Lin (Chair) Prof Arnoud De Meyer YongGeoffreyPaul(Treasurer)TanWongYing-I HUMAN ClaraDrVivienBenjaminProfLiewSNYOJoviLimWarrenYeeAUDITAlexDavidSanjivGeoffreyINVESTMENTDorisHeinrichProfChngYongCOMMITTEERESOURCESYing-I(Chair)KaiFongArnoudDeMeyerGrafeSohmen-PaoCOMMITTEEWong(Chair)MisraGohLeeCOMMITTEEChenFah(Chair)FernandezMeiSeetCOMMITTEEWeiLi(Chair)QinLi-WeiGohGohKeeKirkChinLim-Tan BOARD OF DIRECTORS & COMMITTEES SSO MUSICIANS’ COMMITTEE Mario Choo Guo ZhaoElaineChristophWangDavidHaoSmithXuWichertYeoTian CHAIR Goh Yew Lin SSO COUNCIL Alan Chan (Chair) Odile Benjamin Prof Chan Heng Chee Choo Chiau Beng Dr Geh
ARTISTIC PLANNING Hans Sørensen (Head) Artistic Administration Teo Chew Yen Jodie LynnetteChiangChng OPERATIONS Ernest Khoo (Head) Library Lim Lip Hua Avik WongChariYiWen Orchestra Management Chia Jit Min (Head) Karis Ong Peck Xin Hui Production Management Fenella Ng Nurul Ainnie bte Md Sidek Mazlan bin Ali Ramayah Elango Jan Soh (Digital Producer) COMMUNITY IMPACT Kok Tse Wei (Head) Community Engagement Kua Li Leng (Head) Erin Tan Ong Jun TerrenceSamanthaShuLimWong Choral Programmes Kua Li Leng (Head) Regina MimiWhitneyLeeTanSyaahira bte Ruslaine Singapore National Youth Orchestra Pang Siu Yuin (Head) Lai Jun Wei Tang Ya Yun Tan Sing Yee ABRSM Patricia Yee Lai JoongLi-YngSiow Chong Freddie Loh May WilliamLooiTeo CEO OFFICE Shirin MusriahFoobte Md Salleh COVID-19 COORDINATIONRESPONSE Lillian Yin (Lead) Rick Ong (Asst Lead) SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP MANAGEMENTPATRONS Development Chelsea Zhao (Head) Anderlin Yeo Nikki ElliotCharmaineChuangFongLim Marketing Communications Cindy Lim (Head) Chia Han-Leon (Content Lead) Calista Lee (Digital Projects) Sean Tan Hong Shu Hui Jana ElizabethSherilynMyrtleLohLeeLimLow Customer Experience Randy Teo Dacia Cheang Joy Tagore CORPORATE SERVICES Lillian Yin (Head) Finance, IT & Facilities Rick Ong (Head) Alan Ong Goh Hoey Fen Loh Chin Huat Md Zailani bin Md Said Human Resources Valeria Tan (Head) Janice Yeo Evelyn Siew Legal Edward Loh CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Chng Hak-Peng
Astor Piazzolla (arr. Desyatnikov and Shin) The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, arranged for Cello and Strings (WORLD PREMIERE) Richard Strauss An Alphine Symphony, Op. 64 Tickets available from $18 via SISTIC Concessions & group discounts available Chan Tze Law, Conductor Qin Li-Wei, Cello SUN 28 AUG 2022, 5PM ESPLANADE CONCERT HALL Four Seasons Alpine Symphony Qin Li-Wei plays
SCAN TOIntimateBOOKMomentsSeriesSupportedbySupported by Patron Sponsor Organ SponsoredSeriesby Evelina Dobračeva, soprano Semion Skigin, piano Sun, 16 Oct, 4pm Captivated by the RoseEvelina Dobračeva in Recital CHAMBER Musicians of the SSO Wed, 26 Oct, 7:30pm AfterSchubertRememberingIV:Beethoven CHAMBER James Ehnes, violin Sun, 23 Oct, 4pm James Ehnes in Recital CHAMBER Guan Qi, Musiciansviolaofthe SSO Zhang Heyang, presenter Tue & Wed, 30 & 31 Aug, Victoria7:30pm Concert Hall Dance Studio The Music That Belongs, with Guan Qi INTIMATE MOMENTS Phoon Yu, organ Sun, 21 Aug, 4pm FranckThree Chorals ORGAN Loraine Muthiah, organ Sun, 29 Oct, 8pm Halloween Night ORGAN 2022/23 Season JULY OCTOBER 2022 All concerts are held at the Victoria Concert Hall, unless stated otherwise. Intimate Moments Series Supported bySupported by Patron Sponsor Organ SponsoredSeriesby
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. You can suppor t us by donating at www.sso.org.sg/donate.
The mission of the Singapore Symphony Group is to create memorable shared experiences with music. Through the SSO and its affiliated per forming groups, we spread the love for music, nur ture talent and enrich our diverse communities.
SEASON P A R TNER S SEASON P A T R O N S MAJOR D O N O R S M A T C HE D B Y S U PP O R TED B Y P A T R O N SP O NS O R Mr & Mrs Goh Yew Lin Official Outdoor Media Par tner Official Community Par tner Official Radio St ation Official Airline Stephen Riady Group of Foundations
