Interlude » Music Life

Groupie for Suite No. 6

Tracy — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:50:37 +0000

This is not about a luxurious hotel suite somewhere in a remote, romantic hideaway where I spent a wonderful weekend.

No, this is about Bach and one of his English suites, not the average suite played by a ‘lambda’ pianist. I have always preferred Bach’s English suites over his French suites, not because they are more complex or difficult, but because the musical structure touches me more deeply.

And among the English suites, I have a very special appreciation for No. 6. I have listened to numerous recordings from well-established pianists and my favourite has long been the one by Glenn Gould, until the day I heard Piotr Anderszewski’s – a revelation.

No, I am not going to describe in multiple paragraphs the complexity, colours, delicacy, expressionism or whatever of the execution of the suite. I am not qualified for this particular task, as I am neither a professional music critic nor a journalist.

The only thing I know is that when Piotr plays the No. 6, I can feel butterflies in my tummy!
And I suspect I’m not the only one.

Last month, when Piotr held his first recital in Shanghai, with No. 6 featured on the programme, I knew I could not possibly miss such an important event. I have a reputation for being a die-hard sans gêne groupie, but in Shanghai, I met my match.

The concert took place at the Shanghai Concert Hall. Chinese audiences are still learning when it comes to attending public performances, and although their behaviour has improved tremendously of late, it can still be annoying for performers to hear people talking, moving about, coughing and clapping at the wrong times. Nevertheless, after the concert, the audience was wonderfully enthusiastic and queued up very quickly for the autograph session.

I was hanging around observing the crowd and silently commiserating with Piotr who, after giving his all in a demanding programme consisting of Bach, Schumann and Chopin, still had to undergo an hour of CD-signing and posing for photographs.

In the long queue that had formed before Piotr, my attention became fixed on a girl wearing a Snow White backpack and a Sailor Moon hairdo. When at last she appeared face to face with Piotr, she quietly stood before him, watching him sign his autograph. She stared at Piotr’s hand, touching his fingers, holding them first, then clung to his arm, as if eager not to let the moment end. Piotr then lifted her over the table and placed her on his lap!

The rest of the signing session seemed to glow after that moment between Piotr and Jennifer – yes, that’s her name – who loves taking piano lessons. She is five years old.

This represents the magic of No. 6! No age boundaries, no inhibitions – just love rising from your gut, as best expressed by body language.

And what a wonderful way to approach artists. Jennifer is now my idol.

I think I will adopt her strategy, although I might do without a Snow White backpack and a Sailor Moon hairdo!

Bach: English Suite No. 6, Gavotte I

Photo credit: allstarpics.net

The Royal Wedding

Tracy — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:01:53 +0000

Well, writing about the royal wedding – yes, the one with Will and Kate – seems a bit passé now, but I’m here to talk about the music, not the wedding itself.

The day of the royal wedding, I was in Seoul with a bunch of good friends. I didn’t watch the wedding live since we were having a much better time celebrating a business venture, toasting new friends, savouring fusion cuisine, sipping Dom Pérignon and listening to classical music.

But the next morning, I received loads of emails about “Kate’s beautiful dress”, and “they kissed twice!”, and “Oh! Cinderella’s evil stepsisters (Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice) were there”. So I decided to have a look and get in on the action.

Although I do agree that Kate’s dress was definitely classy with, mind you, lace from Calais, I am not the kind of person to spend hours in front of a screen ogling celebrities, unless they are musicians, of course. So I did not pay enough attention to notice the accompanying music. It was only when I got back to Hong Kong that it was brought to my attention. During a meeting, my friend Daniel asked me, “Did you notice that beautiful piece of music during the royal wedding?”

He was talking about Ubi Caritas et Amor by Paul Mealor.

So I returned home and watched most of the available royal wedding clips (which took a long time). I also checked the music list on the Royal Facebook page and pretty much listened to all of the pieces (but not the complete songs, I must admit), and I must salute Daniel because Ubi Caritas et Amor is definitely the piece worth mentioning.

Ubi Caritas is a hymn of the Latin Church, used as one of the antiphons for the washing of feet on Holy Thursday. The Gregorian melody was composed sometime between the 4th and 10th centuries.

The royal wedding version, Ubi Caritas et Amor, was rearranged for a choir by Paul Mealor, Reader in Composition at the University of Aberdeen. There is also a beautiful version by the French composer Maurice Duruflé.

Let’s listen and reflect on charity and love.

Related videos:
Paul Mealor: Ubi Caritas et Amor
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Maurice Duruflé: Ubi Caritas et Amor
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Wedding music programme

Photo credits: googletrends-aryo.blogspot.com, zimbio.com

Valentine’s Music

Tracy — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 06:13:17 +0000

For me, Valentine’s Day is no more than an occasion for retailers to sell flowers and chocolates. But for lovers, I think every day can be Valentine’s, and a special thought, sweet message, or just a tender hug can be more inventive, expressive and seductive than mere flowers and chocolates.

I’ve received my share of Valentine’s gifts, from red roses (although I have a preference for white) to fancy chocolates with multicoloured fillings (while I crave only plain dark chocolate with almonds), and handmade cards lovingly prepared by my children (probably my favourite).

But so far, I have yet to receive any music.

So what kind of music reminds you of love? In the world of classical music, apart from some of the opera arias, which pieces are considered famous for their romance? How about Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet? This has been used numerous times in vintage black and white features where lovers only hold hands and lock eyes, but never kiss. Or Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, as used in the 1980 feature Somewhere in Time (where I could never understand how Jane Seymour could fall for Superman)? I can think of hundreds of modern love songs, but my mind just goes blank when it comes to classical music.

I asked two very knowledgeable musicologists who, although they tried hard, came up with very limited suggestions. So I ended up posting my question on a classical music forum.

The very few answers put together wouldn’t last even one Valentine’s night! But I did get some interesting ones, including the shower scene music from Psycho (I hope my evening doesn’t end like this one). Another was Barry White, whom I really like, having danced numerous times to his Love’s Theme. However, he has not turned to classical music… yet!

Nevertheless, below are some of the suggestions from the Forum (which appealed to me):

- Brahms’ Clarinet Trio: third movement
- Schumann’s Piano Quartet: third movement
- Schumann’s Romance
- Elgar’s Salut d’Amour
- Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto: second movement
- Shostakovich’s Romance
……..
And a beautiful poem that sounds almost like music:

To Jane

The keen stars were twinkling,
And the fair moon was rising among them,
Dear Jane.
The guitar was tinkling,
But the notes were not sweet till you sung them
Again.

As the moon’s soft splendour
O’er the faint cold starlight of Heaven
Is thrown,
So your voice most tender
To the strings without soul had then given
Its own.

The stars will awaken,
Though the moon sleep a full hour later
To-night;
No leaf will be shaken
Whilst the dews of your melody scatter
Delight.

Though the sound overpowers,
Sing again, with your dear voice revealing
A tone
Of some world far from ours,
Where music and moonlight and feeling
Are one.

– Percy Bysshe Shelley

……
I think each of these pieces is probably related to some personal experience of the listener. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have many music-related memories, but I do have a list of music that inspires love in me – love for my family, GaMe, my friends, Pippin, nature, wine, music, music, music, and so on….

Below is part of my selection:

- Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet: first movement
- Bach’s Goldberg Variations: Aria by Glenn Gould
- Galuppi’s Piano Sonata by Michelangeli
- Gabriel Fauré’s Après un rêve

You can find all of the above in our Selected Videos section, as well as:

Brahms: Clarinet Quintet, first movement
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Schubert: String Quintet, Adagio
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Arvo Pärt: Alina
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]
This is the ultimate romantic piece; for me, this represents the love of life.

Now it’s your turn to send me your Valentine’s music selection.

Photo credit: heatherpringle.wordpress.com

Happy 2011!!

Tracy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:01:37 +0000

For years, my New Year’s resolutions have looked like this:

Get better grades;
Find a handsome boyfriend;
Increase revenues in my business;
Lose some weight;
Get married;
Have a baby;
Lose more weight;
More babies;

You get the idea.

As I reached a more mature age, I began making birthday resolutions on top of my New Year’s resolutions – probably as a way to double my efforts to reach my personal targets.

On my birthday this year, following the usual Happy Birthday song, I had an epiphany. I decided that for the rest of my life, I wanted all my days to start with an H, as in Happiness. I shared this with my Pilates master, Lisa, who kindly came up with a whole bunch of other H words – lots of motivational and indulgent ones – to get me started.

The indulgent ones are:

I love Spanish ham, with a little glass of Fino;
And listening to Haydn‘s Cello concertos by none other than my friend, Jian Wang.
I also want to read Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami;
And maybe a Hermès handbag? (Too pricey la!)

Now the motivational ones:

Do I want to be high? Definitely – with friends, while sipping a glass of champagne.
How about hilarious? I am trying hard; I think I am, although my children think I can be embarrassing.
I definitely want to be hip – it’s one of the reasons why, besides classical music, I also like Lady Gaga.
How about hot? Yes, yes, yes – I’d love to. Any tips?

I do my best to be helpful
And hospitable,
And would love to be involved in humanitarian causes.
But mostly, I want to retain a good sense of humour,
With the hope that tomorrow will always be a better day.
I want to open my heart
With honesty
And live a healthy
And harmonious life.

So to all of my dearest readers, I wish you a Happy 2011.

Live in harmony,
Love with honesty and
Enjoy music oh so heavenly.

Now, I invite you to relax with my favourite Aria, from Heaven…

Related videos:

Glenn Gould – J. S. Bach: Aria, from Goldberg Variations
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Photo credit: rightnreal.info

Jian Wang – A Gifted Musician of Talent, Authenticity and Passion

Tracy — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:01:26 +0000

The first time I ‘met’ Jian Wang, it was through the documentary ‘From Mao to Mozart’, an exceptional award-winning account of the musical journey taken by violinist Isaac Stern through China in 1979. In it, little ten year old Jian performed in front of one of the most famous artists in the world with composure and focus. He was completely immersed in his music, displaying astonishing maturity for one so young. It was an entirely memorable experience.

Many years later, during my Haydn period (yes, dear reader; although my favourite composer is and will always remain Bach, I do have periods of fondness for others – right now, it is Brahms), I fell in love with the Cello Concertos and proceeded to acquire a dozen or so recordings from various cellists. So as I was browsing the Haydn section in a local record shop one day, an unforgettable face on a CD cover caught my eye. Although it depicted a mature young man, I immediately recognised the unmistakable intensity of Jian Wang. His eyes remained very much the same as those of the little boy on the stage some twenty years ago. Needless to say, his recording became by far my favourite.

I was very lucky to find myself a humble passenger on the same Music Cruise Jian was performing on a few years ago. I still have a profound memory of experiencing his rendition of Schubert’s Arpeggioni during a stormy crossing on the Mediterranean. My tummy was trying to cope with the ups and downs of the temperamental sea, even as Jian fought his own discomfort by sinking himself in the melodic strains of the Sonata. He nevertheless delivered a remarkable recital that was refined and delicate – definitely one of the best Arpeggioni I have ever heard.

I was once told that an artist can be an extremely different person from the music he or she plays. I used to have my doubts about that, since it was inconceivable to me that great artists could be simple banal mortals; they must have great personalities to create such music. After several disappointing encounters however, I’ve reconsidered this opinion.

I still remember a Russian violist, extremely talented and full of passion, with whom I had a drink following his concert. The memory of his superficial conversation paired with vulgar bursts of laughter still gives me shivers down my spine. There was also a famous pianist, with whom I had the honour of sharing dinner. During what turned out to be a dull and drawn out evening, I found myself desperately grasping for topics between bites. I would have been better off listening to him play and skipping the invitation to dinner. That is why I have serious reservations about meeting artists now, having become a much wiser groupie.

But Jian hails from a different category altogether. To my delight, I found him to be just the person his beautiful music would suggest. When I listen to him, I hear passion mixed with a certain melancholy. He plays in a simple, clean and sincere way, without fuss and pretension. When I watch him, he melts into the music and fuses with his fellow musicians, whether that’s the pianist, conductor or other orchestra members. He is a humble artist who is open and attentive to others.

As a person, Jian is very down to earth, with a strong sense of integrity and a loyalty to both his roots and his friends. I admire the sincerity and honesty with which he expresses his music for the audience. Unspoiled by success and fame, he remains uncomplicated, friendly, generous and authentic – a real gentleman, a distinguished artist and a gracious individual.

Related videos:
Jian Wang – Bach: Cello Suite No. 4, Courante Sarabande
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

From Mao to Mozart
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Jian Wang and Emanuel Ax – Brahms: Cello Sonata in F major, 2nd Mvt.
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Jian Wang – Elgar: Cello Concerto, 1st Mvt.
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Photo credit: universalmusic.net.au

Scary Niu Niu

Tracy — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:01:39 +0000

Niu Niu had his Wigmore Hall debut in 2006, when he was just nine years old. Introduced to the London public by pianist Leslie Howard and sponsored by David Tang of Shanghai Tang fame, Niu Niu received a taste of limelight and glamour in one of the foremost concert halls in the world.

In July, Niu Niu had an all-Chopin concert staged at the Shenzhen Concert Hall, the Shenzhen Daily interviewed his entire family as they promoted the concert. Here is one of the highlights I picked up from the ensuing article: “Niu Niu’s parents say they have been protecting him from the pressure of fame.” And then there is a quote from Niu Niu himself, where he admits, “There was a period, around the age of seven or eight, when playing the piano felt like a burden to me. It was then that my parents told me to clear my mind and make a choice: either completely give it up or continue, and put in even more effort.”

A few years ago, before Niu Niu’s Wigmore stint, I was visiting my mother in Shanghai. She had been invited by the Shanghai Conservatory to introduce their best students to the press at a special concert. Curious to see and hear the new generation, I accompanied her. It was an afternoon event, and about a dozen children performed for an audience comprising mostly teachers, students and parents, as well as the local press, who were eagerly seeking out the next Lang Lang.

I must admit that Niu Niu stood out from the other performers. First of all, he has a very special name. Niu Niu is in fact his nickname; his real name is Zhang Shengliang. I thought it strange to introduce a student by his nickname, which would normally only be used within the family and among close friends. If I were introduced in public by my nickname, I would be extremely embarrassed and insulted, especially if I were a little child. Of course, on further reflection, Niu Niu is a catchy name that is easy to market and remember. And it fits well with the Yo Yos and Lang Langs of the industry.

Niu Niu was also definitely the best of the pianists who performed that afternoon. His technique was remarkable and impressive. And during the Q & A session with the press, he showed a maturity and composure that was absolutely outstanding for his age. This little boy is either extremely well trained, or he is a monster in the making. The parents were there too, of course. From the way they guided the interview and presentation, it was easily apparent that these were extremely ambitious and determined parents.

Even though I have not heard Niu Niu play recently, nor was I able to locate the CD mentioned in the Shenzhen Daily, I have no doubt about his talent and hard-working attitude. What I want to say is this: here we have a child prodigy who was deprived of a normal childhood and exposed to the limelight at a very tender age. When other children were having fun at the playground, he was practising on his piano for several hours each day. During the holidays, he was touring, promoting and giving concerts.

So when does he get to live a real little boy’s life? The life of an artist is extremely isolated and lonely; how does such a young boy deal with it? And why ask a seven-year-old to choose between giving up the piano (which he probably enjoyed, even though he hated the hard work, which I can understand) or keeping it up and stepping up the intensity? What kind of education was that? While I understand the concept of “no pain, no gain”, when you push a boy so young in such a manner, for me, it is child abuse.

How will he delight the audience if he cannot interpret the music? And to interpret music, one must have real-life experiences: education, culture, emotions, relationships, experiences both good and bad – has he had any of these?

Can he be the next Mozart, who, like him, had ambitious parents and was paraded about from a very young age? For this, you need not only talent, but sheer genius. Or will he be forgotten once he reaches adulthood, when he loses the novelty and cuteness of being a child prodigy? There are many good musicians nowadays who exhibit technical prowess. To compete with them, one needs a bit more than technique; flashy performances can impress for a short time, but to last as an artist, one needs to touch the hearts of the audience.

I sincerely hope Niu Niu will become an internationally successful artist with profound musicality, who not only delights the audience, but also moves and inspires them. He should be careful not to let his success go to his head. He needs to stay humble and simple. After all, we already have one Lang Lang; we definitely don’t need a second one.

Related articles:

mvdaily.com – A Chinese Wunderkind

Shenzhen Daily – Niu Niu: Piano much more exciting than Xbox

Photo credit: mvdaily.com

My Favourite Chopin

ahyan — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:02:28 +0000

We have been celebrating Chopin’s bicentenary for the whole of this year. Numerous articles have been written, prominent pianists have been performing his music all over the world, major festivals have featured special Chopin days, not to mention all the “Best of Chopin by xxx” CDs that have been released over the course of the year.

So what more can I write here? Well, nothing! Although I love Chopin, this article is not about him. It is about how to rediscover your appreciation for your favourite music, and I have chosen Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 3 as my example.

It takes time and investment to find the best interpretation of your favourite music. When I was young, my limited budget allowed me to buy only one record of the music I liked, and I would listen to the same artist over and over again. The disadvantage of having only one version is that you get so used to that interpretation that you are reluctant to appreciate other renditions. Thus, you miss out on the way a different artist might bring a higher dimension with unusual colours to the music that makes it almost like an entirely different composition.

Music is like cooking. The recipe can be the same, as can the ingredients, but depending on the chef in question, the result can come out completely different.

When I was able to spoil myself with more CDs, I began collecting different versions of my favourite music. The comparisons to be made are amazing and extremely rewarding. There were times when it was very obvious I would remain faithful to my favourite renditions, but other times when it was difficult to choose because each artist tells his or her own specific story, all equally beautiful and fascinating. Because artists evolve and mature, and there will always be up-and-coming new musicians, new performances can be endless and the quest for a favourite rendition never-ending. And our appreciation also changes with time and experience, making the selection all the more interesting.

I have chosen seven pianists, each performing the same first movement of Chopin’s Sonata No. 3. They each reveal very distinct personalities, and each deliver an impressive interpretation. I regret that my selection does not include young artists, for the very simple reason that I either did not find any, or the ones I found were not really up to my standards. Moreover, Youtube is missing several important artists such as Samson François or Maria João Pires.

I am not going to say which my favourite is, because I have more than one. Please take your time listening to them, as the first movement is a long piece! I would love to know your favourites.

Related videos for Chopin’s Sonata No. 3, first movement:

Cyprien Katsaris
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Ivo Pogorelich
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Glenn Gould
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Dinu Lipatti
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

William Kapell
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Alfred Cortot
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Arthur Rubinstein

Photo Credits: wikipedia, gettyimages

Back to School – the Joy of Learning (minus the stress)

cindy — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:00:14 +0000

A very close family friend of ours who was a prominent and extremely successful barrister recently decided to retire to go back to school. He has chosen to study archaeology, one of his passions, and has just started his first year. I imagine the whole experience – the learning process, the integration into a strange environment where kids speak a language you’re no longer able to relate to, the unfamiliar IT tools – is all very exciting, but also extremely stressful for someone who left college over 30 years ago.

I definitely wouldn’t like to be in his shoes, although it was a close call for me. No, I didn’t discover a passion for archaeology; rather, as I was selling my business, I gave serious consideration to going back to school. I was of course very tempted to take a course in music, but also in history, which was my best subject when I was in secondary school.

I didn’t want to join a normal course since I couldn’t see myself seated next to kids who are practically my children’s age. I’d considered the adult learning programmes given by the local universities, but after some reflection I gave up the idea for two main reasons: I hate homework, and didn’t wish to give up my flexibility to travel.

Luckily for me, I discovered a great alternative. It all started when I visited Prague a few years ago, during a marvellous one-week stay organised by YPO, of which I was a member. On top of the usual tourist attractions, this sojourn consisted of a number of lectures on a variety of topics: politics, arts, history and of course music. As we all know, Prague was and still is a city very much devoted to music.

The professor who lectured us on Mozart, Dvořák, Smetana et al was Robert Greenberg, a knowledgeable, fascinating and lively speaker with a great sense of humour. His presentation was mesmerising, and he kept the whole audience captivated the entire time.

To my delight, I later found out that Professor Greenberg recorded a whole series of music lectures for The Teaching Company, which you can order online. I got “Bach and the high Baroque”, “How to understand Opera” plus a few more.

Now I have the brilliant professor all to myself at whatever time suits me. The lectures are quite technical but very accessible, and the beauty of it is that there is no homework or exams! This is a series I would recommend to those interested in learning more about music to augment the joy of listening to it.

Related videos:

Music: Heart, Soul and Dollar – Robert Greenberg

Photo Credits: wikipedia.org

Air, Please!

Interlude — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:00:43 +0000

When bass vocalist Alexei Tanovitsky visited Hong Kong to perform Wagner’s Die Walküre, he was heard coughing and choking onstage. Similarly, following his concert in Hong Kong, Tom Jones was forced to cancel the remainder of his Asian tour due to laryngitis. Not to mention all the performances I attended where an apologetic notice informed the audience that in order to “accommodate” the performing artists, the temperature of the performance hall had to be raised. And there are probably others—performing artists or otherwise—getting sick after visiting Hong Kong. So what is happening to Hong Kong, Asia’s self-branded world city? World city of what?

In Hong Kong, you need to bring a coat indoors.
Air conditioning is on full force even when it is only 10°C outside.
There is no way to adjust the temperature because all landlords compete to have their central air conditioning on full blast, since cool is apparently glam.

In Hong Kong, there are buses everywhere.
We might be considered lucky to have such a great public transportation system.
But most of the time, our buses are old and almost empty, and they create traffic jams and poison our air.

In Hong Kong, we have fine cuisine from all over the world.
This is also the place where you cannot order a simple glass of tap water.
No, our water is no worse than that in any other city, yet only bottled water is served and sold.

Since I have been living in Hong Kong, my eyes are itchy, my sinuses blocked and my heart rate agitated when I walk outdoors.
Since I have been living in Hong Kong, I have been considered a Scrooge because I use recycled paper.
Since I have been living in Hong Kong, I don’t get to see blue skies anymore.

Why are the big corporations moving out of Hong Kong?
Why is air pollution not being recognised as a public health issue?
Why is there such an apparent lack of improvement when our almost consistently high API levels have been discussed for years in both local and foreign media?

As a city, Hong Kong indeed offers a certain quality of life, but unfortunately not quality health. What’s the point of being a wealthy world-class city when one of the most basic things in life—fresh air—is unavailable?
The so-called ‘fresh’ air we breathe is basically processed air from indoor air conditioners, which is a waste of electricity and energy.

I worry about the day when no artists will wish to perform here anymore. No more concerts and operas, no music, no arts, no culture; we will be left with only shopping malls where the young generation with its increasing allergy and breathing problems retreat for their leisure.

Hong Kong is vanishing in the pollution, drowning in the thick air. Perhaps the Ride of the Valkyries should be played as a lament for our city’s fading grandeur.

Because of greed, indifference and ignorance, Hong Kong is Asia’s city of waste.

Photo credits: news.cleartheair.org.hk

Thank you, E15!

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:00:35 +0000

E15 is the name that has been given to the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, by journalists who were struggling to pronounce the full name properly. The nickname is derived from the somewhat daunting number of letters that come after the E.

So why am I grateful to E15? Well, I was scheduled to be in London the week of the eruption and as usual, all my concerts had been planned and tickets booked. I was awaiting my date with Mark Padmore at the ENO with excited anticipation, along with the meeting with Il Turco in Italia at the Royal Opera House, not to mention dinner with my children at Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant. But suddenly there I was, bags all packed and my flight cancelled!

Despite the disappointment, I consider myself very lucky to have been stranded at home. Just think of all those travellers forced to extend their stay in a foreign city, unable to fulfil their personal and professional obligations. It must have been a very stressful time.

One such unfortunate traveller was British pianist Simon Mulligan. Well, unfortunate for him, but most definitely fortunate for me, as I was lucky enough to attend a small, last minute, private concert organised to make the most of his enforced stay in Hong Kong. I was invited by my friend Lydia, a great music lover. Thanks to her, the evening turned out to be one of the most delightful I have had this year.

The concert was held in a beautiful house with the capacity to seat an audience of 50. Simon, a true gentleman, prepared a programme to accommodate the personal requests of various friends. The result was an eclectic mix of music, including Beethoven’s La Pathétique, followed by Brahms, Chopin and Schubert. Interspersed through these were Simon’s rearrangements of pieces by Moszkowski and Gershwin.

The small audience was composed mainly of Simon’s friends and acquaintances, catching up over a glass of wine in the warm and cosy atmosphere, relishing the excitement of an intimate soirée and a close encounter with a charming pianist. The scene was reminiscent of the salons of the Romantic period.

The performance was sans faute, and I admire Simon’s amazing ability to switch effortlessly from Schubert to Gershwin. The highlights of the programme for me were the excerpts from the ‘From Foreign Lands Suite’ by Polish composer Moritz Moszkowski, originally for four hands but rearranged by Simon to be played solo.

I had never heard the Suite before. Actually, the only time I have ever heard Moszkowski was in a Horowitz video recorded in Vienna. The Suite comprises six parts, each one named after a different country. Three countries were played that evening: Russia, Germany and Italy. The music was vivid and colourful, especially Italy, which conjured up scenes of the Italian coast and the good nature of its inhabitants.

Another highlight was Chopin’s Waltz in C Minor, Op. 64, No. 2. The rendition was subtle and delicate, each note resembling little pearls sliding down the side of a crystal bowl. The Waltz itself was playful and candid, with a touch of sensuality simmering just below the surface. It was simply magnifique.

For the encore, Simon played two of his own compositions: Sainte Croix in the Rain and Sassafras. Through these two pieces of music, a different Simon emerged , more demonstrative with relaxed body language. He had been in the music throughout the evening, but now the music was in him. He was transported on a different voyage. It was amazing to listen to him and watch him as he and his music became one. You could almost hear the beat of his heart through the notes.

Sainte Croix in the Rain was written one rainy day on the island of St. Croix, inspired by the great pianist and composer Oscar Levant’s memoirs, A Smattering of Ignorance. “The drizzling rain against the windows and the melancholic tone of the book brought about the tune”, explained Simon. That said, I found the melody positive and uplifting – a fitting homage to both a versatile talent and a beautiful island.

Sassafras, on the other hand, derives its name from an American tree from the laurel family, whose aromatic roots are often used in recipes. It was written while Simon was travelling with his jazz quartet to Shanghai for a performance. Being a food lover, Simon picked this delicious sounding word and named his new piece after it. The music conveys the mood of the moment; it is at once joyful and light hearted, elucidating the happiness of being with fellow musicians mixed with the fond memories of enjoyable meals. It is the music of life and the love of life.

If we ever again have the privilege of having Simon for a private concert, I believe the best thing to do would be to give him a carte blanche. First we would enjoy a glass of wine together and listen to him talk as we nibble on canapés or dim sum. Then he should play as the mood strikes him. I am convinced it would be an unusual, unique and exquisite experience.