Beethoven on the ‘A’ Train

Be careful what you wish for as it can turn out negatively when it is granted. My wish to hear Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) perform in Victoria Concert Hall (VCH) 7 years ago at their 29th Anniversary concert was full filled this week when she celebrated her 36th anniversary concert at VCH. I attended the second of the 3 night repeat performance on Friday 13th 2015 which to some is an inauspicious date but I have no such tendencies.
No one could fault SSO in choosing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Opus 125 in D minor “Ode to Joy”   nick named “The 9th”. The 9th appeals not only to classical music aficionados but also enjoy universal suffrage having been transcribed into more modern renditions by the likes of Michael Jackson and many notable modern artists.

Having heard SSO under the baton of Lan Shui performing The 9th in 2009 at Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, he did not disappoint in terms of speed as he chose the more modern faster meter totalling just under an hour whereas performers of older vintage like Furtwangler clock up to 70 minutes. Compared to the 2009 performance, players were better prepared though a tinge of tension still hung over the orchestra. I see no reason for Lan Shui to try to catch the ‘A’ train figuratively speaking. He can afford to clock slightly past the hour whilst still keeping the grandeur and celebratory mode of the piece.

The 9th demands both a large stage and a larger hall for the music to breathe.

The stage was so crowded that the four cellists had to sit shoulder to shoulder and they can be forgiven if they slip as there is barely room for them to maneurve. The 4 soloists were awkwardly positioned between the second violin and the brass section and their voices were drowned out by the orchestra as a result. Beautiful inter leaving between the 4 soloists and the choir were mostly lost and came across as a boutique of badly chorused flowers.

The smaller and more intimate size of the hall did not provide enough air and good mix of both direct and reflected sound waves. In audiophile speak, it is akin to how large speakers would sound in a small room generally. It’s a pity to have BBC Singers fly all the way here without the correct venue to stage the performance.

Although SSO delivered a much better performance compared to their 2009 performance, the wrong stage and hall ambience made this performance less enjoyable overall. As the refurbished VCH had only reopened recently, is definitely has the potential todeliver better sonics. Fine tuning the hall is more of an art than science and we must allow it time to mellow. As for the 'A' train thingy, Lan Shui has chosen to be in the company of modern Beethoven interpreters.
Peter Lye aka lkypeter
lkypeter@gmail.com Safe Harbor. Please note that information contained in these pages are of a personal nature and does not necessarily reflect that of any companies, organizations or individuals. In addition, some of these opinions are of a forward looking nature. Lastly the facts and opinions contained in these pages might not have been verified for correctness, so please use with caution. Happy Reading. Peter Lye (c) Peter Lye 2014
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