ALL GROWN UP!

Review by CHRISTY YOONG


STRAUSS, FAURE, KODALY, and BEETHOVEN

June 7, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

CHARTING the progress of the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) has been an exceptionally rewarding experience.

I have always admired the dedication and energy of these young musicians – I am particularly drawn to one of the front row cellists, whose unbounded enthusiasm sometimes threatens to unseat him as he almost lunges his way through the more speedy musical passages.

What I am particularly taken by is how these young musicians continuously set new benchmarks in terms of the repertoire they showcase.

Take, for example, the MPYO's concert last December, which featured Berlioz's Roman Carnival, Dvorak's Cello Concerto (with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra's Tan Poh Joo as soloist) and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.2.

It was a revealing programme, designed to show how it confidently deals with the challenge of being a full-fledged orchestra – a full-length symphony and, even more demanding, in my view, of being an accompanist to a soloist.

The MPYO was back at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas last Sunday, with a programme that was even more ambitious than the one in December.

Of course, some might say that Strauss' By the Beautiful Blue Danube is a walkover for all but the worst orchestras and, at first glance, Beethoven's Symphony No.5 in C minor Op.67 might seem a lesser challenge, thanks to its ubiquitous “da-da-da-daa”.

Perhaps there is some truth in that but, for me, it is the hallmark of a better orchestra that makes Strauss’ famous waltz flow like its namesake river and not make Beethoven sound repetitive and mechanical.

At the same time, it is the exceptional orchestra that can make these two works, which are probably among the most well-known classical compositions ever, sound fresh and inspiring, which was certainly the case last Sunday.

There were, though, some signs of nerves – some jittery horns, some thinness in the lower strings – at the beginning of the concert, which opened with the Strauss waltz.

The players, however, quickly settled down under the watchful guidance of the MPYO's principal conductor, Kevin Field, and produced a limpid and evocative rendition of the work.

The tempo was finely-judged and, even in the fast passages, never sound unduly hurried. In fact, the music flowed with an assured smoothness, allowing greater enjoyment of the layers of complexity that helped made Strauss’ waltz so popular.

The other two pieces before the interval, Gabriel Faure's Pelleas and Melisande Suite Op.80 and Zoltan Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite, were further signs of the MPYO's ambitions.

Both composers are hardly household names here, which is a pity as their music, especially as performed by the MYPO on Sunday, certainly rendered them noteworthy of further investigation.

Unfamiliar as Faure and Kodaly might be to the audience, the MPYO stepped up and produced admirable renditions of the music, from the weepy Sicilienne of Faure to the jauntily striking Viennese Musical Clock movement of Kodaly.

The evening was capped, after the interval, with a compelling, incisive and superlative performance of Beethoven's Symphony No.5.

Unlike the Faure and Kodaly, Beethoven’s 5th suffers from over-familiarity, even among those who have no interest in classical music and even served as the title of a movie that featured a huge St Bernard.

Somebody, evidently, forgot to tell the MPYO that as the players launched themselves into this music with energy, passion and unerring accuracy.

They revelled in the music's complexity with admirable confidence and verve to come up with a taut and revealing version of Beethoven's 5th that was made all the more outstanding for its freshness.

At the end, it was a most memorable and entertaining evening at the DFP.

The players displayed a maturity and professionalism that simply belied their youth, and kudos to the DFP for giving them the platform and time to demonstrate their potential and Kevin Field for his insightful and sympathetic conducting.

If the MPYO is the future of classical music in Malaysia, sign me up for more right now.