Vasily Petrenko and Yeol Eum Son make spectacular Singapore debuts

At the beginning of its 2022-23 season, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra looked to relive works presented during its early years. Besides Rossini, also regularly encountered was Carl Maria von Weber, whose operatic overtures make short but splendid curtain raisers. This evening’s performance of his Overture to Euryanthe showed how far the orchestra has progressed over the years. 

Four decades ago, one might have expected anaemic playing dogged with intonation issues. However the SSO of today, under Russian guest conductor Vasily Petrenko’s taut direction, is an altogether different instrument. The work’s showcase was its many string passages, where the ensemble responded with fervour, fulsome in climaxes and yet capable of providing that hushed quality when called for. This suppleness was key, continuing into the orchestral part of Mozart’s last piano concerto, no. 27 in B flat major (K.595). 

Eschewing the high drama, pomp and pageantry of the three preceding concertos, its opening tutti was so lightly scored as be almost transparent. This facilitated Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son’s entry, limpid in clarity and faultless in articulation. One might have expected this multiple competition prize-winner to exert full authority, but this was a partnership between first among equals. She established excellent repartee with the woodwinds, achieving a fine balance in what was essentially chamber music. 

The lovely slow movement saw Son opening and leading, with simple and tasteful ornamentations colouring the narrative. The Rondo finale skipped along with lightness and chirpy humour. Some concession for technical display was afforded by his own cadenzas. Adroitly negotiated by Son, these upped the ante without ruffling feathers. Responding to appreciative applause, Son’s two solo encores were vastly contrasting. The gentle tintinnabuli of Arvo Pärt’s Variations for the Healing of Arinushka was followed by Arcadi Volodos’ riotously Horowitzian transcription of Mozart’s Rondo alla Turca. 

It seemed like a mistake to have programmed Sibelius’ Second Symphony within the smaller confines of Singapore’s historic Victoria Concert Hall. However, the orchestra and Petrenko seemed to have found some kind of sonic chemistry in a venue more suited for chamber music. While the full complement of woodwinds and brass was employed, large empty spaces were left in front of grouped trumpets and trombones, and five French horns. This spatial distancing allowed plangent brass sonorities to rise upwards to the reflectors above, while sparing the hearing of the string players. It also helped that the Finnish composer’s scoring never got all groups blaring at full volume, except for its soaring conclusion. 

All this made for a very coherent and absorbing performance. A warm string tone was the highlight of the opening movement, but shades got darker in the slow movement, heralding a descent into nether regions. The nationalist fervour of Sibelius’ music was not yet apparent at this point, but the sense of struggle portrayed by the music became real and palpable. Agitated strings in the short Scherzo-like third movement increased tension further before finally breaking through with the finale’s gloriously striding theme.  

Stirring the blood of Finnish patriotism was Sibelius’ intention in 1902, a worthy follow-up to the blatant flag-waving of his tone poem Finlandia. Trust the Russian in Petrenko, who surely understood what it means to be oppressed and the true value of freedom and independence, to instil this spirit in his Singapore charges for the evening. The drive to the apotheosis was thrilling, culminating in a sonic spectacle with all guns blazing. Raising the roof of the Vic, the ears were blitzed for a couple of minutes, but all that was well worth the effort.