Sun-kissed idylls and sinewy Shostakovich in Singapore

By Mark Pullinger, 26 September 2020

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“the work’s urgent climax – cue that trumpet – was suitably ripe”

Reviewed at Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore on 26 September 2020

Debussy, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (arr. Benno Sachs)

Wagner, Siegfried Idyll

Shostakovich, Chamber Symphony in C minor (arr. Rudolf Barshai), Op.110a

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Kahchun Wong, Conductor

Mozart and Salieri under the spotlight in Graf’s Singapore farewell

Chang Tou Liang, 21st May

Mozart is pitted against his ”fatal rival" Salieri in Hans Graf's farewell concert as Music Director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

****1

Eric Lu brings scintillating Chopin to Singapore

Chang Tou Liang, 1st May

A world premiere by Wang Chenwei, familiar Chopin and a rare outing for Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta make for satisfying fare in Jahcun Wong’s Singapore Symphony programme.

****1

Lintu, Kavakos and the SSO make the case for Shostakovich

Chang Tou Liang, 9th April

Has Shostakovich become the new Rachmaninov in Singapore? The SSO and Hannu Lintu show that he can be as popular as Rachmaninov.

*****

Eliahu Inbal enlivens the Singapore Symphony

Chang Tou Liang, 28th March

The nonagenarian conductor enlivens Singapore's Esplanade Concert Hall with masterly readings of Shostakovich and Rachmaninov

****1

Takács-Nagy’s Schumann trumps Bach at the Singapore Symphony

Chang Tou Liang, 13th February

Bach concertos on a modern Steinway prove a mixed blessing, but the Singapore Symphony's Schumann impresses under Hungarian conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy.

****1

Pierre Bleuse and the Singapore Symphony raise the roof again

Chang Tou Liang, 30th January

High decibel hits arrive via Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, sandwiching Liszt from Bertrand Chamayou.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.