KVT – An Empiricle Evening
KVT enjoys Emperors and the VNSO
Saturday night was labeled ‘Emperor’s Night’ at the Worker’s Theater in Trang Tien.
The Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra led by thirtyish, Singaporean conductor Adrian Tan led us through works by Beethoven and Mozart.
How ‘Emperor’ comes into the scenarios is interesting.
The nine minute long ‘Egmont Overture’ was superbly played by the VNSO and from my seat half way back up the theater, I thought that my previous post’s caustic comments about the theater’s acoustic quality when hosting symphony music may have been proved wrong and that you just had to choose the right area…definitely not towards the front. Beethoven wrote the Egmont as part of the incidental music for a play by Goethe..and as a protest against the spreading threat of Emperor Napoleon’s European invasions. Because the theme of the play is about a man’s heroic stand against oppression, the overture struck a chord with populations of the time who were in fear of being defeated and dominated by the French. Later in history, in 1956, it became an unofficial anthem for Hungarians in their brave but futile revolution against Russian domination. Those opening bars would make any patriots’ blood stir and make them gird their loins for brave acts of heroism against cruel oppression and as the last echoes of the finale ended they’d be ready to storm metaphorical barricades.
Naturally most of us were in the hoary old theater to see and hear Beethoven’s glorious Piano Concerto No 5…labeled the ‘Emperor’ but not by Beethoven. Sometimes it’s referred to as the ‘Kaiser’. But however and whenever it got its regal name it deserves it because when played well it definitely wears a golden crown. Whenever you hear the finals of renowned international piano competitions when the selected few finally get to play a full concerto with a full orchestra, the 40 minute ‘Emperor’ is bound to be chosen to be played by some cocky pianist who hopes that she/he is on a winning streak.
Our soloist was young, diminutive, but very talented Lim Yan from Singapore and he gave us a really nice interpretation that made you realize why some people who love it call it the teasing concerto and others the questioning. All the way through the first movement there’s a great air of uncertainty as the orchestra plays anticipatory chords seemingly asking for a big response from the piano but it responds with quietude , almost self doubt, until towards the end the fanfares almost force an ending of triumph from the fingers on the keyboard and we get a finish of shining splendor…the fanfares at one stage announced the late arrival of a young couple who unapologetically made their ceremonious way down the darkened aisle and noisily took their seats in the middle of a centre front row. They must have been terribly important boogs!
The second movement…only interrupted by my near neighbor’s mobile phone beeping and noisily texting in the quietest part of its free floating, hypnotic course, just when the woodwinds beautifully took up the delicate theme outlined by the pianist and were being gently joined by the strings. But the stillness, peace and restfulness prevailed from then on until a lone bassoon and horn made a delicate transition in tone and the pianist played with a new idea that was then presented in an almost spine tingling arpeggio that was taken up by the full orchestra and turned into a waltz of great pomp and ceremony that dominates most of the third movement. This movement still insists on teasing us with those occasional questioning, unexpected turns and tunes by the piano that keep your mind a little unsure about where it will go next. The composer makes sure that the orchestra gets its proper share of the limelight in this movement and not just reflects in the piano’s polished glory. I love that perfectly poignant moment before the finale when the lone timpanist quietly takes up the beat, hands it to the piano who chucks it full bore to the orchestra
Great ending, great applause, great performance- in a challenging auditorium and from a challenging piano that at times had a tendency towards a honkey tonk tinniness- from a very perspiring pianist and a pretty exhausted but pleased VNSO
