An article I got from Chie Haur...

Immersed in beautiful sounds

23 Aug 2006

Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan

SATURDAY night. Nothing to do. So, I agreed to follow my best friend to The P.J. Youth Symphonic Band performance at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) to mark the end of the recent HSBC Classics Wind Festival 2006.

I’m selective in my choice of music, and wind instruments are, I think, too strong for the ears. Except the clarinet and flute maybe, but an entire composition on them will be too plain. I like strings, especially the violin. But she’s my best friend, so I did what any best pal would do.

But perhaps I was too quick (or too ignorant) to judge. The PJYSB 90-minute performance was one of the best musical performances I have seen in a while. In fact, it was better than some shows I’d seen at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.

With Eric Lee at the helm, the band started with Jubilee Overture by Philip Sparke, an upbeat, entertaining composition which reminds me of Walt Disney’s classic cartoons like Bambi and Dumbo.

For about 10 minutes, I felt like a child in front of the telly watching Saturday morning cartoons. Next was an allegro by Mozart arranged by James Thornton. Pleasant, but quite forgettable.

The best of the night was the third track, October, by Eric Whitacre. It’s a somber, slow and melancholic composition reminiscent of soundtracks from period movies like Braveheart and Legends of the Fall.

There was pin-drop silence in the hall. Not a cough, nor a sneeze. It felt like every adult, teenager and child in KLPac’s Pentas 1 was deeply immersed in the beautiful sounds which serenaded them.

By the time Lee bowed, I could feel tears welling up my eyes. Beautiful music has that effect on me.

Melancholy gave way to cheer when Italian flautist Andrea Griminelli took the stage, first, performing the fast Bumblebee, solo, and then, La Pulce d’Acqua with the band.

The band also played, what I suspect, professional musicians and big-shot orchestra members would frown upon ó music from Star Wars Trilogy, including The Imperial March and its main theme.

But I also suspect that everyone in the hall enjoyed it. I could spy fingers strumming on the armrest and heads moving in time to John William’s iconic sounds.

What I like about the performance was each piece was not more than 15 minutes long. It’s essential to retain the audience’s attention, especially if like me, they are not able to appreciate the instrumental intricacies.

Music is a lot like food. If it doesn’t taste good, maybe it’s not. Have you gone to a concert which you thought was nothing, or even annoying, only to read rave reviews about it and that got you thinking that maybe you are not good enough in appreciating it?
*great phrase.. isnt' it? =p

And even if you are keen to learn the complexities of music, you have so start appreciating sounds first. You cannot graduate to sashimi if you don’t enjoy sushi.

I say forget what others think. Just enjoy what sounds good to the ears. And PJSB was that, and more. Even if I had to pay for the RM63 ticket, it was money well-spent, because on the way back home, I wished I had the CD of the night’s repertoire to play in the car.