Although I'm generally not enamoured with orchestral conductors, there're a few that I enjoy watching. Glad to have one more chance to watch 78-year old Zubin Mehta conduct, though I gotta be frank and say it wasn't so much to watch The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO).
Zubin Mehta has been IPO's Music Director for decades. The synergy between the musicians and their principal conductor was palpable and lovely to hear it interpreted in its music. Seen them together twice and it was fantastic to hear them again.
Three works were performed- Vivaldi's 'Concerto in B minor for Four Violins and Orchestra', Mozart's 'Symphony No. 36 in C major' (also known as the Linz Symphony), and Tchaikovsky's 'Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op 64'. For Singapore, the program replaced Mahler's 'Symphony No. 5' with Tchaikovsky's. IPO had begun their five-country Asian tour last month in Bangkok with Mahler. Aiyaaah.
It's a pity that the acoustics of the theatre at Marina Bay Sands aren't ideal for orchestras. There's an annoying echo which can be disturbing. The sound isn't rich and mellow, and I had to recall the previous sounds of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to be reminded that they are still among the best in the world. The one thing I wasn't sure of, was whether to stand up when the orchestra played 'Majulah Singapura'. Thought the hall would, and they did. After three seconds of hesitation, I scrambled to my feet. It's the slower tempo F-major orchestral version re-arranged by Phoon Yew Tien in 2000. The hall rose and stood for 'Majulah Singapura' first, then for (likely) Kurt Weill's orchestral version of 'Hatikvah'. The national anthems heralded the start of the evening.
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