CONCERT PROGRAMME
2016/17 SEASON
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) gave its inaugural performance at Dewan
Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP) on 17 August 1998. The MPO today comprises musicians
from 24 countries, including 7 from Malaysia, a remarkable example of harmony among
different cultures and nationalities.
A host of internationally-acclaimed musicians has worked with the MPO, including Lorin
Maazel, Sir Neville Marriner, Yehudi Menuhin, Joshua Bell, Harry Connick Jr., José Carreras,
Andrea Bocelli and Branford Marsalis, many of whom have praised the MPO for its fine
musical qualities and vitality.
With each new season, the MPO continues to present a varied programme of orchestral
music drawn from over three centuries, as well as the crowd-pleasing concert series.
Its versatility transcends genres, from classical masterpieces to film music, pop, jazz,
contemporary and commissioned works.
The MPO regularly performs at major cities of Malaysia. Internationally, it has showcased
its virtuosity to audiences in Singapore (1999, 2001 and 2005), Korea (2001), Australia
(2004), China (2006), Taiwan (2007), Japan (2001 and 2009) and Vietnam (2013). Its
Education and Outreach Programme, ENCOUNTER, reaches beyond the concert platform
to develop musical awareness, appreciation and skills through dedicated activities that
include instrumental lessons, workshops and school concerts. ENCOUNTER also presents
memorable events in such diverse venues as orphanages, hospitals, rehabilitation centres
and community centres.
Sat 25 Mar 2017 at 8.30 pm
Sun 26 Mar 2017 at 3.00 pm
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Mark Wigglesworth, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano
PROGRAMME
BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op.58 34 mins
INTERVAL 20 mins
BRAHMS
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op.73 40 mins
The MPO’s commitment to furthering musical interest in the nation has been the creation
of the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO). It gave its inaugural concert at
DFP on 25 August 2007, followed by a tour in Peninsular Malaysia. It has performed in
Sabah and Sarawak (2008), Singapore (2009), Brisbane, Australia (2012), Kedah (2013) and
Johore Bahru (2014).
As it celebrates its 18th anniversary in 2016, the MPO remains steadfast in its mission
to share the depth, power and beauty of great music. The MPO’s main benefactor is
PETRONAS and its patron is Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Haji Mohd Ali.
All details are correct at time of printing. Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS reserves the right to vary without notice the artists and/or repertoire as
necessary. Copyright © 2017 by Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (Co. No. 462692-X). All rights reserved. No part of this programme may be
reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owners.
Mark Wigglesworth
conductor
Recognised internationally as a masterly interpreter,
Mark Wigglesworth creates performances of great
sophistication and rare beauty. His highly detailed
readings always possess a controlled pacing and
a finely considered architectural structure. He has
forged enduring relationships with many leading
orchestras and opera houses across the world in
repertoire ranging from Mozart to Tippett.
Born in Sussex, England, Wigglesworth studied
music at Manchester University and conducting
at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In
1992, he became Associate Conductor of the BBC
Symphony Orchestra. Other appointments included
Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music
Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
In addition to working with most of the UK’s orchestras, Wigglesworth has guestconducted many of Europe’s finest ensembles including the Berliner Philharmoniker,
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, La Scala Filarmonica, Milan,
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome, Stockholm Philharmonic,
Gothenburg Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, Salzburg
Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
He has been just as busy in North America, being invited to the Cleveland
Orchestra, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Philadelphia Orchestra,
Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, and the Toronto,
Chicago, San Francisco and Boston Symphonies. In Australia, he has worked
regularly with the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.
Equally at home in the opera house, Wigglesworth started his operatic career
with a period as Music Director of Opera Factory, London. Since then, he has
worked regularly at Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, English National Opera,
the Netherlands Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Sydney Opera House, the
Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
In the studio, Wigglesworth’s recordings have centred around a project with BIS
Records to record all the symphonies of Shostakovich. This cycle has received
critical acclaim throughout the world. Most recently, he has recorded the two Brahms
Piano Concertos with Stephen Hough and the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra.
Stephen Hough
piano
One of the most distinctive artists of his generation, Stephen Hough combines a
distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer and writer. Named by
The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, he was the first classical
performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a Commander
of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours 2014.
Since taking first prize at the 1983 Naumburg Competition in New York, Hough has
performed with many of the world’s major orchestras and has given recitals at the
most prestigious concert halls. He is a regular guest at major festivals and at tte
BBC Proms, where he has made 25 concerto appearances.
Hough’s extensive discography has garnered international awards including the
Diapason d’Or de l’Annee, several Grammy nominations, and 8 Gramophone
Awards including Record of the Year and the Gold Disc. Recent releases include
a live recording of Schumann and Dvořák’s piano concertos with Andris Nelsons
and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a solo disc of Scriabin and
Janáček, both for Hyperion Records. His award-winning iPad app The Liszt Sonata
was released by Touch Press in 2013.
As a composer Hough has been commissioned by Wigmore Hall, Musée du
Louvre, London’s National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral,
Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, and the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet.
His music is published by Josef Weinberger Ltd.
As a writer Hough has been published by The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian
and The Independent. He is a Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music,
the International Chair of Piano Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music
and is on the faculty of The Juilliard School.
PROGRAMME NOTES
The Music
This week’s programme consists of two of the most cherished and highly
respected masterpieces in the entire orchestral repertory. No listener today would
think of them as difficult to understand, yet each rode a long, rocky road to public
acceptance, reminding us that all music was “modern” at one time. As it happens,
both the concerto and the symphony are warmly lyrical, genial works, each of
which followed a powerfully dramatic and serious work in the same genre and in
the same key – Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto followed his Third in C minor, and
Brahms’ Second Symphony followed his First in C minor.
There are many bold, innovative
and radical touches to this concerto.
The most famous and most obvious
of these is the unprecedented solo
introduction. The orchestra responds
in a harmonically remote key (another
surprise), and goes on to present and
develop other themes. The soloist
re-enters in a quasi-cadenza passage,
and then joins the orchestra in a
closely-woven tapestry of themes,
motifs and rhythmic patterns.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op.58 (1808)
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante con moto
III. Rondo: Vivace
The Background
It is the nature of many concertgoers today to test the waters of new music
hesitantly and carefully. Imagine then the circumstances under which Beethoven’s
Fourth Piano Concerto was given its first public performance – as one of seven(!)
works all heard by the Viennese for the first time, all by the same composer, and
four of them of major dimensions. This four-hour marathon concert took place on
22 December 1808 in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien. It was a freezing cold evening,
which meant conditions inside the unheated hall were uncomfortable, to say the
least. In addition, Beethoven’s music was generally considered to be advanced and
difficult both to play and to understand. It was truly a daunting prospect for most
concertgoers that night.
Considering the cluttered context in which the Fourth Concerto was first heard, it is
perhaps not so surprising that it failed to leave a vivid impression. It is music of a
lyrical, intimate bent and with great subtlety of expression, especially in comparison
with many of Beethoven’s previous works and to other works on that marathon
concert of premieres. In fact, it was virtually forgotten until Mendelssohn revived it in
1836, nine years after the composer’s death.
The slow movement is, if anything,
even more compelling and innovative
than the first. In just a little over
five minutes (one of the shortest
slow movements of any well-known
concerto) there unfolds one of the
most striking musical dialogues ever
written. Initially we hear two totally
different musical expressions:
the orchestra (strings only) in unison
octaves ̶ imperious, assertive, angry,
loud, angular; and the solo piano fully harmonized ̶ meek, quiet, legato. Over the
span of the movement the orchestra by stages relents and assumes more and
more the character of the soloist. Tamed, seduced, won over, taught, assuaged and
conquered are some of the terms used to give dramatic or literary interpretation to
this remarkable musical phenomenon.
The rondo finale steals in quietly, without pause, bringing much-needed wit, charm
and lightness after the tense, dark drama of the slow movement. Trumpets and
timpani are heard for the first time in the work. Like the first movement, it is full of
interesting touches, including a rhythmic motto and a sonorous solo passage for the
divided viola section. A brilliantly spirited coda brings the concerto to its conclusion.
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op.73 (1877)
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Adagio non troppo
III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino) –
Presto ma non assai – Tempo I –
Presto ma non assai – Tempo I
IV. Allegro con spirito
The Background
“Suffused with the sunshine and the warm winds playing on the water” were
Richard Specht’s words to describe Brahms’ Second Symphony. “Bathed in
a mellow glow of instrumental sound of which Brahms alone had the secret”
(John Horton) and “the effortless flow of limpid thought and warm feeling”
(Theodore Billroth) are just two more of the many glowing tributes listeners
have bestowed on this work.
Whereas Brahms had toiled for twenty years over his First Symphony, the
Second was written in the space of a mere three months during the summer of
1877 – one year before and in the same place (the Wörthersee) as the Violin
Concerto. The warmly lyric and relaxed character, the gracefulness of the many
melodies, and a positive outlook are all attributable in some measure to the
charms of the south Austrian countryside. In its pastoral quality, many listeners find
a parallel to Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony which, like Brahms’ Second, followed
a grim, darkly serious and heroic symphony in C minor.
Brahms completed the symphony at Lichtenthal near Baden-Baden in October.
The first performance was given by the Vienna Philharmonic led by Hans Richter,
on 30 December 1877. Although the Viennese liked it, the symphony rode a rocky
course towards acceptance in other cities. One smiles in amusement to read that
in Leipzig, for example, where it was introduced in 1880, a critic felt it was “not
distinguished by inventive power.” In Boston (1882), The Post called it “coldblooded”
and the Traveler proclaimed that the symphony lacked “a sense of the beautiful”,
while in New York, The Post (1887) called for a return of Anton Rubinstein’s
Dramatic Symphony to replace Brahms’ “antiquated” music. So much for the
perspicacity of critics!
The Music
Right from the very opening notes, the listener is caught up in the symphony’s gentle,
relaxed mood. The first two bars also provide the basic motivic germs of the entire
movement and for much of the material in the other movements as well. The threenote motto in the cellos and basses, and the following arpeggio in the horns, are
heard repeatedly in many guises ̶ slowed down, speeded up, played upside down,
buried in the texture or prominently featured. All the principal themes of the movement
are derived from these motto-motifs. The second theme is one of Brahms’ most
glorious, sung by violas and cellos as only these instruments can sing.
The second movement is of darker hue and more profound sentiment. The form is
basically an A-B-A structure, with a more agitated central section in the minor mode.
Throughout the movement, the listener’s attention is continually focused as much on
the densely saturated textures as on the themes.
The genial, relaxed character returns in the third movement, not a scherzo as
Beethoven would have written, but a sort of lyrical intermezzo, harking back to the
gracious eighteenth-century minuet. The forces are reduced to almost chamber
orchestra levels, and woodwinds are often the featured sonority.
The forthright and optimistic finale derives heavily from the melodies of the first
movement, though as usual with Brahms, this material is so cleverly disguised that
one scarcely notices. The coda calls for special comment. Brahms usually made
scant use of trombones and tuba, writing for these instruments with skill but also with
reserve. Yet from time to time he calls upon them for stunning effects, and one such
moment occurs in the Second Symphony’s coda, a passage as thrilling for audiences
as it is for trombonists, every one of whom looks forward to a role in bringing this
joyous work to its blazing D major conclusion.
MALAYSIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
RESIDENT
CONDUCTOR
Harish Shankar
Naohisa Furusawa
FIRST VIOLIN
Co-Concertmaster
Peter Daniš
Principal
Ming Goh
Co-Principal
Zhenzhen Liang
Runa Baagöe
Maho Daniš
Miroslav Daniš
Evgeny Kaplan
Martijn Noomen
Sherwin Thia
Marcel Andriesii
Tan Ka Ming
Petia Atanasova
*Ikuko Takahashi
*Jennen NgiauKeng
*Marco Roosink
VIOLA
Co-Principal
Gábor Mokány
PICCOLO
Principal
Sonia Croucher
Fumiko Dobrinov
Ong Lin Kern
Carol Pendlebury
Sun Yuan
Thian Aiwen
Fan Ran
*Hsao Chia-Chien
*Emil Csonka
*Jan Wea Yeo
OBOE
Section Principal
Simon Emes
Sub-Principal
Niels Dittmann
CELLO
Co-Principal
Csaba Kőrös
Assistant Principal
Steven Retallick
Gerald Davis
Julie Dessureault
Laurentiu Gherman
Elizabeth Tan Suyin
Sejla Simon
Mátyás Major
SECOND VIOLIN
Section Principal
Timothy Peters
Assistant Principal
Luisa Hyams
DOUBLE BASS
Section Principal
Wolfgang Steike
Co-Principal
Joseph Pruessner
Catalina Alvarez
Chia-Nan Hung
Anastasia Kiseleva
Stefan Kocsis
Ling Yunzhi
Ionut Mazareanu
Yanbo Zhao
Ai Jin
Robert Kopelman
Raffael Bietenhader
Jun-Hee Chae
Naohisa Furusawa
John Kennedy
Foo Yin Hong
Andreas Dehner
FLUTE
Section Principal
Hristo Dobrinov
Co-Principal
Yukako Yamamoto
Sub-Principal
Rachel Jenkyns
CLARINET
Section Principal
Gonzalo Esteban
Co-Principal
*Luis Camara
Sub-Principal
Matthew Larsen
Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS
CEO’S OFFICE
Hanis Abdul Halim
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
At Ziafrizani Chek Pa
Nurartikah Ilyas
Kartini Ratna Sari Ahmat Adam
MARKETING
Yazmin Lim Abdullah
Hisham Abdul Jalil
Munshi Ariff
Farah Diyana Ismail
Noor Sarul Intan Salim
TROMBONE
Section Principal
*Fernando Borja
Co-Principal
*Ricardo Mollá
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP
MANAGEMENT
Asmahan Abdullah
Jalwati Mohd Noor
BASS TROMBONE
Principal
Zachary Bond
BASS CLARINET
Principal
Chris Bosco
TUBA
Section Principal
Brett Stemple
BASSOON
Section Principal
Alexandar Lenkov
Sub-Principal
Orsolya Juhasz
TIMPANI
Section Principal
Matthew Thomas
Assistant Principal
Matthew Kantorski
CONTRABASSOON
Principal
Vladimir Stoyanov
PERCUSSION
Section Principal
Matthew Prendergast
HORN
Section Principals
Grzegorz Curyla
*Steven James
Co-Principal
James Schumacher
Sub-Principals
Laurence Davies
*Anton Schroeder
Assistant Principal
Sim Chee Ghee
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Nor Raina Yeong Abdullah
TRUMPET
Co-Principal
William Theis
Sub-Principal
*Jeffrey Missal
Assistant Principal
John Bourque
HARP
Principal
Tan Keng Hong
Music TALENT DEVELOPMENT &
MANAGEMENT
Soraya Mansor
PLANNING, FINANCE & IT
Mohd Hakimi Mohd Rosli
Norhisham Abd Rahman
Siti Nur Illyani Ahmad Fadzillah
Nurfharah Farhana Hashimi
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT
Logiswary Raman
Norhaszilawati Zainudin
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT &
ADMINISTRATION
Sharhida Saad
Muknoazlida Mukhadzim
Zatil Ismah Azmi
Nor Afidah Nordin
Nik Nurul Nadia Nik Abdullah
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS
Firoz Khan
Mohd Zamir Mohd Isa
Yasheera Ishak
Shahrul Rizal M Ali
Dayan Erwan Maharal
Zolkarnain Sarman
CORPORATE SUITE CLUB MEMBER
Malaysian Philharmonic
Orchestra
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Nor Raina Yeong Abdullah
general manager
Timothy Tsukamoto
ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT
Amy Yu Mei Ling
Tham Ying Hui
ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION
Khor Chin Yang
MUSIC LIBRARY
Sharon Francis Lihan
Ong Li-Huey
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Shafrin Sabri
Shireen Jasin Mokhtar
MALAYSIAN PHILHARMONIC YOUTH
ORCHESTRA
Ahmad Muriz Che Rose
Fadilah Kamal Francis
Note: Sectional string players are listed alphabetically and rotate within their sections. *Extra musician.
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