Sarah Chang & Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra in Florianopolis, Brazil
– by Paula Musique –
Florianópolis received one of today’s greatest violinists, Sarah Chang (USA), along with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra (Amsterdam) for a concert at the Ademir Rosa Theater.
Photo: sarahchang.com
Sarah Chang was born in 1980 in Philadelphia, daughter of a violinist (father) and mother (composer) – both Koreans. Little Sarah was considered a child prodigy and had a remarkable debut at age eight when she played with the New York Philharmonic and has since continued to impress audiences around the world for her virtuosity and expressiveness. In addition to performing with American orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony and Houston Symphony, she has also toured in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries. She returned to Brazil for only two concerts: one in São Paulo and one in Florianópolis. Julliard School (New York) graduated, Ms. Chang plays a Guarnieri del Gesu violin, from 1717, which she bought when she was still a teenager.
Photo: concertgebouwchamberorchestra.com
The Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra (CCO) is an ensemble of musicians from the ranks of the world famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. For many decades they have been performing all over the world with prominent soloists and conductors. Their recordings received from the famous BBC Music Magazine the highest qualifications (5 stars) for their accurate technique and beauty of their performances.
The repertoire prepared for the concerts in Brazil included Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor (BWV1043), Dvořák’s Serenade Op.22 and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Today, at the concert, the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra impressed me. Since I notice every detail, from the fact that all men wore black varnish shoes to the winks that musicians gave each other, I have to say that I delighted myself at their sounds and stage behavior. The CCO came with 1 double bass, 3 cellos, 4 violas, 1 harpsichord and 10 violins (one of them being the concertmaster – Michael Waterman), without the presence of a conductor, that is, the concertmaster or soloist played as “conductors” as well.
Sarah Chang has shown why she is recognized worldwide as one of the most engaging and talented performers of classical music. She is the whole spectacle, from head to toe, from sounds to friendliness, from human simplicity to not-so-human-talent.
“… she was inside the music and the music was inside her” – Paula Musique
Photo: by Paula Musique
PART ONE – BACH AND DVORAK
I got a great seat. In the execution of the first two pieces, all musicians were standing and playing. I had not yet seen an orchestra playing this way on the stage of the Ademir Rosa Theater. Everyone playing happily, while standing up for an hour. Bach’s concert started piano, so soft that I was even worried and I wondered if the audience could hear them at the back. But all that softness was part of the show of dynamics they were about to give us. This is one of the points that I, particularly, observe when I go to classical music concerts or to popular music concerts. DYNAMICS. I have always considered that musicians and singers who make a point of working well the intensity of sounds are superior musicians. Chang and CCO have made me feel different emotions just by the technical control of intensity. And what about the violinist Jae-Won Lee (CCO) who did duo with Chang in Bach? Wow!!! Very clear technique, visual contact with the main soloist, pure smiles, and ability to make the audience enjoy the dialogue that was happening between the two violins.
Photo: concertgebouwchamberorchestra.com
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION: Let me tell you that, unfortunately, in Brazil, our politicians believe that Music does not have to be curricular in the schools and that Arts, in general, is only for students to have fun or relax, this ends up generating young people and adults who do not know how to behave in concerts. I will take sides and defend people who have “misbehaved” in this concert, as I am sure it was not intentional, they just did not learn that there are some basic rules for concerts: DO NOT CLAP BETWEEN ONE MOVEMENT AND OTHER (I think I will write a post especially about this). That is, in the first piece, there were 3 movements (vivace, largo ma non tanto and allegro). When a movement is over, the musicians pause briefly to prepare for the next move and if the audience starts clapping, it takes away their concentration and cuts off the atmosphere that had created with the previous movement. And in today’s concert, with every movement that ended, half the theater applauded. Besides, there was another little problem: I imagine that, due to constant weather change, many people in the audience were sick and there were a lot of people coughing. And sometimes, they coughed too loud, right at the time for the orchestra pianissimo. Again I say: it is “because they do not know what they do“. If they had been educated at school, they would not cheer between movements and would have learned the “cough etiquette“.
Photo: sarahchang.com
Back to Chang! Both she and the orchestra musicians were so gentle and understanding that they smiled pleasantly as the audience applauded in motions. In truth, Sarah was giggling with “thank you” and looking at fellow musicians on stage. It was as if she was thinking while smiling, “awww, these Brazilians are cute, most of them don’t know that this takes my concentration away and they should not clap, but I know they do with good intentions and I’m glad to know they’re enjoying all movements of all the pieces” (haha). There was another moment during the first part when, abruptly, the lighting became stronger and some musicians were startled and (once again) giggled as they stared at the sheet music.
After Bach, Chang left the stage, being very applauded and CCO began the Serenade of Dvořák. Excellent performance.
[For suggestions on activities to work with your students, you can read this post here. To read about things to do in Florianopolis, it is here. And to read about the Pyramid of Learning, click here]
SECOND PART – THE FOUR SEASONS OF VIVALDI
After intermission, Sarah walked back to stage with applauses and began one of the most celebrated musical works of history: The Four Seasons of Vivaldi. Chang executed it all by memory. She plays the violin in a way that makes everything seem so easy; but it is not easy at all. In the largo movement of Spring, she got to make my eyes wet. Chang played so expressively that it was as if she were responsible for the blossoming of the season’s flowers. The performance tonight was so intense, so full of feelings that Chang ripped some mane from her violin’s bow during Spring. I like when mane get ripped (haha). When the movement was over, she tore off the troubled mane, and, graciously, began Summer, warming our hearts.
Photo: sarahchang.com
Both Autumn and Winter’s performance were a source of rejoicing to the ears and eyes. Sarah Chang’s eye contact with the musicians and sympathy with the audience was noticeable. CCO musicians’ body expression was sublime and Chang’s, as a soloist, clearly stood out much more with body language. The interpreters who fascinate me are those who, besides touching with their fingers, touch with their eyes and with their whole body. And so, Sarah Chang did: her facial expression revealed the tone she wanted to convey with each bow move, the movement of her shoulders, her arms, and even her back as she leaned back and forth, convinced me that she was inside the music and the music was inside her.
“She is the whole spectacle, from head to toe, from sounds to friendliness, from human simplicity to not-so-human-talent” – Paula Musique
At the end of the concert, the audience applauded standing for a few minutes, with a few “bravo” shouts. Sarah murmured something with the concertmaster and performed another Baroque work: Aria Air on the G String (part of Suite No. 3 for Orchestra, in D major, Bach BWV 1068 written for Prince Leopold in the early 18th century). Within 5 seconds of execution, the audience recognized the song and it was possible to hear that “aaaah”, in a tone of delicious sigh. The musicians were applauded by the audience that stood up once more, and I left the theater enchanted, once more, with the world of melody, harmony, rhythm and timbres.
And I have the feeling that Chang and the Dutch orchestra liked to play for our audience of Brazilian “clappers”. But I hope that at their next trip to Brazil, our audience is more mature and aware that one should not applaud between movements in a concert. ;)
P.S. I want to make a paragraph here just to mention again the softness of today’s sounds. The p, pp and ppp (piano, pianissimo and pianississimo) of these musicians hit my soul!
P.S2 The bassist also deserves a few words. He was the only one and handled the music like nobody else. Outstanding performance![If you like it: thumbs up and/or a comment at the end – to give me that special motivation]
Sarah, age 10, playing “Carmen Fantasy” by Pablo de Sarasate:
Here, you can check Sarah playing the third movement (presto) of the Four Seasons’ Summer by Vivaldi, at a Music Camp for extraordinary students:
And this is Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra playing Elgar’s Serenade for Strings:
Give it a thumbs up if you like it. It motivates me to write more. It makes me choose to come here to write instead of reading one of the books I’m reading, or watching a movie, or playing the piano … Got it?
Answer to our polls on the blog sidebar (computer) or bottom (smartphone), only once, please.
Follow the blog on social media and share with your friends ;)
Carregando ...
