Just got home from concert. I'm sorta in a stone mood. Just can't believe what just happened in the last 4 hours.

Let's just back track all the way before the concert.. This is just one day where I want to remember details.

I left the house early. Quite early. And went to coronation to get a buncha flowers for a few SSO people. Joint effort with Tiff. Haha. It took the florist pretty long to wrap everything up and I knew I was going to be late. Took another bus to Newton and ended up on the same train with Tiff, so she didn't kill me for being late, ha!

Looked pretty wacky carrying a bunch of sunflowers on bus and train huh. Haha I'm used to it... Better than a whole trash bag equivalent full at RJ the other time but that's the past.

Missed dinner. Scribbled a little note to Mr Foo (Say Ming) outside the stage door and when we went in to the gaurd, he told us that Karen, Tiff's ex-teacher had already gone in, cuz she was supposed to collect and pass the flowers. So we just got this other violinist whose name i dunno, and who was quite nice, to bring it in for us, yay!

So we walked to the Library and Tiff went toileting there after and I picked up a few recordings. Milstein's Brahms and Beethoven concerto, Hahn's Beethoven Concerto and some other one I can't remember. I just know its another Beethoven or Brahms concerto. I was at the B-section see? Haha!

Had only time to listen to Brahms by Milstein. Nice. But that's not the highlight.

Met Alan after a mad dash from Circle 2 to bottom, then up again.

Concert started a few minutes after time. But it's better for Alan.

The Little Match Girl Ballet Suite, Op.24, Huang An-Lun

Well I guess it was quite a nice piece. Its something new to my ears and well I'm someone who needs to listen to a piece repeated until I can appreciate it's worth. Except for pieces which I may classify as "great". Haha. But well, the beginning was quite messy I must say, but the orchestra came to it in the later half of the piece. I liked the brass entries when they weren't cracked or out of rhythm and tune. The melodies ranged from souful longing to somewhat-triumphant march. Liked the recurring motive that the violins played in the beginning, and at the finale. Alexander Souptel's solo was... Bad. At the beginning. Lacked vibrato and intonation. It was shaky and uninspiring. But he picked up and then his tone became sweet and charming. Phew. And the cellist...Nella Hunkins. Well she played almost flawlessly in all her solos. I only noted one out of place and failed-aiming slide, and that's about it for a whole 10minutes(?) worth of solos. A lush, wholesome tone. Wonderful vibrato, and such a powerful sound.

The Fairy's Kiss: Divertimento, Igor Stravinsky

Well, I think Alan insulted the westerner sitting in front of us when he blurted out, "I don't like this piece." And at that he promptly turned around and gave him a good hard stare. Haha! Well. I didn't take to this piece quite badly. I thought it was played pretty well. Wasn't played as precisely as the one before, but they still made it through, if I don't remember wrongly. Though the tunes were unfamiliar and hence quite unmelodious, I have to admit that it was quite catchy, being passed around with variations from section to section. Hindered a bit by inaccurate entries, especially by winds, but it still went off pretty nicely, with an unexpected final chord.

Intermission

Met up with Calvin and Kevin. Calvin changed ahem?? Haha! =P kidding here. Well. Was just talking idly about whether or not to go RISE concert which I'm almost up to the point of boycotting altogether because of their lacklustre enthusiasm in attending our own performances. Heh. We deserve more public attention, especially after our last effort. But of course all things are unfair, and everything's got something to do with politics and social-status and popularity. We've go the shorter end of the stick, so we live with it right? Humph. Even so I am not content with such an arrangement.

Tiff bought the most expensive Sprite in her life. $3. And I drank some of it. =D Alan and Kevin did too!! *Points fingers*

Now then the much awaited:

Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor, Op.23, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Soloist: Yefim Bronfman

I was completely blown away, as I've told a number of people. The 3rd movement ended with me quivering at the knees. It's the first time I've actually gone weak just listening to someone play. Inspiring. Magical. Stupendous. It was terrific I tell you. And I've come to look at the concerto in an entirely different light, along with the instrument and its abilities.

Astounding really. Bronfman took it at breakneck tempo, driving the orchestra, urging it on in its spurs till it reached its limits right from the very opening crashing piano chords. He plonked away octaves as if it were child's play, fingers moving at such incredible speed I just saw blurs at the keyboard. It was really... So... Unreal, inhuman. I know. Divine. What can I say. His abilities are profound to the extend that it is indescribable.

The opening by the orchestra horns was a failure and a let down to Bronfman, but I believe it was he who picked up the orchestra and moved them along with his skill and musicality. A bit messy and unstable in the opening part of the first movement, but thereafter it was perfect, or near it. Everything just went right. It was record-worthy. The grandeur of the first movement was stunning.

The second movement opened with a quite bad flute solo... But again Bronfman came and saved the day after picking up the motive from the section. And thereafter it was a sweet, sweet performance of the second movement. The light-tinkling of the piano and romantic melodies of the orchestra were a sweet refreshment of the heaviness and density of the first.

The third movement and all its triumph!! Oh my goodness. The speed Bronfman took was unbelievable. And he rendered the main motive over and over again with such precision and musicality! Save for the first time when one note went astray. But that was all, and all I saw was a splendid, solid, perfect rendition of Tchaikovsky's First Piano concerto. Even before the final chord, when the last note of the piano was swallowed up by the great chorus of the orchestra, variating the main theme into magical, glorious, triumphant ending that overrides the senses, the audience broke into tremendous applause with such gratitude of a titanic piece unfolded by one of music history's titans itself. And we clapped and clapped and we just wouldn't let him go till he'd played two encore pieces, after being nudged by Lan Shui to go ahead. It was the longest ovation I have ever seen in my life, abd he deserved it, totally, if not even more. I am inspired and astounded by such skill that I shall deem as unmatchable until I have the fortune, if ever, to see a performance even more splendid than what Yefim Bronfman has put up this memorable night.

My salutes.

Miscellanous stuff: I notice the cute way he kicks up both legs at the ending of each piece that he played with crashing chords, and the way he lifts his hand up and brings it down with such power and force when he does so. Haha! And his wavy hair that flies up as well. Too bad he's losing that hair. Haha! And he's aged alot and grown a bit wider than he looks on the photo! Also Alan mentioned he doesn't look too friendly in person. But a great performance makes up for eveything. Also, he looked a teeny bit exasperated when he just kept our applause going and going and wouldn't let him go home. Needed a few urges by Lan Shui to give us encores as well. Haha! Personality! We were talking about clapping until he went on his knees and begged us to let him go home.

=D

After the concert, hung around to catch a close-up glimpse of him. Got Nick my senior (who I've forgotten??) who was in the queue to autograph his programme booklet for me. Heh. All the CDs were sold out already. Actually it was Tiff who got him to do it for me. Haha. But she still gave me the booklet and she didn't get one herself cuz he only signed one?! That's so nice lah! Yay!! Its on the computer table in front of me now...

So then waved her goodble and went to Haagen Daaz and bought a double scoop of icecream with Alan. Toffee creem and Cookies n Cream. The toffee is GOOD! Should have bought a double scoop of that and screw the cookies cream. Haha! Took a lift to Upper Bukit Timah Rd from Alan's dad, and took bus home from there. He gave me some bread thingies with prawns which I gobbled cuz I had had no dinner, and ran through the rain home.

And here I am.

Other things: Practiced for the longest I've ever had today. Haha. Whee!
Didn't have a proper meal at all today, boo...
Haha.

Spent 1hour and 15min on this post.

But its worth it.

All hail Bronfman.