Friday night’s SSO performance featured 2 modern pieces: Walton’s Cello Concerto and Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, plus a classic piece from Richard Strauss (Tod und Verklärung).
Qin Li-Wei – a rising star in the world of cello, born in China and raised in Australia – was the featured soloist of the night. Qin’s performance of William Walton’s cello concerto was emotional and moving – from the melancholy tones to the cheery notes, he seems at one with his instrument and music.
At times sprinkled with Asian and Hollywood influences (Walton was best-known for his big film scores like Hamlet), the cello concerto’s pace reminds you of a tumultuous time at sea – starting with a soft launch, before rising to frenzied notes and finally reaching a calm shore.
It was clear that the audience loved Qin’s performance – he was clapped back on stage for 3 successive encores, all of which were brief, but highly technical pieces.
Next up was Benjamin Britten’s melancholic, 3-movement Sinfonia da Requiem. Originally commissioned by the Japanese government in 1940 to commemorate the royal family’s 2,600 year reign, it’s also interesting to consider the historical context of this piece by a British composer on the eve of WWII.
Ending the night was Richard Strauss’s moving “Death and Transfiguration”, which was described by Strauss as a “sick man lying in his bed, breathing heavily. Agreeable dreams bring a smile to his face, in spite of his suffering… as the pain subsides, he reflects on his past life.” And so goes the 23-minutes of flowing melody, as the music slowly rises to a joyful peak, before dissipating into nothingness. Despite the somber ideal behind the piece, it has an uplifting, gentle ending.
The performance was overseen by vivacious conductor Jason Lai, who true to form brought his intense physicality to the podium this evening, breaking a noticeable sweat by the end.
