50 and beyond

I was very happy this week as I got to catch up with an old JC classmate for dinner. After dinner, we attended a concert at the Victoria Concert Hall. SSO was playing Beethoven’s fifth symphony, one of my all-time favourite pieces.

Our first treat of the evening was a starter of calamari. It was seasoned with Chinese dried chilis and a peppercorn that could have been Szechuan peppercorns but I couldn’t quite tell. It was addictive and yummy. I forgot to take a photo of the arrabbiata, but it was good too.

Our second treat came at the first half of the concert. Funny…we both were there for Beethoven, but the night was really to showcase a pianist, Hélène Grimaud. She played Ravel’s piano concerto in G minor. I had never heard of it before till that night. First movement was kinda confusing but fun, and we loved the second movement.

During the applause, my friend went to google and discovered that she was famous for her rubato technique. I needed her to explain what that meant. As The Straits Times journalist describes: “She is known for her exquisite rubato – the expressive flouting of strict timing in performance….” And because Ravel’s concerto was so short, she played three encore pieces. And I understood “rubato” from those encore pieces. The way she held back and sped up. Lovely. I now understand more of what my drum teacher once tried to explain to me, about a drum technique where you play in time, but slightly ahead or before, but still keeping in time. I guess this techniques applies to all musical instruments.

And our final treat. Beethoven’s fifth symphony! We loved it, of course! It was so much better than when they last performed it at the Esplanade under a guest conductor. This one had oomph! Hans Graf seemed very happy with his team as well. He was really into it and beaming from ear to ear at the end.

As the orchestra’s thunderous melody filled the hall and the strong beats pulsated through my entire being, I was suddenly struck by how similar the effect this symphony had on me as Metallica’s Enter Sandman does. That’s it! I thought. Beethoven was a hard rocker! He was the Freddie Mercury of his time! It was like I was listening to a classical version of Bohemian Rhapsody. The vibe at the concert hall may have been like the vibe at a Måneskin concert today. 😆

So, not saying that the melodies and rhythms are similar, but may I suggest that:

If you like Sting, you’ll likely enjoy Rachmaninov piano concerto 2.

If you like rock, you’ll likely enjoy Beethoven’s fifth symphony.

If you like suspense, thriller, action, you’ll like Stravinsky’s Rite of spring.

Come on, join me. Think about it and add on to the list!