Sunday, May 30, 2004

Gustav Mahler "Symphony No. 8"

No wonder they call it the "Symphony of a Thousand". I went into the hall last night expecting to sit in the 7th row (my tickets were G12, 13) and ended up sitting in the 3rd row. I totally forgotten they raised the platform to extend the stage. At times like this, I wished I had a camera-phone to take a photo. Anyway, I was like sooooooooooooooooooooooo near the sopranos! Their voices were so powerful. Even though the 1st soprano was having a cough, she still sounded very good. Her high notes: Wow!

Up till yesterday, I didn't know voices could be so powerful so up close. The Japanese mezzo-soprano really had a very strong voice. Her voice came packed with oomph! It's those kind of voices that pushes you back into your seat. I don't know how to describe it, you would have to hear it yourself to know!

Generally, it was quite a good and entertaining performance. When the full ensemble (extended orchestra, organ, offstage brasses, 6 choirs combined and 8 vocal soloists) was playing at full force, it was really quite deafening. It wasn't really a thousand yet, there was at most 500 plus performers on stage last night. I really wonder what the premiere was like with 1030 performers, including Mahler himself. It must have been so controversial and breath-taking at that time.

The last offstage soprano was like a bit underused. She had just a few lines in the 2nd movement (the symphony was in 2 movements only). She was the only one sitting in her chair in the finale, everyone else was playing. It was actually the first time I heard the organ at the Esplanade, maybe I should go listen to some organ concertos if I can.

It really makes me wished that SSO will play the Mahler 5 again soon! I still haven't had the chance to listen to it "live". Better still, Berlin Philharmonic could drop by Singapore for a tour! Haha!

This reminds me, anyone interested to go watch Gil Shaham (violinist) play Butterfly Lovers Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Concerto in D in late August?

fjozn at 12:42 PM

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

My day

I wonder what day today is. There are so many people online! I counted 22 people on my MSN list. I think this is like the first time I've seen over 20 people on my list! Weird!

Come to talk about MSN, it seems to be the more "in" chatting programme these days. Somehow ICQ seems to have to lose its charm and supporting. Oh well, I do like to be able just type and type and not have to use to mouse to click the "send" button. It seems much much more flexible to me and user-friendly. If anyone who's reading this and doesn't have me in your contact list, please do add me in! My MSN e-mail is: le_maestro@hotmail.com

There was a check at the gate when I went into the camp this morning. As usual, the Regimental Police (RP) were making checks for prohibited items like pirated CDs, camera phones etc. for the uninformed, RPs are actually like the security guards of the camp. I think they were quite traumatized by my collection of CDs. This guy was going through the entire CD wallet and all he saw were titles like Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Strauss. He was like: Is this all the music you listen to?

I finally got my quotation for my dream Marigaux 2001 today. Guess the price?

A MASSIVE $14500 BEFORE GST.

I think I can forget about it and go for a Howarth XL. Hopefully I can persuade my boss to raise to budget to $13000. my Howarth XL would be more realistic then! In the worst case scenario, I'll go for Howarth S5 or Buffet Greenline which cost $10000 and $8500.

The way I talk about it, it seems like a few thousands are like small sums of money. Why do oboes cost so much? Damn.

Everything cost so much when you play the oboe. You buy reeds for $25 and above. You buy an oboe for $8500(that's the minimum price which I consider playable). You buy tools which costs hundred bunks apiece to make reeds. Even my plastic "outdoor" oboe costs $3900! Everything is money, money and more money!

I seriously need to go rob a bank soon.

Or maybe some money will drop from the sky tomorrow for me? Haha!
fjozn at 9:18 PM

Sunday, May 23, 2004

Sorry!

fang
and it's been ages since u last updated. [23.05.04] im BORED!!

Oops! Kena complained.

Sorry fang, but I've been going out a lot recently. At this very moment in time, I've woke up from my sleep. I reached home at 5am on Sunday morning after leaving my house on Friday morning at 6.30am. Perhaps this explains a little of my absence from the World-Wide-Web?

A lot of nights were spent last week going out, some nights spent playing Gunbound. Heehee!

I've just watched Shrek 2 on Friday night. I think it's really funny. The only downside is that I think we tend to expect too much from the show. It's like you already know how funny Shrek was and you totally expect Shrek 2 to be as funny as Shrek was. True, some things were very expected.

For those who haven't watched the show, maybe you can read this posting some other times? Read on if you want. :P

Things expected are like when Pinocchio went gliding down the rope into the dungeon twisting and turning on the rope ala Mission: Impossible and he ended up entangled. I don't know why, it was sooooooooooooooooooooo expected but somehow it was still funny!

I like the part when the fanfare trumpeters blasted away announcing the arrival of the king's envoy. The part when the lead trumpeter continued to play his own little solo was really quite funny.

The spoofs were good too. The part when Shrek accidentally threw the ring into the air and Fiona caught it Frodo, Lord of the Ring style. Haha!

I think there were parts when the audience laughed so hard that you don't know what's happening on screen. The Pinocchio scene above again, for example, one of the funniest scene in the whole show.

Pig: Tell a lie!
Pinocchio: What do I say?
Pig: I know! Say you wear female underwear!
Pinocchio: Eeeeer?
Pig: Quick! Say it!
Pinocchio: (hestitating) I wear female underwear.

*no change to nose*

Pig and friends: !!!
Pinocchio: I DON'T WEAR FEMALE UNDERWEAR!

*nose grows*

*audience roars laughing*

I didn?t really catch what was happening because my eyes were half closed from laughing so hard! I caught a glimpse Pig(or was it Gingerbread Man?) sliding down the rope and pulling his underwear. My friend told me it was a pink G-string. Haha!

I think the show is very watchable. Anyone has any comments to share? By the way, does anyone knows how to turn on the commenting thing???
fjozn at 12:43 PM

Saturday, May 15, 2004

Thoughts of the weeks

It?s been 2 weeks since I last blogged! Oh man, I didn?t realise that I haven?t been blogging for so long. To all my friends and fans (if any), here I am again!

This week had been so busy with all the preparations for the chamber concert on Thursday. I think it went pretty well except for a few minor errors here and there. All the hard work paid off finally! If anyone went, please do give me a more detailed analysis of my trio can? Comments like "not bad", "very good" are too general!

I watched 2 movies this week: Val Helsing and Troy. If you haven?t watch them, you should! Both are nice shows with impressive CGI and interesting storylines. There are a few questions though.

How did Val Helsing manage to live for 400 years?

Why is it that Dracula can only be killed by a werewolf?

[edit] This is a point brought up by my friend: If werewolves can become werewolves only on the full moon night, how come Victor and Val Helsing became werewolves within days of each other? How is it possible to have 2 full moons in a space of 4-5 days? [edit]

Hmmm, there are a few more of which I can?t think of at the moment. Anyway, the show is still very much watchable, so please don?t let me stop you from watching it!

I?m now quite interested in Greek myths after watching Troy, I think I?ll go borrow something from the library soon.

There are so many movies coming out: Shrek 2, Harry Potter, Day after Tomorrow, just to name a few. Anyone want to watch with me?!
fjozn at 11:03 AM

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Weddings

Kaitze says:
a lot of musicians will be there.. should be quite fun!
Liang You says:
ya
Liang You says:
i remember this wedding i went to
Liang You says:
the other table gave liek very soft ya seng
Liang You says:
when it came to musician table
Liang You says:
we hav chordal yam seng
Liang You says:
all the rubbish lah
Liang You says:
very rowdy at our table
Kaitze says:
hahaha....
Kaitze says:
yam - it canbe a dominant function tension) and seng will be the resolving of the chord! hahah..
Liang You says:
haha
Liang You says:
make it more interesting
Liang You says:
add a turn
Kaitze says:
haha.. go to the sixth chord..
Liang You says:
den suspend the dominant
Kaitze says:
oh dear.. will need to agree on the key first
Liang You says:
and u noe wat?
Kaitze says:
F# minor will be nice
Liang You says:
maybe we can expand it into a sonata form
Liang You says:
and it can be the first mvt!
Kaitze says:
haha... oh no... we will all not any sleep
Liang You says:
haha
Liang You says:
if we write it mahler style
Liang You says:
we will have like a 90 mins yam seng
Kaitze says:
bring i the heckelphone... wagner horns...
Liang You says:
maybe u can add the scores into the invitations den we can prac b4 hand
Liang You says:
1st Symphony in F# "Wedding" Op 1 by Kaitze Tay
Kaitze says:
ok.. will check the people who are coming for instrumentation
Liang You says:
keke
Liang You says:
den u solved your problem of seatings!
Kaitze says:
composed in through serialistic and dodecacophonic
Liang You says:
all violinsts together
Kaitze says:
'ladies and gentlemen.. please seat in concert position'
Liang You says:
all oboists together
Liang You says:
haha
Kaitze says:
we will have al lot of oboe and horn players
Liang You says:
1st oboists, the A pls
Kaitze says:
and 4 or 5 DIfferent A s will come out! hahahah
Liang You says:
hahahaha
Liang You says:
i noe my A will be 444+
Kaitze says:
hahaa...
Kaitze says:
in the middle of the dinner.. wait i go to the oboe table and i find all of you making reeds!
Liang You says:
haha
Liang You says:
u will see elaine there with her gouging machine
Liang You says:
someone tying blanks
Liang You says:
someone cutting
Liang You says:
someone scraping
Kaitze says:
lol
Liang You says:
tt will be so interesting
Liang You says:
haha
Liang You says:
interesting thought
Liang You says:
wat would the conducters be doing?
Kaitze says:
hahaha..
Kaitze says:
they be conductin their imginary orchestras with the forks and sppons
Kaitze says:
or they will be creating their fantasy orchestras..
Liang You says:
oh
Kaitze says:
concert masters from berlin and Vienna...Cello section from Berlin, Bass section from Vienna
Liang You says:
they'd be arguing on wat style the yam seng shud be
Kaitze says:
Emanuel Pahud / Albrecht Mayer / Sabine Meyer / Klaus Thunemann
Kaitze says:
haha
Kaitze says:
and the percussion will be in the kitchen of course
Liang You says:
haha
Liang You says:
stomp?
Kaitze says:
yah
Liang You says:
kekeke

If Reader don’t realise by now, we were talking about my friend’s wedding. The amount of effect that goes into in planning a wedding! No wonder there is such a job called a wedding planner.

I seem to be getting to the age whereby all my friends are starting to get married. I know of 2 friends who are getting married this year, including Kaitze. Looks like I’m going to spend a bit on “red bombs” this year.

I was just surfing through Friendster the other day when I came across my friend’s account. She was in my class in Sec 1 many years ago, the first I took noticed of in Sec 1. Her display photo in Friendster was of her and a guy which I think is her fiancé or husband. Why? Both of them were wearing identical rings on their ring fingers. Time really flies, it seems that not too long ago we were all doing something and suddenly we realize: Hey! That’s like ages ago! Friends suddenly become your decade-long old pals.

In this wedding I went to last year, the table I was at were all reminiscing about the old times. “…not too long ago, we were all in poly…” “…now getting married…” “…children soon…”

Why do I sound so sentimental? Weird.

Anyway, this is going to Kaitze. All the best to you and may your married life be a blissful one!
fjozn at 6:03 PM

Monday, May 03, 2004

Back online!

It’s been a few days since I’ve been online. Why are there people who have nothing better to do than to create things like computer virus? These people are just so irritating! This reminds to start backing up my photo albums in my computer. I’ll just cry if I lost all of them. Well, I’ve just checked and the figure amazed me! 1.23 Gb! Wow! Now I better start backing them up!

I spent the last 2 days doing nothing since my computer was down. Total boredom. Freak.

I almost went to the TPJC concert last evening at the Esplanade Concert Hall. To my surprise, it was sold out. I don’t mean to say the band is not good or what. I’m just rather surprised, that’s all. It’s so rare that I wanted to attend a concert and it’s sold out.

If you haven’t watched 50 First Dates, please please please do go and watch it. It’s a very entertaining show, one of the best comedies I’ve seen in quite sometimes! I think the storyline is nice. Rob Schneider is just so funny; he only needs to appear to command laughter from the audiences. Anyway, my row was quite embarrassing because of our extremely loud laughter. So if anyone happened to be at Lido on Friday watching 50 First Dates, I’m so sorry! Oh well, musicians HAVE strong diaphragms!

There is still about 10 days to the SAF chamber concert. I hope to be able to see some familiar faces there! So if you happen to be free and would like to go, please give me a call at 94304990 or something ya? We will be playing Allegro from Beethoven’s Trio for 2 Oboes and English Horn. There are still quite a number of tickets left when I checked today, but don’t hesitate. They tend to disappear very fast overnight. This is Singapore, isn’t it?

I came, I saw, it's free? I take!
fjozn at 9:17 PM