Women Conductors Sibelius

New York Diary (20-31): Engagement, Fulfillment

Classical Recommendations: Women Conductors, Sibelius and Santa Claus; Music in Time of Covid

Engagement and Fulfillment that I am talking about are the Spiritual kind. During our lifetime, unusual opportunities sometimes come knocking at the door, and sadly we don't often recognize them as what they can be until after the fact. They could be in any realm, be them career, capital gain or whatever, but they are more serious if they are in the realm of the higher emotions, like love. Personally, although I, like most, have made my share of wrong decisions, I never overdo the regret thing - it doesn't help and we have to look forward and make the best of our state. And we should grow and acknowledge our past deficiencies.

What I am really talking about is music - how it comes to shake music lovers to their cores. This is different for everyone. For me, I don't even remember what germinated in me to cause me to buy a humble setup so long ago; all I know is the joy it brought me. I still remember when I first heard the Sibelius Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, on radio - the emotional upheaval that I felt. I knew it spoke to me, and I have never stopped exploring since then - Full Engagement. And the Music Fulfilled me in Return. What we put in rewards us in multiples - I believe that, in any genre (and in audio). Yes, to fully engage oneself is hard work and takes commitment, but the rewards are huge.

It didn't happen when I was younger. But, for the past decade at least, on the rare occasions that the music making moved me beyond description, tears would stream down down my face. This happened more in live performances but also at home, particularly during the pandemic. I am sure music is not the only medium through which this could happen. Holistic endeavors, like Yoga, probably can do this too. In particular, I know for a fact that many who have attended stringent Buddhist Retreats can sometimes attain an alter state, and not a few cry out loud after the experience, and say they don't know why.

Physiologically, as a medically trained person, I'd say the yoga, or meditation, or retreat, or whatever, alter the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Then, there are the brain hormones, like Serotonin, which can infuse us with positive emotions. It is likely a valley and trough. But, does it matter? Going through these emotions I believe is healthy for us. It s better that we can cry rather than not.

Crying in such a situation is not asking for help, but attaining a higher importance. It shares our spirits, and we acknowledge there are higher sentiments that we cannot control as mortals, sentiments that are effusive and, I believe, beneficial to mankind. For the youtubes I am sharing, read also the comments, some incredibly eloquent. I firmly believe being appreciative of spiritual beauty makes us better and kinder people, and contribute to a better world.

 

Classical Recommendations and Basic Repertoire

 

Just today I came across this very well crafted article (with podcasts) on Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Give it a try!

 

Women Conductors are getting more common. I heard quite a few in Hong Kong. Yip Wing Sze, a past winner of the Besancon competition, has been head of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for a long time. While she is OK, many who came after her offered much more excitement. With the Hong Kong Philharmonic, I heard the exciting Zhang Xian, Carolyn Kuan and Elim Chan, from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, who hold posts with the New Jersey Symphony, Hartford Symphony and Antwerp Symphony, respectively. In New York, I have heard bigger names, like Marin Alsop and the incomparable Simone Young. There are many others in the pipeline that I'd like to hear.

Sibelius Like Bruckner, Sibelius is a one-off; there are no others like him. Writers have struggled to describe the alternately sparse and rousing nature of his music, making allusions like: paean to the great Finnish landscape, or, glimpse into eternity, etc. While his first two symphonies have its Tchaikovsky influences, I think they already show him as his own man. In the Second Symphony, an audience favorite, there are many amazing passages. In the following video, from the excellent Frankfurt Symphony series (few ads, all HD), Rising star Susanna Malkki conducted brilliantly. As a matter of fact, I have not heard better (including the benchmark, Barbirolli's Royal Philharmonic recording). I was so captivated that, at 14:52, when the strings floated the melody, tears streamed down my face. You ought to listen from the start, to catch how a master conductor builds it up; at least start 2-3 minutes before.

While we are on Sibelius, I recently heard the valedictory Ondine cycle, where Leif Segerstam conducts the Helsink Orchestra. In this video, Segerstam conducted the Sinfonica de Galicia, a susrpsingly accomplished orchestra that played with great color, in Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade. Note that this was in June, during the pandemic!!! You can see one player in the last row wearing a mask. Salut for their courage. The comments are fun. One says: "...I finally know what Santa does for the rest of the year..." :-)