Actually this post is dedicated to my awesome MPO experience the previous Saturday, but yeah.
I was actually super exhausted after the Bersih participation since I took 2 hours to get home. I was wondering whether to still go for the MPO performance, since a friend who was going opted out to get more rest, and going alone is always a bummer. Somehow, my spirit hungered for music more than my body longed for sleep.
I arrived early in the hall, this time sitting close to the stage on the left side of the hall (with what I now know to have the greatest views for a piano concerto performance). Before the orchestra even tuned their instruments, an announcement was made that the guest conductor couldn't make it, so Kevin Field, who was initially intended to lead the first half of the night, took over. The first piece was Adagio for Orchestra by Barber, a deep and resounding lament that is epitome of American mourning music. It was a great start that somehow tied in together with what I experienced at Bersih ( I promise I will get to around and write about tomorrow), a tribute of sorts to Malaysia.
Then after the Steinway and Sons was pushed to the middle, the pianist walked in with comfortable poise followed by the much honoured conductor. Then the magic happened. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is a piece that I know well, and I have quite a high expectation for any performance that I should listen to, but when I heard her play the three chord phrases that signify the start, I knew I was in for a great time. She swept the audience of their feet, jerking into a free fall drop down a well controlled roller coaster. At times, she is even since bouncing on her chair to apply the necessary urgency and tension required for this dramatic and passionate concerto. As she ends her first movement, the crowd bursts into an early applause for too many good reasons. The next two movements is history well told, and she left this strange feeling in our mouths that asked for more.
For the second half of the night, she was to play solo pieces to replace the guest conductor's Concerto for Orchestra by Bartok. Her selection was formidable. She started with Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite for solo piano, leading the crowd with familiar pieces. To her, this is just the tip of the iceberg, just a minor finger exercise, and a small moment to sample a small selection of her personality. Next, she conquered Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux, making me lose focus in technical segments that required us to have more listening skills than she needs dexterity and finesse. The cream of the crop was her last choice, Balakirev's "Islamey", an oriental fantasy crafted into a fast moving deterioration of the human spirit as it traverse an impromptu ethereal world. It was a truly magnificent rendition.
She received 6 encores (in addition to her first applause), and performed two encore performances. The first was an unknown piece that I should (hopefully) remember when I hear it again. The second one was sudden, as she sat down with as much force as she started Khatchaturian's Sabre Dance with immense intensity and speed. Her final encore gave her standing ovations from many, and this marks my first MPO visit that totally amazed be beyond measure.
Her name? Nareh Arghamanyan. Oh, and I just found out from Wikipedia that she is one year younger than me. Dayum.
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