Dutch pianist See Siang Wong was the main attraction at the concert entitled “A Touch of Dutch” that was held at the Culturual Center of the Philippines. Accompanying him was the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo G. Ranera. This concert was also presented by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
For that night’s performance, only the orchestra section was available and it made the affair a lot more intimate. I knew beforehand that it would be a double piano concerto performance but upon receiving the programme, I found out that a Mozart overture would be the starting piece of the night.
I was delighted that the orchestra had a nice performance to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K.492. They played it comfortably and it made me feel relaxed which was a good way to start the show. It’s a popular piece and the orchestra had no problems with it. And it helped a lot that this overture is a favorite of mine because it just makes me happy whenever I get to hear it.
I am not really an avid fan of Joseph Haydn and the era where he came from. But that didn’t hinder me from enjoying Wong’s rendition of the Piano Concerto in D Major Hob. XVIII:11. It was playful, light, youthful and full of joy. There were a few tentative moments at the beginning when the orchestra couldn’t seem to get settled with the pace of the piano but they found their groove by the second movement. It was odd that I started thinking about the Beethoven piece which was to be played later on even while the Haydn was still being played.
I couldn’t help it since as I’ve said earlier that Haydn doesn’t do much for me. But it’s totally different for Ludwig van Beethoven. I admire Beethoven and his works especially his symphonies and piano sonatas and piano concertos. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited for Wong to finally play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37.
Again, I felt that the orchestra had some tentative moments in the beginning especially during the opening passage of the wind section. The long orchestral exposition was almost too unbearable as I anxiously waited for the piano part to begin. And Wong entered with a statement of authority which is in stark contrast to the cheerful Haydn piece. Gone was the playfulness of the Haydn and what was present was the seriousness, drama and maturity of Beethoven especially in this C minor key.
And with the command and authority of the first movement, Wong showed delicate touch with the accompanying arpeggio while the flute and bassoon played their solos during the second movement. This has always been my favorite part of the concerto and it made me absolutely relax and I knew that I had to savor that moment since it was all too brief.
So by the time of the Rondo in the third movement, Wong had the audience at the palm of his hand. I was almost hypnotized when he attacked the coda and in another odd moment, I thought about the earlier Haydn piece. How totally different the moods of the two pieces and how Wong was able to convey those two concertos magnificently. The audience showered Wong with thunderous applause that resonated around the theater that can make one think that the balcony sections were filled with people as well.
Wong then treated the audience with a recap of the finale of the Haydn piece for an encore. He was back to his cheerful self again. And it felt as if he was trying to put the audience back at ease after the drama of the Beethoven. But that wasn’t enough. For the second encore, he did a very interesting Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth. He started slower than usual, then played at the usual tempo, and then went faster than usual. It was the same for the dynamics with some passages played loud and turbulently. Overall, it was an interesting display of light and shade in that usually melancholic piece. I still can’t get over that Chopin.
For that night’s performance, only the orchestra section was available and it made the affair a lot more intimate. I knew beforehand that it would be a double piano concerto performance but upon receiving the programme, I found out that a Mozart overture would be the starting piece of the night.
I was delighted that the orchestra had a nice performance to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K.492. They played it comfortably and it made me feel relaxed which was a good way to start the show. It’s a popular piece and the orchestra had no problems with it. And it helped a lot that this overture is a favorite of mine because it just makes me happy whenever I get to hear it.
I am not really an avid fan of Joseph Haydn and the era where he came from. But that didn’t hinder me from enjoying Wong’s rendition of the Piano Concerto in D Major Hob. XVIII:11. It was playful, light, youthful and full of joy. There were a few tentative moments at the beginning when the orchestra couldn’t seem to get settled with the pace of the piano but they found their groove by the second movement. It was odd that I started thinking about the Beethoven piece which was to be played later on even while the Haydn was still being played.
I couldn’t help it since as I’ve said earlier that Haydn doesn’t do much for me. But it’s totally different for Ludwig van Beethoven. I admire Beethoven and his works especially his symphonies and piano sonatas and piano concertos. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited for Wong to finally play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37.
Again, I felt that the orchestra had some tentative moments in the beginning especially during the opening passage of the wind section. The long orchestral exposition was almost too unbearable as I anxiously waited for the piano part to begin. And Wong entered with a statement of authority which is in stark contrast to the cheerful Haydn piece. Gone was the playfulness of the Haydn and what was present was the seriousness, drama and maturity of Beethoven especially in this C minor key.
And with the command and authority of the first movement, Wong showed delicate touch with the accompanying arpeggio while the flute and bassoon played their solos during the second movement. This has always been my favorite part of the concerto and it made me absolutely relax and I knew that I had to savor that moment since it was all too brief.
So by the time of the Rondo in the third movement, Wong had the audience at the palm of his hand. I was almost hypnotized when he attacked the coda and in another odd moment, I thought about the earlier Haydn piece. How totally different the moods of the two pieces and how Wong was able to convey those two concertos magnificently. The audience showered Wong with thunderous applause that resonated around the theater that can make one think that the balcony sections were filled with people as well.
Wong then treated the audience with a recap of the finale of the Haydn piece for an encore. He was back to his cheerful self again. And it felt as if he was trying to put the audience back at ease after the drama of the Beethoven. But that wasn’t enough. For the second encore, he did a very interesting Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth. He started slower than usual, then played at the usual tempo, and then went faster than usual. It was the same for the dynamics with some passages played loud and turbulently. Overall, it was an interesting display of light and shade in that usually melancholic piece. I still can’t get over that Chopin.
Pianist See Siang WongAfter the performance, cocktails were served at the second floor hallway courtesy of Dusit Thani Hotel. I was able to have a brief chat with See Siang Wong and I told him how I felt about the Chopin encore. He told me that those deviations in tempo and dynamics were spontaneous and unplanned. Also among the crowd was Maestro Jae-Joon Lee who was with a group of very enthusiastic and very appreciative Koreans.
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