"Every hero becomes a bore at last." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I have no time and energy to do full reviews, but short notes on 2 recent concerts (which were largely-mostly okay):

At the NUS piano ensemble concert on Thursday, all the pieces save one were for piano duo (the exception was a transciption of BWV 974, with an Oboe). While this was more demanding technically, needing good timing and coordination between partners, it would've been nice to have some solo piano pieces for variety and to bring out the piano's (as opposed to pianos') tone better. Also, the limitation to duets meant that at least half the pieces were transcriptions of orchestral or chamber works - it is rare for a transcription to suit the new instrument well and rarer still for it to surpass the original (for example, Mars didn't have the right rhythmn or mood). Also, I hate Gershwin, so the second half was very blah (since it was all Gershwin), but oh well.


Meanwhile, conductors almost never talk to the audience, but at Friday's Symphony Orchestra concert, Lim Soon Lee, the conductor gave the longest talk to an audience I've heard, even going into some detail about some of the structure of Beethoven's 5th. Wah, must remember to go next year (even with the Brass flubs here and there, and the occasional funny chords from the strings).

The cello soloist was good, but Hob VIIb:2 seemed rushed, and the coordination with the orchestra wasn't very good (even though it was smaller than for the other 2 works), with the latter overpowering her at times and not always being on the same bar.