The last few months in the Kingdom and ramblings

Before I left the UK, I decided to watch as many concerts as possible. I went to 3 Proms concerts which were

1. Britten: Requiem Sinfonietta, Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1 and Shostakovich: Symphony No.7 by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
   
2. Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn and Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 by the Australian Youth Symphony Orchestra
   
3. Mozart: Der Schauspiel Direktor (Overture), Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1, Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade and Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Of the three, my favourite was undoubtedly the second concert, which completely blew me away! It just amazes me to see young people (under 18s) play music to such a high level. It gives the concert a lot more meaning. That real music still lives in young people in the world. That not only old age pensioners listen to serious classical music. Also, concerts by younger orchestras tend to be more energetic in my opinion. You can feel the excitement just radiating from all the young faces on the stage. It's not everyday that they get to perform in the Royal Albert Hall. It's not everyday that they get to play in the BBC Proms, the biggest classical music festival of the world. And it's not everyday that they get to play for thousands of people. Whereas when I watch professional orchestras (especially where most of the members are quite old), I sense the feeling of boredom on stage. I sense the feeling that for some of the musicians, what they are doing is work. The same routine. It doesn't excite them to perform in the Royal Albert Hall. It's just another big famous hall among the countless others they've played in. Hence, I feel that when a youth orchestra plays in a magnificent hall like the Royal Albert, they are putting in a 110% of effort and concentration. You can feel them immersing themselves in the piece they are playing. You can hear the power of the accents that they play, or of the crescendos and decrescendos. You can hear every detail of the piece being executed with utmost perfection.
This was how perfectly Shostakovich's 10th was played on the night. The sad phrases were played with such sorrow that you can see a look of depression from the faces of the orchestra. You can imagine the suffering of the people of Russia under the tyranny of Stalin. How the freedom to be human was completely stifled and no one trusted anyone. The feeling of terror that lived portrayed with musical iciness. There was nothing to look forward to but death. But as the piece moves on, you start to hear hope. Stalin dies. And finally, the jubilant celebration ensues with relentless power and exaltation. The sheer volume of the piece was staggerring, in fact, deafening. And the return of individuality, marked by the DSCH motives in the last movement.








I was completely and utterly blown away. I was almost reduced to tears by the sheer perfectness of the performance. By the fact that it was performed by an orchestra of under 18s. Wow.

At times like these, I feel very passionate about starting a music programme in Malaysia. What would I do if I was a billionaire? Hmmm.
I would sponsor a nationwide music programme (something like the Simon Bolivar Programme in Venezuela) where schools would be provided with classical instruments and music lessons would be given free. Students would be encouraged to sit ABRSM grades, and their success would be rewarded by membership of State Youth Symphonies, which would regularly perform classical repertoire in concert halls in every state (newly built to the best specifications, of course, with acoustics like the Barbican centre). This would give the Malaysian public more exposure to this form of art, which they are currently severely losing out on. They would also be encouraged to excel in the music programmes (measured by ABRSM grades and acquisition of Diplomas) as it would be recognised by local public universities and would help them for entry into competitive courses. The musicians who do well would also be eligible for scholarships to read music in the best music schools and universities of the world, such as Guildhall, Juilliard, Trinity, Cambridge, The Moscow Convervatory and the St Petersburg Conservatory. The best of the best musicians in the country would be granted membership into the Malaysian Youth Symphony which would hold biannual international tours and perform in the best concert halls in the world.
Job opportunities would also be open to them by the formation of professional Symphony Orchestras in all the major cities.

This would not only enrich Malaysians with music, put also give them the power to express themselves and their culture in the form of music. The knowledge that they acquire can be used to compose pieces that showcase the vibrant culture of Malaysia that can be performed worldwide. Malaysia needs a Tchaikovsky, a Shostakovich, a Mahler, a Sibelius, a Mozart, a Beethoven. These amazing composers have contributed to the world with their timeless pieces and have given their countries such great prominence as a result.

This programme would also be the saviour to all those Malaysians whom the Education System has failed. The Malaysian education system is so out of date and does not encourage creativity at all. It only encourages science, which causes art to be viewed so negatively (viewed as a field for less intelligent people). Hence a lot of people who are artists at heart are forced into fields that they have absolutely no passion for, such a medicine and engineering. They will go on to live their lives thinking about the dream that could've been. And of course, for those who don't try to conform to the system, they will find it extremely hard to succeed in the country and will go overseas in search for better opportunities that suit their talents. Some would end up as rebellious youths who then turn into social delinquents as they give up on the system. Well, this programme would certainly be a godsend for all these Malaysians, and would give art and music the image it truly deserves in this country.

Will this dream of mine come true? I need to be a billionaire first!