Cellist Qin Li-Wei’s witty, elegant Shostakovich; OMM shines in Mahler’s Seventh Symphony

Qin Li-Wei Plays Shostakovich, Mahler 7

Orchestra of the Music Makers 
Esplanade Concert Hall
May 29, 7.30pm  

Since its inception, the Orchestra of the Music Makers has been known for its programming of massive orchestral works by the likes of Gustav Mahler and Richard Wagner.

Having played most of Mahler’s symphonies before, its concert on May 29 featured a piece it had not yet performed, the Seventh, paired with Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto.

Singapore’s favourite cello soloist Qin Li-Wei took a witty and elegant approach to the jaunty first movement, accompanied by a supersized string section. Although this allowed for a lush, voluminous sound, it sometimes drowned out Qin’s playing in the outer movements.

Throughout the concerto, the lone horn frequently functioned as an alter ego to the cello. Associate principal horn player Luke Chong opted for a brassy, bright tone, creating a relentless sound that was the polar opposite to Qin’s. 

The heartbreakingly beautiful second movement contained moments of consummate chamber playing from the woodwinds and hushed strings. Guest French conductor Alexandre Bloch conducted the concerto without a baton, sculpting the orchestra’s sound with his hands. 

Qin began the cadenza with a dark brooding soliloquy that built up in intensity and virtuosity into the finale, all while never losing the charm and finesse. If one must assume a certain madness to play this concerto, then Qin’s was certainly madness with great restraint.

After several curtain calls, Qin offered a deeply introspective Sarabande from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Third Cello Suite as an encore. 

In contrast to the polished refinement of the Shostakovich, Mahler’s Seventh Symphony saw the orchestra at full force, from the menacing beginning to the blazing finale.

Bloch’s version of the symphony was one that paid attention to the tiniest of details, but also retained the sense of overall structure. He was not one to luxuriate in the plush textures of the music, but made moments of tension and release, trusting the musicians to follow.

And follow they did, responding magnificently to his every stroke. He opted for a fresher and more transparent sound, bringing Mahler’s colourful orchestration to life. 

Especially noteworthy was trumpeter Lau Wen Rong’s dazzling fanfares, the homogenous sound that the brasses and wind sections were capable of producing, as well as concertmaster Chan Yoong Han’s silky solos that soared above the orchestra.

From the grotesquerie in the marches to the shadowy, scampering strings in the Scherzo to the glorious burst of light at the ending, every single section was outstanding, making the symphony a glorious, unified whole greater than the sum of its parts.