A parcel of 25 CDs arrived this afternoon, from which I found my own orderings including J.S.Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos by ABO/ Koopman and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 "Pathetique" by VPO/Karajan. The first one are euphonious baroque pieces, pure music like from heaven or maybe Mars? While the second one is the most heartstricken piece you can find in classical music, no, I should say in all human being music libraries on earth. As an A type aquarius monster, I’m collecting both.

I would never recommend anyone to listen to the second piece when he or she is sad. I still remember clearly the first and last time I played this work in my undergraduate dorm.  From then on, all my classical collections were prohibited from playing thru a pair of loudspeakers in the dorm. My dormmates said this piece was like funeral music. I was actually quite happy that time coz they were at least partly right.

Before getting this disc I got another version of this work already. However I seldom put it in my CD player in recent years. I dare not to listen to it unless I’m really sad. This piece is like doom to the composer who died two weeks after the first performence of this piece. All that left were two versions of this work and countless concerts with people cheering and crying.

Not really too surprisingly I realize my top 3 symphonies covered all that life is about. However If without Beethoven’s No. 9 "Choral", there would be only "Tragic" left—— Berlioz’s "Symphony Fantastique" and Tchaikvosky’s No.6 "Pathetique". Thank God I have all these!

Last week just got my subscription tickets for the 07/08 season. Glad to share with you those concerts to look forward to.

Compared with this season, I would say the coming one is much more starring. Familiar faces return and new stars debut with SSO.
The full season programme can be found here:
http://www.sso.org.sg/Default.aspx?CategoryId=7&tabid=1869
http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/searchevents/index.html?keywords=(SSO)
from which I’ll pick up those I’m going.

2007
Jul  27   Inspirational Notes
China’s young piano stars are not only Li Yundi and Lang Lang. Chen Sa is considered other rising one. Though I’m not really a piano fan, Ravel’s works are interesting and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 won’t be disappointing.
Sep 1    Flights of Fantasy
Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique is one of my top three favorite symphonies. Last month I went to KL to catch LSO’s benchmarking performence of this work. I believe SSO’s version would be very interesting as well.
Sep 14   Pictures of Passion
Pierre Amoyal’s return and Pictures at an Exhibition makes this concert a must go for me.
Sep 29   Remembrance of Things Past
Elgar one of my favorite composers, cello my favorite string instrument. Wang Jian’s return combines these two nicely.
Nov 3     Elgar Anniversary
Not really interested in Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. I’m crossing my fingers for an encore of "Nimrod".
Dec  1    Messiah
Most opera or vocal classical are in Italian. Thank God we have this baroque piece in English version.

2008
Jan  12   SSO 29th Anniversary
To celebrate the birthday of my beloved SSO.
Jan     18   Russian Rendezvous
To hear a musician "who looks set to dominate the pianistic world for a long time to come”Trpceski on Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto  No.1.
Mar 28  A Season in Dresden 
Every piece of the programme are in my favor.
April 12  Sweet Sorrow
The title of the concert is in my favor. And Kam Ning a local violinist worth to hear.
19  Echoes of China
Hear the sound from my motherland whose soil and water bred me up.
May 24  Rozhdestvensky Russian works
Looking forward to a nice "Winter Daydream" in a hot Singapore summer.

As you see, Sep and Oct 2007 are most mouth-watering months for music lovers. And don’t forget Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra(under name Vienna State Opera Orchestra) and Russian National Orchestra are visiting Singapore in Sep and Oct too. I realize I must starve for these two months already…

Feel free if you need any information or suggestion on subscribing for the whole season or going to a single concert.
As what I said time and time again, classical music isn’t far from anyone. Everyone would love it if they were given a proper chance. And I’m always a free consultant by your side.

• FINAL FANTASY^®
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