A fitting homage to brilliant composer Johannes Brahms

By Gus Kairupan

JAKARTA (JP): Probably the one composer who very rarely gets exposure in Jakarta is that giant from Germany, Johannes Brahms.

Is it because his music isn't easily accessible? Maybe. There is, at least, one feature I can think of which makes him so complicated to one's ears -- he appears to be doing with chords what Bach used to do with notes.

Perhaps you could describe what Brahms did as harmonic polyphony. That's complicated enough, but one of my teachers was the kind who, if she were to teach someone how to swim, would just toss you in the pool.

Any complaint or remonstration I had was met with an indulgent smile and the message that "you'll get the hang of it".

That was something extremely novel for someone with an educational background (music included) that tells you what to do or not to do. But I did get the hang of it, and have been a solid Brahms fan from then on.

So, of course, I could not and would not miss the all-Brahms concert presented by Yayasan Musik Internasional (YMI) at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta last week.

Besides, the paper you're going through now asked me to cover the event. I must say that I had a most enjoyable time, and if snippets of conversations I overheard are true, many others in the audience shared my feelings.

The concert presented a variety of works by Brahms, who lived from 1833-1897, from compositions for voice and instrumental combinations, performed by artists whose names are well known to classical music lovers in Jakarta.

And true to the foundation's name, the performers were of different nationalities --- Japanese (violinist Utako Furuse and mezzo soprano Yoshie Hosokawa), American (violist Sharon Eng, pianist Halimah Brugger and cellist Reynard Rott) and, of course, Indonesian.

Opening the concert were Aning Katamsi Asmoro and Binu Sukaman, who are the only sopranos of considerable worth this country has. The composition they presented was a small cycle of five songs, Ballads & Songs for Two Voices and Piano (Op. 84), with Iswargia Sudarno at the piano. Two voices of different timbre, one round and full (Aning) and the crystalline tones of the other (Binu's). Combine that with a clear diction and well- nigh perfect cooperation between all three and the result was pure joy.

What Aning and Binu did that evening was the sort of thing for which they were trained and for which there exist deplorably few opportunities in this country. One would like to hear their voices in a really substantial composition soar over an orchestra without any electronic amplification.

Yoshie Hosokawa possesses a full bodied voice and probably the strength to go with it.

The composition was one for voice, viola and piano (Op. 91), with Eng and Brugger. What the performance lacked was projection. It wasn't easy to tell whether or not Yoshie was holding back, but from what I remember of the song (heard it for the first time) the tessitura can't be much of a problem. At any rate, there were moments that I wished she would open her mouth more and really throw the tones into the hall.

As for the two other compositions, Sonata for Cello and Piano in E-Minor Op. 38 and the Quartet for Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano in A-Major Op. 26. Well, the whole evening belonged to these two works, and, of course, the artists who brought them to life.

The Sonata was performed by Reynard Rott and Iswargia Sudarno, while the Quartet featured Utako Furuse on violin, violist Sharon Eng, Reynard Rott on cello, and at the piano, Pudjiwati Insia Effendi who is also the director of YMI. If Reynard Rott held audiences spell-bound with his solo recital of modern and avant garde compositions a week ago, his performance in Brahms' works was no less amazing. He will be leaving in a few weeks, which is a pity, but on the other hand, he is, at 21, far too young to be tied down as a teacher.

But the one who really merits special mention here is high school student Utako Furuse. I heard her the first time about one year ago at a recital organized by The Circle and was even then exceedingly impressed by her talent.

The girl has advanced so much, played with aplomb and confidence, and held herself very well against the three others who are her seniors in age as well as experience. One looks forward to her next performance. Thumbs up too for Eng with whom Furuse studies at present.

A fitting tribute indeed for Brahms, one of the greatest composers of classical music, who departed a hundred years ago. As for YMI, this is not the first time that it has given a public concert, but I dare say the one they presented last week by far topped the previous ones. All those involved in organizing and presenting the concert are of course aware that a standard has been set.