Enchanting performance, courtesy NSO

Enchanting performance, courtesy NSO

Armando Siahaan and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Some might beg to differ, but judging from the audience's
applause, the children's choir unwittingly outshone the symphony
orchestra during a collaborative performance by the Nusantara
Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and Indonesian Children's Youth Choir.

Dancing and singing in Acehnese traditional performances
Seudati and Saman, the choir quickened the audience's heartbeat
in a two-part concert that blended Western classical pieces with
Indonesian traditional performances.

Some of the girls in the choir managed to emulate the Acehnese
way of singing, with a wailing, vibrating sound that made the
audience hold its breath and tremble.

Every time the choir paused between movements, the audience
could not resist the urge to applaud heartily.

Wednesday's concert at Balai Sarbini, The Plaza Semanggi,
South Jakarta, enabled the audience to escape the hectic
metropolis in a night titled NSO Mid-Year Extravaganza.

Featuring harpsichordist Miwako Fukushi, the evening was
opened with J.S. Bach's Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings BMV
1052.

Fukushi's harpsichord delighted the audience, as not many
Indonesians are familiar with the piano-like instrument, the
plucked strings providing a soothing sound.

The NSO, which started in 1988, created a different mood in
the second with Felix Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony, the
orchestra under the baton of Edward van Ness, who conducted with
great passion.

After the intermission, the vivacious music was in marked
contrast to the solemnity of the opening half.

It began with the Seudati and Saman, which have choreography
of flabbergasting complexity.

It gave rise to an enthusiastic ovation, and was probably the
artistic pinnacle of the evening -- a way, perhaps, for Aceh to
shine amid all that darkness.

Subsequently, the audience was treated to a beguiling
performance by the Indonesian Youth Choir, conducted by its
founder, Aida Swenson.

African Sanctus was the first piece, and was harmonized with
Papuan instrumentals. The second was Balinese Janger, a
combination of music and dance that conveyed a sensual, erotic
nuance.

Although the singers were young, the vocals were mature. It
should therefore come as no surprise that they have performed in
Japan, Poland and the United States.

In between the choral performances, the orchestra played
another classical composition, this time excerpts from Igor
Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird.

Although they played well, the placement of a quieter piece
amid more lively ones raised quite a few eyebrows: It somewhat
deflated the high spirits of the audience.

The concert concluded with a piece by Otto Sidharta, titled
Jangeran, which derives its inspiration from the original Janger.
The idea was to combine Balinese gamelan with a symphony
orchestra.

It was a perfect way to end the night, as the music was rich
in creativity and inspiration, filling the audience with the
energetic spirit needed to start a brand new day. Bravo!