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!