Five years hard work pays off for Capella Amadeus

Five years hard work pays off for Capella Amadeus

By Gus Kairupan

JAKARTA (JP): Seems like only yesterday that a group of nine
string players, known as Capella Amadeus, made its debut at
Erasmus Huis. The performance five years ago, a realization of
leader violinist Grace Sudargo's ideals, had all the trappings of
a beginner: technical shortcomings, a program that was limited to
easy-to-listen and, no doubt, easy-to-play works.

Easy to play? For the group of beginners, the music would have
been anything but. However, as the years went by, the group
progressed more and more. If in the first three years
performances were rather more than less confined to music from
such early classical composers like Albinoni, Vivaldi and early
Mozart, Capella Amadeus now includes in its repertoire romantic
and 20th century works from the likes of Benjamin Britten and
even none-too-harmonic stuff like Canadian composer Alexander
Brott's Critics Corner for strings and tympany.

No longer a group of nine, Capella Amadeus' players number
about 14 members. This is the standard total of string chamber
orchestras, so in at least the physical sense Sudargo may be said
to have reached her goal.

But getting together 14 (or any other amount) musicians does
not music make. You have to get them in shape to produce that,
which is where the hard work comes in. That is Grace's job, and
there is little doubt that she does it well, if the capacity
audiences at Erasmus Huis, where Capella Amadeus performs twice a
year, are anything to go by.

But the concerts, organized by Capella Amadeus itself, are not
the only activities. During the past five years the orchestra's
reputation has spread, and on about 10 occasions it has performed
for charity evenings, as well as participating in events that
featured foreign artists, such as the concert with two guitarists
from Germany and a 1996 concert under Australian conductor Philip
Green. Such is Capella Amadeus' reputation today that a former
member of the orchestra who hails from Germany has made the
effort to come back and join it again in the concert to be held
Saturday.

They work hard during the rehearsals.

"No, no! (this to the low instruments, cellos and bass) "Give
it a round, full sound... give it full bow." Or "play that in
the third position... that would be better." Or (giving vocal
indications of the rhythm) "Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya!" No wonder the
members look (and are!) exhausted after the two-hour session of
going through their paces until everything is right.

Exhausted, certainly, but also satisfied. Not a soft
taskmaster, Grace, and she does yell, but never is there a harsh
or unpleasant remark, and never does she show a trace of waning
optimism. It must be the new way of teaching music. How well I
remember the days with my second piano teacher, someone who was
very difficult to describe as belonging to the human race.
Remote, and ever ready to smite you with a sarcastic remark.
This was far worse than the first teacher, who was merely armed
with a ruler to administer raps on my knuckles.

The orchestra's members comprise teachers of the Amadeus Music
School which, like the Capella Amadeus String Chamber Orchestra,
is part of the Amadeus Music Foundation. Also the school's most
advanced students, some of whom are in their early teens, like
Peggy Seputra, 14, and Rebecca Wirakesumah, 13. Young they may
be, but they match their elders in the understanding of music.

The result of Grace's drilling during rehearsals, and, of
course, the sold-out concerts, are proof of her capabilities not
only as a performer, but also, and perhaps even more importantly,
as a teacher. A cum laude graduate of the Graz Conservatory in
Austria, she is also a member of the European String Teachers
Association, which was established under the auspices of one of
this century's foremost violinists, Yehudi Menuhin.

Her background in education probably accounts for the desire
to expand Capella Amadeus' activities, i.e. spreading
appreciation for classical music.

"Most activities of classical music are confined to Java,"
Grace said. "I think that people in the outer regions should also
be exposed to this art." But never having had a taste of such
music, would there be enough interest out there? She is convinced
there will, but then the orchestra should not just give concerts.
Workshops must also be part of the program -- in Java too, of
course, but even more so in places outside Java.

Beginning last year, Capella Amadeus for the first time "went
abroad" and appeared in Medan before an appreciative audience of
about 400 -- which happens to be a capacity audience even in
Jakarta. This year's program features, beside the concert this
week at Erasmus Huis, a tour to Bali, the main sponsor of which
is the Radisson Bali Hotel in Sanur. The hotel will be the host
of both a concert and workshop for students of classical music.
Proceeds of the Bali concert will be donated to a music school
that specializes in Indonesian music, but also has a small
department that concentrates on classical music.

It may be just five years old but Capella Amadeus String
Chamber Orchestra can already look back on an admirable track
record.