Jakartans learn to love classical music

Beccy Ann, Contributor, Jakarta

Entitled the Popstravaganza Holiday Concert, the performance by the Twilite Orchestra on Dec. 18 was packed with an audience of some 750 people.

The tickets were completely sold out, making it impossible to purchase them on the eve of the performance.

Held at the Graha Bhakti Budaya at the Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center, Central Jakarta, the performance was designed to add to the celebratory atmosphere of this festive season.

The repertoire was a mix between classical and popular pieces, with distinguished classics like Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite and Bizet's Farandole in the first half of the program.

In the second half, the Twilite Orchestra collaborated with singers Memes, Ricky Jo and soprano Linda Sitinjak, accompanied by the Twilite Chorus in more contemporary songs such as The Christmas Song and Winter Wonderland.

Also included in the second half of the program were musical themes from the films The Sound of Music and Home Alone, as well as White Christmas, the famous title song from the 1942 Bing Crosby movie.

It was the fourth Popstravaganza Concert that Twilite Orchestra has held, which marked the close of their season for 2002. As has become tradition for the orchestra, an informative lecture session led by Andrew Dougherty was held just prior to the concert.

During this session, various aspects of the evening's performance were explained and expanded upon, like the stories behind the music, the origins of the pieces, the various musical influences of the composers, and so on.

The session was an effort by conductor Addie M.S. to inform the audience about the repertoire before the performance, therefore familiarizing them to what they were about to hear.

At the end of the performance, the audience showered the orchestra, its chorus and guest performers with a standing ovation, and Addie graciously reappeared for three encores, to the enthusiastic veneration of the audience.

Upon first hearing the term "Popstravaganza", the most likely impression is that of an extravagant pop event. However, in this particular event, the entire first half was a collection of well- known classics, considered standard repertoire by most professional orchestras in the world. Having said that, however, the technical standard of the performance fell short of international standards.

"In terms of being able to play at the level of orchestras abroad, the Twilite Orchestra still has a lot of work to do. But this concert has been one of the best in terms of the professionalism of the orchestra -- practicing, punctuality, etc.," Addie said.

The classical compositions chosen were ambitious for any orchestra, especially The Nutcracker excerpts, for the reason that since the melodies are so famous, flaws are easily picked up.

Addie laughingly groaned, recalling the rehearsals.

"There were many, many difficulties, and there is still much to learn. Every concert is a learning opportunity, but we just need practice, and the next performance will be better."

Addie confirmed that The Nutcracker will be performed again, hopefully for more than the 26 minutes featured during this year's Popstravaganza.

Although Addie claims to hold classical music in his highest esteem, he said it is unlikely that the Twilite Orchestra will have an all-classical concert.

"We tried that once or twice, but the response was not very enthusiastic. Also, our sponsors did not support the idea."

Even at the Holiday Concert, the classical repertoire was all romantic music, which is more dramatic and would probably hold the audience's attention for a longer time, especially those new to classical music.

One thing quite odd was the sound system used for the first half, which seemed to be the same as the one used for the second.

There are not many orchestras who use microphones in classical performances, because the result is a more brittle sound, which results in a loss of the warm, unified acoustics of the orchestral ensemble.

Though a large amount of thought and calculation obviously went into the placing of microphones, sound barriers and speakers, one cannot help but wonder how the first half would have sounded without electronic enhancement.

Despite the shortcomings, the Twilite Orchestra is making an earnest attempt to instill an appreciation for classical music in the Indonesian public. While still catering to public demand for popular music, it is slowly trying to educate the audience about classical music.

The sold-out performance is a testament to the large following the Twilite Orchestra has gained in the years since its establishment in 1991, and music lovers of all ages could be seen enjoying the concert.

However, there were noticeably more listeners in the second half than in the first, and even while the orchestra was playing, the hall was audibly buzzing with activity, from mobile phone conversations to whispering between listeners.

Also evident was the difference in the applause for the first half and the second half. Compared to the stamping and cheering for the second half, the applause for the first half was merely polite, a non-committal obligation.

In regards inappropriate audience etiquette, such as entering the concert hall after a musical piece has already begun, or clapping in between movements, Addie admitted to being annoyed.

"It is disturbing but understandable, as the audience is still learning about classical music. This audience truly represents the general music-loving public of Indonesia, and the etiquette and behavior shown is an indicator of the stage we are at now concerning the understanding of classical music."

Although die-hard classical music lovers would have been disappointed, the Popstravaganza Holiday Concert had something for everybody, resulting in an enjoyable, well-rounded evening for its audience, and successfully accented this month's holiday season.

Beccy Ann is a student at the Pelita Harapan senior high school in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang. She has been at The Jakarta Post for two weeks as part of a work experience program.