Twilite Orchestra on stage again

Twilite Orchestra on stage again

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

Thirteen years on, the Twilite Orchestra is very much alive and
shining in a country where classical music has long fought for an
audience.

Conductor and director of the orchestra Addie MS works
tirelessly to popularize classical music, rearranging pop and
Indonesian traditional songs for the orchestra.

Its first concert of the year was held at Balai Sarbini in
Central Jakarta on Monday. No introduction was necessary as
Wagner's difficult Prelude from Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
(the Master Singers of Nuremberg) brought the audience up to
speed.

The orchestra worked hard to tell the tale of young knight
Walther von Stolzing and his efforts to become a mastersinger,
with startling solos interjecting the rapid Prelude.

The orchestra has in fact recorded many of the works that were
featured on Monday night, including those of the great romantic
composers -- Giacomo Puccini, Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky, Giuseppe
Verdi and Richard Wagner.

Titled La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny) -- after
one of Verdi's opera -- the CD is the first in a series of CDs,
and on sale now.

The highlight of the evening came from Indonesian soprano
Aning Katamsi who sang Casta Diva, the melancholic prayer to the
Goddess of the Moon, from Italian Vincenzo Bellini's opera,
Norma.

The audience (and indeed the musicians) were able to relax
with a performance of the Waltz from Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky's
famous ballet Sleeping Beauty. Then came some romantic, yet
literal pieces from Puccini's La Boheme, Che Gelida Manina (How
cold is your hand) and O Soave Fanciulla (What a gorgeous girl).

Unfortunately, the domed hall of Balai Sarbini seemed an
unsuitable venue as Aning and tenor Christopher Abimanyu actually
struggled to be heard.

The self-taught Addie was pivotal to the success of the
concert. He went all-out, gesticulating to the 70 members of the
orchestra and 80-member choir, whom, in the past, he has led
through a wide array of music, from Beethoven to The Beatles. In
the process, Addie has matured to become an outstanding figure in
classical music here.

One of his focuses has been helping young Indonesians
appreciate classical music, and at the concert he made a special
announcement: "In August this year, the Twilite Youth Orchestra
will be formed."

Guest tenor Rosario La Spina from Australia gave the concert
its soul.

With his international reputation, including first place at a
tenor competition held by L'Accademia at La Scala in Milan, Italy
in 2000, and at Mario Del Monaco International Opera Competition
in 2002 -- La Spina managed to grabbed the audience's attention
and hold it.

He was the mastersinger of the concert when he sang Ah Si, Ben
Mio from Verdi's Il Trovatore and Questa o Quella from Verdi's
Rigoletto. His perfect intonation, expression -- and power to
overcome the poor venue -- were an absolute delight.

His voice was at times melancholic then, suddenly upbeat, as
he maintained power without losing a single word.

The concert ended perfectly with three trumpets sounding
Wagner's Grand March from Tannhauser from above, giving the
audience the impression that they were attending a royal banquet.
The standing ovation that followed was no surprise as it was
truly deserved.

Maybe Addie had decided early on that hard-to-digest classical
music should be followed by a light dessert. Part of Verdi's
popular opera La Traviata left a deep impression, with some
audience members still humming the opera as they left the hall.

The Twilite Orchestra has also recorded another album
featuring the works of local composers, titled Simfoni Negeriku
(A symphony for my country). It features Indonesia's national
anthem Indonesia Raya composed by WR Supratman and arranged by
Jos Cleber.