Two concerts were held in the past few months for my music report. Maximus Musicus Visits the Orchestra took place at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra on 3 June 2018. Harder Than This was the second concert I attended. It was held at KuAsh Theatre in TTDI KL on July 8, 2018. These concerts were very different. The one that was more entertaining was the one that was more serious. Maximus Musicus is entertaining and enjoyable, while Harder Than This is serious and serious. Maximus Musicus Visits the Orchestra(MMVTO) is a great way to introduce the orchestra and its members to the kids. The children can have fun exploring the instruments of the orchestra, much like Maximus did. As the adults performed some musical moves together, most of them seemed to have a great time. Harder Than This is, on the other hand, a musical composed mainly of teenagers and young adults.

This musical is unique because the performers actually performed their own life stories, making it feel very personal and authentic. It is really haunting and disturbing because it touches on the subject of suicide and depression. I know that depression sufferers need to have an outlet. Art is one way. They can let out their “demons” through art. I am now able to reach out and help people with depression. Only those who are willing to conquer their depression can we help them. This medical condition is serious and people need to be aware of it. Befrienders KL are organizers to help us understand this. In an effort to raise awareness about depression, Befrienders KL teamed up with Harder Than This. Maximus Musicus Visitors the Orchestra was my classical concert. Gene Chang was the conductor, and Datuk Yusmin Yusuff was the storyteller. Maximus was well narrated and interpreted by Datuk Yasmin Yusuf. Her playful expressions and engaging manner are enough to captivate the mostly younger audience. It was wonderful to see how much the children enjoyed it. It was like I was transported back to the past. The story starts with Maximus Musicus, also known as Maxi, looking for a warm place for the night. Maxi, a mouse, falls asleep in a large, undiscovered building. A loud noise interrupted Maxi’s peaceful sleep. Maxi soon realized that the loud, ringing noise was actually music from musical instruments. Maxi’s story begins when he finds out which instruments were being played, while the orchestra was busy practising for the performance.

My family and I had attended the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra many, many times when we were children. However, after a while, our attendance stopped. I have no idea why. As a youngster, I remember the huge concert hall. Everything seemed enormous to me back then. After many years, I was still surprised to see the concert hall. It was smaller than I imagined. It seemed like everything had diminished in size. The concert hall was buzzing with excited chatter when I entered it. Everybody was eager for the concert, especially the children. Everyone looked their best. The outfits were smart casual, which is somewhere in the middle of casual and formal. They adhere to a strict dress code at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. No shorts, singlets or collerless T-shirts were allowed. Students are permitted to wear school uniforms. However, the performers looked great in their costumes. The colour scheme was black. They were simply stunning. The chatter stopped once the concert began. Throughout the musicians’ performance, everyone was considerate. It was good etiquette for people to refrain from talking while they were listening to the music.

This was my first ever musical. For my first time, it was not bad. It was smaller than the concert hall for the grand Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Despite being small, the concert hall felt intimate due to its proximity to the stage. So I was right in front of the performers, I sat in row 2. Due to the high, long curtains that covered the hall, it was very dark.

This concert did not have a dress code. The concert was open to all. Each scene required that the performers change their attire. The audience was smaller for the orchestra concert than the musical.

The classical concert featured eight pieces. The programme featured, among other pieces, Mozart’s energetic Abduction From The Seraglio and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Rossini’s Finale was also from William Tell. This is the piece that is most well-known as the theme for The Lone Ranger. Ravel’s Bolero was also included, as well as Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Infernal Dance and Maxi’s Songs composed by Olafsdottir. 1, Op.46: 1. Morning Mood is written by Grieg.

Live Performance Concert Review: The Cathedral’s Chamber Music

Life is all about the experiences that we have. There are many extravagant experiences that we might brag about, but then there are valuable experiences. These are the ones that matter to us and are meaningful in a way that is different from others. It’s important to share worthwhile experiences with people we don’t know. Before I started college, I had never been able go to a concert, much less a classical one. It was a great experience that I had, as many people have never had it.

Thursday, October 10, 2019, 7:00 pm, was my first concert as a chamber musician at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Little Rock, Arkansas. Kiril and Stephanie Smittle (voice) performed the concert, along with Carl Anthony (piano), which featured various pieces of music written by famous violinists. It was a wonderful atmosphere. The host was polite and respectful. The audience was small and contained a mix of adults and children. The performers were dressed in black, but the audience was casually dressed. The 7 songs were played by piano and violin, with one song being played only by voice and violin. I will concentrate on the music pieces and experiences I enjoyed, but I won’t forget the moment.

The concert began with two pieces that were played by both piano and violin. Fritz Kreisler’s “Praeludium and Allegro”, was the first piece of music that was played. The music piece was composed by Fritz Kreisler. The second section, in 16th-notes, is fast-paced and builds to a flashy, quasi-cadenza. “Introduction, Rondo Capriccioso” was the second piece of music performed. Camille Saint- Saens composed 28. This section begins slowly and is marked by a plaintive falling leap followed by a rising arpeggio. The introduction gradually becomes animated and leads to the Rondo proper. The violin plays a Spanish-inspired theme, which is the result of syncopation with chromatic inflection. The violin was the instrument that was most prominent in the melodies. The harmonies would be difficult to consume for someone with little music knowledge.

As they continued to perform, the violin played “Four Songs for Violin & Voice” composed Gustav Holst. Although I found the voice a little strange, I enjoyed it. After the voice and the violin had performed their piece of music, the piano and the violin performed Niccolo Pagadini’s “Cantabile”, an excellent example of a three part song. The violin seems to cover almost the entire performance. The performance ended with the song being recited from the beginning. The concert was completed by the violin and piano with three additional songs: “Tango” “Por Una Cabeza”, composed by John Williams, “Finale From Concerto, Op. Jean Sibelius composed “47” and Nigel Hess composed “Theme From ‘Ladies in Lavender”. The last three songs are my least favourite.

It was a wonderful experience to have my first concert as a performer. The concert lasted for about an hour. Everyone was focused on listening to the music and enjoying the show. The audience and performers were separated by a small distance, but it wasn’t too much. This allowed everyone to fully enjoy the music and feel the energy throughout the concert. The church could accommodate over 100 people. It also had a high ceiling, which made it echo better and made instruments and voices sound even better. It was amazing. There was no one clapping until the last piece. Overall, my first concert was a great experience. I look forward to another concert with chamber music one day.