Montage: Concerto for Jazz Piano & Orchestra - SSO National Day Concert 2019

Conceived as a concerto for solo Jazz piano and orchestra, “Montage” was commissioned by conductor Tsung Yeh for the gala opening of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s 2010 concert season, featuring Jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro. Subsequently, Tsung, Monteiro and the SCO performed Montage to audiences across Shanghai, Nanjing and Suzhou during their 2014 concert tour of China, and also to a full house audience at the Dewan Filharmonik (Kuala Lumpur) in 2015. Recorded live at the Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore, 10 Aug 2019. ft. Jeremy Monteiro, piano Tamagoh, drums Christy Smith, bass Samuel Phua, soprano saxophone Joshua Tan, conductor, Janis Wong, sign language interpreter Singapore Symphony Orchestra Movement I 00:01 Movement II "Ballad" 09:05 Movement III 15:35 In 2015, maestro Chan Tze Law commissioned the re-scoring of Montage for Western symphony orchestra. This was premiered by Jeremy Monteiro and the Orchestra of the Music Makers at the Esplanade on 7 March 2015. The first movement of Montage is driven by forward-moving rhythmic groove, infusing Jazz harmonies with traditional Chinese tonal elements, and featuring a diverse mix of instrumental colours. The second movement is a contemplative ballad blending Baroque and Jazz harmonies. Originally featuring a duet between solo erhu and Jazz piano, the Western symphonic re-scoring presents a poignant musical pas de deux between solo soprano saxophone and pianist. The violins and clarinets provide the orchestral countermelody for this movement. Montage closes with a celebratory third movement reminiscent of the festive atmosphere of the mardi gras and Jamaican Calypso music. The pianist engages in improvisatory dialogues with the bassist, drummer and orchestral instruments. The movement concludes with a tribute to Rhapsody In Blue – the progenitor of all Jazz piano concertos. Montage is dedicated to Jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro, in celebration of his 50th Birthday in 2010. In the final movement, one might hear the motifs of the “Happy Birthday” tune in a brief interlude after the intense exchanges of improvisatory solos – signalling the return of the main theme. (Programme note by Kelly Tang). KELLY TANG (b. 1961) Kelly Tang’s compositions have been performed by the Russian National Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines (UK) and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. His music has been presented worldwide at Berlin Konzerthaus, Musikverein Golden Hall (Vienna), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Palais de l’Élysée (Paris), St. Paul’s Cathedral (London) and Carnegie Hall (New York). For Singapore’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Tang’s Concerto in Three Movements was premiered by superstar pianist Lang Lang with the Metropolitan Festival Orchestral in 2015. For his contributions in the arts, Tang was conferred the Cultural Medallion in 2011 by the President of Singapore. Thumbnail Photo of Marina Bay, Singapore, by Shubhankar Sharma/Unsplash