From Pearl Harbour to a largely overshadowed Japanese conductor (Part 1)

Time flies. It all happened 70 years ago. Nowadays Christmas is a day of joy and fun for the new generations in Hong Kong. For my grandparents, 25 December was a day to be remembered in sorrow and fear. The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during WWII started on 25 December, 1941. Over the years, I had a decent collection of those tragic and horrendous tales about the 3 years and 8 months of Japanese occupation told by my grandparents and even my parents who were just children at that time. Their first-hand experiences are testamentary to the sufferings and atrocities of life under Japanese occupation. These were burn marks scorched in their minds which our generation, who has always been living in peacetime, will never be able to appreciate fully. I realised this in my grandparents' eyes when the stories were told. Particularly affecting was my grandma telling me how helpless they were when her whole family clustered in a small room waiting for fate to decide their survival during the area bombing of Wanchai, Hong Kong Island at that time.

My grandma was the person closest to me, apart from my parents, during my childhood and teenage years. She passed away a few years ago. She is the epitome of all the virtues present in traditional Chinese women. Her words were always soothing to my mind. I still miss her very much. 

The Japanese attack on Hong Kong started on 8 December, 1941, only less than half a day after their surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. When I think of Pearl Harbour, I start to think of the US-Japanese negotiations in the months before the attack occurred. What if the talk had been successful and the Pacific War aborted? One person involved in these US-Japanese negotiations was Kaname Wakasugi (若杉 要), Minister-Counsellor of the Japanese Embassy in the USA in 1941. How important his role was in affecting the final outcome of the negotiations is of interest to historians, and I've read a fair bit of it, but not to me here. It is his son, Hiroshi Wakasugi (若杉 弘), a conductor largely overshadowed internationally by Seiji Ozawa (小澤 征爾), and domestically by Takashi Asahina (朝比奈 隆), that I'd like to discuss.

Original plan disturbed

Just when I could have found some free time to write something on this blog over the weekend, I was struck down by a bout of fever and diarrhoea. I couldn't go to work last Saturday -- yes, I have to work on Saturdays. So tired. 

Original plan was my brief impressions on the Chailly concert, the forthcoming Furtwangler Bruckner 5th CD on Testament, and if possible, the Keilberth Bruckner recordings.

These all will have to wait for a little longer. Still low-grade fever and headache but improving.

New Year resolution for this blog

This is the time of the year to make summaries and resolutions. In fact I've had a number of blog drafts to be published in the pipeline, but never had time to finish them. So now I list my planned entries, including those I expressed a wish to elaborate in the past:

1) My Furtwangler collection,
2) Keilberth's Bruckner recordings, in particular the 6th,
3) Bruckner recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
4) Bruckner recordings with the Concertgebouw Orchestra,
5) Bruckner recordings with the Gewandhaus Orchestra,
6) Recent releases: Blomstedt's and Haitink's Bruckner 5th, Maazel's Bruckner recordings,
7) Continue with more frequency the "Enlivening path" series,
8) More when they come to mind.

Once again, wish you all a healthy and happy 2011.

Part of the log of a morning with a good mix of ......

I've never written anything directly related to my profession, but today is a little different. My professional clients (I've never accepted calling them cases -- it is so inhuman to do so) this morning provided a good mix of the spectrum of feelings that they evoked in me, and it became natural that I made a little log of them.

AA is a 45-year-old lady who first came to see me in February. Hypertension was diagnosed 5 years ago and she was treated with medication with fair control of BP. In the recent 2 years, her doctors stepped up her medication in view of worsening control. When I saw her she was on 4  kinds of antihypertensive pills. She consulted another doctor because of some side-effects of the pills and she stopped taking some of them. Her BP was disturbingly raised, up to 200/108. I explained to her the management plan: adequate control of her BP, assessment of any end-organ damage, and exploration of any secondary causes. Blood and urine tests were normal but USS kidneys showed a discrepancy in their sizes, one being 2.1 cm larger than the other. MRA for renal arteries was suggested but she'd like to consider. Her BP was quite well controlled at around 130/82 in subsequent visits after I changed some of her medications, and she agreed to MRI adrenals + MRA renal arteries after she couldn't get it done free from her past medical carer. Today the results came back and fibromuscular dysplasia is highly suggestive. I'm pleased to have found a treatable cause for her hypertension and also grateful for her trust in me. What is most important in the end is that I can help her. Not at all a bad beginning to a busy morning.

Then came CC who is by now 19. He is autistic with some behavioral problems a few years back. He was brought in by his father and a domestic helper. I first saw him when he was 9. I've always had empathy to his parents. They have gone through so much hardship and pains to raise him. The long necklace with many attached charms of religious purposes worn by CC just shows how desperate his parents are in their attempt to bring peace of mind to him. Empathy is essential in our profession, but sometimes strong empathy will require a long and difficult disengagement after the consultation to bring us back to our previous self. 

A big contrast followed. DD is now 23. I remember the shy innocent girl of 9 when I first saw her. She finished her university studies in the UK, and is now working as a professional in an international firm. Without realising how much time has passed, I now find before me a pleasant educated young woman. I feel happy for her parents. Life is full of contrasts, but the grim determination of parents to make sure that their children are safe and sound never changes. I thank my parents, wholeheartedly.

HQ CD -- Differences That I've Never Dreamt Of

When I came back to the Bruckner 7th by Matačić and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, I mentioned the prompt of the HQ CD query from Savio. At that time I thought it might be a waste of money to buy a much more expensive HQ CD when I've already enjoyed this recording so much. But I believe Savio's ears, and he said after he's listened to the sampler he made up his mind to buy some of these HQ CDs. So I asked myself, why not take the plunge and try?

So here are the pictures of the pair, the "normal" CD alongside the new incarnation.

I quite like the discreet cover and back tray design, not falling into the trap of blandishing in large typeface the advantages of the new medium.

One fine Monday afternoon I listened to this new HQ CD using low-fi gears: a pair  of headphones with the disc played by a notebook computer via the Creative SB Digital Music SX connected by USB.  I started with the  "normal" CD first, then followed by the HQ one. The original CD has very good sound already, but the HQ CD has more definition in the strings sound and a firmer bass. This is not important, and I'm not particularly excited about it. However what went on was really eerie. My body was covered with goose bumps and then my eyes were wet but I was not crying. (That sounds quite similar to Artur Rubinstein's reaction when he attended Richter's concert.) Then came the sudden exclamation of "Oh, God" with a feeling of inevitability in the music. The music simply touched my heart. My heart strings were in resonance with it.

I didn't have many instances of these reactions when I listened to records as far as I can remember. Those that came quite naturally to my mind are the times when I listened to the  Funeral March in Furtwängler's wartime Eroica, and the long-held notes of the opening motif of Beethoven 5th in his first return to the BPO podium in 1947. As for Bruckner, it was when I first listened to the opening of Bruckner 4th by Wand and BPO in a sample excerpt provided by Gramophone. I can list a few more if I search my memory but does it have to?

This HQ CD all of a sudden becomes an indispensable part of my collection. I'm really blessed in this way. What else can I ask for?

Earthquake in Kaohsiung (高雄)

Wish all the people in Kaohsiung well. My thoughts are with them.

Hope that eaquson, who lives there, has not been adversely affected by the earthquake.

Gifts from England (1)

Andrew came back on Sunday. Last night we shared a bottle of red wine at dinner. Not an expensive one. Just one of those gifts I received a couple of months ago. A Chilean G7 2007 Reserve. Good rich colour. The right amount of tannin. A really good and enjoyable evening.

He brought back Haitink's CSO B7. I haven't listened to Haitink's Bruckner for quite some time. He is now one of the few Brucknerians to reckon with.

Haitink is one of those few who can tame the mammoth of Bruckner's orchestral writings. For some conductors, it seems that the music flings them around with its ebbs and flows; they just can't control it. Bruckner's symphonies have been described as existing in sound blocks, a much quoted cliché. However, Haitink can smoothen them into a large landscape with undulating mountains and valleys. He just has the knack to join these "blocks" almost seamlessly. When we listened to this B7 together,  I was happy that Andrew could discern one of Haitink's tricks. He is now quite familiar with B4, B7 and B8 already, having listened to them countless times in his dorm. Haitink tends to resort to a rallentando towards the end of a theme, which gives you an impression that the present theme will not come to an abrupt halt before the next theme gets off. In other words, he employs a fading-out method to maintain a sense of continuity. His gift is that all these do not sound unnatural, thanks in part to his avoidance of a fading-in. The next theme comes to life at once, and this will not make the transition too artificially protracted. His Bruckner is smooth and soothing, and not haunting, the latter being the best attribute on a day when I'm not in the mood for some dramatic contrasts. It is like a bottle of mellow wine.

As for this recording, taken from live concerts in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, Chicago on 10, 11, 12 and 15 May 2007, Haitink's soft approach was nicely balanced by the rather bright Chicago brass which adds some much-needed rigidity and jaggedness to the reading, and without which the whole musical architecture would have been too soft-focussed for the listener to discern clearly. 

Other niceties of Bruckner Andrew brought back home include B4 (1989), B7 (1984) and B8 (1981) by Klaus Tennstedt and LPO in the latter's own label. All were live recordings of single concerts made by BBC Radio 3.  All are warmly welcomed additions to my Bruckner archive. Andrew is showing some delicacy of taste now.


PS (20 Jan 2010). Thanks to the comments by Eaquson from Taiwan, I'd like to add some of my experience with Haitink's Bruckner. In fact I've been following his Bruckner for a long time.

In the 1980s, he recorded B3, 4, 5 & 8 with the Vienna Philharmonic on Philips. At that time a full cycle with this orchestra was anticipated, but it eventually did not materialise. Then came a long period of no new Bruckner recordings from him until the recent couple of years when several live recordings were released. 

His recordings of B8 become a special case for him as his earliest recording with the CO on Philips was troubled by a very brisk tempo. His later recordings with the CO (again), VPO, then Staatskapelle Dresden were getting better and better.

Inheritance starting to surface

It's been more than a week now, and I'm still smiling to myself. My big muscular son Andrew has been listening to Clara Haskil's CDs while he is reading, and he likes them!

I ordered the Philips Clara Haskil box-set from Amazon UK and had it delivered to Andrew, as this box-set was sold out in HK and in many parts of the world.  I have so many of her CDs already but I like box-sets, especially "complete" ones, so I still want to have this set. It just proves that her music not only moves someone as old as me, but also soothes a young sporty young man like Andrew.

How wonderful.

He will in turn be enticed by Haitink's CSO B7.......................

Enjoyable homework

After more than a month of hustle and bustle, at last I can find some time to finish my "homework" prescribed by Savio. There is one left, the review on B4 1874 version discs. But this should be finished in one or two days.

I can also start my "Memories" series of posts.

Further I could squeeze some time to attend the HKPO concert conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. His son, Sasha, played the Beethoven violin concerto. The second half was Shostakovich Symphony No. 10. The Beethoven concerto lasted almost an hour, but some reviewers said they liked this broad tempo. Sasha was mediocre at best, but most of the audience were so thrilled that they enticed him to an encore.

The Shostakovich Tenth showed the committed playing of the HKPO and the mastery of the Maestro. Savio was so enthralled that he declared this symphony becoming the best symphony under the baton of Gennadi. As I've never been attuned to Shostakovich's symphonies, I'm bound to be biased. My short answer to him was "blessings upon you" for he could find and experience something in life that he could rejoice from the bottom of his heart, which is something verging on a luxury these days when people became so blase as to dismiss even a blaze of wonderful music making before them.

Many exciting new CDs to come, and I still haven't finished listening to the glorious Wand/DSO set. Oh dear!

When the heart is touched and hurt

Sometimes I think I can understand the psychology of Bruckner when he was getting old, and his apparent neurotic behaviour towards women.

I have seen not too few men who have the courage to tell me their stories and air their grievances. I say “not few”, but I believe there must be far more men who don’t have the courage or the mood to tell others their plight out there in society. The reverse can also be true – the so called selection bias in research.

Their stories are very similar, and they go on like this. When a man gets old or just gets older, when his job is not secure, and has little money in reserve, he may lose his confidence. He will think he is no longer young now, and with all the family burdens piling up on him, he feels he is doomed to a life of loneliness and despondence, because his wife is leaving him, albeit not physically, at least psychologically. The cruel fact is, I was told, even those who have said they love him are just paying lip service, and will mock him and desert him, and that includes his very wife. The help that we can offer is some supportive counselling or psychotherapy, but some will even need drug treatment for the resulting depression. Is that part of the symptomatology of andropause (male menopause)? We are still uncertain of the answer. But what we can perceive and be sure is that these men will feel the pain, deep inside.

I hate to mention it, but men are at times, if not most of the time, very naïve. I’ve seen many cases of men who have devoted all their time, energy and money to the family, and in return their efforts come to a naught. (Of course the reverse can happen to many a woman.) This is the stark realities of life. It is sort of similar to Bruckner’s great effort in composing symphonies, and in the end he was only left with the torso of an unfinished symphony, albeit his greatest one, at the time of his death. Listen to the Adagio of Bernstein’s 1990 VPO Bruckner Ninth and experience how the strings mourn and weep and you will encounter the moment when the heart is touched and hurt.

After almost 2 years and when this blog is on the verge of oblivion, I can post something new at last.

I've caught up with the new Bruckner recordings, and am really surprised to look back on such a sparse output in the past couple of years.

Herbert Blomstedt has emerged as the new Brucknerian, thanks to his recordings on Querstand. I'm really impressed by his CDs. He has grown from his Denon years in 1980-1981, through his Decca years in the 1990's, to a new height lately with his performance with the Gewandhaus Orchestra.