Orchestra of the Music Makers (2018)

Erich Korngold (1897-1957) was proclaimed by Gustav Mahler as a genius at the age of 10, and by 23, his opera Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) had brought him international renown. A Jew, he fled the advancing Nazi armies for America. With rich harmonies and lush melodies, he wrote 23 film scores, won two Academy Awards, and is considered today to be one of the founding fathers of the symphonic film score.

The Violin Concerto was commissioned in the wake of the Second World War by Polish virtuoso Bronislaw Huberman, and subsequently popularised by Jascha Heifetz.

Presented in three movements, the First Movement features themes from the films Another Dawn and Juarez, with lush, soaring lyricism juxtaposed with more spirited moments. The Second Movement features a theme from Anthony Adverse dressed as a Romance. The overtly virtuosic Third Movement opens with a rousing jig. The soloist is required to display extreme virtuosity throughout, and a broadly sweeping second theme from The Prince and the Pauper leads to a jubilant climax.*

OMM performed at Esplanade Concert Hall on 13 January 2018 for OMM10: Discover, which opened the orchestra’s 2018 season by revisiting highlights from its earliest years.

*Reproduced from Mr Christopher Cheong’s programme notes.

The show must go on and for Offstage, it goes on...line. Specially culled from Esplanade's archives, this series of performances by leading acts in Singapore and Asia was first released in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, with the aim to nourish souls and sate audience's appetites for the arts during trying times.