SINGAPORE – Jazz meets classical this month, as Singapore jazz stalwart Jeremy Monteiro takes the stage with home-grown chamber music orchestra re:Sound.
For Monteiro, 61, the Tapestry live performance is a means for him “to convey improvisation again to orchestral music in Singapore”.
The Cultural Medallion recipient says that whereas improvisation is likely one of the hallmarks of jazz, it was additionally a significant a part of classical music previously, the place improvisations on the theme of a bit have been widespread.
The custom step by step pale as notated scores turned more and more widespread, and musicians adopted reasonably than improvised upon present variations of a bit.
The live performance on Jan 22 will function six of Monteiro’s compositions, in addition to a bit by American jazz legend John Coltrane. The live performance will likely be opened by re:Sound with two actions of the Ravel String Quartet, organized for string orchestras.
Maurice Ravel was a key classical music composer of the early twentieth century. However re:Sound chairman Mervin Beng observes that the French composer was additionally “fascinated by jazz, which he heard in Parisian bars, and jazz affect may be heard in a few of his later works”.
Monteiro, who can also be educated in classical music, recollects {that a} author in Hong Kong as soon as described his model as “a mixture of Ravel and the blues”. He provides: “It’s extremely true as a result of I’m very interested in French Impressionistic concord, for instance, the works of Ravel and (Claude) Debussy.”
One of many authentic works he will likely be performing is a bit composed from scratch throughout a Fb Reside present.
“It was very enjoyable – the Fb Reside viewers was responding to my prompts, telling me, for instance, the place so as to add a piccolo tune or timpani,” he says. “Once I accomplished the composition, it sounded very very similar to a dedication to Mozart, who’s one other one in every of my favorite composers.”
The live performance is a part of his five-year plan to “catalyse the symphonic jazz motion in Singapore”.
Monteiro, who overtly declares his dislike for the labels continually slapped on music, says: “We’re calling the live performance Tapestry as a result of we’re attempting to weave jazz and classical music right into a seamless tapestry. On the finish of the day, it is simply music to me, particularly as a classically educated music scholar who went on to change into knowledgeable jazz musician.”
Whereas he left orchestral music behind to pursue jazz in 1991, he has been “listening to a siren name” to return to orchestral composition for the final seven to eight years.
It’s only now, as he celebrates his forty fifth anniversary as a musician, that he has chosen to heed that decision. “I wanted to attend till I had the musical sensibilities to execute my plans at a degree that matched my talents in jazz.”
Ebook it
Tapestry
The place: Singapore Convention Corridor, 7 Shenton Means
When: Jan 22, 4.30 and eight.15pm
Admission: $38 to $68 from Sistic