Camelia

 

 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, 05.09.2007
Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta


There's more to Brazil than soccer, samba and capoeira, says Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia
Edmundo Sussumu Fujita.

Over the past 54 years, he said Monday, "Political and economic relations have been very well
established. But ... if you ask a Brazilian `what do you know about Indonesia?' they will answer,
Bali ," Ambassador Fujita said.

This week, Jakartans can deepen their understanding of Brazilian culture. From Sept. 6-11, a range
of activities will be held daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bentara Budaya Jakarta in Central
Jakarta to celebrate Brazil 's 185th Independence Day.

If you are a fan of capoeiraa combination of martial arts, sport and danceyou should not miss the
demonstrations by capoeira groups the International Sinha Bahia de Capoeira-Indonesia and Grupo de
Capoeira, Mandinga Brasileira.

And you can learn Brazilian dances in the Beyond Samba session on Sept 9 at 11 a.m.

For those interested in Portuguese, Janaina Spitzbarth will be teaching Portuguese for beginners
at the event. Spitzbarth has been living in Indonesia for years and teaches Portuguese to both
Indonesian and foreigners.

Film screenings, music and dance performances and workshops will be held under the theme of "A Walk Through Brazil".

At the opening night on Aug. 5, Indonesian musicians Ade Simbolon and Binu Sukaman will perform
works from both countries.

Exhibitions of photographs and handicrafts will also be displayed at Bentara Budaya.

Joao Paulo Barbosa will show his unique photos of Brazil . Photographers can also talk about their
ideas with Barbosa at a discussion on Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.

Deusa Blmke, a Brazilian artist of German origin, will also exhibit her paintings.

Nine Brazilian movies will be screened throughout the week, from 1 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.,
highlighting the ethnically diverse culture of Brazil .

"We have more than one million people of Japanese descent,more than 8 million people of Arab
descent and we have one of the largest groups of people of African blood outside Africa ," Fujita
said.

A seminar on Brazilian agribusiness will be held on Sept. 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Brazil is known as one of the world's largest producers of staple foods.

 

The Jakarta Post
Features - August 23, 2007
Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

When it comes to a country's independence celebration, the most common sentiments would be heroism and patriotism. But what about romance?
It might sound uncommon, but that was the mood presented by Quintetto Amaranto in their concert, Omaggio Italiano all'Indonesia, or A Tribute From Italy to Indonesia. The concert was part of the Indonesia Independent Art Festival I 2007, held at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (GKJ) on Aug. 15, ahead of the country's Aug. 17 Independence Day.
Quintetto Amaranto is a chamber music group consisting of a pianist and four string players, established in May 2007 with the aim to perform in Indonesia. The five musicians in the quintet are: Maria Teresa Piccoli (piano), Maria Valentina Montuori (violin), Alina Gilardi (violin), Chiara Ciancone (viola) and Vera Cammelli (cello).
They opened the concert with a long work by renowned Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli, Concerto Grosso op. 6 n. 8, which has nine movements with tempos ranging from adagio to vivace.
The different atmosphere of each movement created various moods for the listeners, with ascending and descending dynamics and alternating lead instruments. Corelli's music is distinct in that it is believed to have been liberated from all strict rules of counterpoint.
The beautiful flow of Corelli's composition provided a perfect opening that also determined the romantic soul of the entire concert.
After the Baroque opening piece, the quintet played four compositions by Arie Napoletane consecutively.
If the romance was subtle in the Corelli piece, these traditional songs originating in Naples were, without a doubt, romantic pieces and easily recognized as such from their titles: Voce `e notte (Voice of night), Era de Maggio (It was in May), Te vojo bene assaje (I love you), and I' te vurria vas (I want to kiss you).
These are all serenades about the complicated but sweet affair of love.
Quintetto Amaranto closed the first half of the concert with Nino Rota's famous composition for film, 8 e 1/2, which unfortunately did not work as well as the other pieces, as they seemed to be racing each other, leaving a disharmonic impression.
In this first half, acclaim should be presented to violinist Alina Gilardi, as her playing produced intriguing sounds that wonderfully brought out the soul and the mood of the compositions.
The programs for classical music concerts are often arranged according to unwritten rules under which the first half is usually filled with serious classical works, and the second with modern or light pieces. Placing such an upbeat and modern composition such as Rota's in the first half clearly showed that the quintet did not wish to follow such a "code of conduct".
Most concerts place rather short works from the modern era to keep the audience from falling asleep sleeping in the second half as the hour grows late. But Quintetto Amaranto took the unconventional path, opening the second half with a work of around 20 minutes: Concerto in Re magg. per pianoforte e orchestra and Ersione cameristica by Franz Joseph Haydn.
It was a bold decision to challenge the spectators, but the unusual selection revealed the care they took in setting up the program.
Although this is a long Haydn work, it is a dynamic one, and the quintet succeeded in presenting the playful character of the composer. Just like a conversation, the piano solo and the strings took turns in playing and created a contrast by playing in different octaves.
The key role of this piece was carried by the pianist, Piccoli, who played the long phrases amazingly, decorated with many beautiful trills.
After this long opening to the second half, the quintet performed renowned Italian songs such as Gabriel's Oboe (Ennio Morricone) and Amarcord (Nino Rota). They also played the famous theme song of the award-winning movie, La Vitabella/Life is Beautiful, composed by Nicola Piovani.
In these pieces, the arrangement was different from the previous ones; the piano mostly took the lead by playing the main melody, while the others provided the accompaniment. The string musicians used the pizzicato (plucking the strings) technique and produced a wonderful harmony, a perfect blend of cello, violin and viola.
To close the concert, Quintetto Amaranto played Rinaldo Di Capua's O sole mio, a highly popular love song -- one so famous that some members of the audience hummed its melody or even sang the lyrics softly.
Even though the concert repertoire were of medium difficulty, with only two months to prepare and considering that this was the quintet's first performance in a theater, the sweet arrangement and their flawless performance deserve salutations.
As a new chamber group, their performance was wonderful, playing with good harmony and in a perfect musical blend.
"Playing in accord is a must in chamber. We did that with high concentration, kept looking and listening at each other and did it together in certain way," said pianist Piccoli.
Conscious that they were playing in a festival to mark Indonesian independence, Quintetto Amaranto intended to prepare the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Pusaka, as their encore.
"We wanted to prepare an Indonesian song, but we didn't have time, we received the sheet music too late. It's a pity, we'd (have liked) to play an Indonesian song for the festival," said Piccoli.
Instead, they played Rota's Amarcord again in response to a prolonged applause from the audience.
If they had played Indonesia Pusaka, they would likely have sent the audience home with a feeling of heroism. But when they finally ended with a dreamlike piece, they strengthened the atmosphere of romance that might seep into the audience's dreams that night with beautiful images.
Quintetto Amaranto performed with their own sense of music and in doing so, they fulfilled a responsibility to stage the best musical arrangements for the audience, reflecting the independence theme: freedom in life and a sense of responsibility to make the best of it.
It was a truly fine performance and a perfect night for both listeners and performers -- but one that was marred by a post-concert disappointment: the musicians' mobile phones, wallets and passports were stolen from the GKJ makeup room during the second half of the concert.
Even so, the performers could still smile as they left the concert venue as if nothing had happened.
Those in the parking area were left torn between deep regret for their misfortune and gratitude for the beautiful music they had given.

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - September 08, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

Jangeran -- a fusion of East and West music traditions composed by Chris Watson -- opened the Nusantara Symphony Orchestra's (NSO) concert last Saturday at Balai Sarbini.

 

The concert began with Balinese music played by a small gamelan ensemble. The intensity of the music, called kakotekan in Bali , and the transposition of the main theme in Janger style, produced a rich sound. The hall had been decorated like a temple and a male Balinese dancer flitted in and out between the members of the orchestra.

 

Then the orchestra started to play. It sounded like a response to the Balinese music, much like the conversation between the male and female players in the Janger tradition (dance, music and drama for young people in Bali ). A trumpet solo perfectly captured the ethnic sound.

 

After a long conversation between the gamelan and the orchestra, they found a meeting point. On any other occasion a union between these "worlds apart" musical instruments might have caused raised eyebrows but, under the direction of NSO guest conductor Hikotaro Yazaki, the disharmony that was immediately perceivable gave way to a unique musical synthesis.

 

To close the complex work, the NSO offered some more Balinese arrangements. Resident conductor Edward C. Van Ness said the additional closing music and the dancer were intended to bring the audience back to the lively and vital Balinese tradition.

 

"Jangeran is a meeting of two different traditions. But each retains their identity and strength. If we combined Asian noodles with Italian spaghetti, the taste would be awful. So we find a way to merge the two," Van Ness said.

 

Following Jangeran, the orchestra played Johannes Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op. 102 in A Minor, welcoming to the stage two Japanese soloists: violinist Atsuko Watanabe and cellist Yasuro Chomei.

 

Though from the romantic era, Brahms is known for his unique style, which was revolutionary in music development. This peculiarity is often ignored by musicians who play Brahms' work in the romantic style of Chopin. But the NSO stayed true to the fundamental character of Brahms' music.

 

In the first Allegro movement, the musicians' ability to play at a fast tempo with several shifts in melody was challenged. Restless notes chased one another; no single note lasting for long, like water streaming down a hill.

 

Them came the andante movement and the heroic music lightened a shade. At first, it sounded like a rest after a long climb, but this was not yet the finale.

 

The pace quickened for a Hungarian-style rondo that was inspired by the gypsy street music of Vienna in Brahms' time. After a journey through the rich music of Brahms, the first part of the concert was over.

 

As the players returned to the stage after the break and the audience quitened down, the conductor slowly raised his hands for a downbeat. Suddenly, the hall was flooded with the deep sounds of the bassoon and strings, playing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Op. 74 in B Minor.

 

This work has a brooding tone and a slow tempo. A short trombone chorale is heard, based on an Orthodox hymn.

 

The second movement takes the form of an energetic dance with its unusual 5/4 time signature indicating the start of the Allegro con Grazia.

 

The guest conductor demonstrated great skill in invoking a range of emotional responses. No wonder that he was awarded the "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" from the French Government in 2001.

 

Tchaikovsky again changed the mood with its radical leap from the second part to the Allegro molto vivace. The brass section and the strings produced brash sounds like a storm, accented by the cymbals. This would have been a fantastic finish but Tchaikovsky does not usually end predictably.

 

The Adagio lamentoso movement was in fact the finale of this dynamic work. The music slowed and softened, as if bringing the listener to the point of aching despair.

 

What a journey! From Bali , the audience was taken to the romantic era with Brahms' unique inimitable harmony and Tchaikovsky's dynamic works.

 

It really was a great concert. The ebbing away of the closing music left the audience silent. Then, the applause started and several "bravos" were heard as well.

 

Let us wait and see what the orchestra has in store for its November and December concerts.

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - July 21, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

"We were the Leopards, the Lions, those who'll take our place will be little jackals, hyenas; and the whole lot of us, the Leopards, jackals and sheep, we'll all go on thinking ourselves the salt of the earth."

 

This is said by Don Fabrizio Corbera, the main character of Il Gattopardo, who must stand in the face of the Italian unification movement that will forever change his life and that of his dying artistocratic family.

 

Il Gattopardo, or The Leopard, is probably one of the most significant films to come from Italy , adapted from the famous novel of the same title by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. The film version -- which won the 1963 Palme d'Or at Cannes -- was directed by Luchino Visconti and features an international cast that includes Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale.

 

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Giuseppe Tomasi's death, The Italian Institute of Culture will be screening the film at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 23. Jakarta .

 

The film revolves around the family of Don Fabrizio (Burt Lancaster), also known as Prince Salina, who live in Sicily at the end of the 19th century. He is a benevolent man who barely adapts to the changes occurring between the static, aristocratic world and the emerging modern one.

 

Fabrizio faces another problem in the fate of his daughter, Concetta (Lucilla Morlacchi), who was to marry her cousin, Trancedi Falconeri (Alain Delon).

 

But this plan crumbled after Trancedi meets Angelica Sedara (Claudia Cardinale), a 17-year-old girl who has just returned from Florence and the daughter of the wealthy Don Calogero Sedara, who has made his fortune as a merchant.

 

Trancedi with his handsome looks, ambition and vitality is the epitome of the rising modern generation and society; his opportunistic marriage to Angelica is a symbol of the era's historical development in which the aristocracy is left behind.

 

How Prince Salina adapts to this unfavorable situation illustrates the moral of the film. While his family continues in their aristocratic ways, Fabrizio must face the truth in something Trancedi said: "If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change."

 

Those who have already seen the movie laud the cinematography of Giuseppe Rotunno that wonderfully portrays the landscape and architecture of Sicily, especially the Salina palace and its rooms. Admirable, too, is the amazing, realistic costume design. For example, the costumes become dusty when worn on a journey, just like real clothes worn by real people.

 

The ballroom dance scene and soundtrack also deserve mention. The latter was created by the Italian movie soundtrack composer, Nino Rota.

 

It is not surprising that The Leopard this movie won top awards for cinematography, costume design and production design from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. It also received an Oscar nomination for Best Color Costume Design.

 

Director Visconti won the best director award at Cannes and from the Italian film journalists' syndicate.

 

The Italian Institue of Culture will screen the original 2.5-hour version of Il Gattopardo/The Leopard -- generally seen only at film festivals -- in Italian with English subtitles.

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - June 23, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran,

Contributor, Jakarta

 

Twenty-seven men and women took to the stage at the Goethe-Institut Jakarta's concert hall on June 14, divided into three groups of eight to 10 and standing in a small semi-circle facing one another.

 

It was hard to imagine what the Konzertchor Darmstadt (the Germany-based Darmstadt Concert Choir) was going to do with their bizarre blocking. While choirs can be arranged in various creative ways in a performance, standing in a semi-circle was a rarity.

 

The choir, under the helm of Wolfgang Seeliger, had also made a unique entrance, coming in from the doors to the concert hall, singing as they walked up the aisles on the left and right, flanking the audience.

 

The audience waited to see how Seeliger would instruct his choir -- perhaps a hand signal for them to slowly open the semi-circle into a line, as is typical of choral performances?

 

But the puzzle remained as Seeliger exited the stage and the choir started to sing Cantate Domino.

 

This creative, yet unusual method of performance was not without meaning. Seeliger explained that they were demonstrating the way sacred music was sung in Germany around 1640.

 

"At that time, people sang in a circle without the presence of a conductor," he said.

 

Konzertchor Darmstadt had come to the capital as part of its Indonesian concert tour, which included a concert in Bandung, West Java, and in Manado, North Sulawesi . In Bandung , the choir also participated from June 10-13 in the 3rd Symposium on Church Choral Music.

 

"We want to introduce German sacred music, from works composed in the 16th century to scores composed in the modern era," said Seeliger.

 

The Jakarta concert was divided into two parts, the first filled with 16th century songs and one song from the Romantic era, the second with repertoire from the Romantic and Classical eras to modern pieces.

 

Of those songs sung in the first half, two that sounded most interesting were the very long Jesu, Meine Freude (Jesus, My Joy) and Ruf zu Maria (Prayer to Mary). Compared to others that sounded monotonous, Jesu, Meine Freude was imbued with frequent dynamics in tempo and volume change.

 

As for Ruf zu Maria, aside from its beautiful arrangement, the sopranos sang their part with high angelic voices, contrasting with the bass that carried a distinctive solemn atmosphere. The audience gave the choir a hearty applause following these pieces.

 

Through the first half of the concert, the Konzertchor Darmstadt showed how its 25 years of existence had perfected their skills. Their singing technique was impeccable, producing vigorous voices without yelling and maintaining precise tonality at both high and low pitch.

 

For each song, the choir members shifted positions to produce the best tonal quality.

 

For example, in singing F. Mendelssohn's Denn er hat Seinen Engein, they divided into two groups: women and male sopranos to stage right and tenor, baritone and bass to stage left. They sang with alternating techniques to match the lyrics, which tells of a group chanting a prayer of benediction to another group that was departing. Not many choirs can overcome the weak acoustics of Goethe's concert hall, but Konzertchor Darmstadt did so successfully.

 

Unfortunately, their technique was not accompanied by vivid expressions, and the repertoire of the first half was mostly the same and plain, thus leaving a dull impression. Sacred music can set the mood of the people in a service, but in a concert, a choir must go beyond the written music and good musicality.

 

Germany is home to many great classical music composers, and in attending the performance of a German choir, the audience might likely wish to hear a true interpretation of their compositions. But this remained unheard throughout the first hour of the concert, as the choir members were stuck with sheet music in their hands, preventing them from expressing freely.

 

The dreary atmosphere that clouded the concert suddenly lifted the Darmstadt choir sang Franz Liszt's Ave Verum, warming the audience's spirit in closing with a long and very soft "Amen".

 

Following this, they sung Anton Bruckner's Ave Maria, from the Romantic period. The male registers produced a poignant, soft voice that suddenly turned fortissimo (loud), which transformed the song from a mellow to a glorious one. When they ended the song with a majestic voice, the crowd applauded enthusiastically.

 

An important song in the second half that touched the audience's heart was one of only two English-language songs performed: Lead Me Lord, a modern song created by Darmstadt composer Arnell de Pano. The men led the cantus firmus (main melody) and the other registers blended into a harmony with more dynamics. The closing high note from the sopranos and Seeliger's simultaneous jump awed concertgoers, who responded with a standing ovation.

 

That would have been the perfect song to end the concert, but Seeliger continued with the well-known Ave Verum Corpus by W.A. Mozart and transcribed by Liszt. It seemed Seeliger still had a trick or two up his sleeve, and it is no wonder he is dubbed a creative and innovative conductor.

 

At times, however, this could be confusing, and the concert program was slightly unclear -- for example, the songs on the program were not sung in order. Moreover, additional songs that were not listed were also sung.

 

Still another surprise was in store for the audience after the solemn Ave Verum Corpus, when the choir members all placed their music sheet on the floor and rushed backstage -- and returned holding an angklung, a West Javanese bamboo instrument.

 

"It is a new instrument for us, but we feel that we can play it," said Seeliger by way of introduction. The Konzertchor then played a traditional lullaby, Guten Abend, Gute Nacht, and the audience started to sing along in Indonesian as requested by the conductor.

 

Seeliger had actually rehearsed another song with angklung: Indonesian composer Christian Tamaela's Toki Gong. Because no Indonesian choir was available to sing with the German choir, the piece was canceled.

 

After the angklung music, the choir sung two closing tunes. This time, their hands free of sheet music, they sang Am Brunnen vor dem Tore (The Linden Tree), a traditional German tune.

 

On leaving the stage, they waved and sang Goodbye My Sweetheart acappella with the men taking on the part of musical instruments.

 

Seeliger's performance must be lauded, as he really showed what a conductor should be. He led the choir effectively and attempted to draw out the emotions of the choir to create the mood of the concert and finally, closed it with a memorable finale.

 

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - July 28, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

This is the story of Kolobok, a loaf of bread that comes to life one Sunday morning: After grandma finished baking a loaf of bread, she put it near the window; by magic, the bread came to life and rolled out the window into the forest.

 

Kolobok meets animals in the woods -- it waltzed with the wolf, tangoed with the fox, and finally met the bear, which ate poor Kolobok.

 

Kolobok is a Russian fable narrated by Slava and Leonard Grigoryan. They are not master storytellers, and instead told the story with the music they produced from their guitars. Kolobok was composed by violinist Eduard Grigoryan and specially arranged for his two guitarist sons.

 

After a short introduction on the piece, the brothers started in a slow tempo, drawing the audience into the serenity of an ordinary Sunday morning. A sudden rise in tempo and switch to high fairy-tale tunes marked the miracle of the bread coming to life.

 

They continued playing then Slava exclaimed, "It's the bear!" The following low tunes -- and the guitarists' serious expressions -- made concertgoers feel the intensity of the approaching big, bad bear.

 

Leonard slashed a finger across his neck to mark the death of Kolobok, and the story closed in a descendo, met by enthusiastic applause.

 

Kolobok was part of Slava and Leonard Grigoryan's July 23 performance at Erasmus Huis, South Jakarta , and the fifth in The Guitar Maestros 2 Concert Series.

 

The concert opened with a work originally composed for piano, Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy, and followed by three pieces by Federico Mompou, all arranged for two guitars by Eduard Grigoryan.

 

The first half closed with Manuel de Falla's Pieces Espagnoles, in which the Grigoryan brothers complemented each other and produced a rich musical palette together. When Slava played the melody, Leonard played the harmony, and vice-versa, a perfect blend that filled the hall with a Spanish atmosphere with their imaginative and dream-like music.

 

The two brothers, who were born in Kazakhstan and raised in Australia , have been playing guitar together since Leonard was 4 years old and Slava, 13. They play duet naturally, as though they can understand each other without saying a word -- but with a glance or raised eyebrow to begin a piece or to enter a transition.

 

Their coordination and timing are impeccable, as seen when they plucked their instruments in tandem. Their collaboration has already produced award-winning classical albums.

 

Although the duo has no formal music education, the Grigoryans' mastery of the guitar is such that their playing looks effortless as they produce beautiful melodies to structured, complex rhythms, and from intricate, subtle harmonies to brash, astringent chords.

 

Even though stands with sheet music were in front of them onstage, they were not bound by it, playing expressively and successfully to illustrate the character and atmosphere of the songs. When they played works by Spaniards Mompou and de Falla, they transported the Jakartan audience to the streets of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville .

 

At times the harmony sounded unfamiliar, a result of the guitar rearrangements, which merge world music, jazz as well as classical elements. At other times, they played repeated sections using different dynamics, brilliantly producing an ambience that reached the soul, allowing the audience to flow with the music.

 

Aside from their musicality, the Grigoryans' experience on the international stage was seen in their communication with the audience, guiding them toward an understanding of their music.

 

While the first half of the concert was amusing, it was the second half that truly showed the resourcefulness and creativity of the two performers, who are open to a variety of genre aside from the classical.

 

"We play everything, classical, jazz, rock and roll. We even have electric guitar," said Leonard.

 

Their mastery of several genres was evident when they played modern compositions for guitar. After Kolobok, the opening song of the second half, they performed Nigel Westlake's Songs from the Forest and Evening Dance by Andrew York. The brothers ended the concert with Beneath an Evening Sky, a work by their favorite composer and hero, Ralph Towner.

 

Responding to the audience's cheering their performance, the guitarists gave an encore of improvisation that slowly led into the Brazilian tune Jongo, by Paolo Bellinati.

 

While other guitar concerts are usually considered a string concert, the Grigoryans' performance could truly be called a guitar concert -- they did not produce music just with their guitar strings, but with all parts of the instrument.

 

For example, they hit the guitars' wooden body and transformed it into a percussion instrument, impersonating the sound of a conga.

 

"Well, it's a good percussion instrument," said Slava, laughing.

 

He added that the brothers wished to introduce new things and new music styles through their concerts. They believed that music is like lifelong learning -- to absorb novel things and learning new music.

 

Perhaps this philosophy comes from their musical family: their mother, Irena Grigoryan, is a viola player, and their father a violinist and professional jazz drummer. Slava said Eduard Grigoryan always had a hunger for listening to new genres and sounds.

 

In selecting the program, Slava said he and Leonard tried not to play familiar songs: "We really enjoy playing music that we know that the audience never heard of before. That's really fundamental for us," said Slava, who was named 1998 Young Australian of the Year for the Arts.

 

The Grigoryan brothers' concert was arranged by well-known Indonesian guitarist Sudirman Leman, in cooperation with the Australian government. Through the 2005-2008 Guitar Maestros concert series, he intends to present Jakartans with a different kind of entertainment.

 

Sudirman had observed that most residents of the capital sought entertainment at movie theaters, cafes, lounges and concerts that he felt was lacking in quality.

 

"I want to present high-quality entertainment that also consists of educational and cultural aspects," said Sudirman, adding that he was pleased with the Grigoryan brothers' performance and repertoire of difficult compositions.

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - June 23, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

Twenty-seven men and women took to the stage at the Goethe-Institut Jakarta's concert hall on June 14, divided into three groups of eight to 10 and standing in a small semi-circle facing one another.

 

It was hard to imagine what the Konzertchor Darmstadt (the Germany-based Darmstadt Concert Choir) was going to do with their bizarre blocking. While choirs can be arranged in various creative ways in a performance, standing in a semi-circle was a rarity.

 

The choir, under the helm of Wolfgang Seeliger, had also made a unique entrance, coming in from the doors to the concert hall, singing as they walked up the aisles on the left and right, flanking the audience.

 

The audience waited to see how Seeliger would instruct his choir -- perhaps a hand signal for them to slowly open the semi-circle into a line, as is typical of choral performances?

 

But the puzzle remained as Seeliger exited the stage and the choir started to sing Cantate Domino.

 

This creative, yet unusual method of performance was not without meaning. Seeliger explained that they were demonstrating the way sacred music was sung in Germany around 1640.

 

"At that time, people sang in a circle without the presence of a conductor," he said.

 

Konzertchor Darmstadt had come to the capital as part of its Indonesian concert tour, which included a concert in Bandung, West Java, and in Manado, North Sulawesi . In Bandung , the choir also participated from June 10-13 in the 3rd Symposium on Church Choral Music.

 

"We want to introduce German sacred music, from works composed in the 16th century to scores composed in the modern era," said Seeliger.

 

The Jakarta concert was divided into two parts, the first filled with 16th century songs and one song from the Romantic era, the second with repertoire from the Romantic and Classical eras to modern pieces.

 

Of those songs sung in the first half, two that sounded most interesting were the very long Jesu, Meine Freude (Jesus, My Joy) and Ruf zu Maria (Prayer to Mary). Compared to others that sounded monotonous, Jesu, Meine Freude was imbued with frequent dynamics in tempo and volume change.

 

As for Ruf zu Maria, aside from its beautiful arrangement, the sopranos sang their part with high angelic voices, contrasting with the bass that carried a distinctive solemn atmosphere. The audience gave the choir a hearty applause following these pieces.

 

Through the first half of the concert, the Konzertchor Darmstadt showed how its 25 years of existence had perfected their skills. Their singing technique was impeccable, producing vigorous voices without yelling and maintaining precise tonality at both high and low pitch.

 

For each song, the choir members shifted positions to produce the best tonal quality.

 

For example, in singing F. Mendelssohn's Denn er hat Seinen Engein, they divided into two groups: women and male sopranos to stage right and tenor, baritone and bass to stage left. They sang with alternating techniques to match the lyrics, which tells of a group chanting a prayer of benediction to another group that was departing. Not many choirs can overcome the weak acoustics of Goethe's concert hall, but Konzertchor Darmstadt did so successfully.

 

Unfortunately, their technique was not accompanied by vivid expressions, and the repertoire of the first half was mostly the same and plain, thus leaving a dull impression. Sacred music can set the mood of the people in a service, but in a concert, a choir must go beyond the written music and good musicality.

 

Germany is home to many great classical music composers, and in attending the performance of a German choir, the audience might likely wish to hear a true interpretation of their compositions. But this remained unheard throughout the first hour of the concert, as the choir members were stuck with sheet music in their hands, preventing them from expressing freely.

 

The dreary atmosphere that clouded the concert suddenly lifted the Darmstadt choir sang Franz Liszt's Ave Verum, warming the audience's spirit in closing with a long and very soft "Amen".

 

Following this, they sung Anton Bruckner's Ave Maria, from the Romantic period. The male registers produced a poignant, soft voice that suddenly turned fortissimo (loud), which transformed the song from a mellow to a glorious one. When they ended the song with a majestic voice, the crowd applauded enthusiastically.

 

An important song in the second half that touched the audience's heart was one of only two English-language songs performed: Lead Me Lord, a modern song created by Darmstadt composer Arnell de Pano. The men led the cantus firmus (main melody) and the other registers blended into a harmony with more dynamics. The closing high note from the sopranos and Seeliger's simultaneous jump awed concertgoers, who responded with a standing ovation.

 

That would have been the perfect song to end the concert, but Seeliger continued with the well-known Ave Verum Corpus by W.A. Mozart and transcribed by Liszt. It seemed Seeliger still had a trick or two up his sleeve, and it is no wonder he is dubbed a creative and innovative conductor.

 

At times, however, this could be confusing, and the concert program was slightly unclear -- for example, the songs on the program were not sung in order. Moreover, additional songs that were not listed were also sung.

 

Still another surprise was in store for the audience after the solemn Ave Verum Corpus, when the choir members all placed their music sheet on the floor and rushed backstage -- and returned holding an angklung, a West Javanese bamboo instrument.

 

"It is a new instrument for us, but we feel that we can play it," said Seeliger by way of introduction. The Konzertchor then played a traditional lullaby, Guten Abend, Gute Nacht, and the audience started to sing along in Indonesian as requested by the conductor.

 

Seeliger had actually rehearsed another song with angklung: Indonesian composer Christian Tamaela's Toki Gong. Because no Indonesian choir was available to sing with the German choir, the piece was canceled.

 

After the angklung music, the choir sung two closing tunes. This time, their hands free of sheet music, they sang Am Brunnen vor dem Tore (The Linden Tree), a traditional German tune.

 

On leaving the stage, they waved and sang Goodbye My Sweetheart acappella with the men taking on the part of musical instruments.

 

Seeliger's performance must be lauded, as he really showed what a conductor should be. He led the choir effectively and attempted to draw out the emotions of the choir to create the mood of the concert and finally, closed it with a memorable finale.

 

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - June 21, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

As part of this year's Jakarta anniversary celebrations, the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta presented on June 13 Colonne Sonore in Concerto, featuring Italy 's Sax Appeal Quartet, with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute.

 

The concert was a unique one that carried a beautiful tune produced from an unusual blend of instruments: violin, flute, harp and saxophone.

 

One might have wondered at how a saxophone could blend in harmony with the three classical instruments, but all questions and doubts were answered upon hearing the performance of Deborah Vico (saxophone), Margherita Scafidi (harp), Gloria Frontini (flute) and Giannina Guazzaroni (violin).

 

In scarlet outfits that contrasted with the backdrop, they brightened up the concert hall with a repertoire of themes from movie soundtracks and theater: "We love cinema and we love music. We are musicians who love cinema," said Vico.

 

Opening the romantic night, Sax Appeal played V. Youman's Tea for Two from the musical No, No, Nanette. The mood started to build with their second piece, M. Hamlisch's The Way We Were.

 

As the main melody switched from saxophone to violin, the music created completely different moods, the strong yet sweet sound of the saxophone followed by the sharp and broad sound of strings. The flute and rhythmic accompaniment from the harp produced a timbre that is hardly ever heard.

 

Sax Appeal thus easily reminded concertgoers of the bittersweet romance starring Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand.

 

Then came the best songs in the concert, Nino Rota's Romeo E Giulietta, more familiarly A Time for Us, from Franco Zeffirelli's acclaimed film. Vico's saxophone was exquisite as primo and Guazzaroni as secondo in a lower key on the violin. Here, the harp was more dynamic and the flute helped to bring forth the melancholic ambience.

 

The song appeared to be their favorite, as they played it with heart and soul, involving their deepest emotions in their playing. But the most impressive was the saxophone melody that expressively brought to mind the eternal, tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet.

 

In the second part of the concert, the quartet performed more upbeat, popular tunes.                

 

One piece of particular note was Libertango, originally composed by Argentinean A.P. Piazzolla. In this lively score, the saxophone was excluded as the violin played a virtuoso solo with the flute as a counter-melody, and in time they exchanged places.

 

The song was played flawlessly with a wonderful descending introduction and closed with a strong accent.

 

The concert closed on L. Bernstein's Tonight from West Side Story.

 

In a show of appreciation for the very enthusiastic audience, Sax Appeal presented Sinatra's famous song, My Way, as an encore. To this rousing finale, the audience gave the Italian quartet a standing ovation.

 

Sax Appeal was originally founded as the Nina Rota Ensemble, a group specially established by Vico in 1995 with a repertoire of movie soundtracks in classical arrangement. Vico played the piano with the ensemble, and when she began learning the saxophone, she came up with the idea to include the brass instrument in the group.

 

Thus a new group was born, featuring the saxophone as its main instrument, and the three other instruments -- violin, flute and harp -- were chosen as its accompaniment.

 

"The result of the combination is dolce -- sweet," said Vico. She added that a friend gave the new group the name Sax Appeal, because the saxophone was principal instrument and all its members were "appealing girls".

 

The new group carried on the movie theme repertoire, but Vico recalled: "People didn't believe that in this small group we can play a soundtrack that was composed for a big orchestra, and we think this idea is wrong."

 

Their choice of instruments presents a particular difficulty when performing outside of Europe or in smaller countries where the harp is not a common instrument. At a recent performance in Nigeria , the quartet had to replace the harp with the piano.

 

While the concert may not have been as grand as an orchestra performance, overall the Sax Appeal concert was simply sweet and romantic -- hearing their music, listeners will want to be in an idyllic place with someone they love.

 

The instrumental experiment in the Sax Appeal Quartet might be unfamiliar to some concertgoers, having done it "their way", they produced breathtaking music -- and lived up to its name.

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - July 24, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

The borderless society already began several years ago when the modern transportation system allowed people to travel around the world in a relatively short time.

 

Along with this progress came information technology, which made it easier for people to travel to other parts of the world through television, newspapers, radios and the internet.

 

And so, riding information technology progress, radio station KBR68H on July 13 launched a new website for its weekly radio program called Asia Calling. With the new website, you can find the latest news about countries in the region with just a single click without leaving the comfort of your desk.

 

But, don't all websites offer just that comfort? What is so special about this website in a country where there are various news portals providing you with the latest information?

 

The Asia Calling website -- www.asiacalling.kbr68h.com -- is not an ordinary news portal, having been established as a perfect blend of sophisticated technology and regional news content. On the menu bar, you will not only find a news directory, as in most news portals, but also several interesting features including audio streaming.

 

The audio streaming allows web visitors not only to read the news on the website but also to listen to it. The sound quality of the audio streaming is good and clear, far better than listening to ordinary radio broadcasts which sometimes have disturbances due to the strength of its signal and its receiver. And because there are no time limits the news offered by Asia Calling is more comprehensive with more sources providing balanced reporting.

 

For some people, however, sitting in front of the computer just to hear a radio broadcast is probably a waste of time and money. More than that, not too many people around Asia have internet access in their homes, and most people listen to radio broadcasts in their idle time or while doing something else, such as driving.

 

For this reason, Asia Calling offers podcasts with a free software that you can download from the site. A podcast is an audio broadcast created and stored digitally on the internet. The only thing you have to do is download the software and install it on your computer. Afterward you can browse and download audio files to your own desktop and play it using various audio players, or move the files to a digital media player. The aim of this feature is for listeners to be able to store the news and play it at their convenience.

 

The website also provides a wide array of news. Santoso, the director of KBR68H, told The Jakarta Post the website offers news on the environment, politics, the economy and more. Unlike most news portals, which mostly focus just on politics, Asia Calling also covers "soft issues" with more depth, from gender discrimination to climate change.

 

For example, there's a story about South Korea 's first and so far only farm where renewable energy comes straight from the pigs.

 

"We cover news that has regional aspects and through the website, we can improve understanding between Asian countries and provide a medium for an exchange of knowledge, so we can learn from each other," said Santoso.

 

Asia Calling itself has been on the air since the 2003 ASEAN Summit in Bali in October 2003. It is broadcast through satellite every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in English and 9 a.m. in Indonesian.

 

From an international perspective, this website is probably not that special. According to Santoso, there are several radio stations in Europe and America that have programs containing news about Asia .

 

According to him, European and American radio stations that broadcast news about Asia are growing in number, but there are fewer such programs in Asia . Santoso said Asia Calling was the first in Asia .

 

This weekly radio program is relayed by more than 140 radio stations in Indonesia and 19 foreign radio stations, including in Cambodia, Timor Leste, Thailand and Australia . At some radio stations, the program is broadcast in two languages, English and the local language. For Jakartans, Asia Calling is also broadcast every Friday from 5:30 p.m to 7 p.m. on Utankayu Radio at 89.2 FM. Listeners can also take part in an interactive quiz that challenges your knowledge about Asia .

 

Though KBR68H is central for this broadcast, correspondents are spread across countries that relay the program. There are 15 journalists collecting news for the program from abroad.

 

Some of the correspondents receive journalistic training in Jakarta . Correspondents from Cambodia, Pakistan, India and Timor Leste took part in a workshop at the KBR86h office at Utan kayu, Jakarta , last week.

 

This innovative program stands to benefit various people, from Asian leaders, policy-makers and businesspeople, to students who want to learn about Asia and others with an interest in Asian culture and social life.

 

Aside from its main function as an information provider, the program has been a help for local English teachers in Sekayu, South Sumatra . English teachers there record the English news broadcast and use it as material for English lessons at the high school.

 

 

The Jakarta Post

 

Features - May 03, 2007

 

Camelia Pasandaran, Contributor, Jakarta

 

When Sasa Djuarsa Sendjaja was elected as the new chairman of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission last April 9, he was not given Julius Caesar's Roman Empire as the commission had been stripped of almost all of its powers, including the authority to issue permits as stipulated in the broadcasting law.

 

But that does not discourage the father of four, who believes that amending the broadcasting law would resolve the authority dispute once and for all.

 

"If the KPI doesn't have the authority to produce regulations and issue permits, TV stations will pay no heed to warnings issued by the commission against indecent TV programs," said Sasa, who holds a Ph.D in mass communications from Ohio State University.

 

The government virtually stripped the KPI of its powers after it issued regulations that effectively placed public broadcasting under its jurisdiction, a move seen by experts as running against the 2002 Broadcasting Law.

 

He said his commission would ask the House to amend the law and return the commission's authority and power. He did not give any timetable.

 

Sasa is not new to the TV industry. He conducted research on television for his thesis and dissertation and was a KPI member for the 2004-2006 period.

 

"I was thinking of returning to campus, but then I decided to stay on as there is lots of unfinished work at the commission," said the 58-year-old, who was a University of Indonesia lecturer before joining the KPI in 2002.

 

Sasa, who loves spending the weekend with his family, particularly expressed concerns over the violence, mysticism and explicit sexual material being shown on TV.

 

"Even in liberal countries like America, television programs have core values and moral messages," said Sasa, who did an internship research associate and program staffer at Channel 34 in Ohio .

 

The TV industry in Indonesia , according to him, has changed a lot since he carried out research on TV's implication for social communications networks in the 1980s. At the time, state-owned TVRI was the only TV station around and only a few houses had television sets.

 

Now as private TV stations grow and media moguls rise, TV stations seem to do everything they can to boost program ratings at the expense of the quality of the programs themselves.

 

"Broadcast media use scarce frequencies that belong to the public, therefore there must be a regulation for them to ensure it is used to serve the interests of the public. It is true that they need commercials to survive, but it should not be the main consideration in selecting programs to broadcast," he said.

 

Sasa, who was born in Garut, West Java , participated in the drafting of the broadcasting bill in 1998, and which the government enacted into law in 2002.

 

Looking back at the KPI's work in the first period, Sasa said the commission was in the middle of too many disputes with national TV stations and the government, preventing the commission from fully carrying out its mission to serve the public.

 

For this reason, Sasa feels that a shift in the commission's policies is a must.

 

"As for now, we don't want to make regulations on our own, we want to discuss with all the stakeholders, listen to their input and formulate the regulations together. It will not be a one-agency show," he said.

 

He admitted, however, that previous KPI members had done all these things before, but expressed optimism that the KPI under his leadership would yield more results as it aimed to destroy the communication breakdown between the government and media.

 

"Let just say we are more compromising. Life is not black and white. It is gray. The principle is a win-win solution for all."

 

According to Sasa, the KPI must communicate with its stakeholders through a sharing approach, not power.

 

"The essence of communication is sharing, the use of power cannot resolve problems," he stressed. He also said that the KPI needed to resolve the conflicts as soon as possible so that they could start their work.

 

Although he promised as "softer" approach, he said that KPI's vision of Indonesian broadcasting system would stay the same. Diversity and quality in programming as well as diversity in ownership and localized TV stations are still the goals of the KPI under Sasa's leadership.

 

Being friendly to the Information and Communications Ministry doesn't mean he is just going to stand still in the face of government efforts to silence the commission. In the near future -- after his judicial review is rejected by the

Constitutional Court

-- he will propose a judicial review to the Supreme Court against all government regulations which contradict the broadcasting act.

 

He also said that the KPI would effectively use a memorandum of understanding with the police that stated that the police would start the judiciary process if a TV station disobeys three consecutive warnings issued by the KPI.

 

"I don't care if the media are more afraid of the police than to us, as long as the regulations are obeyed," he said.

 

Aside from the content, Sasa said he wanted to enforce a stipulation in the broadcasting bill that basically "forces" Jakarta-based TV stations to team up with local TV stations if they want to enter local market.

 

Under the existing broadcasting law, all private TV stations are virtually local stations. Should they go national they have to set up local (provincial or regency) units or team up with provincial or regency TV stations. That stipulation, however, has not been implemented due to, among others, strong opposition from Jakarta-based TV stations.

 

Sasa said he would conduct a forum to discuss the issue so that Jakarta-based TV stations could talk face-to-face with local TV stations.

 

He expressed optimism that the discussion would succeed as the KPI was backed by local administrations, local parliament and local TV owners