Uninspired by Confucius

The premise of Confucius - A Secular Cantata had merit: release the historical figure from the confines of his stodgy stereotype and present the man himself, his life and his passions.

The opportunity to find out what the man behind the maxims actually went through, what made him tick - that was what Chong Wing Hong hoped to achieve by writing the text of this work.

The work expanded into one of 10 movements with music by Phoon Yew Tien, presented by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), Amadeus Choral Society and Victoria Chorale. Baritone Yang Xiao Yong played the role of Confucius.

I was admittedly apprehensive at first about watching a large-scale work on Confucius, that venerable figure of Chinese thought. However, I was open to seeing what our local artists would make of it.

The first movement was a prelude of sorts, a haunting vignette telling of a woman mourning family members who were killed by tigers. She proudly declares, though, that her family preferred to stay in a tiger-infested area rather than one ruled by tyrants, an idea that impresses Confucius deeply.

I thought, "Hmm, good point" and watched for the rest with anticipation.

However, it soon appeared that chronologically unrelated vignettes made up most of the work. An episode at the Zhou Emperor's court, an encounter with philosopher Lao Zi and a portrayal of Confucius as teacher and mentor unfolded with little to link them thematically, except as opportunities for Confucius to expound on his theories of social and moral values.

As Confucius, Yang had the requisite gravitas for the role, but his soft, deep voice was constantly drowned out by the orchestra, leaving him unable to take the lead and stretch to show the full emotional range of the character.

The work was also dominated largely by middle-of-the-road emotions. Confucius went from being thoughtful, to mournful, to disappointed, sad and regretful - but never anything more.

As guest reviewer Chua Soo Pong, director of the Chinese Opera Institute, observed: "Many times, the music did not reflect the mood of the moment, either not being dramatic or uplifting enough. The music stayed largely at one tempo throughout."

Still there were good moments. The choir added life with their strong voices, warm enthusiasm and natural musicality. Kudos to choral conductor Nelson Kwei for putting them together.

Conductor Xia Fei Yun did his job ably but was unable to inject life into the SCO's playing, which was uncharacteristically lacking in enthusiasm that night. Perhaps the work was simply too long, draining the performers of energy and focus?

The key ideas are promising, and perhaps it would be better to present them with more focus and tightness in a shorter work with more variation in tempo and emotions.

(Article reproduced from "Business Times":http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/ - 13 June 2001, by Elaine Phua)