The unusual pitch was purposely tuned to the closing end of the composition, which was created by Marisa Sharon Hartanto to honor the role of Ngasirah, the mother of Rajen Ajeng Kartini, a heroine well known for her visionary letters published as Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang (Through Darkness to Light) during the Dutch colonial era in the region now known as Indonesia.

The Bandung Philharmonic opened the composition with a light sound of stringed instruments, which grew heavier as they fused with cellos, turning into a tone that evoked a tranquil rural atmosphere in Java with its lush greenery as far as one could see.

Then the music slowly gave rise to imaginings of smiling children running around, as the sounds of a xylophone, flutes and percussion instruments were matched by violins in the orchestra with at least 60 musicians.

“This piece is a tribute to all mothers,” Marisa said about her composition.

“The end part is Kartini’s demise. The cymbals were scraped to produce a mysterious shriek. She died but her spirit lives on,” she added.

“Ngasirah” was one of the four programs staged by the Bandung Philharmonic in its concert called Legends, and is also the opener of the orchestra’s fourth performing season. The other three were “Tragic Overture Op.81” composed by Johannes Brahms, “Totentanz” by Franz Liszt and “Symphony No.5 in C Minor” by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Performing brand new compositions in shows is a typical characteristic of the Bandung Philharmonic. As a closing piece during its third season, the orchestra featured “Krakatoa” by Stacy Garrop as a world premiere. Not many orchestras consistently offer their new works in their performances.

Apart from Marisa, the Bandung Philharmonic also presented pianist Aryo Wicaksono, who has often appeared solo at concerts and festivals in the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. He displayed his high skill in the Bandung show by playing “Totentanz”.

Opening his andante with a tempo of between 76 and 108 beats per minute, he then entered allegro with a tempo of between 120 and 156 beats per minute. A gripping moment emerged when he slowed down his tempo as the string instruments began to enter with their melancholic vibe. However, he changed his pace with confidence by playing vivace at 156 to 176 beats per minute, complemented by violins and flutes.

Uncertainty in life seemed to be clearly reflected in this composition. Liszt apparently designed his piece to enable pianists playing it to use all the keys on the piano by striking or sweeping them from the left to the right and the other way around.

Bandung Philharmonic conductor Robert Nordling said the Legends concert served as the right thread to unify the various works, not only to commemorate deceased composers but also to celebrate musicians inspired by their predecessors.

“They’re legends from the past and living people. Each of the pieces has a story behind it just like Ngasirah. There’s a bunch of reasons that we choose to play this composition,” said Nordling.

The peak of the Bandung Philharmonic’s concert this time was “Symphony No.5 in C Minor”.

Nordling claimed to have frequently conducted orchestras in different parts of the world with this program, but each of the shows had its own challenge.

It is not easy to maintain concentration and remain consistent when playing instruments to render “Symphony No.5 in C Minor”, which is divided into four movements. They started from C minor, later gradually entering C major, which was interesting to follow attentively.

“As a conductor, when you leave the concert I do not want you to remember me. I want you to know about Beethoven. So, I have to study all about Beethoven and with my best ability I give you Beethoven,” Nordling said about the challenge of offering the world’s most popular classical piece.

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