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Millennials pay tribute to legendary composer
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Tribute to a legend: The youthful orchestra led by Ananda Sukarlan (middle) play compositions by the great Ismail Marzuki (-/Kaya.ID)
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youthful orchestra led by Ananda Sukarlan took the audience on a heart-trembling ride through the classics of legendary Indonesian composer Ismail Marzuki during the "Millennial Marzukiana" concert in Jakarta.
An orchestra, consisting of musicians mostly under the age of 28, performed the most celebrated works of Marzuki for the Millennial Marzukiana concert at the Ciputra Artpreneur in Kuningan, South Jakarta, in mid January.
Their youth did not prevent the musicians from delivering a superb performance, as they are just as skilled as those with years of experience under their belt.
They played exquisitely, perfectly in-sync with the gestures of Ananda, the conductor.
Among the musicians, five exceptional young soloists shined bright.
Two vocalists, the soprano Mariska Setiawan and tenor Widhawan Aryo Pradhita, opened the concert by performing the operatic section of “Erstwhile”. The music is adapted from the novel by Rio Haminoto that tells a story of 700 years of unrequited love.
The pitch perfect voices of the two triumphantly captured the emotions of the piece. The dialogue between Widhawan’s soft, echoing voice and Mariska’s intense, high vocals allowed the audience to vividly imagine the bittersweet love story.
Young violinist Finna Kurniawati was another of the evening’s soloists. She was the first to perform several of Marzuki’s works.
Finna performed “Concerto Marzukiana no. 2”, which is based on three of Marzuki’s compositions, “Wanita” (Lady), “Gugur Bunga” (Dead Flowers) and “Halo-Halo Bandung” (Hello, Hello Bandung).
Her performance was exquisite. The way she appeared fully immersed with her instrument was captivating, and pulled the audience to the depth of the performance.
The musical arrangement of the concerto displayed intense fluctuation. For several seconds it was highly intense with rapid and powerful strokes, while the next second her bowing was soothingly slow and smooth.
With this performance, Ananda and Finna took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
Following Finna, Jessica Sudarta brought a different taste to the evening with her harp, performing the first section of “Concerto Marzukiana no. 3”, which is based on the song “Melati di Tapal Batas” (Jasmine on the Border).
In contrast to the previous act, Jessica produced dreamy sounds with the strings of the harp. The soothing sounds were like therapy for the audience, with the instrument perfectly conveying the romantic essence of the song.
As the last act to close the concert, Ananda brought out Indonesian piano prodigy Anthony Hartono to perform “Concerto Marzukiana no. 1”, which is based on arguably Ismail Marzuki’s best work, “Indonesia Pusaka” (Great Indonesia).
“Indonesia Pusaka” never fails to touch the hearts of Indonesians with its beautiful melody and deep lyrics, and although Anthony played a different rendition of the song with the piano, the result was the same.
Anthony showcased his mastery of the instrument, striking each note perfectly with great poise. He made the performance look effortless, leaving the audience in a state of disbelief at the fact he is just 24 years old.
The evening, however, was not only about musicians, with other performances including storytelling and memoir readings.
Reading the western Sumatra folk story Malin Kundang was Handry Satriago, whose day job is a chief executive officer for an international corporation.
Handry showcased his talent for dramatic flair. He delivered each line with intense emotion, heightened by the accompaniment of the orchestra.
TV personality and public speaking expert Charles Bonar Sirait also made an appearance, reading the Memoir of Ismail Marzuki to give the audience a glimpse into the brilliant composer’s life and what he went through to create the melodies that are now attached to every Indonesian’s heart.
The concert was also Ananda’s gift to Jakarta to celebrate the New Year. The world renowned Indonesian composer has staged the New Year’s concert in Jakarta every year since 2006. Each year, the composer has brought a different theme. (hdt)
The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post
