A few hours ago, I saw a live demonstration of »aleatoric music ("chance music") at the Victoria Concert Hall. The conductor invited a kid from the audience to throw a few giant dice. The orchestra played a few bars of melodies according to the number on the dice, varying the last two bars after a second round of throws by the kid.The demonstration was intended as an introduction to Americ Goh's Overture 31.05.09, which in turn was an opening ("overture") to Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D Minor and Rach's Symphony No. 2 in E Minor. I like very much the idea of a composition dedicated to this particular day (31 May 2009), for this particular audience (a motley assortment of jeans-clad teenagers and one annoying woman who insistently let her cellphone ring twice, perhaps as a contribution to the democratic work), with neither the day nor the particularity of the audience ever to repeat again.
Highly commendable efforts by »a community orchestra, particularly one in Singapore. I encourage everyone to see them at their next performance in September, for less than the price of a CD. Don't go for fancy audience or packaging; go to see real people in the community making music. (Expect old and young, locals and Japanese - and oh, a Bulgarian as well.)
