Having announced that they have cancelled or rescheduled to 2021 concerts between 13 March and 20 December 2020, the Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) will nonetheless continue releasing musical content on their digital platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. The latest to be revealed on their MPOPlaysOn list is the Fate And Refuge concert, which premieres on 9 October 2020.
Conducted by the talented Gerard Salonga, the orchestra will play their way through Arvo Pärt’s Fratres and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
Gerard Salonga
Written by Estonian Pärt in 1977, Frates (brothers) has several different versions, and the one the MPO takes on is tuned for strings and percussion. If you haven’t heard Pärt’s works before, his music is often described as having a spiritual quality that is achieved through the use of uncomplicated means.
A classic piece that has etched itself in the annals of music history and has made numerous appearances in popular culture since its creation in the early 1800s, Symphony No. 5 has to be listened to live in order to appreciate the many subtle nuances and dramatic shifts that the legendary German composed – and a chance to do so comes with this MPO concert, 250 years after his birth!
The concert commences live at 8pm on Friday. 9 October on the MPO’s YouTube channel, so don’t forget to tune in and pump up the volume for your listening pleasure!