Mozart in Paris, Faizal Tahir: Maybe its time to pay Dewan Filharmonik Petronas a visit?

Yes, that’s where Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) is located if you don’t already know.

But have you ever attended a concert there? Have you even taken a step into the venue?

Some people might have the impression that listening to an orchestra is a very elitist — not to mention expensive — thing to do.

Trust us when we say that’s incorrect.

First of all, the DFP isn’t exclusively dedicated to orchestra music.

Secondly, any performance involving an orchestra is just like every other form of art is created with an audience in mind. Know that your presence at the venue will always be welcomed.

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In fact, let’s go over a bit of what the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has got lined-up in the coming weeks.

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Wagner’s Ring Saturday, 24 October, 8:30pm Sunday, 25 October, 3:00pm Conductor: Giancarlo Guerrero Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung stands as one of the most compelling and overwhelming creations. Listeners are swept into another dimension as gods, heroes, mortals, giants, dwarfs, and much more interact in a cosmic scenario of awesome expressive power. Conductor Lorin Maazel assembled most of Ring’s purely orchestral moments into a continuous 75-minute virtuosic masterpiece.

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Concerto For Percussion Friday, 30 October, 8:30pm Saturday, 31 October, 8:30pm Conductor: Giancarlo Guerrero Schwantner’s Percussion Concerto, a tour de force of virtuosity within a framework of wide-ranging musical idioms and moods, features the MPO’s principal percussionist, Matthew Prendergast. Closing the concert is Prokofiev’s mighty Fifth Symphony, a work the composer himself called a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit. A sparkling Mozart overture sets the concert off to a great start.

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Mozart in Paris Sunday, 1 November, 3:00pm Conductor: Ciaran McAuley The Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) offers two symphonies, written by composers still in their youth. Mozart’s Symphony No. 31, composed on occasion of his visit to Paris, exudes grandeur and exuberance. Schubert blended elements of symphonic and operatic styles in his delightful and charming Sixth Symphony. Opening the concert, Sospiri (Sighs) by Elgar is music of gentle pathos and exquisite beauty.

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Chamber Concert Tuesday, 3 November, 6:30pm Join MPO musicians for an hour of chamber music with pieces such as Bach’s Sonata for Flute, Ysaye’s Sonata No. 2 for Solo Violin, Elwood’s Revised Dreams 3.1415926, and Brahms’ Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano.

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Mahler 7 Saturday, 7 November, 8:30pm Sunday, 8 November, 3:00pm Conductor: Fabio Luisi Each of Mahler’s gigantic symphonic creations inhabits a world unto itself. The Seventh is a kaleidoscope of orchestral colours and effects: the bold tenor horn in the opening bars; the magical echoing horns at the beginning of the second movement; the ghostly, nightmarish sounds in the third; the delicious guitar and mandolin in the fourth; and the riotous carnival of the fifth. It is perhaps Mahler’s most fantastical, surrealistic symphony, and one not to be missed.

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Beethoven & Bruckner Friday, 13 November, 8:30pm Saturday, 14 November, 8:30pm Conductor: Fabio Luisi Grammy Award winner Fabio Luisi conducts Bruckner’s 9th, an hour-long work of towering strength filled with titanic struggles. From Beethoven we hear one of his wonderful piano concertos featuring the young Italian pianist, Beatrice Rana, prize winner at the Van Cliburn and Montreal International Competitions.

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Malam Terang Bulan Friday, 20 November, 8:30pm Saturday, 21 November, 8:30pm Sunday, 22 November, 5:00pm Khazanah Nasional presents the celebration of music from Malaya, including works by R. Azmi, P. Ramlee, Gus Steyn, Alfonso Soliano, Yusoff B. and also Benjamin Britten’s Sketch for Malaya, composed as a possible national anthem.

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Presto, Mambo! Saturday, 28 November, 3:00pm Sunday, 29 November, 2:30pm and 4:30pm Conductor: Ciaran McAuley Platypus Theatre offers a one-of-a-kind show to introduce young audiences to the joys of classical music. In Presto, Mambo! an eager and exuberant boy discovers the vibrant and exciting world of Latin rhythms and their power to communicate across cultures. On a whirlwind adventure and with the help of his new friend Mambo the dog, he learns about the magic of Latin rhythms and how to ‘dance’ with the music.

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