Brendan’s CD: A BRAND NEW DAY
Recorded in September 2011, this debut recording by the 12-year old cellist Brendan Goh reveals a surprising mastery of the instrument, not usual for such a young person.
His intonation is laudable as is his understanding of the various styles – the baroque (Bach’s Cello Suite no. 1in G), the classical (Beethoven’s Minuet in G), the romantic (Mendelssohn’s On Wings Of Song), and the assortment of popular encore pieces (Dvorak’s Humoreske, Tchaikovsky’s Chanson Triste, Saint-Saens’ The Swan, and Grieg’s Solvejg’s Song).
It should be pointed out that while the only major work in this CD is Bach’s solo Cello Suite in G which requires a very good technique and musical maturity to bring out the beautiful melodic lines, Brendan Goh also reveals his bravura in tackling the technically-challenging piece “Flight of the Bumble Bee” by Korsakov.
Brendan Goh is fortunate to have a sympathetic accompanist in the person of Shane Thio. I also give full marks for the sound engineers for capturing the full spectrum of both the cello and the piano.
(Mr Cheong is a composer-jazz pianist who earned his music degrees (major in composition) at the University of Western Australia and at the University of Sydney. His compositions include numerous works for solo piano and solo flute, two symphonies, and other orchestral and chamber music works, many of which have been recorded for radio broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corp, Radio Singapore and the Minnesota Public Radio)
Recorded in the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory studio, Brendan’s debut CD consists of 17 tracks, including famous tunes like Bach / Gounod’s Ave Maria, Beethoven’s Minuet in G, Rimsky Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumble Bee, and Edward Grieg’s Solvejg’s Song.
Priced at S$25.00 each, ‘Brendan: A brand new day’ is now out in selected stores – Synwin Music, Gramercy Music (Katong) and Gramercy Music (Esplanade Mall). It is also available in all GPA Dental clinics (Balmoral Plaza, Holland Village, Parkview Square and United Square) and Tanglewood Music School.
(Review from Biz Daily)
Sales proceeds of the CD will be donated to the Business Times Budding Artists Fund.
For more enquiries on the CD, please call 6733 1730 or click here or email us at: tanglewood@pacific.net.sg
