In symphonic art, ensemble is not just a performance technique, but the soul of music. It is a meeting of different voices, where each instrument maintains its own identity while listening to and supporting each other to form a greater whole. From the unison melodies of the Middle Ages to the polyphonic dialogues of the Baroque era, and then to the grand symphonic form of the 18th century, that spirit remains unchanged: music is only truly complete when the individual and the collective go hand in hand.
Concert night takes place at 8:00 PM on September 25th at Hoan Kiem Lake Theater
This very inspiration has been chosen by the Sun Symphony Orchestra (SSO) as the theme for the September concert – “As One: An Orchestral Journey – Ensemble”, taking place at 8:00 PM on September 25, 2025, at Hoan Kiem Lake Theater under the baton of Music Director Olivier Ochanine.
If a symphony is a colorful painting, then this journey will allow the audience to meet one by one each distinct 'color patch'. Opening is “As One” by Gene Koshinski – a contemporary work for percussion. Here, drums, xylophones, and various percussion instruments will become 'dialogues' through rhythm, sometimes lively, sometimes with decisive pauses. Koshinski has explored percussion as the primal 'heartbeat' of music, bringing energy with a surging drama that spreads throughout the hall.
Following is “Brass Quintet No. 1” by Victor Ewald, one of the first works written specifically for brass quintet, affirming the status of the instrument section which is associated with ceremonies and military music. Ewald skillfully showcases the dual character of brass instruments: trumpets and trombones resound like a call to battle, while horns and tubas sing gentle, lyrical melodies. This contrast complements each other, like the light and shadow in a painting.
The audience will gradually 'meet' different sonic personalities during the concert
If brass instruments shine with grandeur, then woodwinds charm the audience with grace and wit. In “Trois pièces brèves”, Jacques Ibert recreates the atmosphere of Paris in the 1930s with three concise and refined pieces. Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn continuously toss and converse, evoking a sophisticated French humor. Each phrase, gentle yet intelligent, makes the woodwind section a lively and graceful ensemble, much like the urban life of Paris at that time.
The music then settles into the lyrical beauty of the string section with “Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 3” by Ottorino Respighi. Inspired by songs and dances of the Renaissance, Respighi gives them a new guise with 20th-century harmonies. Ancient melodies are revived in a soft, tender timbre: violins and violas sing like ancient songs, cellos and double basses create a warm bass foundation. The strings – the heart of the orchestra – become storytellers, leading the audience into a poetic, lyrical space.
SSO emphasizes the spirit of ensemble with the diversity of the repertoire
The climax of the concert is Symphony No. 4 “Italian” by Felix Mendelssohn – one of the most vibrant masterpieces of the Romantic era. Conceived during a trip to Italy, the symphony is filled with Mediterranean sunshine, pilgrimage rhythms and fervent folk dances. The entire orchestra is engaged from beginning to end: percussion asserts the march rhythm, brass resounds with energy, woodwinds whisper wittily, strings lay down a soft musical foundation. All merge into a grand ensemble, where each sonic personality finds its own place and sings together in radiant joy.
What makes “As One: An Orchestral Journey – Ensemble” special is not just the diversity of the repertoire, but how the SSO structures it to emphasize the spirit of ensemble. The audience doesn't need deep music theory knowledge to appreciate it, just open your heart and listen, and the music will tell its own story.
