SPRING SERENADE: Veteran songwriter Dương Thụ narrates 'Gifts of Spring', a classical music and spoken-word programme in which classical pieces, opera and Vietnamese songs celebrating spring filled the air. — VNS Photo Đức Thọ

HÀ NỘI — Songwriter Dương Thụ, a well-known musician in Hà Nội, is taking on an expanded role by chairing a members-only club for classical music aficionados that meets in a newly renovated villa on Trần Hưng Đạo Street. For a selected audience, he crafted a special repertoire of classical music for the cello, opera arias and some of most beautiful Vietnamese spring melodies.

Titled "Gifts of Spring", the concert highlights the beauty of the cello with a recital by cellist Ngô Hoàng Quân performing pieces by Elgar, Saint-Saëns, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky.

Trained at the Hà Nội Music Conservatory in the 1970s, Quân went on to study in the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1976 and later graduated from the prestigious school. He moved back to Việt Nam in 1982 and had a long career as a soloist and then Director of the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra. Now retired, Quân still performs at selected events.

The opera section was chosen and put together by pianist Phúc Phan, who graduated from the Lake Forest College in the US state of Illinois. He was discovered by Thụ from his musical series, Saturday Coffee, and is a musical director for "Gift of Spring".

One memorable piece of the programme is an opera written by composer Văn Chung which Phan decided to present with tenor Hữu Nguyên dressing up and acting like a Vietnamese "young buffalo", or wild youth. Nguyên, a tenor buffo, who specialises in comedic opera roles, premiered this piece on stage while singing, acting and smoking from a traditional tobacco pipe.

"This is a marvellous piece directed by Phúc Phan," Thụ said.

"My hat's off to you. In my lifetime of organising concerts for more than 50 years, and as a bamboo water pipe smoker, I love the sound of water inside the pipe and really wanted to bring it onto the stage. I owe it all to Phan, who's so talented, and who brought this beautiful sound of the tobacco pipe on the stage accompanied by piano."

Trịnh Ngọc Trâm, deputy head of Hà Nội's Cửa Nam Ward, gives an address highlighting the importance of preserving historical space as well as the city’s cultural and musical legacy. — VNS Photo Đức Thọ

After the comedic piece came a few less happy spring songs, which Phan dug up from the global opera repertoire.

Phan said of his choices: "They are some sad spring songs by Beethoven (Adelaide) sung by Minh Hiểu, lyrical tenor, Schubert (Viola) sung by Quang Công, lyrical tenor, and Strauss (Frühling) sung by Ngô Hương Diệp, one of the current leading sopranos.

"Everywhere in spring, we hear happy songs about love and a better future. I'd like to take a track off the beaten path, choosing these songs so that these sad souls will not be forgotten."

Soprano Đào Tố Loan captivates the audience with her powerful interpretation of Donizetti's aria from 'Lucia di Lammermoor'.

The concert reached its crescendo when soprano Đào Tố Loan, one of the most famous singers in Hà Nội at the moment, walked onto the stage and sang Il dolce suono (The Sweet Sound) from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Despite its title, the song was nowhere near as sweet as it suggested. Taken from Act III Scene 2, the song was actually a highly demanding scene performed by the leading soprano.

Forbidden by her family to marry someone she did not love, the titular Lucia descended into madness, stabbing her groom to death and wandering around not really acknowledging what she had done, recalling memories of her loved one and imagining marrying him instead.

For 15 minutes without a break, Loan proved her diva status, performing one of the most demanding pieces in a top-notch soprano repertoire.

Later, still visibly emotional from singing the "mad scene" song, Loan made a smooth transition to the last section of the programme, singing one of Việt Nam's most beautiful songs about spring by Văn Cao, Mùa xuân đầu tiên (First Spring).

Next came Nguyễn Cường's big hit Một nét ca trù ngày xuân (A Spring ca trù Melody) sung by soprano Ngô Hương Diệp.

The concert ended with two big hits by host Thụ: Hơi thở mùa Xuân (Spring Breath), sung by Loan, and Lắng nghe mùa xuân về (Listen, Spring Has Come) sung by Diệp and Quang Công.

In a brief speech at the concert, Trịnh Ngọc Trâm, deputy chairwoman of the Cửa Nam Ward People's Committee (Administration), highlighted authorities' support for cultural and artistic activities.

"Our Cửa Nam Ward has many historical and cultural relics of Hà Nội's thousand years of history. Aside from our economic and social duties, authorities are also focused on preserving and spreading Hà Nội's traditional cultural values and creating valuable arts programmes for people to enjoy."

"Continuing the success of the previous 'Chamber Music Salon: Heritage Echoes' series, Cửa Nam authorities have coordinated with songwriter Dương Thụ to launch this 'Gift of Spring' programme, which will continue this year to organise more cultural activities suitable to the historical context and background of our city," Trâm said.

In the near future, Cửa Nam authorities plan to work with artists, cultural researchers and institutions to organise a more diverse series of activities to enrich the cultural lives of residents. — VNS