“A hundred years after the Paris premiere of The Firebird, TPO did some major commissioning of its own. Young Singaporean composer Emily Koh’s 10-minute-long After Igor was the result. Scored for the same familiar forces as Firebird, Koh did not attempt to imitate or recreate the Russian’s style. Instead her tone poem was a wholly original essay reflecting a mysterious sound world on the threshold of tonality.
There were some vaguely familiar moments–string reveries, brassy fanfares, evocative woodwind solos–which all made for an atmospheric and satisfying appetiser for the ballet’s main course.”