Istana Woodneuk (2025)
for orchestra
“...Chen Zhangyi’s Istana Woodneuk opened with ceremonial drumming on Malay hand-held frame drums, a work celebrating the derelict 90-year-old palace off Tyersall Road once owned by the Sultan of Johor. Major solos by cellist Fong Tze Meng and violinist Kaleb Toh representing Sultan Ibrahim and his Scottish bride Helen played like a movement from a double concerto, remembering a romance that did not last.”
Instrumentation:
2.2.2.2. 4.2.3.0. timp (3perc*), hp. (obbligato violin, obbligato violoncello) strings
*Percussion
Perc. 1: Kompang, Triangle, Bass Drum (with wire brushes, mallets)
Perc. 2: Kompang, Bass Drum (with wire brushes, mallets)
Perc. 3: Kompang (may be played by Timpanist, or another musician from the orchestra)
NOTE: there is an optional Kompang Procession leading to the beginning to the work
Duration: ca. 7' 30"
ISTANA WOODNEUK, for orchestra, was written for Singapore Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (SYPO), and Chinese Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra (CPYO). The work premiered on 20 August 2025 at Victoria Concert Hall, under the baton of conductor Luo Wei.
I have long been intrigued by the storied history of Istana Woodneuk, a forgotten palace located near the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Rebuilt in 1932-1935, Istana Woodneuk served as the royal residence of the Johor Sultanate - Sultan Sir Ibrahim and his Scottish wife Sultana Helen. The royal couple was once immortalized on a commemorative postage stamp in 1935, however, their marriage dissolved in 1938. Istana Woodneuk, once lavish and known for its wave-like blue Devonshire tiled roof, fell into a state of abandonment especially after an incident of fire damage in 2006. The compound is now out-of-bounds, and its ruins 'reclaimed' by nature.
Musically, various themes unfold a narrative of Istana Woodneuk. The festive introduction opens with interlocking Kompang rhythms (inspired by a recent Malay wedding that I attended). The Sultan's theme is represented by an suave obbligato violoncello solo; while the Sultana is portrayed by an obbligato violin solo that is both effervescent and lyrical. There are also themes of 'Love', 'House' and 'Rainforest'. In a way, this is an orchestral homage to Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade, and Butterfly Lovers' Concerto by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao.
With the recent announcement of this plot of land to be returned to the Singapore Government, there might be a glimmer of hope for the restoration and conservation of this unique piece of heritage that is emblematic of our intertwined history.
— Chen Zhangyi, 9 July 2025
