Piano Concerto No. 22 (Mozart)
Symphony No. 4 (Bruckner)
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Louis Lortie (Pianist)
Jaap van Zweden (Conductor)
After the performance of Philadelphia Orchestra nearly a month ago, the local philharmonic orchestra revisited the Bruckner fourth symphony but a Mozart piano concerto was programmed for the first half instead. Interestingly, the pairing confirmed the strength and weakness of Jaap van Zweden's conducting. A magnificent performance of the Bruckner that musically very strong and brilliantly played, which surpassed the Philadelphia Orchestra performance I reckon in many ways. However, the Mozart was most disappointing that Louis Lortie gradually lost the sense of structure and phrasing towards the end. Jaap's conducting was ineffective to coordinate the band and the playing became dull and messy. I think he should drop Mozart from his repertoire in future.
Instead of the orchestra usual silky and bright tone, a murky start began the first movement of Mozart's piano concerto no. 22. The tone colour of the woodwinds was dense and shapeless with phrasing, except the flautist Megan Sterling who always tried hard to produce beautiful playing and a sense of direction. One could feel the orchestra often a fraction behind the soloist and generally produced a dull colour in their playing. Lortie was better at the start before losing his focus in rest of the concerto. His touch on the piano was appropriate in weight with tenderness. Atmospherically captured the sweetness and being elegant. The playing was natural and always flowing. The cadenza was not too flamboyant neither too distanced from style. The strings were not too sentimental in the sorrow opening of the second movement. Though sectional dialogue were not effective to communicate to each other and gradually dragged in tempo. I wondered if they were all too worried and distracted by Jaap's laborious conducting by too many indications. Lortie seems affected by the hesitations and began to lose sense of structure in phrasing. He slightly hurried through the movement and the underlying sadness of the piece became a subtle statement of objectivity. An underwhelming start of the third movement with the wind section being lacked of confident in their entries and muddled in tone colour. Tutti moments felt to be indifferent and cool. The playing was too careful and rigid, which failed to capture the cheerful and optimistic dance like atmosphere. In opposite, Lortie's phrasing became rather random, sometimes indulging in one passage that lost the pace, and rhythmically uneven in the scale passages. By the end it seems everyone on stage had lost interest in the piece, a shame really.
In contrast to the first half, the orchestra gave a spellbinding and superlative performance of the Bruckner fourth symphony. The Philadelphia orchestra performance was felt like a long riding journey while searching for an ultimate solution and a negotiation between emotions. In this performance though positivism and musicality prevailed brilliantly. The music painted a dazzling noble knight riding majestically. Musicality at its best sense and triumphantly delivered the beauty and greatness of the score. Sectional playing were more integrated as a body, balanced on technical level and communicating to each other.
The opening horn solo might not always secure with intonation but more confident and bright in tone. Tutti crescendo to the first climatic point was smooth and had the dramatic intensity. Stormy passage followed was bold than fearful of darkness before reaching the heavenly climax again. I never hear the trumpeters of the orchestra ever played the rotary trumpets so magnificent and confident. Meagan Sterling again produced some exquisite playing in the flute solo. Atmospherically sweet in the pastoral scene and the cellos' playing was earthy. One could feel alike gazing golden wheat fields than only a horse galloping on the road. The trombones made a silvery body of sound at the conclusion of the first movement.
Instead of sentiment and being enigmatic, the orchestra interpretation of the second movement was silky in texture and being majestic. The transition between themes were naturally interwoven. Lower strings produced an earthy tone but not dense, which probably explained why there was a sense of Italianate warmth and mellow. The orchestra rightfully articulated the dance passage with a strong sense of rhythmic momentum and flexibility. The violas excelled themselves in the emotional solo passage with beautiful playing. Appropriate bowing that sustained the legato and intensity. The ending was not a clock ticking moment but expressive strings playing had provided a direction in journey. One could probably imagine the slow march at forest by animals as depicted in Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
What the orchestra slightly lacked in the third movement was that dramatic wildness to unleash the energy and muscular movements of a hunting scene. The horn solo and trumpets were steady and careful, which turned into neat hunting calls. Though the phrasing and sense of line still maintained the structure and focus in direction. Woodwinds were rather sweet in tone at the pastoral passage in the trio section. At return to the scherzo, the orchestra was highly disciplined rhythmically with the accelerando and made the contrast in dynamics. Again the dialogue between strings and winds were effective and the music danced vividly.
The last movement is supposedly a long search for the final resolve, but this performance became a celebration of the sheer brilliancy and beauty of the music itself. The orchestra might not have the sheer weight in sound but again musical sense was strong, especially among sectional dialogues. The transition to the second climax was fluid and not heavy in sound weight. The brass section sounded magnificent in the triumphant moment with blazing tone colour and being confident in entry. As this point the mood became mysterious and slowly built up the intensity for the long conclusion. The strings were a bit lean in body for the emotional outpour but had the road map in mind where they were sailed towards. The wild and violent climax was not too enigmatic for understanding, but a negotiation between the tragic and emotions before the opening theme re-emerged. The emotional end became a resounding triumph than merely reaching the end point of a journey. In general, Jaap's conducting was noticeably more precise to indicate the desired dynamics and tempos. The momentum was wonderfully paced and always let the music with the space to breathe and sing. It was truly a memorable account of the symphony.
Symphony No. 4 (Bruckner)
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Louis Lortie (Pianist)
Jaap van Zweden (Conductor)
After the performance of Philadelphia Orchestra nearly a month ago, the local philharmonic orchestra revisited the Bruckner fourth symphony but a Mozart piano concerto was programmed for the first half instead. Interestingly, the pairing confirmed the strength and weakness of Jaap van Zweden's conducting. A magnificent performance of the Bruckner that musically very strong and brilliantly played, which surpassed the Philadelphia Orchestra performance I reckon in many ways. However, the Mozart was most disappointing that Louis Lortie gradually lost the sense of structure and phrasing towards the end. Jaap's conducting was ineffective to coordinate the band and the playing became dull and messy. I think he should drop Mozart from his repertoire in future.
Instead of the orchestra usual silky and bright tone, a murky start began the first movement of Mozart's piano concerto no. 22. The tone colour of the woodwinds was dense and shapeless with phrasing, except the flautist Megan Sterling who always tried hard to produce beautiful playing and a sense of direction. One could feel the orchestra often a fraction behind the soloist and generally produced a dull colour in their playing. Lortie was better at the start before losing his focus in rest of the concerto. His touch on the piano was appropriate in weight with tenderness. Atmospherically captured the sweetness and being elegant. The playing was natural and always flowing. The cadenza was not too flamboyant neither too distanced from style. The strings were not too sentimental in the sorrow opening of the second movement. Though sectional dialogue were not effective to communicate to each other and gradually dragged in tempo. I wondered if they were all too worried and distracted by Jaap's laborious conducting by too many indications. Lortie seems affected by the hesitations and began to lose sense of structure in phrasing. He slightly hurried through the movement and the underlying sadness of the piece became a subtle statement of objectivity. An underwhelming start of the third movement with the wind section being lacked of confident in their entries and muddled in tone colour. Tutti moments felt to be indifferent and cool. The playing was too careful and rigid, which failed to capture the cheerful and optimistic dance like atmosphere. In opposite, Lortie's phrasing became rather random, sometimes indulging in one passage that lost the pace, and rhythmically uneven in the scale passages. By the end it seems everyone on stage had lost interest in the piece, a shame really.
In contrast to the first half, the orchestra gave a spellbinding and superlative performance of the Bruckner fourth symphony. The Philadelphia orchestra performance was felt like a long riding journey while searching for an ultimate solution and a negotiation between emotions. In this performance though positivism and musicality prevailed brilliantly. The music painted a dazzling noble knight riding majestically. Musicality at its best sense and triumphantly delivered the beauty and greatness of the score. Sectional playing were more integrated as a body, balanced on technical level and communicating to each other.
The opening horn solo might not always secure with intonation but more confident and bright in tone. Tutti crescendo to the first climatic point was smooth and had the dramatic intensity. Stormy passage followed was bold than fearful of darkness before reaching the heavenly climax again. I never hear the trumpeters of the orchestra ever played the rotary trumpets so magnificent and confident. Meagan Sterling again produced some exquisite playing in the flute solo. Atmospherically sweet in the pastoral scene and the cellos' playing was earthy. One could feel alike gazing golden wheat fields than only a horse galloping on the road. The trombones made a silvery body of sound at the conclusion of the first movement.
Instead of sentiment and being enigmatic, the orchestra interpretation of the second movement was silky in texture and being majestic. The transition between themes were naturally interwoven. Lower strings produced an earthy tone but not dense, which probably explained why there was a sense of Italianate warmth and mellow. The orchestra rightfully articulated the dance passage with a strong sense of rhythmic momentum and flexibility. The violas excelled themselves in the emotional solo passage with beautiful playing. Appropriate bowing that sustained the legato and intensity. The ending was not a clock ticking moment but expressive strings playing had provided a direction in journey. One could probably imagine the slow march at forest by animals as depicted in Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
What the orchestra slightly lacked in the third movement was that dramatic wildness to unleash the energy and muscular movements of a hunting scene. The horn solo and trumpets were steady and careful, which turned into neat hunting calls. Though the phrasing and sense of line still maintained the structure and focus in direction. Woodwinds were rather sweet in tone at the pastoral passage in the trio section. At return to the scherzo, the orchestra was highly disciplined rhythmically with the accelerando and made the contrast in dynamics. Again the dialogue between strings and winds were effective and the music danced vividly.
The last movement is supposedly a long search for the final resolve, but this performance became a celebration of the sheer brilliancy and beauty of the music itself. The orchestra might not have the sheer weight in sound but again musical sense was strong, especially among sectional dialogues. The transition to the second climax was fluid and not heavy in sound weight. The brass section sounded magnificent in the triumphant moment with blazing tone colour and being confident in entry. As this point the mood became mysterious and slowly built up the intensity for the long conclusion. The strings were a bit lean in body for the emotional outpour but had the road map in mind where they were sailed towards. The wild and violent climax was not too enigmatic for understanding, but a negotiation between the tragic and emotions before the opening theme re-emerged. The emotional end became a resounding triumph than merely reaching the end point of a journey. In general, Jaap's conducting was noticeably more precise to indicate the desired dynamics and tempos. The momentum was wonderfully paced and always let the music with the space to breathe and sing. It was truly a memorable account of the symphony.
