Review - Mahler & Mozart, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 20 October 2016

Violin Concerto No. 4 (Mozart)
Encore: Presto from Violin Sonata No. 4 (Ysaÿe)

Symphony No. 1 (Mahler)

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Tianwa Yang (Violinist)
Jaap van Zweden (Conductor)

This is my first concert of the new season by the philharmonic orchestra, also a start to the two years long Mahler cycle. Like many previous programme featuring late romantic symphonic works, Mozart occupies the first half for a conservative choice instead of offering works from the second Viennese school or later. Any dissonance and experimentalism is shelved on the wall for the sake of comfort. Moreover, Tianwa Yang is a technical orientated violinist than on lyricism, a mismatch I reckon for Mozart's fourth violin concerto which greatly emphasis on exquisite tone quality. Acoustically at where I sat under the balcony, the general tutti sound from stage seems rather distance but the raw quality of the first violins' playing were also noticeable. Zweden took a rather swift tempo for a fluid orchestra introduction in the concerto and balance with the soloist is well controlled. Despite Yang's rather exaggerate posture, her playing produced a pleasant tone and could have employed more hairs to sustain the legato than accenting so abruptly. Though the tuning in the double stopping entry at the first cadenza was shaky and the technical display was styled beyond the classical period. 

In the second movement, Yang should employ less vibrato and smoothen the tone on the bow, which was detached and heavy handed on position changes. Intonation was often insecure and some awkward phrasing that the music increasingly went out of shape. The second cadenza sounded more like an improvised one with the harmonic progression went very distanced, before turning to an abrupt coda that took the orchestra by surprise. Although the third movement is more well suited to her technique, the bow attacks were rather aggressive with too much weights. The final cadenza again a technical showcase but ended with an upward climb to the highest finger positions seems an incomplete finish. She was more in home territory showcasing an impressive encore of the presto movement from Ysaÿe's fourth violin sonata. 

The philharmonic orchestra had delivered many quality and memorable performances last season, including the Beethoven's symphonies cycle and Bruckner's fourth symphony. Though whether this time to do with limited rehearsal time and preparing a tour to China, the rendition of Mahler's first symphony required more thinking and bites for a more successful outcome. Zweden's conducting was rather metric in the mysterious opening, which resulted an angular reading of the music than a natural progression. The joyful pastoral section would need more space to breathe and sing than rushing it through, whereas rather slow tempo for the bird calls' dialogues among the woodwinds. The transition to the dark and solemn part was more success in tempo control and produced that mysterious feeling than a tragic overtone. Though later some intonation problems among the horns, trumpets and clarinets, and that the produced sound was often muffled. The recalling to the pastoral image also needed to dance more, and the orchestra lacked the weight in sound body at the muscular transition. The triumphant coda was polished and solid enough to redeem from a lesser impressive start.

The ländler dance in the second movement would be more effective, if the orchestral playing was more wild and gave more attacks than being careful. The waltz was on a steady side too that it did not quite drive the momentum forward. The volume was appropriately double at the recapitulation but the horn section would need to give more than holding back. Tempo was right for the funeral march in the double bass solo at the beginning of the third movement. Woodwinds were too nice though that lacked the bites to articulate their entries and made the dynamic contrast. In turn, the lyric section was dreamy enough and polished. The muted trumpets would also need to move more than dragging the tempo at the recapitulation, which the spell for a fading march was somehow lost into the attaca of fourth movement.

The long crescendo in the violent opening of the last movement made an impression and structurally clear. Though Zweden adapted a very broad tempo in the first emotionally expressive passage, which the music was in danger losing the effect of emotion outpour. Even so, the orchestra finally came together at the mysterious return to the violent stormy part. It produced the sheer dramatic impact and unleashing the energy with depth in its playing. The horn produced a magnificent sound at the triumphant climax along with the energetic percussions. Tempo changes for the second tender and expressive moment was more accurately captured and better phrased. Though the crescendo would need to sustain more and in volume for the contrast. Poor horns' tuning again at the transition before reaching the triumphant conclusion, which the music spoke for itself to display all brilliancy.

(Photo credit: HKphil website, Jonathan Ng)