Review - Mahler Symphony Nos. 2 & 9, Bruckner 7, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 27 April 2019
Symphony no. 9 (Mahler)

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 4 May 2019
Piano Concerto no. 20 (Mozart)
Symphony no. 7 (Bruckner)

Khatia Buniatishvili (piano)

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 18 May 2019
Christus factus est (Bruckner)
Ave Maria (Bruckner)
Symphony no. 2 (Mahler)

Ying Fang (soprano)
Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)
Netherlands Radio Choir
Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden (conductor)

These three performances made an ambitious showcase of the late romantic symphonies during Jaap's spring residence with the philharmonic. The augmented orchestra with extras in brass, wind and percussion reminded us the large orchestration deployed in the Wagner ring project before. It was a demonstration how the orchestra has progressed technically and musically under the baton of Jaap. The produced tone was often meaty and confident. Though sometimes it has its temperament of inconsistency at the recent indifferent rendition of Nutcracker for the Hamburg Ballet. When it is on top form and knowing the direction, it was left to a matter of interpretation and execution.

Among the three symphonies, Mahler's ninth symphony was the most progressive and sophisticated of all. The composer probably found the ultimate resolution to his long obsession of repeated emotional struggle between love and traumatic abyss since symphonies at the Wunderhorn period. Bernstein suggested the last movement a gesture of farewell to the world, yet I thought it was Mahler finally parting away from the emotional negotiations he had been seeking so long.

Jaap emphasised the emotional contrast by adding a sheer sense of dramatic intensity, but sometimes overdoing it that felt too deliberate for a theatrical drama. A sticky start to the moody opening of first movement that led to the rocking lyric theme being playing passionately. The first climax was a crushing devastation, and the following ebb and flow remained vigorously expressive. Effective dynamic and emotional contrast that differentiated the mysterious tiptoed like transition passage and the third reappearance of the rocking theme.

The next climatic point was explosive with a rich and bold sound body, which was different from the mysterious bare sound landscape that followed. It felt more wholeheartedly triumphant as the orchestra developed another exuberant climax, but quickly vanished by a crushing blow from the brass that hinting a sense of last judgement. The main theme turned melancholy and became a march. A rhythmically tricky duet for the horn and flute and concluded with a flute solo that depicted darkness loomed in the atmosphere.

The second movement switched the emotional focus to the bold and coarse Landler dance. Jaap's interpretation was bombastic, hurried and flamboyant. It felt sticky at first and gradually gained more momentum. The gallop carried the sheer energy and swinging wildly. An audible slip from the clarinets though. The wildness grew to fullness in the grotesque third movement. The wind playing gave a mad impression of chaos throughout the complex fugal passage. The tender entry of the solo trumpet changed the atmosphere to another bold and exciting climax midway before the final recapitulation of madness.

The tutti strings began the last movement with an outpour of emotions. The warm tone made a rather positive impression before reaching the reflective mid section. The texture became leaner that carried a sorrow sense, and further reinforced by the horns on sustaining the emotional ebb and flow. A calm transition was played by the wind quartet before pushing towards a climatic point. The brass fanfare reinforced the strings to announce the radiance of love without any further reservation of irony. Jaap seems interpreted with more hope than bleakness. Towards the spellbinding end, it was felt alike the composer had found a resolve to his long search of question between hope, love, loss and death.

Despite the tender touch Khatia demonstrated in Mozart's twentieth piano concerto was elegant and seamless, her adopted tempo felt too slow at times. The orchestra and Jaap instead wanted to get it going than indulging too much. Khatia's playing carried a dense tragic colour in the first movement. Her weight on the keyboard not aggressive and carried the weight of colours. The cadenza was dramatic in contrast from the subtle impression before.

She redeployed the soft touch in the tender introduction of second movement. Though the same dynamic for the tempestuous mid section undermined the growing sentiments. The recapitulation even felt like a lullaby. It was increasingly frustrating to hear her holding the excitement further for a mysterious impression in the last movement. The cadenza filled with sentiments that felt odd to rush the coda at break neck tempo.

Compare to previous two encounters of Jaap conducting Bruckner's 4th and 8th symphony, the 7th emphasised on blazing sound but not so much a musical narration. The strings made a majestic introduction yet the upper strings were not quite together with the winds. Beautiful flute playing in the wind trio followed by a tragic passage in the lower strings. A complex sentimental negotiation of a vast sound world between heaven and earth went on. The brass ended it on a confident fanfare to create a long chord of a full blown pipe organ.

A huge sound of the majestic theme began the second movement emotionally forward. A lyrical part for the strings to play in unison with richness. The crescendo led to a climatic peak accompanied by another glorious brass fanfare before resetting to a bare landscape. It ended on a solemn announcement by the horns with a flute solo leading to a delicate pause.

A wild but bold gallop started the third movement which culminated the intensity for an explosive climax. The ebb and flow of emotion was followed by a pastoral mid section which the main theme was more romantic driven. The recapitulation was unhurried and grand. The introduction of the last movement became more witty and optimistic at first. The brass fanfare put the melancholy dialogue between the woodwind and strings aside. There was even a hint of recalling Wagner's music painting of the Rhine river yet the under grow development felt random. In contrast, the thundering brass theme added more confidence and certainty to the triumphant conclusion.

In the next programme, two familiar motets by Bruckner were sung by the Netherlands Radio Choir prior to Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony. Though I was puzzled why the Philharmonic Chorus was not performing the motets together with the Dutch choir. Klaas Stok, the choirmaster of the Radio Choir, took a rather vertical approach to 'christus factus est' with a dragging tempo. The dynamic contrast was effective from the choir yet not a dramatic execution of the music. Klaas's conducting also did not help to get the parts together and there were some untidy corners. 'Sancta Maria' was emphasised particularly through the diction in the 'Ave Maria'.

The orchestra felt far more confident in the second symphony than the ninth symphony before. The lower strings began the first movement in rage. It made a contrasting picture of hell and heaven when the upper strings played the heavenward theme with warmth. The wild tutti gallop which followed shattered the sweet pastoral picture before. Gradually it developed to a triumphant climax until the violent passage returned once again in sheer intensity. The brass played the theme bold and full in contrast to the calm and tender closing.

The dance in second movement was gentle and gracefully played in a warm tone. Jaap took the tempo on the fast side to keep the waltz elaborate and optimistic. Nervousness returned in the third movement and, despite carrying the forwardness in momentum, the upper strings were not tidy in the note heavy passage. The melancholy gallop culminated to a wild and explosive climax, which the percussions effectively built up the theatrical intensity. Karen Cargill phrased the fourth movement poetically yet the orchestra was not that responsive to her deployed rubato. Her diction was sometimes cloudy and a rather bright timbre for the part.

The musical narration of last judgement to resurrection was vividly portrayed in the final movement. After a brief recapitulation of the opening of the first movement, the brass announced the judgement theme steadily. The majestic impression left no room for cliche and a heavenward glimpse was gloriously rendered. In contrast, the tutti devastation that followed was crushingly loud and wild. The brass reinforced the climax continuously with explosive intensity until the chorus hushed entry. The combined choirs were uncertain at first with Zweden's conducting but grew more confident when the orchestra joined. Ying Fang sang with a clarion clear timbre and complimented Karen very well in their duet. The excitement was hold back until the final exultation, which was gloriously rendered for the ultimate salvation. 

Review - Symphony No. 8 (Bruckner), Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra & Jaap van Zweden, 13 October 2017

Symphony No. 8 (Bruckner)

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden (conductor)

Despite the one and half hour long performance was greeted by an enthusiastic reception, Zweden did not appear satisfy as some previous performances like the Mahler fifth. Prior to the orchestra's Beijing tour, this one off account of the composer's spiritual journey on death and transfiguration for the hometown audience felt like a work in progress than a full understanding. The blame was equally shared between the orchestra and also Zweden himself. They have to go back to the drawing board and adjust for a more all rounding results.

After being used to the rich and full bodied playing by the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Tokyo, it took few minutes for my ears to adjust back to the orchestra's colour. Although upper strings played tidily in a beautiful tone, the sound body was slightly thin even for the soft beginning. Same happened to the horns too and sluggish woodwind playing without a clear direction. After the first round of ebb and flow of climatic moments, the violins were more able to shape the lyrical theme. It was confidently answered by a muscular brass fanfare upon another climax. Megan Sterling's flute solo responded beautifully and carried more direction than her colleagues. Further sentimental playing from the strings that gradually built up another crushing climatic point before the music faded away in its leanest sound body.

The strings knew the road map well enough in the Scherzo of the second movement, which had more urgency in its playing and galloped through with great energy. In contrast, the woodwind was not responsive and neither crisp. Brass was slightly polite at the triumphant gallop while upper strings made a raw sound to response emotionally. The horns' duet was supposedly a sublime and majesty passage, but it was the weakest moment of the evening and rough edged along with the harps and strings. The lyrical theme also lost focus and messy among the brass, which lacked smoothness while playing tenderly. Lower strings also needed to play the notes in fuller value to let the line sings more. Direction and confidence regained at recapitulation with the upper strings realised the accelerando with sheer intensity, though woodwind was rather impatient with the tempo.

Zweden seems preferred a rather swift tempo for the lengthy third movement but that sacrificed the space for the music to sing. The sentimental theme which began the movement was not devastating enough. Upper strings somehow lost its focus and gave a rather mechanical rendition than keeping the line flowing. Instead the lower strings was more able to create the colours through the ebb and flow of emotions. Later the woodwind sextet did not really click together as an ensemble and lacked the chemistry. The broad expressive theme then developed into a magnificent climax with sentiments, but the playing again felt vertically progressed and lost energy. A quick ascend to the next climax that felt in hurry than enjoying the big moment. Perhaps Zweden saw the focus was the inner emotions later expressed mysteriously than the triumphant peaks. The tender revolve seems too energetic and not idiomatic with the movement's broad impression. It needs to be more patient and phrased the line longer for a calm and relax closing.

Blazing brass fanfare made a wild and crushing entrance into the fourth movement, responded by an emotional expressive theme on the strings in rich tone. Whereas the strings increasingly employed more rawness in their playing, the woodwind answered subtly alike a walk in the woods. Then a bold chorale theme was majestically rendered responded by a sweet tune on the solo oboe. The muscular fanfare returned again at fortissimo and strings gave a warm and expressive response. Horns' solo line again not beautifully played neither majestic, though another devastating climax became the focus. It became a classic struggle between triumph and melancholy that searched endlessly for a resolve. Harmonically the recapitulation developed into a new sound world and became more confident to overcome the uncertainty. It developed a complex of emotions through brass bombardment against sentimental strings' motive. Sorrow seems prevailed but the finale finally reached a triumphant resolve against an epic struggle in grandeur. No wonder the audience could not hold back their appreciations even it was not a resounding success.

Review - Louis Lortie, Jaap van Zweden, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 11 June 2016

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. 

Review - Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 19 May 2016 & 20 May 2016

19 May 2016
Symphony No. 2 (Brahms)
Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Encore: Petit adagio from 'Autumn' from The Seasons (Glazunov)

20 May 2016

String Quartet No. 11 'Serioso' (Beethoven, arranged by Mahler)

Symphony No. 4 (Bruckner)

Encore: 'Sheep may safely graze' (Bach, orchestrated by Stokowski)

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Conductor)

The Philadelphia Orchestra two day residency in Hong Kong compensated the underwhelming orchestral offers during the arts festival in March. No concerto in the programme but we were treated with three substantial symphonic works and an arranged chamber work for string orchestra. It was also my first to see Yannick Nézet-Séguin in live action. I had some expectation since there was a rumour that he would be the next music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New Year. As a whole the showcase was memorable to an extent and the Bruckner fourth symphony made a stunning conclusion.

The first evening was a mixed affair. I suspected orchestra members were still recovering from the jet lag and adjusting to the acoustics. The first movement of Brahms second symphony was an unending song from beginning to end. There were some occasional similarity to Mendelssohn's overture 'The Herbrides'. Both lower strings and horns seems uncertain in direction at the mysterious fog heavy opening. Soon the passionate tutti put the playing back on track. Amidst the contrasting passages in dynamic, texture and pattern, there were some beautiful playing from the woodwinds and the cellos. The orchestra was responsive to the dynamic indication and retained the presence even at pianissimo. Yannick never over phrase the music in his conducting and had the confident in the band to do its own work. The articulation was natural with momentum and gradually built up the climax in the fugal passage. The only weak part was the solo horn player, which the tone sounded muffled and remained a let down throughout rest of the concerts.

Although a promising start, I did not find the orchestra managed to find the direction in rest of the symphony. The cello solo at the opening of second movement lacked shape in the playing. Dialogues between sections also would need the space to let the music breathe instead of hurrying along in swift tempo. It all sounded moody and unsure where sailing into. The cor anglais pastoral passage at the beginning of the third movement would need to dance more with the music. There were merits though in the peasant dance like presto passage that being unhurried and highly disciplined on rhythmical precision. Strings were rather messy in the fourth movement and did not match the same sense of momentum as in the first movement. It was only until the finale that the playing improved as a body and the brass produced some blazing tone.

During interval, I spotted three non occupied seats in middle of the stall and decided to move there. The orchestra balance was better than where I originally sat behind a wall of double basses. Though I neither enjoy nor dislike the objective approach of Scheherzade in the second half. The violin solo at the beginning produced a silvery tone but the concertmaster seems uncertain with the bowing directions and sight reading like. The upper strings sustained the same colour but sounded rather thin in body with less bow hairs being employed. The flute solo again stood out with some exquisite playing. Dialogue between wind players produced a better sense of music direction and unhurried in momentum in comparison. Radiant playing from the lower strings, particularly the cellos, with a mellow rich tone and I found it moving.

Though the lyrical passages could have allow more time to indulge the music more. Sectional dialogues were still far from connecting as a body and lacked the fluidness. Both the trombone and horn duet were capable technical wise, but the produced sound were again muddy and far from making an impression. The rhythmically robust passage in the fourth movement would have been more successful if more bites from the upper strings with the urge and attack. Again only at the finale the orchestra produced a more muscular and passionate body of sound. The final violin solo was more secured in bow directions and more hairs on the strings, though intonation was shaky as the positions went up. I felt the closing could have taken the tempo slower for a spellbinding conclusion. Yannick was probably not that familiar with the music as he looked at the score more often. A polish account of the work, but holding back the emotion and not indulge in some rubato moment seems taking away the expression and distinctive colour.

The second evening began with a lesser known Mahler arrangement of the last quartet from Beethoven's middle period. It was an intellectual choice to showcase the strings with a time relevancy to the Bruckner fourth symphony. The work itself seems telling Beethoven could not settle on a logical modulations but abrupt jump in keys instead. The fluctuation in mood changes were often enigmatic, moody or sarcastic. Tempo wise the ensemble would not have the same flexibility as a string quartet but a different sound texture that interested me. Compare to previous evening, strings players employed more hairs on the bow to produce a richer sound. They had a better sense in crafting the structure and more intimate dialogue between sections. The lower strings gave the rhythmic punch and intention in the violent passage of the first movement. It would have been effective if the upper strings could match with better phrasing. The horse galloping like third movement was successfully visualised with the sheer sense of energy and bites on the bows. There were even moments I thought in texture echoing the first movement of Beethoven ninth symphony. The allegretto of the fourth movement would still need more space and patient for the music to sing more. The presto ending was thrilling though with the impact of momentum but one could detect the composer was not wholeheartedly commit to the positivism. I was also impressed by how well Yannick knew the work and guided the musicians with appropriate indications. The playing was never heavy and dragged. His non interventionist conducting kept the music flowing and the structure being naturally shaped. Small gestures were effective and marking the differentiation in what he wanted dynamic wise or where the focus should be at the spot.

If high marks for the first half, his execution of Bruckner fourth symphony was even better and memorable with many magnificent moments. I felt the performance helped me to visualise the scenes or expressions that the composer had in mind. One would imagine the first movement was a long search journey whether walking or riding along the hills next to a great river, perhaps the Rhine or Danube. The horn solo at the beginning was slightly shaky but soon the tutti crescendo culminated a rich body of sound pushing towards the first climax. Smooth climbs in the arpeggio passage between the quiet moment and violent climatic point. The brass section then made a brilliant muscular tone with warmth to mark a contrast in dynamics and atmosphere. Upper strings were technically capable but the playing was rather cloudy in the expressive passage followed. The trio between solo flue, trumpets and horns maintained a good direction though. As a whole the orchestral playing was more together as a body than before. Sections responded to each other and kept the music refreshing, which produced the motivation to look forward to the next development.

Radiant playing from the cellos opened the second movement. The lower strings produced a beautiful and mellow tone in the melodic passage with pizzicatos from the upper strings on top. Finally the tempo of slow movement was not in hurry and had the space for the music to breathe. Though the horns did not quite match the mark set by the strings in the wind dialogue. Phrasing was not its forte and some notes sounded to me were not in its full value. A dramatic transition from a muscular rich tutti to the quietest moment alike walking on tiptoe. The cellos was not over sentimental with its playing in the third solo passage, and at the same time captured the tragic feeling where the music was heading into. The final part felt like clock ticking forever. Triumphant climax from the brass did not brighten up the atmosphere but only the music became more mysterious at the end.

In opposite, the third movement could be imagined as a pastoral hunting scene. The trombones and trumpets were brilliant and confident in the hunting calls, but again the horns' playing were muffled and notes were not differentiated clear enough. The muscular scherzo was answered by an elegant trio by the woodwinds. There were more facial expressions from Yannick at the recapitulation, and could sense the orchestral playing more playful than the first round.

The final movement again recalled the long search journey in the beginning but this time the walking pace was in hurried than before. It was neither definite in message as the third movement as what to look for in actual, or the composer struggled to find a satisfactory conclusion. The orchestral playing showed no sign of tiredness or boredom though and kept the interest going. Energetic tutti started off the violent and dramatic opening. A brief moment of triumphant outburst before the strings and woodwinds played the enigmatic minuet dance passage. The brass again brilliantly played in the tempestuous response and as section had the flexibility to capture the atmospheric contrast. Objective playing had been the norm to this point but sentiments were finally allowed. The strings poured out the emotions accompanied by majestic brass playing to aim for another triumphant climax. Yet the exquisite flute solo marked it was only a transition but a long way before reaching the end, which was to recall the opening of first movement. Emotions were accumulated and the orchestra sounded very different than before. A radiant body of sound by being more dense and richer in tone. It found its way how to integrate into the music with character than merely playing the notes. The ending was spellbinding and took the breath away by its intensity.

If one has to look out for superlative Bruckner symphonic experience in future, Yannick is the conductor to go after and to be amazed by how he conducted the music by heart and hardly looking at the score. He gives whatever necessary to articulate and the same time to let the musicians do its work. Nothing exaggerate or dictatorship from the podium but clear, simple and effective indications to command. To maintain such balance could be high risk if the band is not capable or not always able to deliver. This performance confirmed the trust and partnership could deliver some wonderful music making and that matter most.