The Italian maestro Riccardo Muti set foot in Chicago with the first CSO season in 2010. 2012 will see him touring with this big United States orchestra for the first time. The announced programme includes an evening with Busoni’s Turandot Suite and Brahms’ fourth, and the other Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony and Beethoven’s Eroica. The same programme will run in Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul. More information may be found here.

The CSO came in 2009 with Bernard Haitink, also during the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

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Photo © Todd Rosenberg

Mr. van Zweden will conduct six programmes. Not an impressive number but something new nonetheless, including Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. He will also conduct Mahler’s first symphony in a separate concert.

In the launch ceremony, Chief Executive Michael MacLeod says there will be innovative programmings, including the season end’s The Planets suite, collaborating with the Hong Kong Space Museum next door to have the planets concerned shown during the performance. Expect a flood of Voyager, or better still, Galileo, Cassini and some even more dated spacecrafts flyby and rocky planet landing pictures.

More historically inclined programme would be the concert with concert staging of operas by Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, re-enacting an operatic competition between the two composers with Prima la musica e poi le parole (First music, then words) and Der Schauspieldirektor (The impresario). Another historical re-enactment is the Le sacre du printemps, to be performed roughly coinciding with its centenary of première, with Frédéric Chopin’s Les Sylphides. Most people says the Igor Stravinsky’s cacophony caused the notorious scandal; some says it’s the unusual Parisian heat to blame; and some other says it’s the lovely Les Sylphides that preceded Le sacre made the latter a disastrous “murderer of art.” You listen and judge yourself with your pair of 21st-century ears.

New season doesn’t lack stars. Yundi, Lang Lang, Simon Trpčeski, to name some. Anne-Sophie Mutter will perform the Time Machine by Sebastian Currier; grab a disc to have a listen before you go, or you may read my Chinese review of the disc first. Among many guest conductors I would greatly expect Antoni Wit, the Polish master who has made just so many fine recordings. He is playing Eroica Symphony (What? Nothing from Poland?)

And there comes the revival of Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus. There is not yet any long term plan for this chorus which existed and disbanded during passing on of batons, the chorus will sing the complete Messiah in Easter.

Timpani in front of me. See who's playing?

The new season is announced with a staged flash mob of musicians playing Boléro, with the timpani, gong and cymbal lands suddenly in front of me.

One of the most prestigious events among Hong Kong primary and secondary schools, the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival occupies one month of the annual calendar featuring a wide array of competition from solos to big group.

The event culminates in the final competition, when the overall winner is announced and the competing teams are at the climax of spirit and top-most performance.

This is the first final that I have ever witnessed. Having been active in music of various levels and different institutes, I have been strangely absent from this climatic event. I know how it is from the hearsay — charged atmosphere, unmatched confidence, and fine performance from the young singers of unexpected perfection.

Yet, this climatic evening happens every year, with dwindling attention.

Why? There was a time when the competition was covered in major press, and there was reverberation among the general public. A winner is someone of importance and prestige.

Now, even it is broadcast on radio, it receives only routine attention, just like every last year and last-last year and last-last-last year.

I am not to blind guess the reason behind my own subjective and, maybe faulty, impression. But I urge you to listen to the young music makers performance, purely on their efforts and strengths. Music is an art that requires time and practices. Every single person, be in solo on the limelight or one of the great crowd, has received and endured some tough times on doing the music over and over again to make it as good as it is.

We may think this is good, or this is bad, mediocre or wonderful; the music makers effort should be reckoned nonetheless. I even think that with discussion after a recorded performance may even further the appreciation of a performance and, in turn, the attention towards performance.

I hope that at a moment that the music registers some influence to you.

As a producer, I have recorded the piano final and choral final this year for RTHK Radio 4 and you may listen to the performance of all finalists on air from May to June.

After retiring from the leadership role of the New York Philharmonic, Mr. Maazel, now 72 82, continues to conduct with vigour and energy. Now music director of the Munich Philharmonic, he also guest conducts in various orchestras. Last year he conducted a complete Mahler cycle with England’s Philharmonia, touring with the orchestra to England and France for six months.

The ensemble is coming to Hong Kong with Mahler first symphony, a performance received favourable review from The Guardian while the cycle was launched, barely one year ago.

The concert will begin with Haydn’s cello concerto featuring Trey Lee.

Also noteworthy: the concert will start at 2:30pm.

Myung-Whun Chung, the conductor touring with the Concertgebouw to Hong Kong and Shanghai, may not be immediately associated with German romantic works; instead he is best known for his colourful and careful interpretations of the late French composer Olivier Messiaen, whom Mr. Chung has had a close working relation. His recordings of Messiaen, including the Turangalîla-Symphonie, Des canyons aux étoiles and Trois Petites Liturgies, released on occasion of Messiaen centenary anniversary, are among the finest interpretations.

Why not Messiaen in Hong Kong? I do not have a chance to ask the conductor himself (I haven’t requested for that anyway). It is never a wild idea either. Sir Simon Rattle brought Hong Kong an evening of Turangalîla back in 1991, when he toured to the Hong Kong Arts Festival with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. And Sir Rattle is surely a great Messiaen interpreter of the generation as well.

We understand that there are lots of factors to consider while programming a world tour. But with Myung-Whun Chung in Hong Kong conducting Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms, it is somehow as surreal as hearing Arthur Rubinstein playing in a recital of anything but Chopin. It is beyond doubt that they are all great musicians. But it is sad that we do not have an opportunity to experience Mr. Chung with the music that claim him to great artistic achievement.

The concert opens with Der Freischütz Overture with a rich tone that is not frequently resonating in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre concert hall. The firm double bass pizzicato with the timpani strokes are profoundly delightful to hear. The music has a well controlled thrust, though the orchestra sometimes lacks refinement in individual voices. The Unfinished Symphony of Franz Schubert is more held back and relaxed, with focuses shifted on the beauty of melodic lines and the subtle waves of inner textures.

Brahms’ D-major symphony concludes the concert. Mr. Chung’s expansive layout of the first movement reminds me of late Kurt Sanderling, who has also taken a careful approach in contemplating the inner tension of the symphony instead of working out to pump up heart beats. It is not always effective though, as the general effectiveness of phrasing not as ideal as the beginning Der Freischütz. However individual instrument shines with superb solo, particularly the beautiful horn solo of the first movement that brings the movement to a subtly emotional close.

The Brahms presented here is not a figure of conflicting persona of shining lyricism and deep melancholy; that contradictory existence may be over-dramatic, but this is not a calm rendition either. There are times of unrest, especially in the second movement when the music quickly travels afar to B minor and G minor with a rumbling bass, the beauty of the melody is never challenged. Melodically speaking, the second symphony is perhaps the most delightful of all symphonies, giving it a cheerful candy-wrap. The Royal Concertgebouw makes a good balance in making the melodies splendid, not making it too fancy nor too serious. That said, the performance has not explored all the emotion corners laid down in the symphonic map. It is an effective performance, but somehow it is a few newtons short in making Brahms a great impact.

The concert ends with an encore of Brahms’ first Hungarian Dance, a natural choice out of instinct with lively and energetic music concluding the first concert of two in the 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival.

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Date: February 13, 2012
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Photo © Hans Samsom; Myung-Whun Chung photo © Riccardo Musacchio

With a humble appearance, the calmness of Kun Woo Paik stands great contrast with his splendid virtuosity. He performs all solo piano works of Maurice Ravel in one evening at the 2012 Hong Kong Arts Festival.

This is not the first all-Ravel recital; Mary Wu, the then artist-in-residence of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, challenged this task in a campus performance back in 2004, with all four major multi-movement works in one evening. Mr. Paik goes one step further with performing all shorter pieces together along with Le tombeau de Couperin, Gaspard de la nuit, Sonatine and Miroirs. The no-pause performance from one piece to another dwarfs the exhilarating show-piece Jeux d’eau into just a tiny creature.

The programming, albeit single-mindedly all-inclusive, is thoughtful. Mr. Paik dedicates the first part of the concert to the works tracing back to the classical era or earlier. Menuet antique, Ravel’s first published work, sets the tone of traversing the oeuvre of the composer who is equally known as an impressionist and classicist. Born to a Swiss watchmaker father and a Basque mother, Ravel is always an interesting mix of passion and precision. Menuet antique looks way back to the galant menuet, something that even Mozart might be unfamiliar. With this piece, Ravel’s harmonic language matures into his very own. After the shorter Prélude and Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn, Mr. Paik plays Jeux d’eau with a delicate touch. Le tombeau follows, however, not as effective; at times the music sounds rough and the attention the articulations distracted. The Toccata is a usual flare of virtuosity with dots of scars at the bass.

After the break the unevenness of the first part vanishes. Perhaps the choice of music suits him best; with Valse noble et sentimentale and Gaspard de la nuit, this part turns the focus to Ravel’s other half of passions and grandeur. The sensual rubato wonderfully waltzes with the subtle colouring of interwoven melodies. Mr. Paik’s grasp of melodies spanned through the whole keyboard and sonority of immense depth makes way into Gaspard, which is a breathtaking success. The shimmering water of Ondine vividly sets the scene of a wavy lake under the sun with the fairy appears causing ripples after ripples. Mr. Paik finds no difficulty in the quick reiterations of chords and the sweeping runs, which make this one of the most demanding music of the piano repertoire. The suspense of Le gibet is less terrifying as it may have been, with the ostinato ringing from afar and the tension toned down. The subtle change of tone colour, however, is a marvel. It is not only a technical display in Scarbo but a thrilling saga told with superb command. It indeed is one of the most memorable Ravel that I have encountered.

The third part continues with the most famous Pavane pour une infante défunte. The dense chords are toned down and the music rendered is calm. Mr. Paik’s heavy touch and deep sonority go surprisingly well with the Sonatine, which is classical in design yet highly dramatic. The five movements of Miroirs concludes with a showcase of Mr. Paik’s virtuosity in every way he could; from the introspective Oiseaux triste to the sarcastic (yet sometimes reflective) Alborada del gracioso, the most impressive piece goes to Une barque sur l’océan, another watery music of a lone boat on a stormy sea. This is also one of the most impressive performances when it comes to make piano fluid and rippling. From the deepest void Mr. Paik concludes with the La vallée des cloches, again with distant bells, this time even more muffled. Perhaps it is climatically unfavourable to end a concert with the softest and most introverted piece among Ravel’s piano work, this also shows the true self of Mr. Paik and his virtuosity humbly radiating from his sound.

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Date: February 11, 2012
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Photo © Yun Jung-hee

Van Zweden cannot attend the announce event in person. He speaks to the press and the congregation via a live video link across several time zones.

He has conducted the HKPO several concerts in the past few years. Looking ahead to the new season, he says he will introduce more Chinese composers work into the programme. While being asked about his view on education programme, he mentions to invite young composers to write for the orchestra.

Another ambition announced is touring: South America and Europe. It will build the orchestra a more global profile.

Edo de Waart has strong favours over Richard Strauss and, soon after his establishment, Gustav Mahler. Van Zweden says he will not explicitly rule out Mahler from the programmes — just as he is going to conduct more in the US. However he will also develop a more diversified programme, citing Dmitri Shostakovich and Felix Mendelssohn. He has conducted Shostakovich Eighth some years back.

He skillfully avoids to answer if he is relocating to Hong Kong. His predecessor has rebuffed Hong Kong’s air quality and moved out. With 16 weeks heading Dallas Symphony Orchestra he is expected to frequently fly over the Pacific (or perhaps, the Atlantic too).

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Jaap van Zweden photo © Cheung Chi-wai

Having been a classical music CD buyer for 20 years, I frequently run into hesitation when confronted with a new “complete edition” boxset. Among those tens of CDs in a boxset, I often have two to three CDs on my shelf and I have spent some good cash buying that lone discs quite some years back. With a sense of guilt of buying some duplicate items, hesitation prevails and the sets would have gone after a flash mob in CD stores.

But this reissue of Sergiu Celibidache’s recordings on EMI is uniquely different. I bought all four sets immediately days after it was shelved in store.

The reason? Ridiculously, I do not have a single EMI Celibidache that far.

Celibidache’s performance is eclectic. David Hurwitz once remarked, “All in all, like most of the ‘mad genius; conductors, Celibidache’s work ranges erratically from the stunning to the grotesque.” I first approached this genius by his very expansive and refined Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. That was a decade and a half ago, while Celibidache was still alive and his recordings not officially released on big labels. It was a time I could have mistook him a long dead forgotten legend.

No one could have imagined that even EMI, one of the biggest studios and recording producers, would be taken over and auctioned like an apartment after its mortgage left unpaid.

These four boxsets are now sold under a total of HK$1,000. This is simply too attractive to resist.

Special thanks to Antona who has reserved me a set. She has a wonderful fans club of great followers.

Lawrence Rene conducts the HKPO, replacing Edo de Waart who has a medical condition. The opening Mozart tends to be literal. He follows all the repeats, which is not a common practice for Mozart symphonies. Sometimes it would sound a bit too long, and I would suggest that it’s because Rene’s rendition is not the most inviting.

The second half dedicates to Gustav Mahler. Stuart Skelton’s bright and brave sound resonates and the audience nods with immediate approval. Michelle DeYoung is intimate, and she sounds much more intense than she is in the recordings. Mahler’s low registers are tricky, but Ms. DeYoung manages to reach down the lows. The orchestra restores with energy and vigour.

I seldom complain about early outburst of applause, but for Das Lied it would be add an extra layer of annoyance. The applause abruptly breaks the lengthy morendo and effectively ruins the ending. I do not expect magic silence for every transpiring piece, but Mahler pens the notes to disappear in the air, with the applause simply shoots the balloons, that rising to heaven, down.

Ladies and gentlemen, give thanks to the breath you have, you are now on earth!

Enough nostalgia, and here I come, for yet another Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) concert, featuring their music director Richard Pontzious conducting a hundred young musicians coming from territories around Asia. I always enjoy listening to the AYO. You can see devoted eyes fixed at the conductor, giving out their best with their instruments, with dedication unrivaled by many orchestras with a rostered season. You can expect an energetic, sometimes coarse but always committed performance of truly admirable standard.

There were years with surprises. The 2008 Shostakovich Fifth was memorably vivacious. A Mahler first years ago was stunningly great. When they have a right repertoire, they often bring the best energy of it, grenade it out with no mercy. That’s the excitement of being young.

But for this one, with Sergey Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s fourth symphony, it is somehow tricky. The Classical Symphony is neither rapturously fresh, nor it is perfectly refined. As we often say, this is “neither here nor there.” Sometimes I feel the tempo rather strange; a fluctuating gavotte, for example. But overall this is a fine symphony featuring some great solos in the orchestras.

The tempo problem becomes worse for Tchaikovsky. An intended hold of the quaver F in the beginning horn call takes me as a big surprise. The deliberate rubato, or liberty in tempo, is not something easy to go with ears familiar with the work. This discomfort is not something to go away as music proceeds. Mr. Pontzious takes quite much liberty, with rubato, incalzando, con moto or meno mosso around, and not all the tempo fluctuations are naturally understandable, if not sometimes puzzling.

With Tchaikovsky, however, no one is expecting an underwhelmed performance. The orchestra is always ready at full thrust, salting on the most heartbroken moments and glorifying the victorious times. The brass players are glistering, perfectly accurate and making confident noises. The woodwind is more uneven, but the solo players are shining through the dense soundscape. The melancholic theme of the second movement, squarely phrased but irregularly marked with breathing marks, is heard with the players managing so well the awkwardly articulated phrase. With razor sharp percussions at the back, the thunderous finale surely brings the house down.

Violinist Stefan Jackiw delivered a clean and amiable performance of two solo pieces, Camille Saint-Saëns’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Carmen Fantasy based on Georges Bizet’s opera.

This is the first time ever in AYO’s history playing in the City Hall. Great acoustic, great sound, the hall is always better than the Cultural Centre across the harbour, citing quick renovation as a reason. Good thing.

The now programme book and the 1995 CD featuring Beethoven’s ninth symphony.

[Update: The concert is broadcast on RTHK Radio 4 which may be heard here.]

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Date: August 21, 2011
Venue: Hong Kong City Hall

Orchestra Photo © Asian Youth Orchestra