Only a week after Schumann's violin concerto performed by Blacher and HKPO, Schumann's much more popular piano concerto was staged at the same place the past Saturday by Hong Kong Sinfonietta together with virtuosic young pianist Freddy Kempf.
The concert opened with a purely string ensemble piece - a collection of 3 film scores by famous Japanese contemporary composer Takemitsu. This set of three film scores is among the most popular works of the composer and is widely performed around the world nowadays (recently played in Beijing by the Abbado's Lucerne Festival Orchestra). And I think it's a perfect repertoire to kick off this HKS's concert, considering their Japanese guest conductor Hirokami of the evening.
The small string ensemble, with guest concertmaster James Cuddeford (of Grainger Quartet again), showed their precision and intimacy in the playing, while the conductor put most of his energy and stress on the dynamic changes, rhythmic changes and the musical phrasing. The resulted music was lively and infectious, especially the final waltz. However, Hirokami at the same time uncontrollably produced some audibly disturbing breathing sound all the way, mixing together with the fine orchestral sound while conducting.
Luckily, with Freddy Kempf brought onto the stage for Schumann's piano concerto, his breathing sound was somehow lightened and reduced with some self restraint. Right from the start of the first movement of the concerto, it was clear that Kempf was giving us a more inhibited, introverted and a very melancholic playing instead of the schizophrenic Schumann we're familiar with. The main theme was introduced in a much slower pace but full of intense nostalgia and meditation. His playing was very well articulated with exquisite intonation and expressive phrasing, especially marked in the second movement.
Sometimes his tasteful rubato, ritardando and thoughtful tempo change gave the music a further impressive impact and genius touch. What's more astonishing was the orchestra's chamber-like accompaniment, giving the soloist close support and interaction from time to time. Though not quite explosive and dazzling in the final movement, Kempf's virtuosic fingerworks served the finale well and fast enough. Overall, with the emotional contrasts deliberately tuned down, the concerto was successfully executed with Kempf's overpowering musicality shining through and winning over his solid piano technique. That was responded by audience's thunderous applause in recognition, and in return we were treated with a Chopin's equally musicality-over-technique Etude as an encore. (By the way, I think it's the best Schumann piano concerto version I've witnessed live so far. My only complaint would be the problematic French horns, while the clarinet stays as my favourite among the wind instruments that evening.)
The Pastoral by Beethoven in the second half of the concert was painted with very broad stroke overall, missing some fine details in between, more so in the slower second movement. This was in fact visually evident when the bass section of the strings of HKS was much expanded with freelance players after the intermission. While the conductor was concentrating on steadier and tighter tempo control, aiming for a grand or sometimes ecstatic atmosphere, the sense of spontaneity and freshness that this symphony badly required were sacrificed, resulted in somehow uncomfortably exaggerated dynamics, and even unnaturally overwhelming orchestral sound. It sounded like they were playing the Eroica! Nonetheless, the conductor (apart from his annoying heavy breathe sounds) led the orchestra very well, with good syncopation and unity, and his gestures for phrasing and giving cues to each section was done efficiently and accurately. All in all, while the execution was smooth and satisfactory, it lacked the appropriate musical sense, atmosphere and fine details that this great masterpiece demands.
10 October 2009 8pm
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall
Conductor - Junichi Hirokami
Pianist - Freddy Kempf
Takemitsu - Three film scores
Schumann - Piano Concerto in A minor
Beethoven - Symphony no.6 "Pastoral"
Oct 13, 2009
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