Grace and Fire

Had been so busy lately that I really haven't had time to savor once again the delights which found me at two recent concerts of the HKPO, the first about a fortnight ago and the second last Saturday.

The highlight of the last concert was without a doubt the pianist Ronald Brautigam. He gave us Felix Mandelsohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op 25 ,which actually was not his very first, written about a decade ago. The concerto was written for himself to play at its premiere in Munich in October 1881. It took him just three days to write ! Some people just have music in their soul. It's a bit unusual in that the concert played continuous through movements in Molto allegro con fuoco, Andante and Presto without a break, the change of movement heralded by a trumpet fanfare. The first movement was fast, forceful and fiery, its second tender and dreamy and its third again exploding magnficently with youthful energy. Brautigam was brilliant under guest conductor Paul McCreesh. He played us three short Etudes Op 20 by Chopin. His play is fast, powerful and yet lyrical. What I like about his play is that he seldom exaggerates and he could play with the delicacy of a small spring flower if he wanted to.

The first part of the concert also featured Mozart's Symphony No. 34 in C K 338 in Allegro vivace, Andante de molto and Allegro vivace It was one of his last symphonies in three instead of the usual four movements, written by him in that picturesque little town Salsburg in 1780. It's a symphony full the kind of sunny jollity of Mozart's operas. The first opens very strongly and then lilts along with joy, with the sound of trumpets, timpanis flying about everywhere but the second was a complete contrast, being played "entirely" by strings with characteristic Mozartian flow and surprising melodic twists whilst the third was again full of youthful energy and joy.

Mr Chu told me that one of his customers said the second half of the concert on the Friday featuring the same program could be ignored completely. So I listened with particular care. We had first a short piece by Schubert, his Rosamunde" being Ballet Music No. 2 and Entr'act III . It was written in a hurry in 1823 but I don't think it is particularly difficult to swallow. The second part of the piece did contain a melodic motif used in his String Quartet in A minor and one of his piano impromptus but the melody was really charming. The last piece was Beethoven's No.8. As usual, Beethoven lost no time in announcing his majestic principal theme in the first movement which is not without its more tender and lighthearted moments. The second movement is full of a lilting rhythm whilst the third is uneventful but in the final movement has a long and winding and repetitive ending. But this is not a complaint. It's a symphony full of joy and delight although it was written in a period of great stress connected with Beethoven's family matters. I like all Beethoven's symphonies. I like No. 8 because of its relative lack of strife.   I enjoyed it thoroughly. I do not know what Mr Chu's friend heard and what kind of expectations he brought to the concert hall when he arrived. Anyway, in matters musical, one can never be sure.

.