Concert Review: HKPO-Suzuki-Kelemen

Concert Review: HKPO-Suzuki-Kelemen

June 18, 201o, CH
Hong Kong Philharmonic - Masaaki Suzuki - Barnabas Kelemen
Haydn-Mozart-Mendelssohn

Masaaki Suzuki is well known for his work in the baroque repertoire, especially for Bach. He is near completion in his recordings of Bach's choral works. It is a surprise to find him here conducting Mendelssohn, but then nearly all conductors of period instrument bands ultimately gravitate to later and romantic repertoire. Norrington even dabbled in Bruckner!

For the entire concert Suzuki employed reduced strings, 11, 10, 8, 6, 4, huddled close together for critical mass. Vibrato was perhaps attenuated but certainly not completely absent, and I'd guess by the bright sonority tuning was as usual.

Haydn Symphony 44 "Trauer" received a stylish treatment. The so-called "mourning" aspect was not emphasized, yet this did not mean the interpretation lacked gravitas. I liked the long lines and sensitive phrasing which subtly illuminated the finer sentiments. This was countered by bouts of fury and drama, completing the picture of Sturm und Drang. Overall, this was dramatic Haydn, well played, but less spontaneous than last year's Haydn under McGegan.

Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 fared a little less well. Even if the results were uneven I appreciated soloist Barnabas Kelemen's effort at pointing his phrases. Distinctiveness sometimes is just a hair removed from idiosyncrasy. He grimaced very often, as if playing to kids, and no doubt many in the audience found it annoying. The orchestral contribution was average, the whole lacking somewhat in fluency.

Mendelssohn comprised the second half. The rarely heard Fair Musulina fared better, beautifully executed and atmospheric. The Italian Symphony was meticulously worked out, full of details, long on vigor and drama but short of a mellifluous quality, which this symphony, of all pieces, should have in abundance. Here, I'd certainly prefer a larger string body. The reduced strings often imparted a degree of grittiness to the proceedings. Although the winds were thus heard to better advantage, here they failed to capitalize. The clarinets were the best and oboes the weakest. As a whole the interplay of winds and strings so vital in this symphony lacked rhythmic resiliency and felt earthbound.