Concert Review: Shenzhen Symphony - Scott Weiss- Hao Duanduan 郝端端
June 15, 2012, Shenzhen Concert Hall
Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra - Scott Weiss- Hao Duanduan 郝端端
Beethoven-Mozart-Shostakovich
This could be the best concert of the year! The concert proved to be a great surprise. I had never heard of either the conductor nor the pianist beforehand, but just went for the program. Information on the performers are scanty, so let me introduce them a little here.
Biographies
There is very little on the internet on Conductor Scott Weiss (best biography is on Naxos ). Aside from his university career, he seems to be primarily a conductor of wind bands. From the Chinese program book, he seems to have an active career in China, having conducted many of the major Chinese orchestras.
More could be found on 22 year-old Pianist Hao Duanduan 郝端端. Brief biographies can be found in English again at the Naxos site and more info at this French site.
郝端端（DUANDUAN HAO，1990年出生，四岁开始学琴，2001年考入上海音乐学院附小，师从盛一奇教授，2003年由于成绩优秀，免试直升上海音乐学院附中，随后赴法国留学深造至今，师从多米尼克.默赫莱(Dominique Merlet)大师。
2004年7月。获“鼓浪屿”第二届中国青少年钢琴比赛少年组第一名
2004年8月，获德国第九届埃特林根国际青年钢琴比赛A组第一名
2008年5月，获第六届法国”Teresa Llacuna”国际钢琴比赛第一名
2008年6月，获第十届法国”Ile-de-France”国际钢琴比赛第一名
2008年10月，获第六十三届日内瓦国际钢琴比赛第二名
2009年11月，获第五届上海国际青年钢琴比赛第一名
2010年10月，获第二十一届意大利“Rina Sala Gallo”国际钢琴比赛第三名
2011年6月，由世界著名的纳索斯公司出版的斯卡拉蒂钢琴奏鸣曲专辑正式发行
郝端端十四岁便与上海交响乐团合作演出柴科夫斯基第一钢琴协奏曲，现在他的职业演奏足迹遍及欧洲，参与了德国”Mecklenburg-
Vorpommern”艺术节，瑞士音乐节，法国肖邦艺术节，法国广播电台艺术节，法国里尔钢琴艺术节，法国音乐节等欧洲大型音乐活动。
他的演奏非常准确地抓住了音乐的内涵，奔放热情，但也具有阴沉忧郁的格调，表现出一种内在、沉思的诗意；他的演奏技巧令人敬畏，眼花缭乱，音色铿锵有力，
光彩夺人，展示了他过人的才华，让人领略到他对乐曲高度的艺术鉴别力，精确的音量控制和令人陶醉的音色，令当今音坛最具传奇色彩的钢琴大师阿尔多.奇科里
尼(Aldo Ciccolini)曾当场称赞“一个世纪才出现一位的辉煌艺术家”。
Concert
Although my appetite was whetted by a surprisingly cogent and engaging reading of Beethoven's Fidelio Overture, I was still not quite prepared for the magnificent Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 that followed. Hao played with extreme economy but the directness of utterance went straight to the heart. His chiseled but damped tone was very beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of the fortepiano. The outer movements were straightforward and the orchestra and conductor were with him all the way, but it was in the sublime Adagio that the performers made time stood still. Here we came face to face with Mozart at his greatest - the music literally sang to us in this deceptively artless rendition. After a hectic day, amid pouring rain, the music was catharsis for tired bodies and minds. Yes, it was the best Mozart I have heard.
In the first half I was impressed by the conducting of Weiss, who although economical in gesture kept the orchestra in deft balance between discipline and expressiveness. Both the Beethoven and Mozart were stylishly rendered, no easy matter. The same guidance gave the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 a rare freshness and purpose. Although shorn of superficial display or bombast, the performance went from strength to strength, turning from inner reflection to a full cry on a dime. The performance had real stature and was among the best I have heard.
I must say I continue to be impressed by the characterful playing of the SZ woodwind players. The percussion section was also superb. It must also be mentioned the important violin solo in the Shostakovich was played to perfection by the leader, a Russian who I think is new to the orchestra.
Bravo!
