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Talented youngsters create a stir

The Asian Youth Orchestra deserves high praise for three things: their miraculous feat of touring the world for seven years, the endless publicity they generate, and, unexpectedly, for their music.

In theory, since the configuration of this eternally young orchestra changes annually, the artistry should change as well. But despite musical blemishes, the orchestra thrives and their performances can be moving.

In the first of two Hong Kong concerts before touring Southeast Asia, they performed a Rossini Semiramide overture. It was performed well, but the conception was flat.

If spontaneous joy still evades them, the orchestra can offer serious drama.

The other overture, Verdi's Forza del Destino, opened the second night with honest emotion, real tension.

This is an overture which transcends mere opera and the orchestra gave a performance that was stirring and taut. While these 100-odd players from virtually every country in Southeast Asia, plus Taiwan, China and Japan, have indisputable talent, the man melding them together was Romanian conductor Sergiu Comissiona.

Perhaps only a central European could have coaxed an all-Asian orchestra into playing Mahler's First Symphony with such feeling.

It would have been tricky enough to get the best from the first movement.

But the two middle movements, with their dancing and funereal satire, need a conductor who feels deeply.

That Comissiona succeeded - with a blazoning finale to boot - was unforeseen, but oh so gratifying.

Of the two soloists, the noted violinist Robert Chen opened the Bruch Concerto sluggishly.

But he rescued the work with a melodious finale.

Andre-Michel Schub was as nimble a pianist as one could want and his fingers danced through the Mozart C Major Concerto, doing credit to the composer and this astonishing orchestra.

Asian Youth Orchestra, conductor Sergiu Comissiona. Hong Kong Cultural Centre, August 16, 17

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