Hong Kong Sinfonietta - Shlomo Mintz Plays Beethoven
City Hall Concert Hall
One night only
Internationally renowned violinist Shlomo Mintz was no doubt the main draw and he played with well-honed artistry, while the Sinfonietta put on a good show under music director Yip Wing-sie.
The evening began with an emotive orchestral performance of Elgar's Salut d'amour in memory of the Sinfonietta's former executive committee chairman Chiu Sin-sing, who died recently.
The wistful air was soon dispelled by the unsettling cacophony of the Hong Kong premiere of Angel On-ki Lam's Symphonic Journal: Ambush from Ten Directions. The piece was a narrative - spoken by Chung Ying Theatre's Elton Lau - with musical illustration. It charted the experience of a 'time-travelling journalist' whose journey started in 2033 and then went backwards to 202 BC to cover a famous battle in Chinese history.