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Mozart & Beethoven

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

Reviewed: April 28

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra played with zest under the fiery precision of Dutch conductor Jaap van Zweden.

There was a swaggering pomp to Mozart's Haffner Symphony No35, which the orchestra performed with finely tapered phrasing and accentuated dynamic contrasts. The violins and the violas shone during the slow movement's lyrical passages.

The orchestra performed the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony with breathtaking urgency and accuracy. The transition from the scherzo  to the finale was lean and dramatic, and the climax was an unstoppable roller-coaster ride.

But van Zweden's gripping  style sometimes left insufficient breathing space,  and made Beethoven's slow movement a bit too tight.  The orchestra was also too rushed in its execution of Mozart's 25th Piano Concerto, in which the strings often drowned the winds, but soloist Igor Roma (below) played with elegance and style. His unhurried, cantabile phrasing and  clear articulation provided a much needed cornerstone.

The Philharmonic was impressively responsive to van Zweden's cues, however, and it was a delight to hear them play with such agility and precision.



Mozart & Beethoven