Review: Jaap van Zweden’s Mahler 1st driven and lyrically infectious
HKPhil music director was fully in charge of what can be a demanding work, even if its earthy interludes were glossed over, and orchestra and soloist were in perfect sync in Mozart violin concerto
Mozart and Mahler were cornerstones of the Hong Kong Philharmonic under previous music director Edo de Waart, though he used to say their music was played “for training purposes”.
Mozart needs rhythmic buoyancy, while Mahler requires supreme attention to instrumental colour. Once orchestral musicians can play delicately enough to dance through Mozart’s slow movements, or join together seamlessly in striking combinations, De Waart explained, the ensemble would be able to play anything.
The HKPhil has moved well beyond remedial classes, as was quickly evident in Thursday’s performance of Mahler’s First Symphony under current music director Jaap van Zweden.
As a former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra – a champion of Mahler’s music even during the composer’s lifetime – Van Zweden is steeped in its Mahler tradition (one rivalled only by the Vienna Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic, both of which were conducted by Mahler himself). Van Zweden made the performance very much his own, however.
The Mahler opened with a hushed intensity, and despite a few clumsy attacks when the winds and brass were most exposed, the music’s lyrical sweep was infectious. Mahler’s initial audiences found his musical discourses troubling. Even conductors sometimes get bogged down in Mahler’s arsenal of sonic effects and lose track of the music’s content.
