German composer Zollitsch triumphs with traditional Chinese works
Munich-born composer Robert Zollitsch, better known as Lao Luo, showed his extraordinary grasp of the depth and subtlety of Chinese music and blended it with his own German symphonic tradition.
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Cultural Centre Concert Hall
Two concerts at the weekend will go down in history as the first programme of all traditional Chinese works by a non-Chinese composer.
Munich-born composer Robert Zollitsch, better known as Lao Luo, showed his extraordinary grasp of the depth and subtlety of Chinese music and blended it with his own German symphonic tradition. The effect was a refreshingly rich musical texture superbly interwoven by all sections of the 85-member Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.
A Country Walk, the short charming concert opener, showcased that remarkable blend of East and West in which the walking rhythm played by various sections was brilliant enough to turn this new work into a classic.
But the limelight belonged to his soprano wife Gong Linna. Without a microphone, she delivered two sets of songs by her husband in some of the most varied contexts and challenging styles imaginable.
In the world premiere of A Medley of Folk Songs from Northern Shaanxi, Gong's impeccable articulation and diction brought out the time-honoured folk style of the so-called yellow earth region. Her melancholy tone in the first two love songs came through affectionately and, in the third on Yellow River Boatmen, powerfully but effortlessly. It was almost a miracle for her voice to stay above in the climaxes against thunderous percussion.