Anne Sofie von Otter and string quartet Brooklyn Rider perform a feast of modern classics in Hong Kong
- Kate Bush, Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and Björk were just some of the contemporary performers whose songs were performed with gusto
- Von Otter’s rapport with the members of Brooklyn Rider made for an entertaining and eclectic evening of music
Singers of Anne Sofie von Otter’s calibre and versatility are rare. And when partnered with string quartet Brooklyn Rider who played with precision and panache, the Hong Kong audience was treated to an entertaining and eclectic programme of contemporary songs and pieces on Monday evening.
Artistic rapport at the highest level was instantly apparent in both works by American violinist and Brooklyn Rider member Colin Jacobsen.
Flawless intonation dominated Mirror for a Prince, while crystal-clear diction, a given from the mezzo-soprano, impressed in the entertaining For Sixty Cents with precise pizzicato and effects from the string players.
In Am I In Your Light (arranged by Evan Ziporyn) from John Adams’ opera Doctor Atomic, varying degrees of warmth in pizzicato emerged, culminating in a highly effective wooden-like sound that enhanced von Otter’s convincing portrayal of the “tick tick” lyric.
As she then shaped American composer Caroline Shaw’s 12th-century-based French aubade (morning song) Cant voi l’aube, von Otter simply oozed melancholy, lending the song an infectious lilt.
Her affinity for French song continued in a haunting and touching rendition of Canadian-American Rufus Wainwright’s Les Feux d’artifice t’appellent (the Fireworks are Calling Out) with Brooklyn Rider again showing brilliant dexterity in their ostinato flurries.
