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Guest solo clarinettist Gilad Harel plays Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Photo: HK Sinfonietta

Review | Constant clapping of Hong Kong audience interrupts brilliant Mozart Clarinet Concerto performance by Gilad Harel and Hong Kong Sinfonietta

  • The applause between every movement ruined the segues in soloist Gilad Harel’s sublime performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta
  • The same overenthusiasm punctuated the orchestra’s performance of Dvorak’s eighth symphony, in which the strings excelled but the brass had some issues
Music

Hong Kong City Hall was abuzz with positive vibes on Saturday evening. Concertgoers were eagerly anticipating Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s simply titled programme, “Mozart Clarinet Concerto”, conducted by UK-born Jason Lai and featuring Israeli clarinettist Gilad Harel as guest soloist.

But first, the full house was treated to Mozart’s overture to La Clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus). Why this piece remains on the fringes of today’s concert repertoire is a mystery. Its worthiness as a rousing opener is undeniable and well proven by the Sinfonietta with Lai at the helm.

The opening C major chords were compact and aptly regal, the quavers and downward scales were crisply articulated in the strings, and Lai’s subtle infusion of crescendo and diminuendo swells helped lend the overture some Mozartian flair and elegance.

But judging by the rapturous reception for Israeli clarinettist Gilad Harel in his first appearance with the orchestra, it was fairly clear that the Mozart people really came to hear was the universally revered Clarinet Concerto in A major.

Jason Lai conducts the HK Sinfonietta playing Dvorak’s Symphony No 8 in G major. Photo: HK Sinfonietta

Had there been no clapping when he stepped onto the stage, the orchestra’s charming Allegro tutti introduction alone would have sufficed as a welcoming embrace for the soloist.

Harel impressed with engaged playing and finely honed articulation. He clearly enjoyed himself and kept the keen audience enthralled, even though the hearty applause between each and every movement of the concerto (as well as the Dvorak symphony in the second half) meant that natural segues were interrupted.

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Still, spontaneous applause was customary in Mozart’s time, so let’s just call it “historical performance practice” for now.

More importantly, there was nothing overtly “soloistic” about Harel’s display of technical dexterity. He maintained a sense of chamber music intimacy, weaving his way in and out of the orchestral textures whilst adding dashes of wit by way of phrasing and treatment of ornaments.

The simple sublimity of the Clarinet Concerto’s slow movement never ceases to amaze, and in Harel’s hands, its ethereality moved to another dimension with a super-hushed return of the opening theme that may well have been marked quadruple pianissimo in a score.

Gilad Harel plays Klezmer’s Smile. Photo: HK Sinfonietta

The only blemish in an otherwise fun and sprightly Rondo finale was a messy pickup where some players were caught off guard by Harel’s slight easing of the tempo.

The world premiere of Moscow-born Sergei Abir’s Klezmer’s Smile (composed for Harel’s performance on Saturday) was quite a leap from Mozart’s world, and seemingly light years from today’s Hong Kong. But for all the broad grins and toe-tapping in the audience, the work’s title was right on the mark, and spoke volumes for the credo that music is the true international language.

Harel’s clarinet suddenly took on a completely new guise in this work, brilliantly showcasing his familiarity with sounds of melancholy and the less-than-smooth edges associated with eastern European Jewish folk melody.

The Sinfonietta, as both attentive accompanist and contributor of tone colour, clearly enjoyed the romp. Concertmaster James Cuddeford’s solo work was very well executed in his interaction with the soloist, and Harel, as in the Mozart concerto, conjured an almost inaudible sound before segueing into the final furious burst of capriciousness, adding to the excitement by way of sheer contrast.

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After the intermission, the Sinfonietta’s cello section presented the opening theme of Dvorak’s cheerful Symphony No 8 in G major with warmth and generosity. The Bohemian folk-inspired melodies endured some dodgy intonation early on in the wind and brass that fortunately didn’t distract from the first movement’s overall joviality.

Lai’s fine shaping of the peaceful Adagio meant that things never got bogged down and solo instruments were able to blossom. When the initial theme is echoed later by solo violin for example, Cuddeford produced a refined sound and his double-stopping was executed expertly.

The first violins proved to be a convincing and solid section for much of the evening, and not least in the Allegretto where their melancholic waltz was unanimous and wonderfully sinewy. Although the rousing trumpet fanfare that heralds the Allegro finale promised well, it also exposed some poor tuning as it tapered. Soon after the theme and variations got under way, there was more than enough exciting brass playing to forget those early blemishes.

As conductor Rafael Kubelik once said in a rehearsal, “Gentlemen, in Bohemia the trumpets never call to battle – they always call to the dance!” The sinfonietta certainly made Dvorak’s finale dance. No doubt the appreciative audience also left the concert hall with extra spring in their step.

“Mozart Clarinet Concerto”, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. Reviewed: October 23, 2021

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