Review: Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival

Fine artistry, effective programming and a touch of casual, impromptu music making made this year’s Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival a perfect week of music.

The opening night concert presented a broad palette of composers from Bartók to Brahms. Dohnányi’s Serenade for string trio brought out the best in the strings, with a beautiful Romanza movement plus some gypsy flavour with a little Hungarian paprika, elegantly played by violinist Martin Beaver, violist Paul Neubauer and cellist Gary Hoffman.

Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion was from a bleaker but fascinating universe. Timpanist James Boznos played exotic gulping timpani pitch-bends and shimmering gongs. Pianists Zhang Zuo and Jon Kimura Parker performed the rapid, irregular rhythms and delicate textures with agility. However, the xylophone played by Rieko Koyama was sometimes too loud and conversely the climactic moments never rose to the desired wall of sound.

The Brahms Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor brought out a new level of radiant beauty and a language pregnant with meaning. One had to wonder what happened between Bartók and Brahms to lose the sense of enchantment – were people really happier in the days before jet planes and penicillin? Pianist Parker played with velvet fingers and the autumnal mood was sustained through dance-like, graceful and effervescent passages.

On the second day, in a new venue for the Festival, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum hall had a surprisingly big, rich sound. The only piece that suffered from the bright acoustics was Dvorák’s String Quintet, which sounded somewhat strident despite the Czech genius for string-writing and expert playing of the two violins, two violas and cello.

However, the Sonata a Quattro No. 3 by the 12-year-old Rossini had a mellifluous balance with bass substituting for cello. Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola was played with clarity and warmth by Clara-Jumi Kang on violin and Paul Neubauer on viola.