Review | Christoph Eschenbach’s Bruckner 4 lacks momentum for all that it showcases Hong Kong Philharmonic musicians’ talents
- Conductor focused on the symphony’s summits while neglecting the valleys; although Hong Kong Philharmonic’s musicians shone, there wasn’t a consistent pulse
- Earlier, the soloist in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Ray Chen, showed his star power, alternating playing of effortless ease with Paganini-like exertions
You have to admire the gumption of a provincial teacher and church organist who, after encountering Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, decides to commit his professional life to the symphonic form.
Where almost everyone else heard Beethoven’s duration and complexity as the last word, Anton Bruckner saw an invitation to continue the discussion.
For Bruckner, the answer was not just to write longer and more complex works, but to challenge listeners’ notions of what length and complexity meant. His symphonies were monumental, with sonic heights that have long drawn comparisons to Alpine landscapes and emotional depths that palpably reach for the soul.
His musical pacing, particularly in the slower movements, often approaches the state of religious ritual.
The challenges Bruckner faces in a fast-paced, secular world were frequently apparent on Friday, however, when Christoph Eschenbach led the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in the composer’s Fourth Symphony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.
Under Eschenbach, Bruckner’s score became a brilliant showcase for the Philharmonic’s musicians. Rarely do individual sections particularly the brass, from the opening horn calls to fanfares in the finale – have such chances to shine. Moment by moment, the piece shimmered brilliantly.
