Review | Excerpts from Haydn performed in costume by City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong an entertaining affair with some musical wobbles
- ‘Haydn & The Prince’, a narrated stage show with City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong players in replica 18th century dress, was evidently a crowd pleaser
- As an entertaining introduction to Haydn’s music for a mainly young audience it worked, but some undisciplined playing detracted from the show’s effect
Had 360-degree feedback been a thing in the late 18th century, Austrian composer Joseph Haydn’s work appraisals would have topped the charts when he was head of the musical establishment at Esterházy Palace, dubbed the “Hungarian Versailles”.
Left largely to his own devices by a musical prince with abundant resources, it was little wonder that “Papa” Haydn – a fitting nickname for the undisputed father of the classical symphony and inventor of the string quartet – could deliver inspired and creative compositions on a regular basis.
The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) provided an entertaining take on Haydn’s fertile work environment under the employ of Prince Esterházy and his subsequent rise to stardom in London in “Haydn & The Prince”, its latest stage production written and directed by the orchestra’s founder, Leanne Nicholls.
Nicholls has come up with a tantalising show featuring well chosen excerpts from no fewer than 17 works among the Austrian’s extensive output.
The stage was transformed into an 18th century salon, designed by Ernesto Maurice Corpus, and everyone wore period costumes – designed by Nicholls – that were extravagant and impressive. The musicians were fitted out authentically in royal blue coats with gold-trimmed sleeves and lapels and led by conductor Philip Chu, who delighted in the role of the composer.
