Review | HK Phil’s fabulous Tchaikovsky 4th, violinist Joshua Bell’s fire and finesse in new work The Elements, open Jaap van Zweden’s final season
- Hong Kong Philharmonic give a thrilling reading of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4 that was an undoubted highlight of Jaap van Zweden’s tenure as its music director
- Violin soloist Joshua Bell excels in The Elements, a work about earth, water, fire, air and space by five composers that was receiving its Asian premiere
When it comes to portraying our wondrous planet in music, composers past and present would seem to have it covered. But the Asian premiere of The Elements on Saturday was special.
Conceived by American star violinist Joshua Bell early on in the coronavirus pandemic and commissioned from five contemporary US composers, it celebrates the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space.
Despite water showing its destructive side in Hong Kong last week, a swift and efficient postponement of the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s season-opening concert from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon ensured that both scheduled performances went ahead.
With Bell as soloist in his own commission, there were neither bells nor whistles.
Eschewing the pomp of a rousing overture, The Elements has a spiritual beginning, Bell’s finely focused violin sound producing a meditative effect as it hovered above an ostinato accompaniment in Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts’ “Earth” movement.
