Review: Hong Kong Philharmonic - Beethoven 1st and 9th symphonies
Final concert of symphonic cycle was a portrait of composer's career and a revealing snapshot of the orchestra's own evolution
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's Beethoven Symphony Cycle was a deeply satisfying set of concerts and a milestone for the ensemble.
The final concert, pairing the First and the Ninth, was a portrait of Beethoven's career and also a revealing snapshot of the philharmonic's own evolution. The orchestra plays to a high standard but perhaps is not fully mature, with room still to grow.
The First was an elegant gem, played with such clarity it was like watching the musical score. The Ninth had many beautiful moments, but was not at the same level overall.
The First is heavily modelled on Haydn and Mozart, but the young Beethoven's personality still rings through forcefully.
Conductor Jaap van Zweden's tempos were right on, the phrasing was expressive and varied, and solos, particularly oboe, were lovely and apt. The horn calls were perfection in the movement and the was agile and athletic.
The opening of the Ninth was disappointing. There were misjudgments of balance in the brass, woodwinds and percussion. Beethoven starts with open fifths in the cellos, violins and horns, like the birth of sound in a vast cosmos. But the horns were so forward and the strings were so hushed that the space seemed tight.
