Hong Kong locals show remarkably few signs of mask-fatigue, remaining ever vigilant even as humidity and city temperatures soar. But given the constant stream of virtuoso pianists that has dominated Hong Kong’s classical music landscape of late, concertgoers may well be showing signs of piano concerto-fatigue.
That said, it was refreshing that local pianist Colleen Lee brought lighter fare of another genre to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on Saturday following the recent Liszt and Ravel concertos featured by the Hong Kong Philharmonic. With resident conductor Lio Kuokman at the helm, Lee’s reading of Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 26 in D major, “Coronation” – in itself a work of simplistic beauty – was all the more refreshing for its light, unfussy approach. But the orchestra’s upper strings sadly felt things differently, and an overly-earnest, lacklustre accompaniment slowly set in as the Allegro progressed. The chugging quavers were sorely short on chug, and played with a mechanical uniformity that caused the movement to drag in both tempo and character. But thankfully, Lee’s dexterous and light-hearted entries helped revive forward motion, which culminated in a solo cadenza of invention and wit, providing sparkling glimpses of Mozartian cheek and a less ‘well-behaved’ side to her playing.
Lee’s interpretation of the simple Larghetto slow movement was exquisite, and despite the dreaded return of dragging, untreated quaver accompaniment in the violins, she shaped the naive theme with much grace and delicacy. The interplay between orchestra and soloist was more successful in the joyful Allegretto finale, a movement marked by Lee’s fine dexterity in the semiquaver passages. In a surprise move, Kuokman then joined the soloist at the keyboard for the evening’s encore; a whirling and impressively played movement from a Mozart sonata for four hands.