Lang Lang sparkles in Hong Kong Beethoven

Hong Kong has certainly had its fair share of big name soloists of late. On Friday, Lang Lang was the latest star to join Jaap van Zweden and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, delivering keyboard wizardry with flair and fantasy in Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto.

The Chinese pianist’s intentions were clear from the start, ramping up dramatic tension early on in response to the orchestra’s stately Allegro introduction. Leaving barely a stone unturned throughout the first movement, Lang Lang was fearless in revealing the full gamut of dynamics as well as some cheeky articulation. His power-packed chords – though on occasion harsh and percussive – rattled the rafters, but proved effective as contrasts to his spellbinding, tender lyricism. The Hong Kong Phil’s accompaniment under van Zweden was ever alert to the pianist's nuances and subtle rubato. Lang Lang's cadenza was a doozy, brimming with lavish splashes of colour and a mischievousness that left the packed Concert Hall in awe.

The E major Largo, world’s away from that opening C minor drama, was pure poetry, equally full of colourful fantasy. String warmth intertwined with finely-shaded woodwind playing proved an integral part of the fine soloist-orchestra bond that ensued. Lang Lang often dwelled on dissonances, resolved them at the very last moment, and thereby enhanced the movement's sense of timelessness. His customary showmanship and fluid hand gestures reflected an unbridled sense of joy in the Rondo. A brief interlude of bliss recalling the lyricism of the Adagio proved delightful in its respite before an explosive coda across the board concluded the concerto in thrilling fashion.

The concert began with a curiosity. Whether postmodernist Luciano Berio’s transcription and “completion” of Bach’s temple of counterpoint – the Contrapunctus XIX from The Art of Fugue – worked as an opener was questionable. Given its emphasis on woodwind instruments, the 23-piece Hong Kong Phil ensemble felt dense and organ-like in texture, leaving the skeleton strings up front somewhat stranded and thin. Nonetheless, Berio’s quasi amen to Bach, using pitches B-A-C-H (B-flat, A, C, B-natural), proved an interesting conclusion to the quadruple fugue.

Equally random, given the evening’s selection, was the rousing rendition of Aaron Copland’s hefty slice of Americana in his Symphony no. 3 after the break. Van Zweden coaxed ample “simple expression” (as per Copland’s score) and ensured much warmth in the string sound, aptly depicting the easy-going lushness of an American film score. The full brass shone in the dramatic middle section, as did the full orchestra in the exuberant second movement that was laden with energy and flair. 

After the first violins found solid footing high up in the finicky passages of the haunting Andantino, the sentiment of quiet solitude was complete. References to Copland’s popular Appalachian Spring sparkled in the middle section, as did the entire orchestra as van Zweden led them expertly through the finale, relishing those rousing manifestations of the composer’s Fanfare for the Common Man along the way.