(and Other Shows) (Page 1)
Since 1987, I have been a frequent audience in classical music concerts. I have had the opportunity to live in Hong Kong, Chicago, Detroit (actually one hour north of it), and Toronto, all cities with good offering of classical music events (though admittedly still not comparable with New York, London, or Tokyo). I developed my interest in opera and ballet at a later time, but they increasingly occupy more of my attendance time. As I do not have an unlimited budget, brand names dictate my concert-going selection, but I think I can tell the difference between a good performance by a performer hitherto unknown to me and a mediocre performance by a brand-name artist. I like dissonant / chaotic / random contemporary classical music more than most people do. I am open to, and enjoy the merits of, different interpretations, though certain interpretative styles still impress me more than others. I am one of those who find historical recordings generally more interesting than current ones. My reviews of the concert and dance performances listed below reflect such a background of mine.
This is Page 1: Recent Events
Go to Page 2: Events in Toronto & Beijing
Go to Page 3: Events in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Hong Kong
Yuja Wang
Scarlatti: Sonatas, K 380, 427, 87, 455
Schumann: Symphonic Etudes
Schubert / Liszt: Gretchen am Spinnrade, Auf dem Wasser zu Singen, Der Erlkonig
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No 6
Encores:
Gluck / Wang: Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance of the Blessed Spirits / Melodie
Mozart / Volodos: Rondo alla Turca
Stravinsky: Petrouchka: Danse Russe
Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, 28 Sep 2009
Kiev Ballet (Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine)
Raymonda (Yaremenko)
(Natalia Matsak, Sergei Sidorsky, Maksym Motkov)
Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall, 19 Sep 2009
Deborah Voigt, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Edo de Waart
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act I
Wagner: Tannhauser: Dich, teure Halle
Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude und Liebestod (with soprano)
Strauss: Don Juan
Strauss: Salome: Closing Scene
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 4 Sep 2009
Hong Kong Ballet
Cinderella (Allan)
(Faye Leung - last performance with HK Ballet, Nobuo Fujino)
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 23 Aug 2009
Jean Louis Steuerman, Asian Youth Orchestra, Richard Pontzious
Barber: Adagio for Strings
Ravel: Bolero
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Prokofiev: Devilish Inspiration (encore)
Stravinsky: Firebird Suite (1919 version)
Ravel: Alborada del gracioso (encore)
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 13 Aug 2009
Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Peter Stevens (organ); Stephen Cleobury
Unaccompanied works by Tye, Tallis, Byrd
Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541
Unaccompanied works by Naylor, Bairstow, Parry
Accompanied works by Weelkes, Gibbons, Tomkins
Howells: Paean
Unaccompanied works by Harvey, Britten, Vaughan Williams
Encores performed by Collegium Regale: The Way You Look Tonight, I Get Around
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 28 Jul 2009
Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
Richard III (William Shakespeare)
(Starring Chung King-Fai & Bowie Lam)
(Translation by Grace Liu, Direction by Sam Lam)
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 16 Jul 2009
City Contemporary Dance Company
Very Dance! (Helen Lai)
Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 3 Jul 2009
Soloists, Opera Hong Kong Chorus, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Yip Wing-Sie
Verdi: Requiem
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 21 Jun 2009
Hong Kong Ballet
Galaxy: International Ballet Gala
Royal Ballet: Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg
Coppelia: pdd (Saint-Leon)
San Francisco Ballet: Tan Yuan-Yuan, Damian Smith
Romeo and Juliet: Balcony pdd (Tomasson), After the Rain: pdd (Wheeldon)
Royal Ballet: Roberta Marquez, Steven McRae
Don Quixote: Grand pdd (Petipa), Chroma: Excerpt (McGregor)
Staatsballett Berlin: Shoko Nakamura
Alles Walzer (Zanella)
Ballett Dortmund: Monica Fotescu-Uta, Mark Radjapov
Rossini Cards (Bigonzetti), Abgeschminkt (Scherzer), Elegie (Wang Xin-Peng)
Hong Kong Ballet
Paquita: Opening & pdd (Petipa) (Jin Yao, Huang Zhen)
The Sleeping Beauty: Grand pdd (Petipa) (Liu Yu-Yao, Huang Zhen)
Giselle: Act II pdd (Coralli/Perrot/Petipa) (Jin Yao, Brett Simon)
Mozart: Pas de six (Wang Xin-Peng)
Theme and Variations: Finale (Balanchine) (Chantel Elizabeth Roulston, Wei Wei)
Hush: Excerpt (Mills) (Kyoko Tomimura, William Lin)
Seranade (Wang Xin-Peng) (Jin Yao, Brett Simon)
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 23 May 2009
Emanuel Ax, Staatskapelle Dresden, Fabio Luisi
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Strauss: Burleske
Schumann: Fantasiestucke: Des Abends, Op 12 No 1 (encore)
Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra
Weber: Oberon Overture (encore)
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 3 May 2009
Maurizio Pollini
All-Chopin Program:
Prelude in C# minor Op 45
Ballade No 2 in F Op 38
Sonata No 2 in Bb minor Op 35
Scherzo No 1 in B minor Op 20
Four Mazurkas Op 33
Berceuse in Db Op 57
Polonaise in Ab Op 53 "Heroic"
Encores:
Etude in C minor Op 10 No 12 "Revolutionary"
Etude in C# minor Op 10 No 4
Ballade No 1 in G minor Op 23
Nocturne in Db Op 27 No 2
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 15 Apr 2009
Evgeny Kissin
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet: The Young Juliet, Mercutio, Montagues and Capulets
Prokofiev: Sonata No 8
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie Op 61
Chopin: Mazurkas Op 30 No 4, Op 41 No 4, Op 59 No 1
Chopin: Etudes Op 10 No 1-4 & 12 "Revolutionary", Op 25 No 5, 6 & 11 "Winter Wind"
Encores:
Chopin: Nocturne Op 27 No 2
Prokofiev: Devilish Inspiration
Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges: March
Chopin: Waltzes Op 64 No 2 & 1 "Minute"
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 29 Mar 2009
Lynn Harrell, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, David Atherton
Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No 1
Sibelius: Symphony No 7
Mussorgsky (orch Shostakovich): Khovantschina Prelude
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No 1
Tchaikovsky: Andante Cantabile (arr for cello & strings) (encore)
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 27 Mar 2009
Hong Kong Schools Music Festival
Secondary School Choir Finals
Adjudicating Panel: Harold Jones, Lim Yau, James Shaw Smith
Auditorium, Tseun Wan Town Hall, 14 Mar 2009
Class U21F: Junior Choir
1. U3: Belilios Public School (Mak Shuk-Pui)
2. U6: Diocesan Boys' School (Grace Chiang)
3. U9: Diocesan Boys' School & Diocesan Girls' School (Ronnie Cheng)
4. U12: Heep Yunn School (Joyce Yu) (Winner)
5. U17: St Paul's Co-educational College (Geoffrey Ko)
Class U20F: Boys Choir
1. U4: Diocesan Boys' School (Ronnie Cheng) (Winner)
2. U5: Diocesan Boys' School (Felix Shuen)
3. U13: Wah Yan College Kowloon (Lesley Chan)
4. U14: Diocesan Boys' School (Felix Shuen)
Class U19F: Girls Choir
1. U1: Diocesan Girls' School (Winner)
2. U2: Diocesan Girls' School
3. U10: Heep Yunn School
4. U11: SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School
Class U18F: Mixed Voice Choir
1. U7: St Paul's Co-educational College (Joe Chan)
2. U8: Diocesan Boys' School & Heep Yunn School (Felix Shuen)
3. U15: Diocesan Boys' School & Diocesan Girls' School (Ronnie Cheng) (Winner)
4. U16: Diocesan Boys' School & Heep Yunn School (Joyce Yu)
Most Outstanding Secondary School Choir of the Year:
U4: Diocesan Boys' School
Hong Kong Schools Music Festival
Secondary School Choir, Singing in Chinese
Set Piece + Own Choice
Adjudicator: LIM Yau
Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, 11 Mar 2009
Class U10: Girls, Senior
1. Sacred Heart Canossian College (2nd place)
2. Belilios Public School
3. Diocesan Girls' School (3rd place)
4. Heep Yunn School (1st place: 87 marks)
Class U15: Mixed Voice, Senior, SATB
1. St Paul's Co-educational College (2nd place: 82 marks)
2. Diocesan Boys' School & Diocesan Girls' School (1st place: 83 marks)
Class U13: Boys, Senior
1. St Paul's College (2nd place: 82 marks)
2. Wah Yan College Kowloon (1st place: 85 marks)
3. Diocesan Boys' School (2nd place: 82 marks)
Zehetmair Quartet
(Thomas Zehetmair, Kuba Jakowicz, Ruth Killius, Ursula Smith)
Mozart: String Quartet in G, K156
Hindemith: String Quartet No 4
Schumann: String Quartet No 1 in A minor
Bruckner: String Quartet: Scherzo (encore)
Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, 15 Feb 2009
Hong Kong Ballet
All Bach:
Concerto Barocco (Balachine)
Clear (Welch)
Steptext (Forsythe)
Mein Bach (Wang Xin Peng)
Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 13 Feb 2009
Five Peace Band: Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Brian Blade
Set includes: Raju; The Disguise; New Blues, Old Bruise; Senor CS; Hymn to Andromeda
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 11 Feb 2009
National Ballet of China
The Peony Pavilion (Li Liuyi / Fei Bo)
Zhu Yan (Du Liniang), Hao Bin (Liu Mengmei), Zhang Jian (Flower Goddess Liniang)
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 7 Feb 2009
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Mozart: Symphony No 41
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 6 Feb 2009
All of you must have heard of the accolades for the Chicago Symphony. The cliche of "all musicians play as one" was finally an accurate description. The famous brass section did not disappoint. What also impressed me was the perfect balance between sections, so credit must also go to the conductor Bernard Haitink. This rendition of Ein Heldenleben is one of the best live orchestral performances I have ever experienced.
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, David Zinman
Webern: Passacaglia
Mahler: Symphony No 10: Adagio
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 23 Jan 2009
Chen Sa, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Edo de Waart
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 3
Mahler: Symphony No 5
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 7 Jan 2009
Bolshoi Ballet
Don Quixote (Petipa / Gorsky / Fadeyechev)
Artistic Director: Alexei Ratmansky
Natalia Osipova (Kitra / Dulcinea), Ivan Vasiliev (Basilio), Alexei Loparevich (Don Quoxite),
Alexander Petukhov (Sancho Panza), Artem Shpilevsky (Espada), Anastasia Meskova (Street Dancer),
Yekaterina Shipulina (Queen of Dryads), Anastasia Stashkevich (Cupid)
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 4 Dec 2008
This was such a wonderful performance. Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev were of course spectacular. No wonder Clement Crisp of Financial Times tried to give them 6 stars for their London performance in summer 2007. It was not just the fantastic technique, the unlimited energy, and the telegraphic mutual understanding. They also communicated their joy in dancing to the audience.
The depth of Bolshoi Ballet was impressive. The company did not need a single principal dancer at this performance to fill the multitude of demanding roles required by the work. All performed exceptionally.
To quote the magnificant outgoing artistic director Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi is about the joy of dance, the communication with the audience, the energy, the physicality, the musicality. This performance is a perfect testimony for the philosophy.
Tatjana Vassiljeva, London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Part of Prokofiev Cycle:
Symphony No 2
Sinfonia Concertante
Symphony No 7
Romeo and Juliet: Death of Tybalt (encore)
Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 3 Dec 2008
My "cheap" 8,000 yen ticket allowed me to sit on the front row behind the orchestra. I could have shaked hands with the percussion section. Gergiev was conducting facing me. His conducting style was not the most precise, but one could easily feel the magic how he inspired his musicians, even in works unfamiliar to me. I enjoyed both the modern, violent second symphony and the intensive Sinfonia Concertante very much. The comparatively autumnal seventh symphony also received a good performance, but it was somewhat anti-climatic after the intermission.
Hong Kong Ballet
Giselle (Coralli / Perrot / Petipa) (staged by John Meehan & Li Mei-Fang)
(Faye Leung, Huang Zhen, Kyoko Tomimura)
Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 29 Nov 2008 Matinee
National Ballet of Canada
Symphony in C (Balanchine)
(H Ogden, A Antonijevic, X N Yu, T Helimuts, J Vanstone, E Stiefel, T Pereira, E Kurt)
Polyphonia (Wheeldon)
(X N Yu, N Long, J Vanstone, B van Sickle, T Pereira, E Lavigne, J Savella, R Landry)
In the Upper Room (Tharp)
(Greta Hodgkinson, Etienne Lavigne)
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, 7 Nov 2008
Nederlands Dans Theater I
Shoot the Moon (Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon)
Renature (Wayne McGregor) (Asian premiere)
Tar and Feathers (Jiri Kylian)
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 23 Oct 2008
Royal Ballet
Manon (MacMillan) (staged by Monica Mason & Monica Parker)
(Tamara Rojo, Federico Bonelli, Jose Martin, Laura Morera)
Opera House, National Centre for the Performing Arts (National Grand Theatre), Beijing, 20 Jun 2008
Hong Kong Ballet
Tricolor:
Suite en Blanc (Lifar) (staged by Maina Gielgud & Paul DeMasson)
(Cigarette: Jin Yao, Mazurka: Nobuo Fujino, Pas de Deux: Faye Leung & Zhang Yao, Flute: Faye Leung,
Fete Foraine - Manage: Faye Leung, Fouettes: Jin Yao)
Jardin aux Lilas (Tudor) (staged by Donald Mahler)
(Wu Fei-Fei, Wei Wei, William Lin, Eve Chan)
Swan Lake: White Swan pas de deux
(Tan Yuan-Yuan, Zhang Yao)
Rubies (Balanchine)
(Chantel Elizabeth Roulston, Nobuo Fujino, Sofiane Sylve)
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 15 Jun 2008 Matinee
Ballet San Jose
Serenade (Balanchine)
The Firebird (Nahat)
Shenzhen Poly Theatre, 5 Jun 2008
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Film: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 50: A Golden Anniversary Celebration
Firebird (Maurice Bejart) (Clifton Brown, Jamar Roberts)
The Groove to Nobody's Business (Camille A Brown) (Matthew Rushing, Glenn Allen Sims)
Unfold (Robert Battle) (Linda Celeste Sims, Glenn Allen Sims)
Revelations (Alvin Ailey)
(Fix Me, Jesus: Linda Celeste Sims, Glenn Allen Sims
Wade in the Water: Constance Stamatiou, Matthew Rushing, Renee Robinson
I Wanna be Ready: Amos J Machanic Jr
Sinner Man: Jamar Roberts, Antonio Douthit, Kirven J Boyd)
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, 16 May 2008
Revelations is truly an exceptional piece.
Giovanna Casolla, Wei Song, Ma Mei, Zhang Jianlu, Shanghai Opera, Puccini Festival Foundation,
Giuseppe Acquaviva (conductor), Hao Weiya (composer of new ending),
Chen Xinyi (director), Gao Guangjian (set designer)
Puccini: Turandot
Opera House, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, 23 Mar 2008 Matinee
New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel
Rossini: La Scala di Seta: Overture
Mendelssohn: Symphony No 4 "Italian"
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6 "Pathetique"
Encores:
Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
Dvorak: Slavonic Dance in B Op 72 No 1
Bizet: L'Arlesienne Suite No 2: Farandole
Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts (National Grand Theatre), Beijing, 23 Feb 2008
Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre
The Peony Pavilion: Book 3 (Tang Xianzu)
(Youth edition produced by Pai Hsien-yung)
(Starring Shen Fengying & Yu Jiulin)
Beijing Exhibition Centre Theatre, 16 Feb 2008
National Ballet of Canada
The Merry Widow (Hynd)
(Heather Ogden, Nehemiah Kish, Jillian Vanstone, Richard Landry)
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, 23 Nov 2007
National Ballet of Canada
Jerome Robbins Tribute:
Glass Pieces
In the Night
West Side Story Suite
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, 9 Nov 2007
Cirque du Soleil
Kooza
(Charivari, Contortion, Solo Trapeze, Unicycle Duo, High Wire, Skeleton Burlesque, Wheel of Death, Juggling, Hand-to-Hand (replacing Balancing on Chairs), Teeterboard)
Port Lands, Toronto, 23 Sep 2007 Matinee
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Go to Page 3: Events in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Hong Kong
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