Percy, La Critico Musicale

Review: Hong Kong SinIonietta - Fumiaki Miura`s HK Debut (September 10, 2011)

Rating:

Most violinists book Ior a Hong Kong debut, play their concertos and then disappear into the night. Not Fumiaki
Miura. He`s in Ior the long haul, and the Iirst halI oI this concert was stunning with his exuberant perIormance on
Dmitri Shostakovichs Jiolin Concerto No.1 in A minor Op.77. Give or take some clumsy turns oI phrase in the
opening movement, his playing in this technically demanding concerto was poised, and Alessandro Crudele ensured
that the Hong Kong SinIonietta was suave and well-behaved. Miura played the passacaglia with Iree-Ilowing Iantasy,
his Stradivarius pure at the top, husky at the bottom. In this 36-minute piece, we had an appropriately Ilamboyant
outburst in the scherzo, a capricious passage in the Norturne, and ubiquitous characteristic touches oI genius Irom
Miura in the Burlesque.

Opening the programme, Crudele led oII or Stravinskys Suite No. 1 for Chamber Orchestra in a perIormance which
wed grace and muscular sensuality. His pliable approach to rhythm paid high dividends here with Ilashes oI sinister
and sardonic malice oIIering more than a glimpse oI mad obsession. Crudele ensured that this suite would be
registered as music Iirst and Ioremost. His control oI tempo, orchestral layering and volume was precision-tooled yet it
allowed the music to breathe naturally.

Serei Prokofievs Classical Symphony is more conventional than his FiIth Symphony, but more convincing. Crudele
attacked it as iI conducting an opera. This Gavotta was truly Iiery with the two clarinets providing a sulphurous
underlay. The second movement was both jolly but proIound, while the Iinale was hard-driven and obsessive,
including a deceleration so outrageous that you could almost hear the brakes squeal. It was the Iirst movement that leIt
this reviewer a bit conIused; marked Allero in the score, Crudele presented this Iamous movement in quasi Andante
assai.

The concert concludes with Pyotr lyich Tchaikovskys heartrending symphonic Iantasy, telling the tragic love story oI
Francesca da Rimini in Dante`s InIerno. Crudele secured Irom his orchestra the buoyant, Iloating quality it demands.
He cleverly initiated the endlessly repeated ostinato accompaniment so quietly that it was a minute or two beIore its
Iull outline was apparent. The shiIting orchestral timbres over the top also seemed more varied than usual and the
bluesy riIIs on brass and saxophone were particularly enjoyable.