Violinist Chang
By Ruth O. Bingham
lives up to
past promise
Special to the Star-BulletinThe Honolulu Symphony: With guest violinist Sarah Chang. Repeats 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Blaisdell Concert Hall. Tickets are $15-$50. Call 538-8863.
VIOLINIST Sarah Chang may have been a child prodigy, but that's not what comes to mind as she plays. At the ripe old age of 17, she is a mature artist well beyond needing such a label. What does cometo mind is "dazzling," "riveting," "phenomenal" ...
Featured soloist for the Honolulu Symphony, Chang performed Richard Strauss' rarely heard Violin Concerto Op. 8, composed when Strauss was only16 to 18 years old. The work has never entered the standard repertoire, and yesterday's performance was a first for conductor Samuel Wong and Honolulu.
Even recordings of the work are rare. The two I have heard offer an unremarkable piece with enough awkward passages to highlight violinists' shortcomings. The piece was immeasurably more exciting in Chang's hands.
She performed dramatically and visually, as well as aurally, and Strauss' Concerto suited her well. She had the passion, energy and strength to make the piece work.
From her cadenza-like opening, through the second movement's exceedingly slow theme, to her breathlessly fast (perhaps a bit too fast) spiccato finale, Chang set notes on fire.
No matter how crucial her fine technique, what distinguished Chang's performance was her musical language. Every note spoke clearly, alive and in context.
Conductor Wong delivered his usual outstanding job of balancing parts: Chang and the orchestra conversed easily, like old friends finishing one another's thoughts.
The Honolulu Symphony opened the concert with one of Strauss' best known works, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, a delightful programmatic tone poem. Characteristically, Strauss called for a very large orchestra that even the entire Honolulu Symphony could not fill.
Wong had to make do with "only" five out of eight French Horns and three out of six trumpets, which altered the balance: with the exception of the bass trombone and tuba, the brass parts in general were not as potent as they could have been.
Till Eulenspiegel is also very difficult technically, with numerous solos, entrances and variations in tempo. Despite some lack of precision in the middle, Wong captured its essential deviltry and delivered an exciting, fun performance.
Brahms's Symphony No. 1 filled the second half of the concert, and evenan intermission could not moderate the contrast between Brahms' and Strauss' orchestral styles. Where Strauss was earthy and dramatic, Brahms was serious and lofty; where Strauss' orchestra was clear-textured, replete with wind and percussion solos, Brahms' was dense, founded heavily on strings.
Frankly, the contrast was not complementary to Brahms, which was unfortunate because both styles are appealing. Brahms' first movement came across as somewhat ponderous and academic. The impression was exacerbated by the large orchestra: Brahms wrote for and regularly used only 40 to 50 musicians.
Thankfully, the contrast faded with time. Aided by several delightful solos such as those by oboist Scott Janusch, concertmaster Ignace Jang, and the hymnal brass choir, Wong asserted Brahms' world of sound until it became credible in its own right.
Wong crafted the fourth movement with special care, effecting a memorable beginning and end.
Ruth O. Bingham has a Ph.D. in musicology
from Cornell University.
