Hong Kong Philharmonic Performs Brahms and Dvořák with Long Yu and Manfred Honeck

In October and November, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) will perform two programmes featuring masterpieces by Brahms and Dvořák. Led by HK Phil Principal Guest Conductor Maestro Long Yu and guest conductor Manfred Honeck, the concerts will feature HK Phil Concertmaster Jing Wang, Principal Cello Richard Bamping, and world-class cellist Camille Thomas. “Long Yu | Brahms Double Concerto” will be held on 17 October 2024, followed by “Manfred Honeck | Dvořák 8” on 1 & 2 November, both at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. 

Long Yu | Brahms Double Concerto (17 October)

HK Phil Principal Guest Conductor Long Yu will present Brahms’ powerful and virtuosic Double Concerto with the orchestra’s Concertmaster Jing Wang and Principal Cello Richard Bamping. The concert continues with Brahms’ Piano Quartet no. 1, orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg.

Dedicated to his friend, violinist Joseph Joachim, Brahms’ Double Concerto in A minor reveals the romantic and expressive side of the composer. Influenced by the masters of the past, the concerto’s structure shows his great respect for Bach’s glorious Double Concerto in D minor for two violins, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.

The concert concludes with Brahms’ Piano Quartet no. 1, in a version orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg. This work demonstrates Brahms’ musical maturity, exploring new possibilities within chamber music forms. Schoenberg, the Second Viennese School pioneer yet an admirer of Brahms, offers a delicate orchestration that pays the highest tribute to the composer.

Manfred Honeck | Dvořák 8 (1 & 2 November)

Led by Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck, the concerts feature works by Dvořák and the Hong Kong premiere of Fazıl Say’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Never Give Up.

The concert starts with Rusalka Fantasy. Originally based on Dvořák’s ninth opera, Rusalka, this orchestral fantasy was arranged by the conductor Manfred Honeck and Tomáš Ille. The piece has captured the dramatic shifts throughout the opera, which included the famous aria, “Song to the Moon”.

Following right after the fantasy will witness the Hong Kong premiere of Fazıl Say’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Never Give Up. As described by the composer, the piece is an “outcry for freedom and peace” in response to terror attacks in Turkey and Europe. The concerto is written specifically for Franco-Belgian star cellist Camille Thomas, who has won numerous prizes in international competitions and gave its world premiere performance in Paris in April 2018.

The concert wraps up with Dvořák’s light and lively Eighth Symphony. Composed in 1889, the work reflects the composer’s joyful mood and his admiration for natural beauty. This exuberant, lyrical masterpiece is infused with Bohemian sonority, revealing his fondness for Czech and Slavonic folk music.