New York Philharmonic and violinist Hilary Hahn in Hong Kong: polished Brahms concerto, pyrotechnic

The somewhat stately tempo adopted for the Allegro non troppo first movement made it appear Hahn had all the time in the world, and the American soloist wove her playing in and out of the orchestral textures with dexterous ease.

Her technical prowess was never in question as she delivered double stops of balance and depth in both the frenetic passages and the steadier ones.

For the solo cadenza, Hahn picked the most familiar version, written by prominent violinist Joseph Joachim, who both premiered the concerto in 1879 and served as Brahms’ quasi consultant during its composition. The sound palette produced by her 1685 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume instrument hinted at moments of reflection.

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Violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate is said to have refused to play the concerto because he didn’t want to “stand on the rostrum, violin in hand and listen to the oboe playing the only tune in the Adagio!” Principal oboist Liang Wang made no bones about his robust, soloistic playing of the opening tune, which was an ideal match for Hahn’s in their sensuous interplay later on.

Would more otherworldliness and vulnerability in Hahn’s sound have made for some more magic in the Adagio? Possibly, but it was gorgeous nonetheless.

Where some soloists fancy pushing boundaries, others, like Hahn, won’t have a bar of it. The energy-laden finale was just as impressive for its inherent solidity, peppered with occasional conductor-soloist smiles as they clearly savoured the final Poco più presto romp.

Had the enthusiastic audience had their way, Hahn may have been in for a very long night of encores. Both extra pieces – a gem from Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 and Steven Banks’ Through My Mother’s Eyes – were generous and heartfelt.

Serious fireworks followed the intermission in Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique”.

Fine viola playing in the Adagio introduction encapsulated the sense of yearning and pathos to come, and when Van Zweden unleashed the violas’ energy, it proved infectious, adding brilliant urgency to much of the Allegro non troppo first movement.

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The forcefulness of many of the outbursts, not least the nightmarish one that rudely interrupts the fading moments of the lyrical second theme, was fearsome. Likewise, the fire that Van Zweden sparked in the orchestra brought fabulous string frenzies, razor-sharp brass interjections, and an explosion of B minor misery that was breathtaking.

The waltz-like opening of the Allegro con grazia second movement was played with a lightness and whimsy that contrasted well with the midsection’s pulsating string surges that oozed with yearning.

The Allegro molto vivace third movement began with tight and spiky string triplets, and a stormy coda thrilled with thunderous brass, edgy restlessness in the strings, and crisp, wind-like whistles from the woodwind players.

Van Zweden’s immediate segue into the Adagio lamentoso final movement was uncustomary, but did serve to maintain intensity, and – intentionally or not – thwarted any outbreak of applause. That would have detracted from Tchaikovsky’s final symphonic movement, one which, in the hands of the New Yorkers, was full of profound lament and resignation.

New York Philharmonic, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Reviewed: July 4, 8pm.

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