by Burt Thyng and Vincent Tan

Over the weekend, the SSO presented “Brahms’ Piano Quartet”, which also included Brahms’ convivial Academic Festival Overture and Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2, showcasing Han Chang Kou on horn, with conductor Okko Kamu taking the baton for the night.

Brahms Academic Festival Overture

Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture opened the night. Written begrudgingly by Brahms, the Overture was done in an exchange for an Honorary Doctorate offered by a university. Composed out four popular German student songs, the mood set within reminded the audience of convivial university gatherings and events.

Youthful and joyous, a C Major key is adopted and an infectious energy is transmitted throughout the concert hall. The movement exhibited Brahms’ characteristic depth and complexity, with a graceful orchestral descent followed by bold trumpet tones and forceful notes from the violins and triumphant cymbal crashes.

Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2

The second piece took a slower pace, with expressive and mellow sounds by a concerto and horn solos from Han Chang Chou.

Despite being composed for the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany, Richard Strauss also opposed Hitler’s policies openly through this piece. While there are no policies to be opposed here in present, standing on stage and holding an instrument weighing that of a three year old child is strenuous, however Han pulls thru with extraordinary agility, without any hint of exhaustion. His supple and fluid techniques resembled more of that associated with a flute or clarinet, truly a sight to behold.

The horn’s throaty brass voice, strident as a trumpet, led the way as the orchestra filled the wake with trills of lighter music. It was especially impressive when Han and the orchestra ran up and down the musical scale in a virtuosic performance.

Brahms’ Piano Quartet

Lastly on the finale of the night. Arnold Schönberg orchestrated the first piano quartet by Brahms in 1937. And this arrangement was premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under its music director Otto Klemperer. Schönberg was questioned by the disapproving critic of the San Francisco Chronicle about why he had done such a thing and he famously replied: “One, I like the piece. Two, it is seldom played. And three, it is always very badly played. Because the better the pianist, the louder they play, and you hear nothing from the strings. I wanted for once, to hear everything. And this I assure you.”

Okko Kamu, our guest conductor from Finland, had to make that happen.

Dressed in a stately black changshan, one would have guessed he was doing tai-chi on stage had he not been wielding a baton. And like in tai-chi where a balance of yin and yang is practiced in movements, Okko Kamu invoked the SSO to play the Piano Quartet in all of its expansive wealth and yet maintain a harmonious balance.

Schönberg would have been very pleased to hear everything.