Review by William Chan
My father and I attended the “Tribute to Brahms – Free Flow Chamber Music” concert on Sunday, organised by the Macao Orchestra (OM), in the Macau Cultural Centre’s Small Auditorium. For 200 patacas, attendees enjoyed an afternoon featuring four 45-minute programmes of Brahms’ music, complete with three intermissions.
The first two sessions included three piano sonatas performed by Russian pianist Alexei Volodin; and two violin sonatas played by Czech violinist Josef Špaček and Chinese pianist Niu Niu, while the next two sessions featured performances by Lio Kuok Man, the orchestra’s Music Director and Principal Conductor as well as a seasoned pianist, violinist Alexei Volodin and cellist Pablo Ferrández.
We particularly enjoyed the first two sessions, as my father is a devoted fan of one of the violin sonatas performed. I also believe the concert’s greatest strength lies in its flexibility, allowing the audience to select the pieces they are most interested in without feeling obligated to stay for the entire four-hour programme. This approach, in my view, aligns with the concert’s intention to create a more accessible and enjoyable experience for all attendees.
Musically, the Small Auditorium was well-suited for the intimate sonata and trio formats, with its size providing better acoustics than the Grand Auditorium. Although I am not too acquainted with Brahms’s work, I appreciated the cozy atmosphere and quality performances.
This review focuses on the orchestra’s innovative attempt to host a relaxed Chamber Music Sunday event. Lio, at the beginning of the concert, introduced the concert by mentioning its casual nature, reminding and encouraging the audience to enjoy free coffee and snacks between sessions.
The concert included coffee, drinks, and snacks, making it an appealing deal. Overall, the experience was delightful. Classical music often grapples with the challenge of long, formal concerts that can alienate modern audiences. However, this event defied expectations by drawing a surprisingly large crowd, thanks in part to the performance of rising star Niu Niu*. His impeccable playing occasionally outshone the violinist, captivating the nearly full house during the second session.
The new arrangement of serving snacks during intermissions had mixed results. During the first, a single coffee machine couldn’t keep up with demand, creating issues within the short 15-minute break. By contrast, the 30-minute second intermission ran smoothly, offering a variety of snacks, such as radish cake, Szechuan chicken salad, and egg tarts, with efficient staff assistance enhancing the experience.
While the event didn’t fully achieve a seamless blend of casual dining and classical performance, the effort to create a more relaxed format was commendable. The structured setting and limited flexibility remain a contrast to genres like jazz or pop. Even so, the experience was thoroughly enjoyable, and the orchestra’s innovative approach holds promise for future developments.
Priced at just 200 patacas, with various discounts available, the concert was an incredible bargain. Lio noted that Sunday’s performance was a special event, part of a Brahms mini-festival, and he seized the opportunity to organise an additional concert featuring himself and the star soloists. While the concert was far from “casual,” given the gathering of classical music stars in one venue, it offered a rare chance to witness these renowned artists perform in Macau. Looking ahead, regular performances of this calibre, potentially in more relaxed settings and featuring local musicians, could provide a consistent and successful concert experience for Macau’s audiences.
* Niu Niu is the stage name of Zhang Shengliang, who was born into a musical family in Xiamen, Fujian Province, in 1997. Niu Niu signed to EMI Classics at the age of nine, making him the youngest pianist ever signed to an international classical label. Since then, he has released nine albums.
Xiamen-born piano soloist Niu Niu (left) and Czech violinist Josef Špaček bow after performing Brahms’s violin sonata at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) on Sunday. – Photo: William Chan
Niu Niu (front) and Lio Kuok Man perform together at Sunday’s “Tribute to Brahms – Free Flow Chamber Music” concert. – Photos provided by Macao Orchestra
