Posted on: Monday, May 23, 2005

CONCERT REVIEW
Role over with Beethoven: Samuel Wong bows out with a flourish

By Ruth Bingham
Special to The Advertiser

Eventually, everything good comes to an end: relationships, movies, vacations, compositions, seasons, life ...

Considering how commonplace endings are, they are surprisingly difficult to do well and perhaps that is one reason we love grand conclusions. Satisfying endings tie up loose ends, provide closure for the pent-up momentum, and strike a balance between fulfillment and yearning for more. The most spectacular of endings also offer a rip-roaring climax that redefines all that came before.

Honolulu Symphony's end-of-season concert Saturday night did all that, and more.

The soloist chosen to cap the 2004-05 season was a longtime favorite, violinist Sarah Chang.

Chang performed Shosta-kovich's Concerto in A Minor, a somber, difficult work that requires repeated hearings. It is not the kind of music that becomes popular with audiences, which makes it a risky choice.

Chang, however, burned her own path through Shostakovich's score. Musical complexities receded into the background, leaving Chang as the one and only focus.

In delicate moments, Chang seemed to float like a spirit over the dark colors of the orchestra; in climaxes, she tore into the music with a raw energy that was stunning.

The concerto opened quietly, gradually building toward two huge climaxes. The first, at the end of the third movement, was an impressive cadenza that turned out to be a technical tour de force. The second, at the end of the last movement, built momentum like a runaway train and ended in an explosion that brought a well-deserved standing ovation.

Chang was, in a word, phenomenal.

This final concert of the season also marked the end of Samuel Wong's nine-year tenure as music director of the Honolulu Symphony.

Wong has proven to be a good match with the symphony, developing a distinctive, warmly blended sound with enough clarity to showcase soloists. He excelled at featuring guest soloists, his interpretations highlighted the passion of music, and he became known for his rousing finales.

As his farewell work, Wong chose Beethoven's immortal Symphony No. 5, its so-called "Fate" motive knocking on the door for Wong as well as for Beethoven.

The opening tempo was spiced with adrenaline, but became more expansive by the middle of the second movement, just in time to set up the final push through the third and fourth movements to the climactic finish.

Wong's enthusiasm proved infectious and yielded numerous stellar moments, including solos by oboist Scott Janusch (those in the first and third movement of the Beethoven were outstanding), French horn player Jonathan Parrish, bassoonist Paul Barrett, bass clarinetist James Moffitt, the cello section led by Mark Votapek, the string bass section led by Kirby Nunez, and the entire brass section, especially in the Shostakovich.

Working without a score, Wong seemed to be having a final fling, relishing his favorite moments. As he has so often before, Wong engineered a grand finale that brought the audience to its feet.

Endings can also be hard emotionally, but embedded in every ending lie the seeds of beginnings. Wong is beginning a new phase in his life, filled with new projects, Chang is facing a long, illustrious career, and the Honolulu Symphony will begin a new era under a new music director.