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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Virtuosos back with music for the ears
An excited audience filled the Hong Kong Cultural Centre last night to enjoy the performance by the internationally renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - the first foreign ensemble to take the stage in the SAR since the pandemic struck.
The orchestra returned to the SAR after 11 years to stage two splendid concerts last night and tonight to the delight of music lovers, with over 100 musicians performing an array of classics of the romantic era at the center in Tsim Sha Tsui.
All tickets for the performances - which were in fact arranged two years ago - were sold out in advance, though RTHK arranged live broadcasts.
The auditorium was full before musicians entered the hall at 8.09pm to enthusiastic applause.
Under the baton of Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Most during last night's two-hour concert, the Vienna Philharmonic performed Wagner's Prelude to Parsifal, WWV 111, Strauss's Death and Transfiguration, Op 24, and Dvorak's Symphony No 8 in G, Op 88.
In the concert tonight the orchestra will perform Brahms's Tragic Overture, Op 81, Symphony No 3 in F, Op 90 and Strauss' Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Op 30.
Musicians playing wind instruments were allowed to take their masks off during rehearsals and then during performance if they had fulfilled the multiple testing arrangements upon arrival.
But those playing string and percussion instruments still wore masks during last night's performance.
Tickets for the concerts had sold out quickly after going on sale on October 10.
Dozens of people had queued at the ticket office at City Hall that morning, though organizer the Leisure and Cultural Services Department experienced a system breakdown for over 20 minutes and people had to wait impatiently.
One disappointed fan recounted: "By noon a mother-to-be at the back of the line decided to give up and left disappointed. Soon after that staff announced all tickets were sold out and some who had waited for two hours, including me, left empty-handed."
The LCSD then added 10 tickets for box seats with restricted views for each concert for HK$980.
The orchestra last visited in 2011, and tickets were also sold out on the opening day of sales.
The LCSD also televised the performances live in the Cultural Centre piazza.
The orchestra will fly to Taipei tomorrow. There will be three performances in Taipei and one in Kaohsiung before it heads to its next stop - Seoul on November 2.
Due to the pandemic the orchestra will not attend any events or lectures during its stay in Taiwan.
All musicians and staff will undergo daily rapid tests and wear N95 masks to lower the transmission risk. They will also stay on designated floors at a hotel in Taiwan.
All tickets for the performances - which were in fact arranged two years ago - were sold out in advance, though RTHK arranged live broadcasts.
The auditorium was full before musicians entered the hall at 8.09pm to enthusiastic applause.
Under the baton of Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Most during last night's two-hour concert, the Vienna Philharmonic performed Wagner's Prelude to Parsifal, WWV 111, Strauss's Death and Transfiguration, Op 24, and Dvorak's Symphony No 8 in G, Op 88.
In the concert tonight the orchestra will perform Brahms's Tragic Overture, Op 81, Symphony No 3 in F, Op 90 and Strauss' Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Op 30.
Musicians playing wind instruments were allowed to take their masks off during rehearsals and then during performance if they had fulfilled the multiple testing arrangements upon arrival.
But those playing string and percussion instruments still wore masks during last night's performance.
Tickets for the concerts had sold out quickly after going on sale on October 10.
Dozens of people had queued at the ticket office at City Hall that morning, though organizer the Leisure and Cultural Services Department experienced a system breakdown for over 20 minutes and people had to wait impatiently.
One disappointed fan recounted: "By noon a mother-to-be at the back of the line decided to give up and left disappointed. Soon after that staff announced all tickets were sold out and some who had waited for two hours, including me, left empty-handed."
The LCSD then added 10 tickets for box seats with restricted views for each concert for HK$980.
The orchestra last visited in 2011, and tickets were also sold out on the opening day of sales.
The LCSD also televised the performances live in the Cultural Centre piazza.
The orchestra will fly to Taipei tomorrow. There will be three performances in Taipei and one in Kaohsiung before it heads to its next stop - Seoul on November 2.
Due to the pandemic the orchestra will not attend any events or lectures during its stay in Taiwan.
All musicians and staff will undergo daily rapid tests and wear N95 masks to lower the transmission risk. They will also stay on designated floors at a hotel in Taiwan.
