Review | Refined Mozart and Bach from Andras Schiff and Cappella Andrea Barca in Hong Kong concerts

The finest craftsmen hone their skills and consistently strive for the highest quality, and the Hungarian-British pianist Andras Schiff does the same in music, whether at the keyboard or when directing ensembles from it. For the 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival, the 71-year-old performed with his ensemble Capella Andrea Barca, comprising selected Europe-based musicians and wittily named after the Italian translation of Andras and Schiff – the German word for ship. His reputation for perfection was well secured in consecutive all-Mozart and all-Bach concerts on March 18 and 19, 2025. Refined sound quality was paramount from the word go in the unhurried playing of Schiff and his Cappella in the opening Allegro of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 23 in A Major. His playing full of grace and poise, the celebrated pianist drew an old-school warmth from his Bösendorfer grand piano that was at one with the ensemble’s performance style, which lies somewhere between the “historically informed” and a unique “Viennese” approach. Wherever that may be, it was convincing. The dialogue that ensued, spurred by orchestral interludes by turn joyful and gentle, was a delight, and even though the horns and woodwind took some time to settle, the feeling that all were happily on board Schiff’s ship was soon apparent. The innocent simplicity with which Schiff began the concerto’s Adagio movement soon became compelling as more sinister undertones in its minor tonality were revealed. If the Allegro assai finale lacked anything in the tempo sense of assai (it means very), this was made up for by the animated execution of the score’s syncopations and the crisp sforzando accents. A cultivated accent “culture” was a hallmark of the orchestra’s rendition of Mozart’s Symphony No 40 in G Minor that followed. Adroitly plucked accents added to the drama the Cappella generated in the development section of the opening Molto allegro movement, and lent the Menuetto that followed an edginess. Schiff’s decision to place one double bass on each side of the stage gave balance to the orchestra’s sound, which otherwise could have appeared uneven to anyone seated off centre in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall given its acoustics. Despite the distance between them, bassists Christian Sutter and Brita Bürgschwendtner were uncannily united in their sound and articulation, and clearly enjoyed themselves on both evenings. The sforzandos in Mozart’s overture from Don Giovanni that followed the interval created small explosions of drama that contrasted brilliantly with the unsettling, icy playing of the strings. In a clever and effective move, Schiff segued from directing the D minor overture into the composer’s Piano Concerto No 20 in the same key as soloist. The ensemble’s playing of the concerto quickly generated a stormy and sinister atmosphere. A slip in Schiff’s passagework later in the movement was a minor blemish, and one quickly forgotten after his inspired solo cadenza. The playing of the ensuing Romance was heartfelt and highly intimate given the use of reduced strings in the accompaniment, even if some of the turbulence in its middle section was not always organic. In the work’s agitated finale, though, the playing was tight; Schiff’s cadenza was full of fantasy and contained some poignant references to the Don Giovanni overture. When questioned many years ago about a Steinway grand being the elephant in the room for Bach performance, Schiff memorably replied: “Yes, but it’s a rather useful elephant!” It was a sentiment reinforced when he switched from the Bösendorfer used for Tuesday’s Mozart programme to a Steinway piano for Bach’s set of six keyboard concertos on Wednesday. Aside from the fact that he virtually shuns the use of pedal in his Bach performances, the sparkle and clarity from this instrument hit the mark in articulating Bach’s contrapuntal writing. Pianist and orchestra shone in all six concertos, the playing of the ensemble – led by Erich Hörbarth, concertmaster of the Concentus Musicus founded by Nicolaus Harnoncourt and first violinist of the Quatuor Mosaïques – engaged and on point. Schiff was in his element here, directing without resort to a score. The crisp triad that opened the Keyboard Concerto No 3 in D Major – a transcription of the composer’s Violin Concerto in E Major – was indicative of the unified attacca playing in the work’s outer Allegro movements. Schiff’s reflective central movements were inspiring, ranging from moments of sublime stillness to inventive fantasies inspired by the chaconne. The Siciliano from the Keyboard Concerto No 2 in E Major was a gem, Schiff’s lilting, otherworldly playing hovering above that of the orchestra. Similarly, in the Keyboard Concerto No 4 in A Major, pulsating beats from the strings in the slow Larghetto allowed the pianist freedom to express himself, while the outer Allegro movements were jam-packed with thoughtful ornamentation. Perhaps the best known of the set, the Keyboard Concerto No 1 in D Minor provided a towering conclusion to the evening. Both the cultivated “bow vibrato” chug from the violas and the “walking bass” progressions from the lower strings were laden with character, and Schiff let loose, his extravagant flourishes encapsulating an Adagio of indescribable beauty. When the ecstatic audience coaxed two big encores from the musicians – the two Allegro movements from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 – the flourishes continued, as indeed will the memory of seeing Schiff in Hong Kong again. “Sir András Schiff and Cappella Andrea Barca”, 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Reviewed: March 18 and 19.

Review | Refined Mozart and Bach from Andras Schiff and Cappella Andrea Barca in Hong Kong concerts

Schiff and the Cappella Andrea Barca’s playing of Mozart exuded grace and refinement, and they were on point in Bach’s keyboard concertos

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