No holds barred in pianist Haochen Zhang and Dover Quartet's French May Hong Kong concert
Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang made it clear his concert with the Dover Quartet had concluded when he closed the lid of the Steinway grand piano in the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall following a monumental rendition of César Franck's Piano Quintet in F minor.
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Despite the rapturous applause that followed a display of unceasing modulations, constant harmonic movement and more pianissimos and fortissimos than are heard in most chamber music performances, an encore would have been as out of place as another main course after dessert.
No-holds-barred playing of the highest calibre was the hallmark of this French May festival presentation by Premiere Performances of Hong Kong on May 12.
In the quintet's opening 'Allegro', the group's voices were like single grape varieties in a finely balanced wine cuvée, each retaining their distinct character amid the density of Franck's music.
Pianist Haochen Zhang (rear) and the Dover Quartet, comprising violinists Joel Link (far left) and Bryan Lee (second from left), cellist Camden Shaw and violist Julianne Lee, perform at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall on May 12, 2025. Photo: Kenny Cheung/Premiere Performances of Hong Kong
Their playing of the 'Lento' second movement was profoundly reflective, from the stillness of the opening to the more heartfelt passages that followed, where the richness and resonance of the quartet's sound was evident, especially in the bravura playing of cellist Camden Shaw.
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