Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang’s collaboration with the Dover Quartet at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall on May 12 marked the conclusion of an unforgettable concert as he closed the lid of the Steinway grand piano following a powerful rendition of César Franck’s Piano Quintet in F minor. The audience’s enthusiastic applause was testament to the performance, filled with intricate modulations, continuous harmonic shifts, and dynamic contrasts between pianissimos and fortissimos. Any encore, however, would have felt superfluous, much like an extra main course after dessert.
The performance, presented by Premiere Performances of Hong Kong as part of the French May festival, embodied no-holds-barred artistry of the highest caliber. In Franck’s quintet’s opening “Allegro,” the ensemble’s sound was akin to the individual voices of distinct grape varieties in a fine wine blend. Each instrument retained its unique character amid the complexity of Franck’s dense music.
The second movement, Lento, was profoundly reflective, moving from the stillness of its opening to more emotive passages. The rich resonance of the Dover Quartet was especially evident in cellist Camden Shaw’s commanding bravura. In Franck’s dramatic “Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco” finale, the performance reached new heights of intensity. The tight, energetic interplay of the ensemble, formed at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music, alongside Zhang, a Van Cliburn competition winner, created a fiery climax to the piece.
Even when Franck’s thematic transformations threatened to overwhelm the music, the Dover Quartet – twice Grammy-nominated and named after Curtis alumnus Samuel Barber and his composition Dover Beach – maintained their focus, delivering a controlled and emotionally resonant performance.
The second piece of the evening, Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, also known as the “American” Quartet, was a contrast in style, showcasing accessibility and joyful energy. The quartet’s performance was marked by precision, with viola player Julianne Lee presenting the pentatonic theme in the Allegro ma non troppo first movement with clarity, ensuring moments of lyrical respite felt even more special.
Although Dvořák’s Lento slow movement was far more delicate and light-hearted than Franck’s, the Dover Quartet’s violinists Joel Link and Bryan Lee exhibited the same profound lyricism and remarkable unity of tone. The emotional depth of their performance elicited a heartfelt sigh from an audience member.
The ensemble’s interpretation of Dvořák’s Molto vivace third movement and the Vivace ma non troppo finale displayed the group’s versatility, transitioning from taut, edgy openings to tender, expressive sections, a testament to why the Dover Quartet is in such high demand worldwide.
The concert opened with Bright Sheng’s Dance Capriccio (2011), a piece inspired by the folk dances of the Sherpas of western Nepal. Zhang and the Dover Quartet performed with vibrant energy, demonstrating their precision and musicality in this engaging, often wild work.
Overall, the evening was a masterclass in chamber music, showcasing the impeccable musicianship of Haochen Zhang and the Dover Quartet, leaving a lasting impression on the Hong Kong audience.
