Emanuel Ax returns

Legendary Polish-American pianist Emanuel Ax is revered for his profound poetic insight supported by flawless technical ability – characteristics prominently on display in Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto. Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin started life as a suite for solo piano but was later reborn in the composer’s exquisite orchestration. While Arnold Schoenberg scandalized music in the early 20th Century with the advent of serialism, in the 1930s he magnified Brahms’s intense G minor Piano Quartet onto the wide-screen of the symphony orchestra, projecting Brahms’s original in vivid new colours.

In 2007/08 the Hong Kong Philharmonic continues to present a series of free talks from 7:15pm to 7:45pm prior to every concert in the Swire Maestro Series. A great way to get to know more about the musical masterworks in each concert, “Classic Insights” will involve leading experts and musicians offering fascinating insights into the composers’ lives, eras and creations. These events will take place in the level 4 foyer of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Auditoria Building. Talks on Friday evenings will be conducted in English and those on Saturday evenings will be in Cantonese.