appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Christopher Halls

“Wouldn’t you just die without Mahler?”
Even if that line made famous by Rita’s flatmate Trish in the film version of Educating Rita is meant to satirise the pretentiousness of the intellectual class, the life-affirming nature of Gustav Mahler’s music is undeniable.
When pondering the darker, enigmatic aspects found in his Symphony No 7, however, one can only imagine how much bleaker the piece would have turned out had the Austro-Bohemian written it during the dire years after its actual completion.
Not only did Vienna’s musical public turn against Mahler, forcing both his resignation from the Vienna Court Opera and the shift of the symphony’s premiere to Prague, but he found out he had an incurable heart condition as his daughter lay on her deathbed with scarlet fever.
That aside, with some tweaks before and after its 1908 premiere to temper some of the optimism, Mahler’s five-movement journey was celebrated to the fullest on January 23 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, where Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong led the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance that brimmed with heart, soul and spooky eccentricity.

The all-important double-dotted rhythms – the “ba-baaah” of a crisp, short note leading to a longer one – are the quasi-lifeblood of many of Mahler’s main motifs. Here, they were poignant and arresting in their execution, no more so than those delivered with laserlike precision by the trumpets, magnificently led by Nitiphum Bamrungbanthum.
Regardless of the guises in which motifs appeared in the stately, funeral-march-like Langsam (Adagio) opening, the acerbic bite prevailed as Wong kept a tight rein on the dark procession with gestures that were both efficient and effective.
Stepping in for Italian conductor Daniele Gatti, the Singaporean then led the ensuing Allegro risoluto with emphatic determination (without score) and contrasted it with a strikingly sublime, tranquil section that vividly depicted alpine life and the dizzying mountain views that Mahler would have relished during his Austrian summers.
Though he had nothing to do with the symphony’s commonly used title Songs of the Night, Mahler did, however, compare its second movement to the assemblage of characters in Rembrandt’s painting The Night Watch.
Grotesqueness in the best possible sense was the main feature of the first Nachtmusik (Night Music – Allegro moderato), and Wong was adamant about coaxing the shady array of characters described in Mahler’s “night wanderings” to reveal both their eerie and amicable intentions.
After the first and second hornists skilfully called to one another – one muted for a distant effect – a bevy of spasmodic marches, dances and other nocturnal happenings ensued, and things turned sinister.
Woodwind scampered brilliantly, imitating strange bird calls with added bite and quirkiness where possible. The strings danced, and even a rural mood was thrown into the mix later with a gentle, rustic dance, clearly showing Mahler at his most carefree and playful with the evocative sound of cowbells clanking offstage – another Alpine reference – without restraint.
Grimmest of all, though, was the central Scherzo, marked aptly by Mahler as “Shadowy. Flowing but not too fast”, which included strange, atmospheric shrieks and slides in the strings, and all the players lapping up the diabolical mockery of distorted Viennese waltzes, à la Ravel’s La valse.

From the nightmarish orchestral texture emerged an eerie array of memorable solos, such as Andrew Ling’s viola over James Boznos’ stubborn, drone-like sostenuto timpani.
With that and the penetrating string pizzicatos, the dance’s devilishness was complete, especially at the point where lower strings heeded Mahler’s final footnote to a tee: “pluck so hard that the strings hit the wood!”
In stark contrast to the earlier “music of the night”, the more humane and tranquil scenes found in the second Nachtmusik came as welcome comfort, with serenade-like qualities.
Concertmaster Jing Wang excelled with assured violin solo contributions. The movement’s Viennese folk music flavours, including quivering mandolins, took the audience on a relaxed stroll through Vienna’s old town with the odd stop at a beer garden, before finally fading out contentedly – as if vendors had shut shop for the evening.
Finally, in the boisterous Rondo-Finale, Wong spurred acerbic brass chorales and celebratory dances with relentless energy to reinforce the symphony’s brighter and more life-asserting sentiments.
This movement’s show-stopping exuberance is often criticised for being at odds with the darker questions posed in the previous movements, but Wong pulled it off with impressive vigour, precision and uplifting energy.
“Kahchun Wong Conducts Mahler 7”, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Reviewed: January 23.


Could hit musical Hamilton be coming to Hong Kong in 2027?

Hong Kong Ballet to move to city’s first dedicated dance venue in 2027

The inspiring story of Hong Kong dancer and filmmaker who began at 48 after leaving Apple

Hong Kong theatre legend Fredric Mao launches foundation to boost city’s performing arts

Performing arts in Hong Kong

HK Phil brings Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 to life in energetic, eerie performance

Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong leads the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in their performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on January 23, 2026. Photo: HK Phil

Wong stepped in for Italian conductor Daniele Gatti to lead the HK Phil. Photo: HK Phil

The string section plays during the performance of Mahler’s Symphony No 7. Photo: HK Phil

The National Ballet of China return to Hong Kong with a dazzling Giselle

Qiu Yunting (left) and Li Wentao perform in the National Ballet of China’s Giselle at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on January 20, 2026. Photo: NBC

Qiu Yunting (centre left) and Li Wentao (centre right) perform during Act 1 of the National Ballet of China’s Giselle. Photo: NBC 

Qiu showed “flawless technique and impeccable Romantic style” as the spirit of Giselle. Photo: NBC

A scene from Act 2 of the National Ballet of China’s performance of Giselle. Photo: NBC

How toy pianos help Singaporean musician tell her OCD story

Margaret Leng Tan plays a melodica during a recent performance of “Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep” in Hong Kong. The production, which combines spoken word, projected images and toy piano music, is an autobiographical portrait of a musician living with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Photo: Visual Voices, courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Tan with a collection of toy pianos. It was John Cage’s “Suite for Toy Piano” (1948) that redirected her from the grand to the toy piano. 

Tan with her mentor John Cage, whom she first encountered in 1968. Tan went on to become a key interpreter of Cage’s music.

Tan performs “Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep” at The Box, Freespace, in the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong, on January 14, 2026. Photo: Visual Voices, courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Tan plays a prepared piano with a bow in “Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep”. Photo: Visual Voices, courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Hong Kong composer Lora Chow’s unusual journey from finance to writing Cantonese musicals

Composer Lora Chow, at the Fringe Club. 13JAN26 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Lora Chow (in red) performs her piece “Awakening”, in which she plays piano and sings, with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2024. Photo: Lora Chow

Composer Lora Chow is pictured at the Fringe Club in Hong Kong. Her new musical, Dr Clown, is one of the highlights of the coming Fringe Festival. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The official poster for Dr Clown, set to be performed at the Fringe Festival at the end of January. Photo: Fringe Festival

Chow’s latest album, Pursuits from the Roots, was released earlier this month. Photo: Lora Chow

Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress, sex scandal victim and Chinese social media star

Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Cheung and Stephen Chow in a still from King of Comedy (1999). Her feature-film debut remains one of her most memorable roles. Photo: The Star Overseas

Cheung and her three sons. Photo: Weibo

Cheung in a photo she posted on her Weibo account in 2023. Photo: Weibo

Lifestyle

Arts

Culture

Music

Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong skilfully led the rendition of Mahler’s complex work in a show brimming with soul and spooky eccentricity


Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong skilfully led the rendition of Mahler’s complex work in a show brimming with soul and spooky eccentricity.


World of performing arts

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong skilfully led the rendition of Mahler’s complex work in a show brimming with soul and spooky eccentricity

Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong skilfully led the rendition of Mahler’s complex work in a show brimming with soul and spooky eccentricity