‘Painfully unimpressive’ visuals distract from HK Phil’s tech-led concerts

Don’t get me wrong. I do occasionally tune into one of those eight-hour-long YouTube classical music playlists and pretend I am Patrick Bateman from American Psycho while doing household chores.

“Metaverse Symphony” is supposed to appeal to digital natives like myself. To make sure we get it, guest conductor Gerard Salonga paused to explain after the first movement of Symphony no. 1, The Metaverse, that the art on the big projection screen designed by Chu reacts according to the live sounds in the concert hall. He then clapped at different volumes to demonstrate that it really worked.

This might have awed some of the audience. But for me, it was painfully unimpressive. The images resembled retro computer screensavers, except the flashing lines and geometric shapes were aggressive and distracting, disrespectful even, since it took attention away from the music.

And really, to have diamond and jewellery overlays on the screen when the concerts were sponsored by a jewellery company is cringe-making.

Both pieces deeply moved this former “emo kid”. But the visual add-ons didn’t aid my enjoyment. Perhaps I should’ve closed my eyes.

But if I did, I would have missed the onstage drama on the first night. Violinist Anders Hui’s violin string broke in the middle of a solo passage and he had to immediately switch instruments with the violinist next to him.

Hui must have had a spare string in his suit pocket, because he quickly fixed it up on stage – so slickly that I suspect most of the audience didn’t even notice.

The musicians’ calmness, resourcefulness and professionalism – that’s what will encourage me to attend another of their concerts, not the tech.

Before I attended the last of the three “Metaverse Symphony” concerts on May 6, I wondered whether virtual instruments, or even a virtual orchestra, would be used in place of a real-life orchestra.

At the press conference, composer Elliot Leung had mentioned using music samples from his “Sound Library” and the use of a lot of technology.

But the two new compositions turned out to be grounded in reality. Citing such traditional influences as Sibelius, Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff, Leung’s music has flair and romance, and the players were impressive with their sensitive treatment of the evocative materials.

The two new works belong to the category of “programme music”, each presenting a specific image or theme. The shorter Through the Fog, Into the Darkness is melodic and has plenty of variation in colour, rhythm and tension, suggesting violence and war. Richard Bamping, principal cellist, played beautifully in weeping passages consisting of chromatic, rather mysterious, musical themes.

The development section packed quite a punch from the percussion and the brass sections, and Salonga conducted with firmness and clarity.

The balance of the orchestra’s sound in the triumphant coda was nicely controlled and, bar some uneven harmonics among the violins in the ending, Salonga and the players interpreted the colourful piece with deep feeling.

Symphony no. 1, The Metaverse saw Chu’s artworks displayed on the screens according to how the music changed. The four movements are supposed to celebrate different technological advancements and have very different characters from each other. Salonga again proved that he was a skilful conductor in balancing different sections and his handling of mood changes.

The second movement, with a title of “Fibre Optics: An Homage to Sir Charles Kao”, was stunning. Leung wrote two solo passages for the cello and the viola. Bamping was again at his best, with good sound and intonation that made the elegant piece sing. Principal violist Andrew Ling, accompanied by pianist Linda Yim, provided the most moving passage of all.

The special sound effects came in the third movement, when Olivia Mok produced electronic clips to go with the orchestra’s playing: the clicking of Hong Kong’s traffic lights, car horns and at one point, the sound of loose diamonds being poured. It didn’t detract from the fact that we were hearing real people playing real musical instruments, which was a great relief.

My appreciation of the music certainly wasn’t helped by the visual experience. There was one huge screen in the centre and a large screen on either side, which was too much for the eyes. There was no escaping them, and in the faster passages, the kaleidoscope-like rapid motions gave an unpleasant sensation of vertigo.

It was not an ideal way to enjoy music, and certainly not a pleasant way to appreciate visual art.

“Metaverse Symphony”, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Reviewed: May 5 and 6.