Claire Huangci / Zürcher Symphoniker
Mozart: Piano Concertos in C major K.467, C minor K.491, C major K.503
Tonhalle am See, Zurich, 2026-01-04
2026-01-14 — Original posting
“Mozart-Neujahrskonzert” mit Claire Huangci und den Zürcher Symphonikern — Zusammenfassung
Das Programm
Contents
- Introduction
- The Artists
- Program
- Concert & Review
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491
- Czerny: Fantaisie brillante sur des thèmes de l’opéra “Le nozze di Figaro”, op.493
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503
- Encore — Yann Tiersen: Comptine d’un autre été — l’après-midi
- Addendum
- Literature
- Acknowledgement
Introduction
| Venue, Date & Time | Großer Saal der Tonhalle am See, Zürich, 2026-01-04 15:00h |
| Series / Title | Mozart-Neujahrskonzert (Mozart New Year’s Concert) |
| Organizer | Theaterclub Zürich |
| Reviews from related events | Previous Concerts and Recitals with Claire Huangci Previous Concerts in this Venue Concerts organized by the Theaterclub Zürich |
The Artists
The American pianist Claire Huangci (*1990, see Wikipedia) has frequently been the subject of my blog. I have written reviews of over a dozen of her live performances (see the links above) and posted media reviews of a few of her recordings. Over the past decade, she has enjoyed an amazing international career, both on concert stages and as a recording artist. Her career has multiple solid foundations. First and foremost is her profound musicality. Second is her amazing finger agility and dexterity, which she developed in part through her education at the Curtis Institute with her teacher, the late Gary Graffman (1928 – 2025), who passed away just a week prior to this concert. Claire Huangci also has firm ties to the Zurich area, especially since winning the first prize at the Concours Géza Anda in 2018.
I was more than pleased to be invited to this concert. That’s not just because it was an opportunity to witness this fascinating artist in concert again. Rather, it was a chance to experience her in the double role of pianist and conductor. She did not work with one of Zurich’s top orchestras, such as the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, or Zurich Opera’s Philharmonia Zurich. Rather, she worked with one of Zurich’s second-tier orchestras, the Zürcher Symphoniker (Zurich Symphony Orchestra), an ensemble consisting of 72 professional freelance musicians, founded 1981 by the late Daniel Schweizer (1953 – 2020).
Program
At the core, Claire Huangci’s program featured three piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791):
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756– 1791): Piano Concerto No.21 in C major, K.467 (“Elvira Madigan”)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756– 1791): Piano Concerto No.24 in C minor, K.491
——— - Carl Czerny (1791 – 1857): “Fantaisie Billante“, op.493 on Themes from Mozart’s Opera “Le Nozze di Figaro“
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756– 1791): Piano Concerto No.25 in C major, K.503
Setting, etc.
The concert was sold out and the large hall of the Tonhalle in Zurich was filled to capacity. My seat was in the center of the parquet section, towards the back of the front right block (row 13, seat 24, close to the right edge). I usually try not to let my seating position influence my reviews.
In this case, however, it was important because the soloist was conducting as well. The Steinway D-274 concert grand stood in the center of the stage with its tail pointing toward the organ and the back of the stage. The orchestra surrounded the piano. The violins were on the left, followed by the violas, cellos, and two double basses, while the wind instruments were in slightly elevated positions. To give the soloist full visibility of all the musicians, the concert grand’s lid had been removed. I vividly remember a concert at this venue 10 years ago with a similar setup that exposed acoustic difficulties. A seat on the lateral gallery next to the stage might have “fixed” the acoustic shortcomings for me and others in similar seats. However, I wanted to experience the concert the way the vast majority of the audience did.
Concert & Review
Given that the three Mozart concertos in the program are all widely known, I’m limiting their descriptions to a bare minimum. More information is available in the respective Wikipedia entries.
Claire Huangci — Pianist and Conductor
At this concert, Claire Huangci did more than just fill her expected role as a solo pianist. She also conducted the orchestra while playing the solo part. Pianists who conduct an orchestra from the keyboard while playing a solo part are not a new phenomenon. Even during the time of the Viennese classics, composer-pianists conducted orchestras while performing on the piano. Examples include Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 – 1788), Johann Christian Bach (1735 – 1782), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791), Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827), Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 – 1837), and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 – 1847). Many conductors have also received a piano education, and some have built second careers as soloists. An early example from the 19th century is the conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow (1830 – 1894), who also conducted from the keyboard.
The 20th century saw a revival of this tradition as more and more pianists began to complement their roles as soloists by conducting from the keyboard. One prominent example is Edwin Fischer (1886 – 1960). Later, other pianists followed this example, including Friedrich Gulda (1930 – 2000), Vladimir Ashkenazy (*1937), Daniel Barenboim (*1942), Murray Perahia (*1947), Mitsuko Uchida (*1948), Christian Zacharias (*1950), András Schiff (*1953), Mikhail Pletnev (*1957), Lars Vogt (1970 – 2022), Olli Mustonen (*1967), and Leif Ove Andsnes (*1970). All of these pianists conducted from a modern concert grand. However, this trend also seeped into the domain of historically informed performances (HIP), with artists such as Robert Levin (*1947) and Kristian Bezuidenhout (*1979), performing on historic fortepianos.
Claire Huangci, Conducting at the Piano
Watching Claire Huangci conduct from the keyboard felt all natural. It matched her lively body language at the piano, which included head movements and her hands and arms frequently flying up to the height of her head. With this, conducting an orchestra almost seemed like a natural extension of her performance at the keyboard.
How did she do it? Since she was facing the back of the stage, it was difficult to observe her facial expressions from the parquet seating. However, it was clear that she was in close contact with all sections of the orchestra. During orchestral introductions or longer segments without a soloist, she stood up and instantly took control of the orchestra. Occasionally, she checked the score on the tablet she had placed flat on the piano above the pinblock. She avoided large arm gestures, leading with small, resolute, and precise movements of her forearms. When seated, she mostly conducted with just her left arm, adding gestures with her upper body as well as small but precise head movements.
Compromises for Conducting?
I remember discussions where listeners seemed to watch out for missed keys when conducting pianists returned their hands to the keyboard. However, this was never an issue here. Claire Huangci always found the right keys with somnambulistic certainty. There was never an instance of “conducting distraction” causing issues with the rhythmic coordination between the piano and orchestra. Thus, the conducting did not result in any noticeable “accidents”.
That said, combining solo and conducting did not come “free of charge”, apart from the soloist’s multitasking. In Mozart’s score, the solo’s most prominent part is in the often virtuosic and busy right hand, while the left hand usually just mirrors the orchestra’s bass line (colla parte). I noted that, while her right hand effortlessly mastered Mozart’s virtuosic scales and figures up and down the keyboard, Claire Huangci often used her left hand independently to conduct the orchestra. To do so, she often omitted the single-line bass in the piano score.
This may sound “bad”. However, unless listeners read the score and looked for the bass line on the piano, they did not miss anything. Acoustically, the orchestra bass (the cellos and double basses) filled that line and often covered the piano bass even when the soloist played it. This was largely a consequence (or rather a benefit?) of the acoustic setting, in which the absence of the lid weakened the piano bass. More on that below.
The Notorious Question about Basso Continuo in Mozart’s Concertos
This is not the place to discuss this topic in detail, but I still want to bring it up: Mozart wrote his concertos for the harpsichord or for early fortepianos. In the case of the harpsichord, the solo instrument definitely also served as basso continuo, not only “filling” harmonies, but at the same time providing a rhythmic backbone. This is not just theory or a hypothesis; early concertos included a ciphered bass line in the solo part. The harpsichord particularly suits this purpose, as its bright sonority is ideal for marking the rhythmic foundation.
For his “mature” concertos, Mozart must have used fortepianos. These feature a slightly less bright sonority, but I have no doubt that the composer played at least some continuo as part of his solo function, even though the bass line in the score may lack the harmonic ciphering. Modern editions include harmonic bass ciphering only for Mozart’s early concertos. However, when there is no solo part, the bass stave still follows the orchestra’s bass line (often cellos/double bass, plus the violas).
One could argue that the continuo / ciphered bass function is a marginal contribution in large, modern concert halls. Moreover, the usability of modern concert grand pianos for basso continuo is questionable, to say the least: their sonority is too different from that of a fortepiano, let alone a harpsichord. Pianists such as Friedrich Gulda added some continuo harmonies, but the outcome was not always convincing.
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467
The Work
Mozart completed the Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467 in 1785. The orchestral score calls for a flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns in C, two trumpets in C, timpani and strings. The trumpets (“clarini”, high-pitched clarino trumpets) and timpani only appear in the outer movements. The second movement is very popular and was famously featured in the Swedish film “Elvira Madigan” from 1967, with a recording by Géza Anda (1921 – 1976) used for the soundtrack. Consequently, the concerto is often referred to by the name of the film, primarily in the Anglo-Saxon world. The three movements are labeled as follows:
- Allegro maestoso (4/4)
- Andante (₵)
- Allegro vivace assai (2/4)
The Performance
I. Allegro maestoso
The entry into a concert is always critical, as any mishaps, such as coordination issues, could foreshadow shortcomings in the subsequent performance. Here, however, there were no such issues. From the first bars, the orchestra was alert and followed Claire Huangci’s vision and directions. They presented themselves as a well-balanced ensemble with excellent sound and coordination.
For a popular concerto such as this one, the “collective memory” from recordings and concert performances may cause firm expectations about what a natural or appropriate tempo is. For the artists, this can feel helpful or restrictive (limiting the artist’s freedom). In this movement, the tempo felt entirely natural.
My only quibble was that the semiquaver triplets in bars #2 and #4 sounded slightly superficial. Yes, Mozart included them in a slurred motif. Was it just my imagination, or did I expect the connection to the preceding dotted crotchet to be a tad less legato? That was just a momentary impression, though. It helped that, in most subsequent instances, the semiquaver triplets started above the preceding note. Also, the addition of woodwind voices provided extra clarity.
Solo Part
The solo enters in bar 74 with its own introduction. Mozart knew exactly how to grab the audience’s attention from the very beginning. However, Claire Huangci never seemed to want to show off her virtuosity. It felt as if Mozart had composed the piano part into her hands. Yet, the extraordinary lightness and agility of the ascending semiquaver figures instantly attracted the listener’s attention. After five bars, a fermata suggests a cadenza by the soloist as a transition to the orchestra’s return to the main theme. Claire Huangci’s virtuosic “bridge” was short—just a few bars—but brilliant, providing an excellent, light, and fitting transition.
Besides the cadenzas, the movement does not lend itself to much, if any, extra ornamentation. Still, Claire Huangci added occasional, small ornaments, such as turns on the half notes in bars 84 and 85. She played with lively dynamics, often keeping the focus on the right hand melody line. Rarely, the bass accompaniment appeared somewhat weak (e.g., in bars 91 – 98), likely due to the acoustic setting and my seating position. Whenever the bass added expressive harmonies, though, the soloist made sure the left hand received the necessary weight and attention. When the left hand seemed compete with the upper voice for virtuosity (e.g., in bars 148 – 162), the two voices were absolutely equivalent and in perfect balance. In ascending scales, such as in bars 171 – 173, and in other virtuosic passages, the bass line featured dramatic crescendo waves.
Balance & Acoustics
From the onset, I was skeptical about the balance and acoustics (see above). The venue is known for its excellent acoustics. Nevertheless, for the audience in the parquet section, at least, the Steinway D-274 without the lid lacked projection, especially in the bass register. With only two double basses, the orchestra’s low register seemed adequate. However, the piano bass often risked being drowned out by the orchestra. That was not a major issue, though, once the listener’s ear adjusted to the setting. One could argue that a slightly smaller ensemble (and/or a smaller venue) would have been more appropriate, though listeners in the lateral galleries might disagree.
A conventional setup with the concert grand oriented in the standard way and the lid mounted and open would certainly avoid projection and balance issues. However, in an age where historically informed performances are becoming commonplace, this setup would move the soundscape further away from what the composer intended. In favor of the setting at this concert, one could say that the absence of the lid (and especially the weaker bass) created a piano sonority that retained similarities to the characteristics of a fortepiano. For the latter, a large venue such as the Tonhalle would also have disadvantages.
★★★★½
The Cadenza by Carl Reinecke
Mozart did not write down cadenzas for this concerto, so pianists either compose or improvise their own, or they look for cadenzas by other artists or composers. The German composer, conductor, and pianist Carl (Heinrich Carsten) Reinecke (1824 – 1910) wrote cadenzas for the first and last movements of this concerto, as his op.87/1. These cadenzas were published around 1897. Claire Huangci played the Reinecke cadenza for the first movement only.
A “Romantic Patch”?
As expected, Reinecke’s cadenza is a virtuosic spectacle. Not surprisingly, it makes use of post-classical modulations and harmonic excursions. However, it still imitates Mozart’s style, without being overtly modernistic or purely late romantic. In terms of technical demands, virtuosity, dynamics, range, and density of pianistic textures, it surpasses Mozart’s solo part. Claire Huangci effortlessly and playfully mastered this interesting, virtuosic showpiece. She played the entire cadenza, except for a few bars near the end.
Is it a “good fit” for the movement? I would consider this question for an artist’s personal or improvised cadenza, and/or in cases where the cadenza does not feature any recognizable link to the associated movement. Reinecke’s contribution frequently quotes motifs and themes from Mozart’s movement, though without much thematic development. While the style differs, the cadenza offers insight into how piano virtuosos of the late 19th century perceived Mozart’s music. In that sense, the question whether it is a good fit is moot. Reinecke wrote his cadenza for the “modern” concert grand, which is a good argument for using a Steinway D-274 grand piano instead of a fortepiano.
★★★★½
II. Andante
My comments on this movement may be controversial, but I’m determined to share my honest opinion. So, here goes: the use of film titles to name classical compositions makes me suspicious. I believe that classical compositions should be judged on their own merits rather than on the merits of a subsequent artwork that bears no significance for the original work. This concert confirmed my suspicion.
These days, public taste and opinions are often shaped by performance traditions, such as mid-twentieth-century recordings. In this case, the piece’s popularity and overuse, induced by its association with the film, must have reinforced the preconceived notion that it is primarily solemn and soothing.
Mozart’s music is undoubtedly beautiful and soothing. Is it too sweet and soothing? In this performance, the tempo matched the common expectation. The interpretation invited indulgence in the solemn, expressive, and beautiful melody. This is supported by pizzicato in the bass and gentle quaver triplets in the muted second violins and violas, which later move into the pianist’s left hand.
Tempo and Indulgence
The main problem here is the tempo, especially for the single-line melody, which consists mostly of long notes, such as double-dotted crotchets, half notes, and three-quarter notes, with the occasional written-out ornament. For people who did not simply “bathe in this” while dreaming or relaxing, the pace of this performance soon led to a lack of tension. The pianist could fill some of the long notes with ornamentation, such as scales. Claire Huangci did so occasionally. However, the first violins alternate with the piano in playing the main theme. It is out of the question for the orchestra to ornament the melody, and the two voices should certainly maintain some semblance of unity.
The crux lies in the notation. The main tempo marking is Andante. Typically, the movement is played in solemn, peaceful Andante crotchets, and there are recordings in which not even the crotchets match an Andante pace. The concert performance was not so extreme. Claire Huangci’s right-hand melody was indeed beautifully sung, benefitting from the Steinway grand’s bright, lucid sonority—a fluid, calm Andante in crotchets. However, the piece is written in split time (alla breve, ₵). This implies a substantially faster tempo: an Andante with two beats per measure, not four. Some people might say, “But that is not how it’s played!“. In their favor I should mention that the orchestra convinced with not only subtle string voices, but also through clean and expressive horns and woodwinds (bassoons and oboes).
There are indeed rare recordings that perform a proper Andante in Alla breve time with playing times as short as 5’20”; see the addendum below. The overwhelming majority of the available recordings follow tradition, with playing times between 6.5 and 7.5 minutes. Some extremes even have the movement lasting well over eight minutes.
★★★½
III. Allegro vivace assai
For the final movement, Claire Huangci did not choose the second cadenza from Carl Reinecke’s op.87/1. Was it less suitable for her vision of this movement than the cadenza for the Allegro? A more likely reason is that it is rather long for this shorter movement. At 2 – 3 minutes it is about the same length as the cadenza for the first, larger movement. Even without Reinecke’s contribution, however, the audience did not miss the “cadenza spectacle” in the Allegro vivace assai; the movement offers three opportunities for cadenzas or improvisations by the soloist.
Being the master virtuoso that she is, Claire Huangci conducted a very fluid tempo, probably about as fast as the orchestra could manage. In fact, the quaver staccati in the opening bar emerged “out of nowhere”. It probably took a moment for all the violins to “get on board”: a tricky beginning! That was a minor issue; that bar just lacked definition. In the repeat of the eight-bar theme, the same notes sounded with the expected clarity.
The tempo was indeed “on edge”, though it did not feel overly pushed. Overall, the orchestra played the fast notes well and maintained good coordination. Claire Huangci did not seem challenged by the fast semiquaver figures; the agility of her fingers and the elegance of her playing are almost unmatched. That said, it may have been the acoustics of the big hall or the absence of the lid on the concert grand that occasionally caused the blazingly fast semiquaver sequences to blur in the listener’s ear. Such moments made me wish for a fortepiano with its crisp, clear sonority and lighter mechanics. The fast tempo also precluded adding extra detail, such as humorous or provocative notes, to the fast passages.
Cadenzas
Apart from the colla parte left hand, there is no solo in the first 19 bars: only the orchestra presents the Rondo theme. The end of the introduction comes as a surprise when a sudden fermata leads to a short cadenza transition. This gives the piano an opportunity to introduce itself, “seeking an entry into the main theme”. Here, Claire Huangci did not aim for virtuosity; that “intro” was short, capricious, playful, imaginative, and an excellent, harmonious fit!
In bar 177, there is a second fermata stop after ascending solo scales. Again, Claire Huangci used this as an opportunity for a short cadenza before returning to the Rondo theme. Similar in length to the first, this “insertion” was simpler in structure: a long, rapidly accelerating, descending scale across the keyboard, followed by a virtuosic ascent and transition to the theme.
My remark above does not imply that humor was absent from the movement. In the solo that follows in the central section, Mozart added witty syncopes or off-beat accents, which the soloist clearly highlighted without turning them into caricatures. Claire Huangci’s conducting did not prevent her from maintaining the clear lead role throughout this movement. When both hands were busy, her conducting seemed to transpire through her clear and lively dynamics.
The third “cadenza slot” is in bar 424, close to the end of the movement (the coda is just 23 bars). Claire Huangci performed her own cadenza, which was based almost entirely on material from the movement, exploring its range of themes and motifs. It was less than half the size of Reinecke’s cadenza, but the perfect length. Playful rather than excessively virtuosic, it was a perfect fit—excellent!
★★★★
Overall Rating: ★★★★
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491
The Work
Of Mozart’s 27 piano concertos, Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491, written in 1786, is one of only two in a minor key. The orchestral score is written for one flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Only one other concerto calls for both oboes and clarinets. The movements are shown below. Note that the annotations “Larghetto” and “Allegretto” in the manuscript are not believed to be Mozart’s handwriting.
- Allegro (3/4)
- Larghetto (₵)
- Allegretto (₵)
The Performance
I. Allegro
I have a small quibble about the first few bars: the annotation here is p, yet the crotchets in bars 4, 6, and 8 have marcato marks. These notes were short, but the first crotchet in these bars sounded as if there was a slur from the previous (legato) bar. With this, the beginning sounded a little too mellow and gentle. Shouldn’t it feel more menacing, like a premonition of the earnest tone of this movement or even of the dark scenes in the opera “Don Giovanni” K.527 from the following year? That impression vanished with the f entry of the full orchestra: when the note preceding the marcato notes was a semiquaver (and even more so later, when the timpani provided rhythmic reinforcement), these motifs automatically sounded more accentuated and poignant.
Solo
In bar 100, a piano solo enters with a new theme, creating a stark contrast to the resolute, if not grim, orchestral introduction. Claire Huangci performed the solo with remarkable care and attention to dynamics and articulation. I was particularly stunned by the incredibly subtle agogics. The orchestra interrupts this idyll with the initial theme. The piano softens this again in a synthesis of the first and second themes, then transitions into incredibly smooth and seamless semiquaver runs. This leads to a peaceful, pastoral scene that exposed the beautiful, warm sonority of the woodwinds.
The tempo seemed fluid, especially in semiquaver passages on the piano. Yet, it rarely felt pushed. Claire Huangci maintained tension and flow without rushing, allowing for calm, lyrical “scenes”. Her playing combined smooth semiquaver passages with detailed, lively dynamics. She never tried to play herself into the foreground, making for an ideal partnership with the orchestra. She always left room for the woodwinds. Having the concert grand without the lid certainly helped with the dynamic balance. At the same time, this setup made the piano sound brighter and lighter. Was this an attempt to imitate the sonority of a fortepiano?
Cadenza
In this performance, I noted how the composer consistently and masterfully built tension and expectation toward the cadenza over a long period. At the fermata, the transition to the cadenza (the pianist’s own) seemed almost seamless. It started with dramatic, rapid semiquaver textures. Claire Huangci’s cadenza is not a single, monolithic block. Rather, it consists of multiple segments with contrasting characteristics and clear references to elements or “scenes” from the movement. The first part features dramatic ascending bass scales and builds to a climax. The next segment features a lyrical theme that initially appeared in the woodwinds and then transitions to another, melancholic motif. This grows into a virtuosic eruption of semiquaver passages that leads to the orchestral coda.
The cadenza is very personal, expressing the artist’s taste and personality. Rather than attempting to mold entirely into Mozart’s composition, it occasionally ventures into moderately non-Mozartian harmonies and modulations. Technically, the virtuosic climaxes surpass what the composer could have imagined. Overall, however, the cadenza is an excellent fit for the movement, devoid of trivialities and empty acrobatics. Well done!
★★★★½
II. Larghetto
The beginning of the slow movement is in the hands of the soloist. She introduces the serene main theme, a gem of a melody as simple as a folk song, serene and devoid of the slightest unrest. The orchestra soon joins in, building up to the fermata in bar 15. Throughout that bar, even prior to the fermata, Claire Huangci began her transition to the main part of the movement. This transition consisted of a chain of trills followed by a brief, playfully descending passage that naturally led back to the main theme.
As with her cadenzas to the first movement, this was both beautiful and highly personal—yet I can hardly picture a more natural way to “fill” that fermata! After the return of the main theme, there is a longer episode in which the solo, woodwinds, and strings alternate in “digesting” a second theme—an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful woodwind sonority, particularly the clarinets and bassoons.
Claire Huangci prepared the next instance of the theme (with subtle variations in rhythm) with a long, two-bar trill—a reminiscence of the trills at the first fermata? Bars 67 – 72 form a short, simple episode in which the pianist playfully added rich ornamentation that again felt natural and perfectly fitted Mozart’s music. This was an organic buildup to the second fermata and cadenza opportunity. Here, Claire Huangci returned to the exact trill chain from the first fermata. However, she added a slightly longer cadenza which was first ascending playfully into the descant and then descending stepwise back to the main theme in short, ornamented motifs—a lovely gem in itself!
This performance was calm and relaxed. It never felt rushed and had a very natural flow. At the same time, it was devoid of dragging and overindulgence—simply beautiful.
★★★★★
III. Allegretto
The final movement is a theme with eight variations. The theme (AABB) is purely orchestral. Claire Huangci’s tempo felt natural and somewhat fluid, leaning forward without being rushed. Throughout most of the movement, the soloist took the lead, beginning with the first variation. Claire Huangci’s articulation and dynamics were excellent.
However, the first variation presented a minor irritation: it was slightly, yet noticeably, faster than the original theme. To me, it felt as if the tempo of the theme had been a minor mistake that was now being corrected. If a slower initial theme was deemed necessary, would it not have been better to continue by increasing the tempo gradually rather than instantly jumping to a faster pace? This might even have helped build or maintain tension throughout the movement. Alternatively, a more pronounced tempo change might have prevented the impression of a possible mishap. Overall, though, that remained a “local” incident, as the ear rapidly adjusted to the new tempo.
Virtuosity vs. Drama
Needless to say, Claire Huangci effortlessly mastered the fluid pace of what must have been a virtuosic showpiece in Mozart’s time. She articulated clearly, and yet, at this tempo, some of her fast semiquaver passages felt too smooth and slightly superficial. The acoustic setting may have contributed to this, but I think that a slightly slower pace would have allowed for more differentiation in articulation. It also would have allowed the second violins to expose the virtuosic semiquaver line in bars 73 – 95. I should mention that while the piano articulation was often smooth in the semiquavers, Claire Huangci added dramatic dynamics, especially when the semiquaver runs were in the left hand. This compensated for the apparent lack of detail caused by the tempo and acoustics.
The transition from C major to C minor in bars 200 and 201 featured a sudden, second increase in tempo. Did the tempo drop unnoticeably in the preceding variations, prompting Claire Huangci to resume a faster pace? The transition that did not feel entirely natural or harmonious, and the segment up to the fermata in bars 219/220 felt somewhat hurried or impatient. The fermata mandates a cadenza in bar 201. Claire Huangci kept it very short, performing a virtuosic outburst of two to three bars that seamlessly transitioned to the final variation—an extended, slightly melancholic farewell with a brief, defiant ending.
★★★★
Overall Rating: ★★★★½
Czerny: Fantaisie brillante sur des thèmes de l’opéra “Le nozze di Figaro”, op.493
The Composer
The Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist Carl Czerny (1791 – 1857) was one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s best-known pupils and later became one of Franz Liszt’s (1811 – 1886) main teachers. Through his many pupils, Czerny left a substantial legacy. Numerous notable pianists, including monumental figures such as Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943) and Alexander Siloti (1863 – 1945) are listed as his indirect pupils. See Wikipedia for details.
Carl Czerny was an extremely prolific composer. According to Wikipedia, his body of works includes masses and choral music, six symphonies, concertos, songs, string quartets, and other chamber music. Most notably, he produced a wealth of piano music, including études, nocturnes, eleven sonatas, and opera theme arrangements and variations. His opus numbers run up to op.861. Many of these works are collections of pieces, such as the famous op.740, “The Art of Finger Dexterity”, consisting of fifty demanding exercises covering a broad spectrum of technical aspects. Despite his prolific output, Carl Czerny is now largely overshadowed by the great classical and early-romantic composers. In fact, many only know him for the part of the oeuvre that he described as “easy pieces for students”.
Interestingly in this context, Czerny made his first public performance in 1800, playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491.
The Fantaisie Brillante, op.493
A significant portion of Czerny’s piano composition consists of fantasies and variations on popular themes, melodies, and arias from operas and other works by contemporary composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gioachino Rossini (1792 – 1868), and Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883). Such paraphrases were popular in salons and concerts at the time.
For the second half of the concert, Claire Huangci selected one of Carl Czerny’s virtuosic showpieces, the Fantaisie brillante sur des thèmes de l’opéra “Le nozze di Figaro”, op.493, which quotes arias and themes from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera buffa “Le Nozze di Figaro” (The Marriage of Figaro), K.492. The Fantaisie features the following tempo annotations:
Allegro risoluto (4/4) — Poco Moderato — Andante grazioso cantabile (6/8) — Allegro molto vivo (4/4) — Allegro non troppo — Vivo e brillante — Molto Allegro
The Performance
Czerny’s Fantaisie brillante truly is a piece that allows Claire Huangci to demonstrate the virtuosic side of her artistry. Just as it was when it was composed, the piece is not only a virtuosic highlight of the concert, but also a delight to listen to even just because it features several of Mozart’s immortal melodies from “Le Nozze di Figaro“.
Rather than providing a compressed chronological summary of the opera, the piece is more of a fantasy that incorporates its highlights freely. This becomes apparent in the first few bars already: the short introduction (Allegro risoluto) features two large, virtuosic gestures across the keyboard and “teaser snippets” from Figaro‘s Act I aria, “Non più andrai“. The “real thing” begins with the Poco Moderato (— animato — Vivace), which is devoted to Cherubino‘s aria, “Voi che sapete che cosa è amor” (Act II). The gentle theme is spiced up with intermittent virtuosic fireworks, rapid, rocket-like scales and runs.
The next section, Andante grazioso cantabile, forms a kind of slow movement. It uses the theme from the duettino “Canzonetta sull’aria” between the Contessa and Susanna in Act III. It is of course adorned with periodic virtuosic passage work and ends in a glittering cascade of rapid demisemiquaver figures.
A major section, Allegro molto vivo, is a cadenza-like, virtuosic exaltation of Cherubino‘s Act I aria “Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio“. This features a dramatic buildup toward the Allegro non troppo, which then “properly” transitions to Figaro‘s Act I aria, “Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso“. From here, the composition gradually becomes untethered from the opera, evolving into a highly virtuosic spectacle, partly inspired by “Non più andrai“and partly adopting motifs from the Act IV finale.
More Than Virtuosic Show
Czerny’s Fantaisie brillante is an excellent complement to Mozart’s concertos. First, it is based on a Mozart opera. Additionally, the opera “Le Nozze di Figaro” is a work from the same year as the C minor Concerto K.491, as indicated by their adjacent Köchel numbers K.491 and K.492. At the same time, Czerny’s Fantaisie broke out of the classical framework in terms of technique and virtuosity.
I do not mean to belittle the technical and musical demands of Mozart’s piano concertos. Claire Huangci’s performance was compelling and demonstrated her familiarity with this repertoire. However, in addition to fitting into the Mozart program, the Fantaisie allowed the pianist to demonstrate technical potential beyond mere finger dexterity. Her performance was indeed flawless, stunning, highly virtuosic, and enthralling.
Rating: ★★★★★
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503
The Work
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503 is a composition from 1786. The orchestra configuration in the score lists flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns in C, two trumpets in C, timpani and strings. The movements are as follows:
- Allegro maestoso (4/4)
- Andante (3/4)
- Allegretto (2/4)
The Performance
I. Allegro maestoso
At 90 bars long, the orchestral introduction to this movement is the longest of the three concertos performed. It gave the audience an opportunity to enjoy the orchestra and observe Claire Huangci’s conducting. Her precise yet free gestures conveyed her vision of tempo, rhythm, articulation, and dynamics to the musicians, who responded with excellent coordination and clarity. The piano entered with short motifs in the descant, evoking the joyful lightness of birdsong. The serene, playful solo that followed featured amazing sparkling lightness and agility in the semiquaver figures—pure delight to listen to! The waves of ascending and descending semiquaver scales in bars 130ff were supported by lively, refreshing dynamics. At a fairly fluid tempo, the soloist’s effortless lightness seemed unparalleled.
Where Mozart’s solo part was simple, such as in bars 231ff, Claire Huangci intensified her dynamics, adding liveliness and expression. She later added dramatic swelling to the ascending bass scales. In her cadenza, it seemed as if the pianist aimed to offset the relative simplicity of the piano part by adding drama through dynamics, virtuosic textures, and more elaborate—almost adventurous, romantic or late romantic—harmonies. The cadenza featured a simpler, lyrical middle section before building to a climax that combined polyphony and modulations. Of course, the artist relied almost entirely on material from the movement.
★★★★½
II. Andante
This was an idyll: calm, peaceful, and serene throughout, wonderful music! The woodwinds stood out throughout this movement. More than that, though, the piece was dominated by Claire Huangci’s luminous, beautiful cantilena. She adorned the solo part with numerous ornaments, without overloading the melody line. These included not only the “usual” turns, appoggiaturas and trills, but also suitable scales that filled many large ascending intervals (such as in bars 59 – 62) with suitable scales. It was a very harmonious performance, both in the orchestra and in the solo part. There was one isolated, minor mishap in bar 77, where the horns missed their entry. A fortepiano would have allowed for more intimacy and lyricism, but Claire Huangci made the most of the instrument’s potential.
★★★★½
III. Allegretto
The concerto ended with a joyful, lighthearted movement! Claire Huangci did not exaggerate the tempo: she kept her solo part witty and playful, brimming with liveliness. The orchestra responded with boisterous interjections. A surprising transition led to the lyrical segment in bars 163 – 195, which introduced a stark contrast. Here, the expressive solo and woodwinds created a peaceful, almost intimate atmosphere until the semiquaver triplets in the solo grew intense again, stirring up “joyful turmoil”. This persisted throughout the movement, which nearly burst from an abundance of joy and temperament. One could say it was true “last dance”.
★★★★★
Compared to the earlier works in this concert, such as K.467, Mozart made his Concerto K.503 sound “simpler”, particularly in the first movement. Claire Huangci’s mastery and effortlessness reinforced that impression. Although this concerto may be less of a showpiece, it is the one in this concert where the orchestra and soloist parts are most balanced. It is clearly a masterpiece of composition!
Overall Rating: ★★★★½
Encore — Yann Tiersen: Comptine d’un autre été — l’après-midi
Composer & Work
After this full program, Claire Huangci responded to the long applause, the standing ovation with a contrasting encore. She selected a composition by Yann Tiersen (*1970, see also Wikipedia): “Comptine d’un autre été: l’après-midi“. This is a well-known piece used in the soundtrack of the 2001 film Amélie (Original French title: Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, English: The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain).
The Performance
It would have been difficult, if not impossible, to top the spirit of the final movement of Mozart’s K.503. In fact, one could argue that ending with the heightened emotions of the Allegretto would have been preferable. However, the standing ovation made an encore inevitable. So, Claire Huangci selected a quiet, reflective piece as encore from a “different world”. Yann Tiersen’s film music contrasts with Mozart’s music without competing with it.
Addendum
Here is an example of a recording in which the Andante of the Concerto in C major, K.467, is played in true Alla breve. Not surprisingly, David Zinman (*1936) conducts and Christian Zacharias (*1950) plays the piano:
Christian Zacharias, David Zinman / Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mozart: Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K.466 & Piano Concerto No.21 in C major, K.467
EMI Classics, CDC 7 49899 2 (CD, stereo, ℗ / © 1989)
Literature
- Ludwig von Köchel. (1951). Der Kleine Koechel : chronologisches und systematisches Verzeichnis sämtlicher musikalischen Werke von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart … zusammengestellt auf Grund der dritten, von Alfred Einstein bearb. Aufl. des “Chronologisch-thematischen Verzeichnisses sämtl. Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade Mozarts.” Breitkopf und Härtel.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank Claire Huangci for the invitation to this concert.
