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Review | Pavel Kolesnikov, Hong Kong Sinfonietta deliver fluid, buoyant Beethoven piano concerto

Soloist finds musical insights in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4, while orchestra shows its growth in Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony

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Pavel Kolesnikov performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4 with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta at Hong Kong City Hall on February 22, 2025. The concert was part of the 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival. Photo: HK Sinfonietta

Siberian-born pianist Pavel Kolesnikov is known to have a surprise or two up his sleeve.

To highlight the “outrageous” side of Mozart’s music on February 19 in his Hong Kong City Hall recital, he chose to sport a supremely unflattering, baggy frog-green suit.

While it was an odd choice – although one best left to the fashion writers – his imaginative and thought-provoking juxtaposition of works by Mozart and Ravel was an eye-opener of far greater substance.

Just as eye-opening was Kolesnikov’s reading on February 22 at the same venue of the solo part in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta under its music director, Christoph Poppen.

His performance was full of musical insights, the playing both fluid and tender in a work that is a shining gem of the concerto repertoire.

Sadly, and through no fault of his own, it was the piano itself that caused blemishes in an otherwise fine interpretation.

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