Beethoven by Moonlight | Concert Information

Under the bright light of the last full moon before winter solstice, pianist Shelley Ng transports us from Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard, a symbol of physical/emotional confinement, onto a musical journey of self-reflection and re-connection.

Sometimes called the “frost moon” or the “mourning moon”, this lunar event inspires us to meditate on what we’ve lost and what we hold dear before settling in to winter’s cold embrace. Solitude thus permeates the first half of the programme, with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata giving way to darkness in Fazil Say’s Black Earth (1997). Then, George Rochberg’s mournful Ricordanza (1972) yields back to the light Bach/Gounod’s gesture towards the divine, Ave Maria.

The programme’s second half is all about earthly re-connections, with composers who’ve imagined one family under the same sky. Nikolai Kapustin’s Variations (1984) showcase the Ukraine-born composer’s passion for everything jazz at a time when the genre was not welcome in the Soviet Union. Ferruccio Busoni’s seminal transcription of Bach’s Chaccone in D minor breaks the boundary of time, while Jennifer Higdon bridges the aural and the visual with her Piano Trio (2003) inspired by pale yellow and fiery red. The concert ends with an excerpt most fitting for the full moon: Romance from Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1, arranged for chamber ensemble.

This introspective programme is curated by Hong Kong pianist Shelley Ng. Currently an Associate Artist of the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Ng has performed at the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals and has been featured on RTHK Radio 4.

Programme

Beethoven │ Piano Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor, Op 27, No.2, 1st movement

Fazil Say │ Black Earth Op.8

George Rochberg │ Ricordanza

Bach/Gounod │ Ave Maria

– Intermission –

Nikolai Kapustin │ Variations, Op. 41

Bach-Busoni │ Chaconne in D minor from Partita for Solo Violin No. 2, BWV 1004

Jennifer Higdon │ Piano Trio

Chopin │ Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, 2nd movement

Duration: Approximately 1 hour 28 minutes including one 15-minute interval

Piano Solo: Shelley Ng

With Andres Hui (Violin), Chi Li (Violin), William Lane (Viola), Richard Bamping (Cello) and Simon Hui (Bass)

Concert Details

• Beethoven by Moonlight
• Date: 27 Nov 2023
• Time: 7pm – 8:30pm
• Venue: Prison Yard
• Address: 10 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong

Ticketing Information

• Tickets available on URBTIX
• Price: HKD 380

Information Source: Tai Kwun official website