He played in Hong Kong on 9 June (1996). It was a sensation. Tickets were sold out two weeks before the concert. His first piece that night was Brahms F Major Sonata. But his first note was a disappointment. The want for strength and power was immediately too apparent. Throughout the demanding first movement, he seemed to be struggling with the balance with the piano (played by a Russian pianist Uryash with imaginative delicacy). His tone was dry and sometimes even his pitch was not too accurate. I also heard him played in Hong Kong nearly four years ago when he was already sixty-five. That was an experience. But had age finally conquer that magical technique?
Rostropovich began to return to himself by relaxing in the adagio movement. I could not imagine it played in a more relaxed manner. He 'sung' it as a grandpa telling a story from his life by the fireplace. It came to one of the most moving moment among all concerts I ever heard. It was even more relaxed, more tender and more charming then the recording he made with Rudolf Serkin (DG). I felt tears on my cheeks. The melodic line flowed so effortlessly from his bow. It belonged to the greatest bel canto singing. Rostropovich's command of phrasing and pitch in the high registers was still supreme. His art had its fullest realization in playing long melodies. Maisky and Yo-Yo Ma perhaps play with greater sugary sweetness. For Rostropovich, he never play. The instrument had become part of his body and he sings with it. The subtle resonance and vibrato all add up to the 'meaning' of every sound he produces. That instinctive and effortless control can only be found in the genius among all genius. The power of his music never lie in sweet tone, but in the subtle control of the innumerable small and large variations of tonal pallete, vibrato, time and dynamism. This could only be the gift of God for a man of any age.
He also played the Bach Suite No.5 before the intermission. He played the Third last time he came but this time his Bach was technically much more untidy. Bach demands a lot of awkward technique such as double-stop. I found that he was already too tired after playing the Brahms. His conception however was worth noting. He himself had explained the meaning he felt of each suite in an interview for the Gramophone concerning his recent releases on EMI. The fifth one meant solitude for him. You can actually felt that gradual slide into a deep darkness starting from the Prelude. In the Gavottes I felt "an imprudent attempt to push into the crowd". In the final Gigue, that was a "real reunion with the world". He played them dramatically and emphatically of their meaning. Contrast took priority before coordination and structural concerns.
The second half of the concert began with Shostakovich D Major Sonata, a work Rostropovich played with rare lyricism. It generated the illusion that Rostropovich had suddenly became young again, as felt by many critics. Actually the credit should go to the work itself which demands skilful control rather than power or mechanical precision. It matches the unique techique of Rostropovich. The composer no doubt had him in mind when he composed the work.
The formal programme ended with Rachmaninov Vocalise and Popper Elfentanz with which Rostropovich won the audience over by his control of melody and his flamboyant temparament. None of these two works is technically demanding but they both require imagination and temparament. For the encores Rostropovich played the Handel Aria and Debussy Rhasody. After hearing the natural slides in Debussy, I was convinced that his control of bowing was still second to none.
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