HEARTSTRINGS:
THE MUSIC OF ANITA MUI
Yoyo Wu Deng Kai, Cello
Wu I Ling, Piano
Victoria Concert Hall
Sunday 25 May 2025
Honestly, I know nothing about Anita Mui except that she died from cervical cancer. So an invitation to attend a concert of her music by a cellist named Yoyo had me piqued. Anita Mui (1960-2003) was a foremost Hong Kong singer and actress who was hailed the “Queen of Cantopop” and the “Madonna of Asia”. She was also known for her activism in democracy and social causes, such as raising funds and awareness for SARS epidemic relief in 2003, the year she passed.
The concert’s organiser, Adrian Cheong of The Philharmonic Winds, was such a passionate fan of hers that he attended in various countries four of eight of her farewell tour concerts, besides dedicating a full tribute concert by The Philharmonic Winds and this one to her memory.
Anita Mui did not write her songs, instead made the melodies of her composers, many of whom most listeners will not be familiar with, well-known. And these melodies, judging by the transcriptions made for cello and piano by Taiwanese pianist Wu I Ling, are mellifluous and tuneful. The cellist Yoyo Wu Deng Kai (note there is no hyphen in his nickname, unlike his hero) is excellent, producing a wide and healthy tone that is pleasing to the ear. The duo, which performed so idiomatically, would also do well in Schubert song transcriptions, which I hope is on their radar sometime.
As with instrumental transcriptions of Lieder by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms et al, there is a high chance of inducing post-prandial somnolence, and that was exactly what happened. Just close your eyes for a moment, and you are sent to slumberland until the next applause. The songs, listed as Intimate Lover, Debt of the Heart, Crimson Doubt, A Devoted Heart, Autumn Upon Autumn et cetera are all very pleasant, but there was a sameness that pervaded much of the concert’s first half. At least I got a good rest.
I found the concert’s second half more interesting, especially with the introduction of Lim Jit Hui on the drum-set. The works sounded edgier and revitalised, not least in the Anita Mui Hits Medley (Temptress, Breaking The Iceberg, Flaming Red Lips and Fiery Tango) which was given a boost of musical Viagra. There were also jazzy elements mixed with classical tropes. Moonlight opened with Beethoven’s eponymous sonata and then morphed into something thematically unrelated. All the works were accompanied by colourful and sometimes psychedelic stage illuminations which added to the spectacle. The concert was attended by a relatively large audience, comprising different age groups, many of whom would no doubt be familiar with the songs.
Finally, I recognised a melody, and that was Woman Flower. So that had been its title, having heard it countless times while in Hong Kong without knowing what it was. It had subliminally crept into my consciousness somewhere along the way. Yes, I enjoyed it despite not being by Schubert or the other Austro-Germans. This and the final number, Sunset Melody, had been ardently applauded by the audience. There were two encores, and those were very pleasing as well.
So, did I enjoy the music of Anita Mui? Yes, because great melodies, whatever their inspirations may be, will never die.
Now watch this video of
Anita Mui's Woman Flower
with Yoyo Wu and Wu I Ling:
...and here is the original: