Maestro Gustav Ka Lok MAK's sharing in 18/9 GSO concert at HK City Hall Concert Hall

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Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld Overture

"Are you guys enjoying the music? That’s actually the famous Can-Can! Here at GSO, we love supporting young local talent, so I want to introduce you to my new assistant conductor, Kilian! Come on up to the stage, Kilian! The other day, people noticed him conducting along with me right from his seat. He gets so hyped whenever he hears any instrument playing, so today, I’m bringing him up to conduct the Can-Can with me. Alright... let's do this!"

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Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals

"Most people think The Carnival of the Animals is just a cute kids' piece. But honestly? Saint-Saëns wrote it to laugh at his fellow composers. He took their biggest hits and messed with them to fit different animals. For example, he took Offenbach’s super-fast 'Can-Can' and slowed it way down to represent a turtle. He turned Berlioz's famous melody from Faust into a heavy elephant, and even mocked pianists by making them play boring scales. He was actually so terrified the other composers would find out and cause a scandal in Paris that he banned anyone from playing it while he was alive!"

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Haydn: Farewell Symphony (Last Movement)

"Imagine your boss forcing you to work non-stop with no holidays. That’s exactly what happened to Haydn's musicians. To drop a huge hint to his boss, Haydn wrote a symphony where the music slows down at the very end, and the musicians pack up their instruments and walk off stage one by one. By the end, only two violinists are left playing in the dark. Luckily, the prince got the joke and let everyone go home the next morning."

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Beethoven: Rage Over a Lost Penny

Schindler, Beethoven’s student, explained that one night, Beethoven was composing a caprice and playing a wild piano tune when he put down a tiny penny and immediately lost it. Instead of just checking his pockets, he completely lost his mind, accused his maid of stealing it, and started an earth-shattering screaming match that woke up the whole street. The maid was so terrified she basically packed her bags and disappeared.

But it gets worse. He couldn’t let it go. For the rest of the night, Beethoven flipped heavy furniture and smashed things just to find a penny. Schindler named the caprice “Rage over a lost penny” after Beethoven’s death.

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Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor

"This famous Russian violinist, David Oistrakh, was running so late to a concert that he didn't even get to rehearse with the orchestra. He walked out on stage expecting to play a Brahms concerto, which has a super long intro where the violinist just stands there and waits. Instead, the conductor started playing Mendelssohn by mistake! If you know Mendelssohn, the violin has to jump in almost instantly—like, two bars in. He didn't even blink, just started playing brilliantly."

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Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Scene

"Back in 2006, I was filming a project in Russia and desperately needed some swan footage for Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. My assistant and I finally spotted two swans, but they were so dirty that my assistant laughed and said, 'Maestro, they look like black swans!' Right then, it hit me: maybe Tchaikovsky didn't invent some magical Black Swan for his ballet. Maybe he just saw a couple of really dirty swans in a Russian lake!"

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The Myth of Tournedos Rossini

"So, Rossini loved food more than anything. One night at a fancy café in Paris, he actually tried to tell a master chef how to cook his beef. He sat right by the kitchen doors, literally yelling at the guy on how to cook his steak. The chef completely lost his temper and told him to stop conducting. Rossini just laughed, waved his hand, and said, 'Fine, then turn your back!' So the chef did exactly that—he turned around, cooked the steak out of sight, and named the dish Tournedos Rossini, which literally translates to 'turn your back.' It became a famous dish in Paris."

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Rossini: The Rice Aria

"Right before a massive premiere, Rossini's lead singer refused to sing unless he composed her a new song by the next morning. Rossini went to a local inn and ordered risotto. In the exact 15 minutes it took for the chef to cook the rice, Rossini composed a brand-new melody right there at the table, finishing the last note just as his risotto arrived. That song became a massive pop hit called the 'Rice Aria.' He basically wrote a masterpiece on the fly just because he didn't want his dinner to get cold."

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