Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, Op. 19
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat, Op. 60
Orchestra Mozart
Bernard Haitink, conductor
Maria Joao Pires, piano
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| Bernard Haitink |
Royal Festival Hall, London, 1 October 2013
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In the end Artistic Director Claudio Abbado was not able to join the Orchestra Mozart due to health concerns. But impressive back-up came from the equally fine conductor Bernard Haitink and a splendid partner in soloist Maria Joao Pires.
This concert was a bizarrely managed bit of scheduling by London's Southbank Centre in which only the presence of Orchestra Mozart itself was a constant. It started with an attractive Haydn/Mozart/Beethoven programme which then became all-Beethoven. Then Pires dropped out as soloist to be replaced by Martha Argerich. Abbado was subsequently forced to cancel his concerts for 2 months, including a tour of Japan. Argerich simultaneously cancelled and Haitink stepped in at short notice with the suddenly available again Pires.
Orchestra Mozart is a chamber ensemble formed in 2004. With Abbado as Artistic Director and Diego Matheuz as Principal Guest Conductor (he recently took up the same position with the Melbourne Symphony) it does not want for star conductors. No doubt with this influence it also plays with the front rank of today's soloists. And among its own ranks are some famous names such as Wolfram Christ, previously principal viola with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
| Wolfram Christ |
Pires, a gold standard these days in the classical piano concerti, was in vintage form in the Beethoven Second Piano Concerto after a slightly hard edged start. Her finely pitched delivery of the hanging notes at the close of the slow movement was mesmerising.
With youth and technical prowess combined, the Orchestra Mozart strings brought great verve and vigour to their playing, not least in a thrilling Egmont Overture served as an encore. The woodwind added fine individuality in their contributions to leave only an overall sense that the darker aspects of the works were slightly underplayed. However the sunny Fourth Symphony was a delight from beginning to end, and there was no want of drama and heroic Beethovenian struggle in the overtures that book-ended the concert and which Haitink shaped with a sure hand. This season is Haitink’s 60th as conductor, during which he will turn 85. Long may orchestras benefit from his wisdom.
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| Pianist Maria Joao Pires |
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| Martha Argerich - not available |
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