It was an evening made of exquisite musical moments as Sir Antonio Pappano returned to the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia as Music Director Emeritus ahead of a European tour, with Igor Levit taking up the challenge of Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 3 in C minor. A curiosity opened the evening, with the overture to Luigi Cherubini's Anacréon; an extraordinary piece, first performed in 1803 at the Paris Opera where it was a fiasco, apparently due to the mediocrity of the libretto. Pappano led confidently from the peremptory opening chords. Three themes in the major interplayed, with the soloists of the Roman orchestra melting into the ensemble. Pappano successfully brought out the symphonic essence hidden within the pages of this brief overture. Rather than aiming for excitement, the conductor delivered a rigorous, strong interpretation.
Levit' skill appeared clear from the Allegro con brio first movement of the Beethoven concerto, which was impeccably crafted. The Russian pianist's touch was light but defined, offering an unprecedented and undeniably captivating version of this concerto. Levit mesmerised the audience with unexpected and abrupt shifts of mood, each distinct and original, making it evident that the piano led the orchestra. He demonstrated technical control, musicality, flexibility and harmonic inflections. Between the pianist and the rest of the orchestral score emerged an incredible connection, which Levit often manifested by mimicking the part of the ensemble on the piano, while Pappano's presence was almost rendered evanescent behind the piano's evident protagonism.
In the Largo, Levit heightened the languor, extending the tempo and physically engaging in a prayerful movement, stooped over the piano. Pappano, in response, guided the orchestra in refined pianissimo, never overshadowing the soloist but continuously seeking to follow and respond to his touch. It seemed as if everything fell under a unified pulse. The following closing Rondo was slightly less focused: a touch of brio and fortissimi would have benefited a more fitting conclusion.
The second part of the concert began with En Saga, a symphonic poem by Jean Sibelius. This composition shows an exceptionally modern sound architecture built around two themes. Pappano invited the audience to hum them as a sort of brief “listening guide” before the performance. He then encouraged the listener to imagine their own journey through this symphonic form, starting with the Nordic cold suggested by the glacial attack of the strings and developing into moods that emerged in an almost hallucinogenic manner. En Saga shows a dreamy, introspective Sibelius and Pappano's passion for this composition was overwhelming. The sound the conductor elicited from the Santa Cecilia was rigorous, precise and sensitive to the score's emotional nuances.
Less convincing was the orchestra's exploration of Strauss' Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche. Despite the energetic conducting, some of the rhythms struggled to synchronise and the contrasts between the orchestral sections – such as the brass and woodwinds – prevented a few precious details from emerging more clearly. However, the evening culminated in overwhelming applause: on the one hand because of Levit's graceful and virtuosic flair, and on the other because of Pappano’s passionate conducting.
