Among the many things that we have grown more aware of in the past few years is one simple truth: music relies on those who make it. The pandemic has made it evident how easily plans may come to an unexpected halt, for musicians and audiences alike. That is why when it was announced that Sir Antonio Pappano had tested positive for Covid and would not be able to conduct the next few concerts at Santa Cecilia, no time was wasted to find a fitting substitute. The choice fell on German conductor Hartmut Haenchen, but this implied a major change in the programme: instead of Alfred Schnittke’s Faust Cantata – a tasty treat indeed – the concert would open with Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 12 in a major, the soloist being young Italian pianist Filippo Gorini. The second half of the concert, consisting of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony, remained unchanged.
To be frank, the result was far from ideal. There is something of a misunderstanding in the assumption that Mozart was the safe way out. Especially in works like the Piano Concerto no. 12, which doesn’t really partake of the complexity of Mozart’s later scores, it is crucial that the performers bring out its limpid, specific type of appeal. A flair for simplicity is something to be achieved, rather than taken for granted. This was the main issue with Haenchen’s rendition – its deficit of vitality, due to lukewarm phrasing to which the monochromatic quality of the orchestra (mostly strings) was hardly of help. As for Gorini, his appropriate performance was partially hindered by an underlying – but understandable – nervousness which was most apparent in the cadenzas. Sadly, in the end the impression was that of an average read-through.
It's hard to imagine something as antipodal to Mozart’s concerto as Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony. Think of its monumental proportions, which turn the orchestra into a large, living organism capable of overwhelming volumes and near-silent murmurs. Or the roller-coaster emotionality, amplified by the composer’s famous dedication (‘to the dear God’). Or again, its unfinished state, which poses endless interpretative problems. Bruckner’s score is anything but limpid, diaphanous and self-complete.
Here, Haenchen seemed more at ease. Despite not being particularly imaginative, he led the orchestra with precision through the rises and falls of the symphony. Through a slightly generic approach, he still managed to pay homage to the most impressive moments of the three movements. His interpretation had the merit of a good, professional performance. The Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia was valuable as usual: reliable in the solos and, although maybe not always at its best, it did reach some thrilling peaks when the score became more dense. Regrettably, this was not sufficient to make up for the evening, which – probably because of an objective lack of rehearsal time – turned out to be disappointing.
