Single-composer concerts can have a slightly gluttonous feel to them; the musical equivalent to ordering a second bottle of wine on a Tuesday evening or lunging for a fifth hobnob, chocolate-coated fingers splaying avariciously at the packet. Moderation and variety are, in music as in life, key to fulfilment. That said, a little self-indulgence can occasionally be forgiven and in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s Mendelssohn extravaganza, a trio of concerts covering the composer’s five numbered symphonies plus his violin and piano concertos, there is much joy to be had.
Sir András Schiff is helming all three concerts. In this first performance, he directed from the keyboard as soloist in the Piano Concerto no. 1 in G minor before conducting Mendelssohn’s First and Fourth Symphonies. Schiff’s interpretation of the piano concerto did not immediately grip: the first movement was thoughtfully played, but seemed slightly anaemic at times, the piano underweight against the vivid grit of the strings (whose consistency of attack impressed throughout). The Andante, though, was deeply powerful; Schiff’s ruminative, pallid playing was an ideal match for the intimacy of the orchestra’s performance. In the final movement, Schiff showed a skittish dexterity laced with humour, lending a certain elegant whimsy to his interpretation; again, the orchestra played in sympathy with Schiff’s approach – robust enough to be enjoyable without overwhelming the delicacy of Schiff’s sound.
The Symphony No. 1 in C minor has a tendency to be overlooked. Untitled and written before the composer supposedly came to maturity, it lacks the reputation of its successor, but Schiff made a compelling case for its virtues. The first movement commenced briskly, and Schiff maintained a sense of impulse throughout the movement, with bright horns gleaming elegantly against the grainy texture of the deeper strings. In the second movement, a rich throb in the strings heaved under some gorgeously light woodwind playing, while the fourth movement saw the textures elegantly stretched out, the violins snapping with a polite vivacity.
The big name of the programme was the Italian, one of the best known symphonies in the repertoire. Schiff’s reading of the score was agreeable without being breathtaking. The famous Allegro was unrushed and avoided the slightly manic interpretation heard sometimes, instead unfurling organically, with some appealing trumpet playing and velvety violins. A careful delicacy was brought to the second movement, while the third movement had a disconcerting creaminess to its introduction. Here, as throughout the entire evening, Adrian Bending’s muscular timpani playing was a delight – decisive and rounded without being dominant – and one increasingly looked forward to his moments as the evening drew on.
