Brilliant Szymanowski from Christian Tetzlaff and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Not that long ago a programme like this would have been impossible here. Common sense has thankfully prevailed and Russian music is back in strength in our concert halls. In this attractive bill from the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra under guest conductor Maxim Emelyanychev even a Russian-Polish entente was forged. If only music could inspire our world leaders.

Not that everything went well in this entente, but that's how the world turns. Mussorgsky’s Night on the Bare Mountain as curtain-raiser was performed in the Rimsky-Korsakov reworking and got a rather soft-edged reading, in effect more pastorale than gathering of satanic witches. Emelyanychev, conducting without a baton, coaxed precise playing from the string desks, yet the rest of the orchestra lacked presence.

With Christian Tetzlaff as soloist, Karol Szymanowski’s brilliantly colourful Violin concerto no. 1 was by far the highlight of the evening. Tetzlaff knows it well. His stamina, grasp of the structure and emotional range were impeccable, seamlessly balancing the diaphanous lyricism with grittier fiddling in the Vivace sections and the short cadenza. He also effortlessly meshed with the orchestra, his solo violin flowering out of the orchestral textures as by magic. Emelyanychev secured plenty of detail and the colours of the orchestra finally came to the fore, but he couldn’t avoid the booming basses and timpani in the climaxes; the Bijloke in Ghent has never been famous for its acoustics and with the large orchestra crammed onto the narrow stage, it begs the question whether it is at all suited for this late romantic symphonic repertoire.

The performance of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique was underwhelming; the acoustics of the hall undoubtedly caused part of the disappointment, yet the fact remains that Emelyanychev brought very few insights to the table. Any great work allows different approaches which are as valid as the other, as long as they are brought with a sense of direction and purpose. But what was Emelyanychev's purpose here?

At best, one could say that he basically let the music speak for itself, yet is that enough for an oft-performed emotional tinderbox like the Pathétique? Not when it leads to occasional lapses in tension, or when climaxes sound undernourished, as happened in the first movement. Of course there were moments to cherish, like the diminuendo before the development section with the remarkable Principal Clarinet of Nele Delafonteyne in the spotlight. The development itself and the return of the lyrical theme however were anti-climactic, sonically as well as dramatically.

The Allegro con grazia was elegantly conducted, though, with warm strings, but the subtle change towards a darker mood that Tchaikovsky inserts in the middle section was only hinted at. The Allegro molto vivace advanced mostly without the molto and was too reined in to make much impact. There was excellent solo work, particularly again from the Delafonteyne, a shining light throughout the concert, yet the brass and cymbals sounded muffled behind a wall of strings and booming bass drum.

The Adagio lamentoso left me unmoved and, judging by the quick applause after the last bars ebbed away, I wasn’t the only one. During the movement’s climaxes Emelyanychev seemed to want to add what was missing in emotional range by stomping his feet, which was merely distracting.