Mechetti bows out with a memorable Romantic concert

From the very memorable concert of Fabio’s Mechetti’s Mahler Sixth in May 2015, it was good to re-acquaint with maestro Mechetti and the MPO in three Romantic works in the shape of Berlioz’s Le Corsaire Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini and Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony on 29 August.

Berlioz’s Le Corsaire Overture was an effective curtain raiser, with its impulsive string opening and its grand tunes. Maestro Mechetti coaxed an impressive performance from the MPO, with tight ensemble playing and rounded tones from the whole orchestra.

The most impressive performance of the night was in Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini, where the variegated moods were characterized with infinite care and patience. Adopting very subtle rubato and pacing, maestro Mechetti painted a very colourful and dramatic portrayal of the lovers Paolo and Francesca in Tchaikovsky’s rarely played symphonic poem.

After the interval, Mechetti enchanted us with a Romantic performance of one of the greatest Russian symphonies (besides Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony) in the shape of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony. We witnessed further fine playing from the MPO with lush and singing strings, colourful and characterful woodwind playing and rounded brass tones.

The performance was in an older style of pacing, whereby there was less lingering over the phrases and more swiftness in the overall tempos (in the mould of Kurt Sanderling’s famous DG recording of the symphony). However, there were 2 points of musical contention that were doubtful, which were the omission of the first movement exposition repeat and the added timpani thwack on the last chord of the same movement.

Nevertheless, it was a hugely exciting concert by Mechetti. The MPO will miss playing superlatively under him and the audience here would also miss hearing great interpretations from maestro Mechetti following his resignation from the orchestra.