After the previous concert disappointment of the Ma Vlast concert, the MPO and Claus Peter Flor redeemed themselves by playing an excellent German programme of Beethoven Egmont Overture, Mendelssohn's Double Piano Concerto in A flat (with Robert Levin & Ya-Fei Chuang) and Brahms Symphony No 1 on 11 October 2008.
Beethoven's Egmont Overture is my favourite overture of that German composer. Having heard the Vienna PO under Eugen Jochum years ago in the Royal Albert Hall at the PROMS, it sticks out as a wonderful piece in itself. The MPO's performance was full of tension that the piece requires and the lyrical woodwind lines stand out in the memory.
The Mendelssohn Double Piano Concerto is a concert hall rarity and I am grateful to maestro Flor for programming this piece. Obviously, Mendelssohn was one of the world's most gifted musical prodigies and this youthful work with its florid runs were very well-executed by the husband-and-wife soloists.
When I hear Brahms Symphony No 1, memories of Herbert von Karajan's live performance (which I attended in Lucerne 1988) flood back. Karajan is a master of transition and speed changes in this tricky symphony. When musicians like Flor (and even Gunter Wand) interpret this symphony, its tricky gear changes do trip them up. However, the concert was a valiant effort on Flor's part and certainly triumphed over previous music director Bamert's interpretation. Over time, Flor would refine his interpretation and improve on this very good performance. One bright spark of the concert was the un-named guest leader who played a wonderful solo in the 2nd movement of the Brahms though.
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