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Mozart and Beethoven: Alfred Brendel (piano), Munich Philharmonic, Christian Thielemann, Philharmonic Hall, Gasteig, Munich, 6.11.2008 (JFL) 

Mozart: Piano Concerto in C minor, K491
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture op.62, Symphony No.6 “Pastorale” op.68  


Twelve more towns will hear the pianism of Alfred Brendel before the near-octogenarian retires after 60 years of concertizing around the world. Munich was 13^th to last, and he stopped by with Mozart’s C minor Piano Concerto, supported by Christian Thielemann and the Munich Philharmonic. But before Brendel went on the stage to play farewell, the orchestra nearly stole the show with a magnificent, indeed brilliant, Beethoven Coriolan Overture.

With an opening more explosive than clean (but so much of the former that the less of the latter did not distract), this was gripping stuff with intense, soft, hushed passages, and merciless, jolting violent bursts; nicely driven and propulsive in everything between. Thielemann, conducting from memory as he does with all his core repertoire, commanded a beautiful sound from his players – making Beethoven, as ever, an occasion worth looking forward to even for the most jaded or experienced concert–goer.

Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, the Pastorale, had many of these qualities, but not as obviously; it was slightly understated, with very flexible tempi, and featuring a horrifying storm worthy of a Flying Dutchman performance, and the performance was very attractive, but the true strengths of this conductor/orchestra combination have yet to emerge fully.

The principle of Thielemann conducting Mozart is, as yet, better than the actual result – but I suspect he might find his unique, grand, way with it before long. In any case, the orchestra was relegated to the background in the C minor Concerto, where Alfred Brendel was the focus of everybody’s attention. His opening notes were halting, as if acknowledging that these would be some of his last sounds emitted from the piano in Germany. But even if this was good-bye, this C minor was not sad with Brendel, it was serious and collected.

The separation of notes in the cadenza made the ears perk, and his skilled simplicity, his serious ease and dry wit (well hidden) made the ears smile. Perfection in Mozart lies not in the fingers, but the heart; few pianists have more of the latter for Mozart than Brendel. Because of who he is, how he plays, and what we know him to be, his whole persona determines the impression in concert, not just the naked notes. Perhaps that’s one reason why this listener finds him a good deal more appealing live than on record. How good, then, to have had one more opportunity to take him in at his best.

Jens F Laurson


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