Tognetti’s Beethoven double act proves a mixed bag

Richard Tognetti’s ACO season closer proved to be a bit of a mixed bag of Beethoven.

Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra in the Tognetti's Beethoven concert. Picture: Nic Walker

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Ten years ago when the Australian Chamber Orchestra unveiled the $10 million Guernari Carrodus violin given them by an anonymous donor artistic director Richard Tognetti chose Beethoven’s violin concerto to show off its wonderful rich and slightly dark qualities.

For that performance he played all the now traditional cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler, but for his latest survey of the greatest violin concerto of them all he has compiled a “synthesis” of no less than four great 19th century violinists’ take on that moment in each movement when the orchestra stops and the soloist unloads.

Tognetti describes them as a “reaction to the concerto” and testament to the very spirit in which Beethoven composed the work.

The cadenza for the first movement, while not as radical a departure as those of Nigel Kennedy in a program of Mozart a few years back, nevertheless tended to drag too much for this listener, incorporating as it did duets with timpani (those of Ottokar Novacek) and folk-tinged moments which left one wondering where we were going here.

Tognetti started off the night slightly off-form, with some uncharacteristic blurred intonation and snatched high runs — not helped by two massive sneezes from an audience member — but as the movement unfolded he hit his stride.

The edge-of-the seat and in-your-face performance of Beethoven’s Fifth brought the ACO season to a spectacular conclusion

The lovely slow movement — taken very slowly — and the dance-like joyous finale fared much better, but the overall impression was that Tognetti’s experiment on this occasion was not a complete success.

No such reservations about the edge-of-the seat and in-your-face performance of Beethoven’s fifth symphony that brought the ACO season to a spectacular conclusion.

Tognetti’s infection enthusiasm, alternating between playing and conducting vehemently with his bow, made for an electrifying experience, especially that moment at the end of the third movement when the minor changes to a crashing, jubilant major and the struggle is finally won.

This is bracing stuff and Tognetti and his wonderful orchestra carried it off to perfection.

The concert is repeated at City Recital Hall on Tuesday, November 20, at 7pm and on Wednesday, November 21, at 8pm.

DETAILS

● CONCERT: ACO Tognetti’s Beethoven

● WHERE: City Recital Hall Angel Place

● WHEN: Saturday, November 17