Music review: The SCO & Håkan Hardenberger

IT FELT like a comedy sketch. Twelve tiny Contredanses by Beethoven, none lasting more than a minute, were separated by pauses of almost as long as the SCO’s two horn players carefully removed and replaced the crooks – differing lengths of tubing tuning their instruments to different keys – of their natural horns. Conductor John Storgårds made sure the two players got a special bow at the end – but with all eyes on them during their endless instrumental adjustments, how could he not? Despite its acknowledgement of instrumental authenticity, it made for a frustratingly start-stop conclusion to what had been a surprisingly patchy concert.