Is Bruckner's Ninth ruining the concert experience?

In the City of Birmingham, United Kingdom, a concert was held featuring the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kazuki Yamada. The performance included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26 and Anton Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, showcasing a stark contrast in stylistic approaches. Martin Helmchen, a skilled pianist, was the soloist for the Mozart piece, delivering an engaging and lively interpretation that highlighted the joyful and dynamic elements of the composition. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 26, composed in D major, allowed Helmchen to shine, as he brought a crisp and rhythmically vibrant performance to the stage. The audience enjoyed the playful finale, which was executed with precision and energy, resonating the joyful character typical of Mozart's works. Yamada opted for this lighter composition to complement Bruckner's heavier and more somber Ninth Symphony, which has often posed challenges in concert planning due to its weighty nature. However, during the performance of Bruckner's Ninth, the orchestra struggled to maintain momentum and energy. Critics noted that the interpretation became bogged down, resulting in a lackluster experience for the audience. While Bruckner’s symphony is often admired for its complexity and depth, the orchestra was unable to convey the emotional intensity necessary to captivate listeners, leading to an interpretation that many described as comatose. This juxtaposition of the two works raised questions about the balance needed in concert programs when merging contrasting styles. Yamada's whimsical introduction to the concert highlighted this tension, emphasizing the different keys of D explored by both composers while acknowledging the challenges of programming such disparate works together. The concert ultimately served as a reminder of the delicate interplay between orchestral performance and audience engagement, particularly when one piece outshines the other.