Hidden Treasures

Bernard Haitink didn’t bother telling anyone it was his birthday. He took the stage, led the Berlin Philharmonic through two intriguing, often brilliant performances of Beethoven pieces, tolerated the applause of the audience, then returned to the backstage whence he had emerged. Just an ordinary night, then. But if Mr Haitink seemed largely indifferent to the spotlight, his reserve left ample room for Isabelle Faust – who performed the solo part of the Violin Concerto in the first half of the programme – to establish herself as the star of the evening. Yet Ms Faust has never been one to draw attention to her own considerable talents. Her performances of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas at the Kammermusiksaal last year – an evening which belongs near the top of a short list of genuinely extraordinary recitals – were remarkable for their great…