It took a lot of last-minute scrambling, but the Boston Symphony Orchestra found a suitable substitute to take the place of James Levine for the concert on Thursday night that opened the 119th season at Carnegie Hall: the Italian conductor Daniele Gatti.
Only on Tuesday did word come that Mr. Levine would have to withdraw because of a herniated disk in his back that required immediate surgery. One of the Boston Symphony’s gifted assistant conductors could have stepped in. But the orchestra wanted a known maestro for this prestigious event.
Mr. Gatti, the music director of the Orchestra National de France and the chief conductor of the Zurich Opera, who has regularly conducted the Boston Symphony, happened to be in New York rehearsing Verdi’s “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera, a run that opens on Friday. He made just one change in the program Mr. Levine had chosen, replacing Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival” with Beethoven’s “Coriolan” Overture. All in all, he drew strong performances from the players, including a highly individual, muscular and intriguing account of Debussy’s well-known “La Mer” to conclude the concert.
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