‘Emperor’ has no pianist

Pianist Andreas Haefliger has canceled his performances of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic tonight and Saturday and Sunday afternoons because of a recurring hand problem. Philharmonic spokesman Adam Crane said Thursday morning that the pianist was too upset to talk to the press.

Haefliger had earlier withdrawn from a performance of Olivier Messiaen’s “Des Canyons aux Etoiles” (From the Canyons to the Stars) with the Philharmonic on Tuesday night to keep his commitment to perform the “Emperor.”

In place of the Beethoven concerto tonight, Philharmonic music director Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the composer’s Symphony No. 4, a work last played by the orchestra in October 2005, along with his “King Stephen” Overture. The Saturday and Sunday programs will include those two works along with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1.