Season kicks off with dramatic and captivating concert

THE BBC Philharmonic's first Leeds concert of the season was under the energised baton of Anthony Hermus, an expressive Dutch conductor whose sense of line and dramatic flair were abundantly evident in this appealing programme of Russian and Czech masterworks. A bristling account of Smetana's exuberant Overture to the Bartered Bride was followed by three folk dances from the opera: the Polka, Furiant, and Skocna (Dance of the Comedians). Hermus's heavily accented rhythms illuminated these beguiling national dances with vibrant local colour.

Tchaikovsky's beloved Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor was never in any danger of sounding ponderous in the hands of this conductor or the evening's phenomenal soloist, Pavel Kolesnikov. The young Siberian pianist is currently a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist; he made each note sound as if it had been freshly minted. The melodic line was sustained with jaw dropping brilliance and elegance in the fast outer movements. Kolesnikov's intense lyricism in the breathtakingly beautiful Andantino Semplice was hypnotic. Hermus and the BBC Philharmonic's pristine textures created a perfect synergy between orchestra and insightful soloist.

The prevailing emotions of yearning and regret in Dvorak's haunting Symphony No 7 in D minor are echoed in much of Elgar's music, especially his second symphony. Anthony Hermus allowed the BBC Philharmonic space to shape the eloquent woodwind and brass sonorities. The strings built on six double basses sounded rich and sinewy in the vigorous Scherzo Vivace. A tension-building Finale brought the Symphony to a blazing conclusion. The Radio 3 broadcast of this thrilling concert on Tuesday, November 8 at 7.30pm is not to be missed.

by Geoffrey Mogridge