London Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds (conductor), Stéphane Tétreault (cello)

By turns starkly precise and warmly tumultuous, jocular and verbose, stabby and stirring, Stravinsky’s ‘Jeu de cartes’ was a delirium of vim and vitality. At first the fidgeting and flailing of the restless Romantic Tétreault distracted from the investigations of Tchaikovsky in his cello playing for ‘Variations on a Rococo Theme’, but the lyrical brio of his bowing ultimately won the listener around.

Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 is a busy and rowdy work, so the and rambunctious performance of the LPO was certainly appropriate, filled with rippling bursts of percussion and some wily woodwind. This celebration of three Russian greats made for a thrilling finale to LPO’s 17/18 season: their return on 20th October is highly anticipated.

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, 14 April 2018

Rating: