Ingrid Fliter - Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Chopin: Piano Concertos - The West Australian (Live Review)

Thereafter, the Chopin belonged entirely to Fliter, whose unassuming presence seemed to hold the stripped-back accompanying orchestra in thrall, hands flowing across the keys like fresh springs over polished pebbles. Her dynamic control was captivating while her understated passion built energy from melodic variation, bursting into breakneck runs followed by commanding chords which galvanised the entire band. Conductor and soloist seemed to share a trick, each progressing calmly through the music to let the many strings (and bows and blows) at their fingertips do the work.

The second movement was more intimate, perhaps a glimpse of a world more bourgeois than Weber's legendary landscape. Yet the booming, gloomy grandeur of thematic development drew another depth from Fliter, a touch of foreboding accentuated by pizzicato in the basses.