Classical review: APO delivers evocative Russian troika

Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein. Photo / Marco Borggreve

On Wednesday, Radio New Zealand Concert's Upbeat broadcast a sobering panel discussion on the health of the classical music scene in this country. How reassuring it was, a day later, to be in a Town Hall filled to overflowing for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Russian Pictures concert.

Borodin's Prince Igor Overture is a patchy affair musically, put together after his death from memories of the composer's piano performance.

Conductor Fabien Gabel seemed to take this as a challenge, unleashing a real adrenalin charge into the hall. Climaxes evoked a world of galloping Cossacks while lush romantic themes inspired passionate string playing.

Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto was admired by Mahler, who conducted its second performance in 1910, insisting that his New York musicians take special care with its demanding orchestral part.

Although soloist Kirill Gerstein was indeed a stellar presence, one sensed that the fastidious Gabel had ensured this score was very much a collaboration between all involved.

Gerstein asserted himself as a top-rank virtuoso early on, with his first flurry of passagework. This was far from empty, brilliant fingerwork, however. The spirit of Bach was in these notes, as the Russian wove Rachmaninov's mercurial toccata through the orchestral sparkle.

When Rachmaninov opens up his big Russian heart, Gerstein held nothing back; in such moments he gave us unabashed, full-on romanticism, with beautifully gauged rubato and dynamic shadings.

Glittering scales seemed to border on glissando gleam and, when full power was called for, Gerstein got just that from the resident Steinway.

An encore was not expected, but a charming left-hand study by Rachmaninov's friend, Felix Blumenfeld, was stylishly rendered with palpable affection.

After interval, the orchestra gave us the most celebrated of all ententes cordiales between French and Russian culture - Ravel's orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Minor mishaps aside, one felt the Gallic sensibilities of the conductor at work here. The eerie hues of Gnomus were perfectly gauged for the hall, while the chattering Limoges marketplace projected the excitement of waiting for the curtain to rise in a Montmartre cabaret.