The celebrated 18th variation was a predictable heartstopper, but it was not the only one. For a few breath-taking bars Rachmaninov almost seemed get on a Gershwin roll and, before that, a prim minuet mischievously morphed into a languid waltz.
Barnatan’s encore, the fourth of Rachmaninov’s Moments Musicaux, was a dazzler, dispensing the sort of pianism rarely experienced on our stages.
For all its glittering elegance, the underlying gloom in Rachmaninov’s music is inescapable — both Isle of the Dead and the Rhapsody quoted his much-loved Dies Irae funeral chant.
After interval, it was fascinating to hear Glazunov’s Fourth Symphony use similar idioms to create music that was resolutely sunny and cheerful.
It was impossible not to surrender to the flowing lyricism of the opening Andante, set on its way by Martin Lee’s luscious cor anglais solo. The Slavic tarantella of a scherzo was a sparkling joy that, like Rachmaninov’s minuet, was eventually lured into waltz time for its delicate trio.
Buribayev’s very evident enthusiasm and advocacy gave this score a tremendous vigour and charm that might have eluded a lesser conductor, even in Glazunov’s occasionally cumbersomely penned finale.
What: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Thursday
Reviewer: William Dart
