Overture: The Gypsey Baron - Strauss

Divertimento in D for strings, K136 - Mozart

Totentanz - Liszt

Emperor Waltz, Op 437 - Strauss

Even for the Summer in the City lunchtime series it seemed strange placing Liszt's powerfully romantic and disturbing evocation of the Dance of Death side by side with the comfortable Emperor Waltz of Strauss. The Hungarian connection was the feeblest of excuses and the presence of Mozart was puzzling. The Totentanz produced the strongest impression. The Hungarian pianist Balazs Reti played with the power and conviction of a fervent believer, recreating in Lisztian terms the medieval panoply of death. The composer's elaborately ornamental variations on the Dies Irae plainchant were never merely showy The RTECO under Peter Shannon was equally incisive, emphasising the musical and not the pictorial aspects of Liszt's inspiration.

Friday's concert began and ended with Strauss; Peter Shannon conjured very clean performances from the RTECO and both the Gypsey Baron and the Emperor Waltz, scoured of layers of sentiment, came across with engaging freshness.

Mozart's Divertimento for strings, strangely, lacked the precision of the other works and would have benefited from a greater sense of period.