Symphony No 1 - Rachmaninov

The Bells - Rachmaninov

There was a general anticipation that this concert, the last of the season and one of the last to be conducted by Alexander Anissimov before he ends his tenure as the National Symphony Orchestra's principal conductor, might be special. So it proved.

Rachmaninov's Symphony No 1 was given the sort of high-octane reading that makes such music - flawed, yet brimming with the courage of its 22-year-old composer's convictions - persuasive. The performance was consistently absorbing, largely because Anissimov maintained expressive focus, making every event count. Even if some details were not always convincing, especially in the slow movement, the NSO's full-blooded playing more than compensated.

It is not easy to make the complex writing of The Bells speak with sufficient directness. It did on this occasion, partly because of the chorus. The RT╔ Philharmonic Choir's confident, securely blended sound and range of vocal colour and volume were consistently impressive, and the Russian diction was convincing.

Another strength was the soloists. The Even among the many stylish performances of Russian music that the NSO and Anissimov have produced in recent years, this one stood out.