It's always a mystery why so many distinguished soloists who are so expressive on their own instruments turn into clumsy time-beaters when they take up conducting. It's an even deeper mystery why they then compound their problems by attempting to direct concertos from the keyboard.

Stephen Kovacevich could, indeed, sometimes communicate his strong rhythmic sense to the orchestra, but for the most part his conducting was either tentative, as in the Haydn, or brutal, as in the Mozart. In either case the result were always ragged, the first movement tuttis in the Beethoven sounding as if they were wading through custard. The orchestra's natural discipline and sense of style asserted themselves whenever possible, though without any help from the soloist-director.

Fortunately, we heard Kovacevich as soloist in two concertos, impatient in places, but with the old sparkle and assurance still intact. The slow movement of the Beethoven was spacious but firmly propelled (and had the advantage of an excellent clarinet solo), while the equivalent movement in the Bach was wonderfully poised. In the outer movements of the same work Kovacevich's Gould-like drive and spontaneity made up for the almost complete lack of co-ordination between soloist and orchestra.