"ONE of the strangest performances I've ever heard," was a neighbour's reaction to the Sibelius. Dmitri Kogan (18), is the son of Pavel Kogan, the conductor on this occasion, and the grandson of the distinguished violinist Leonid Kogan, but one wonders if he would have been catapulted to such a prominent position if it had not been for his exceptional family connections.

The technical assurance and command essential in this of all concertos was missing, and actual musical expression hardly made an appearance as a result.

The orchestra playing in the first two items was similarly lacklustre - what were the horns up to in the slow movement but picked up in the Khachaturian and Respighi where there was enough conviction to make one overlook the poor balance and out of tune brass.

Playing two such glitzy pieces in succession is hardly good programming, and if the Spartacus extracts reminded us of the reason for the popularity of the Adagio, they also explained the neglect of the other items. The finale of The Pines of Rome became a Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra, but there was some sultry playing in the middle sections. An unusual encore in the shape of Boccherini's Minuet confirmed that the orchestra possesses a potentially fine string section, something one had, previously only suspected.