The dignified and grandfatherly presence of Neeme Järvi was at once welcomed in the applause for him as he arrived at his podium to conduct. After all, it is thirty years since he was the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's Principal Conductor. We were not to hear him speak but some of his gestures were endearing; encouraging us to clap even louder at the concert's end his hands were cupped round his ears in a come-on, I want to hear you clapping even louder.
On a cold winter's night there nothing more cheerful to warm the audience than Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol. Immediately there was life and energy in the Orchestra in a work that gave short solo opportunities to the principal violin, clarinet and flute players. As a Russian naval officer Rimsky-Korsakov's ship had visited Spain and had given him the inspiration - based on Spanish songs and dance music.
John Whitener may have prepared a flow of questions for his guest at the pre-concert talk upstairs in the Upper Circle Bar but need not have bothered - for he was immediately subsumed by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's erudite and enthusiastic explanation of what made him a pianist and of the work he was about to play, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3 in C major. The pianist had initially studied percussion and then the oboe. He was an early student of electronic analogue music which had taught him the meaning of sound.
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet played his part, the Orchestra theirs - sometimes in planned conflict. It is not surprising that this Third Concerto is so popular and that popularity was enhanced for us, endorsed by the audience's enthusiast applause.
After a boisterous first and indeed second movement, the third movement of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony is much quieter. Memorable was its flute duet to be followed by harp and oboe with a violin tremolo and then the harp and celeste. The final movement brought joy and celebration and a fitting end to a great evening under Maestro Järvi.
Performance: Friday 20th February 2015 at 7.30pm.