Auckland Philharmonia at the Auckland Town Hall

Nikolai Demidenko

Back in the Town Hall, after two concerts on the other side of Aotea Square, the Auckland Philharmonia's Thursday concert was a spellbinder.

A near-capacity audience reflected the fact that the all-Russian programme was nothing if not listener-friendly, while soloist Nikolai Demidenko and conductor Edvard Tchivzhel offered guarantees of undiluted Slavic spirit.

The flamboyant Tchivzhel launched Rimsky-Korsakov's Tsar Sultan Suite with a whirl of his baton and we were off on the composer's fantastical saga.

With a palette that was bewitchingly bright, Tchivzhel built quite a ceremony around the hero's departure, set the second movement beautifully atop the ocean waves and ensured that the Finale sparked and sparkled, with some admirable woodwind playing.

Included, as a bonus, was the famous Flight of the Bumble Bee, which was a delirious whir of sound.

The Fourth is the least known of Rachmaninov's piano concertos, and unjustly so.

From those first imposing chords, Nikolai Demidenko seemed born to play it, shifting effortlessly from nervy march to lingering nocturne. The slow movement edged into our consciousness, built around his quasi-improvisando contributions.

In the Finale, where Rachmaninov is at his most capricious, the Russian pianist took his time to make points of style while, around him, Tchivzhel and the orchestra created some magnificent billowings of sound.

Demidenko repaid a burst of rapturous applause with a Scarlatti Sonata, taking full advantage of the Town Hall Steinway, his lingering pedal lending the Baroque composer's piece a translucence worthy of Rachmaninov.

After interval, Tchivzhel and the players had more witches and sprites of the night lined up.

Liadov's Kikimora worked through to its expected demonic scherzo, and more effectively so, after such an understated opening. I have not heard its first cor anglais melody imbued with as searching a melancholy as Vivienne Brooke extracted from it.

Stravinsky's The Firebird must have had many audience members on the edges of seats. The Firebird itself fluttered and flashed, the Princesses danced to clear-chiselled textures while the Sorcerer, Kashchei, burst upon us like some infernal whirlwind.

An encore of Stravinsky's vibrant Finale was not only appropriate but welcomed.