Brahms & Rachmaninoff, CBSO, Symphony Hall | 29 April 2026 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by David Gray & Paul Gray

Photo credit: Hannah Fathers

Brahms & Rachmaninoff

CBSO, Symphony Hall | 29 April 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by David Gray & Paul Gray

“An exceptionally fine reading of Brahms’ Violin Concerto and a convincing performance of one of Rachmaninoff’s weaker works.”

Brahms – Violin Concerto in D major

Rachmaninoff – Symphony No. 1 in D minor

This concert comprised of two hefty romantic works, so no overture. Instead, Conductor, Stanislav Kochanovsky took us straight into a powerful and imposing performance of Brahms’ mighty Violin Concerto.

The opening orchestral passage of this work comprises of a telling alternation of lyrical and more declamatory passages. Kochanovsky shaped this beautifully to create a growing sense of dramatic tension and anticipation. The orchestra responded with assertive string playing and gorgeous woodwind phrasing.

Soloist, Ning Feng, attacked his opening passage with impassioned conviction. It was clear from the outset this was going to be a full-blooded and uncompromising reading. With a rich and powerful core sound, Feng achieved an enormous range of colour. Also, he managed to incorporate an incredible amount of detail within an impeccable sense of overarching line. Interplay between orchestra and soloist could not be faulted. Feng’s cadenza at the end of the first movement was dazzlingly virtuosic.

The woodwind section produced a finely integrated sound during the opening bars of the Adagio. Principal oboe, Hyun Jung Song shone while laying out the movement’s song-like main melody. Feng floated this tune out into the auditorium with delicacy and warmth. Time seemed to stand still while soloist and band engaged in an intimate, almost whispered conversation.

The final movement was a joyful romp, full of colour and character. Kochanovsky and Feng delivered a reading which combined muscularity with infectious good humour. This was a version of the work to remember and savour.

It is easy to see why Rachmaninoff’s 1st Symphony was not a success when  it was first performed. This is a youthful work, slightly overblown and prone to big, bombastic gestures. However, it often seems to lack an overall structural principle. Kochanovsky managed to make sense of the opening Allegro by highlighting its contrasts to build some sense of narrative and forward motion.

However, the inner movements sprawl, and no amount of conductor’s skill can hide this sad truth. The final movement, while providing an impressive workout for the orchestra, sounds like the soundtrack to a film going on in the composer’s head that we never get to see.

The CBSO rose admirably to the work’s many technical challenges, playing with tight ensemble and attention to detail. Conductor and band brought the work to an impressively rousing conclusion.

Stanislav Kochanovsky – Conductor

Ning Feng - Violin