This year's Valentine's concert opened with trumpets resembling the bugle call Tchaikovsky had heard every evening from nearby barracks in Rome. His Capriccio italien took us to more thoughtful moments before we heard the fanfare again. What became an Italian romp ended with an enlivening woodwind finish - just the job for a concert opener.
The grand piano was brought forward for us to enjoy a polished and exhilarating performance of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto by Russian born, but with an Israeli upbringing, Boris Giltburg. Not showing off and in total command of his piano he held his own with the Orchestra - clearly giving the conductor no cause for concern. I always watch out for the eye contact between pianist and conductor. I felt Giltburg's unannounced encore, although deserved, was perhaps a little lengthy.
Ursula Heidecke Allen had earlier in the Upper Circle Bar given the evening's conductor, Jean-Claude Picard, the space to describe his two years as the Orchestra's Assistant Conductor and his joy on then being kept on for another year as Associate Conductor - the first time this has happened. This concert had been dedicated to the John Mather Charitable Trust in honour of its founder, John Mather CBE (1936-2001) not without reason. It is that Trust that provides the funds to give the most promising young conductors their time with the Orchestra. They, and we too, can be extraordinarily proud of how Jean-Claude Picard has developed.
Just one complaint, however, for Jean-Claude Picard told the pre-concert talk that the strings only and harp Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No 5 was scored to last 12 minutes. In his discussion with Ursula Heidecke Allen it or may not have been Mahler's full intention, but it was the conductor's plan to play it for us in seven minutes. My iPhone recorded the love song at nine minutes, but none the worse for that.
The evening's well chosen romantic programme closed with the suite from Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier. I sensed a well satisfied audience coming out of the Usher Hall.
Performance: Friday 12th February 2016 at 7.30pm