Though Libor Pesek has worked with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for 15 years, he is still springing surprises on an audience that can justly pride itself on its knowledge of Czech repertoire. For the RLPO's opening concert of the season, Pesek balanced two very different examples of relatively obscure works: Josef Suk's hyperbolic Praga and Dvorak's subtle symphonic poem The Wood Dove.
In the opening of the latter, Dvorak, not generally known for dramatic irony, puts a twist on the funeral march, depicting a woman mourning for the husband she has secretly poisoned. Here it was a masterpiece of black humour, with the simple, slow march receiving wry commentary from skittering strings and raucous brass.
The rest of the concert was less sure-footed. As always under Pesek, the RLPO played with a relaxed warmth that suited the gentle lyricism of Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture as much as it did the expansive grace of the Czech works. But the pianist, Ivan Moravec, gave a surprisingly flat performance of Mozart's A Major Concerto No 23. It wasn't a cool, stripped-down interpretation; rather, Moravic skated casually over the surface. Even the hauntingly beautiful slow movement received perfunctory treatment.
At first, Moravec gave the impression that he was merely having an off day: there was a brief memory lapse in the first movement, and entries were nearly always nervously rushed. I can't remember ever seeing a soloist enjoy himself less.
It came as a surprise, therefore, when Moravic returned to play a Chopin mazurka as an encore. Some of the magic of his playing came tentatively to the surface: what had sounded shapeless for Mozart acquired elegance and simplicity in a different context. But overall it was a disappointing performance from a soloist who still commands considerable international respect.
The best was saved for the end. Valse Triste, by the Bohemian composer Oskar Nedbal, has become a favourite RLPO encore, and it is easy to see why. Suffused with a glorious Czech lilt and full of tender nostalgia, the piece breathes the air of a past age with poignant distinctness.
