Christoph von Dohnanyi, who hands over as principal conductor of the Philharmonia to Esa-Pekka Salonen next year, has always been a variable conductor. The qualities that characterise his interpretations - rigour, lucidity and formal control - have not always suited his repertoire. His strengths and weaknesses were much in evidence in his latest concert, which flanked Strauss's Oboe Concerto with Mozart's 25th Symphony and Brahms's Fourth.

The Mozart was austere, its turbulent outer movements hampered by Dohnanyi's apparent unwillingness to go to emotional extremes. The revelations came in the Andante, with its tender yet obsessive dialogues between bassoons and strings, and in the stark orchestral octaves of the Minuet. His way with Brahms, meanwhile, has tended to be hard-hitting, and the opening allegro of the Fourth was all thrilling aggression and remorseless logic. The relentless mood persisted into the slow movement, however, resulting in losses of emotional range and impact.

Yet Dohnanyi's reined-in approach makes him an ideal interpreter of Strauss. In the Oboe Concerto, he and soloist Christopher Cowie achieved something close to perfection. Cowie's playing balanced nostalgia with quiet wit. Dohnanyi seemed alert to every emotional and structural shift, and there were moments of hushed rapture in the central Andante that took one's breath away. A great performance, one of Dohnanyi's best.