Although the Bournemouth Symphony unveiled its new principal conductor at the Proms in August, Kirill Karabits's debut on the orchestra's home turf was delayed until the opening concert in the new season in Poole. With Debussy's Prélude à l'Après-Midi d'un Faune and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring as its frame, this first programme looked like a public statement, a manifesto by the 32-year-old Ukrainian detailing his musical strengths and what he expects his new orchestra to deliver.

Yet the message both performances conveyed was less than convincing. Karabits certainly takes care over texture and balance, though best intentions can be skewed by the Lighthouse's unpredictable acoustics. His sense of shape and weight seem thoroughly musical: the orchestra certainly produced a perfectly fluent account of the Debussy. But Stravinsky's great score needs a bit more than good organisation, and there was little sense of overall architecture about Karabits's performance, no sustained dramatic momentum or real feral energy. By then, too, the glitches in the BSO's playing were becoming more regular and intrusive. There was the nagging sense the Stravinsky had pushed the orchestra beyond its comfort zone.

If technical improvement is on Karabits's to-do list, let's hope that making more appearances with Vadim Rudenko isn't, for the velvety tone that Karabits drew from the Bournemouth strings did nothing to lessen the impact of Rudenko's assault on Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. This was unremittingly loud and monochrome piano-playing designed for cheap exhibitionist thrills. Just when everybody finally accepts this concerto is much more than a tired old warhorse, a vulgar performance like this puts the clock back again.

To be broadcast on Radio 3 on 19 October.