The centrepiece of Nikolaj Znaider's recital with pianist Robert Kulek was a performance of Schoenberg's Phantasy Op 47. The inclusion of the work in the programme came as something of a surprise: Znaider, the arch-romantic of contemporary violinists, is noted, above all, for the expansive lyricism of his style, a quality far removed from Schoenberg's Phantasy, with its thematic fragmentation and aphoristic tone. Inevitably, one wondered what Znaider would make of it, though he rose to its challenges superbly, attacking the lurching opening theme with shocking violence, and following it up with playing that alternated ferocity with radiance. The emotionalism with which he approaches the more familiar repertory was much in evidence, too, conferring immediacy on music that to some can seem remote.

Schoenberg originally planned the work for violin solo, adding the piano "accompaniment", as he called it, later. Throughout the evening, however, Kulek was never merely an "accompanist", and one of the concert's more remarkable aspects was his and Znaider's ability to adjust the balance of their relationship according to the work they were playing.

Beethoven's Seventh Sonata, Op 30 No 2, was piano-led, with Kulek's aggressive playing seeming to goad a response, at times pacific, at times elated, from Znaider. In Debussy's Violin Sonata, it was Znaider who dictated pace and tone in a performance that was sometimes wayward in speed though immaculately judged in terms of mood and sensitivity.

In Franck's Violin Sonata in A, the two men functioned as an indivisible unit. Kulek's playing was remarkable in its intensity. Here we also found the more familiar Znaider, playing with a wonderfully rich tone and infusing those long-breathed phrases with shape and meaning. His performance of the Schoenberg immeasurably increased our understanding of his range and capabilities as a player. The Franck reminded us that as a romantic, he remains surpassed by few.