On Monday Australia got to see and hear Icelandic piano sensation Víkingur Ólafsson for the first time in recital with his magnificent handling of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

On this night, in the first of series of four appearances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles, we saw him in full concert mode playing what he describes as Ravel’s “perfect concerto”.

Sir Donald Runnicles conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Photo supplied

The work in G – not the one written for left hand only – is paired with Runnicles’ dynamic and sometimes revelatory reading of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, and if you factor in four of Englishman Colin Matthews’ delicious orchestrations of Debussy’s piano Preludes you have pretty much the perfect concert as well.

If you can get a ticket for one of the remaining dates I strongly urge you to do so.

Ólafsson says Ravel’s concerto, with its duets between piano and various instruments, is an ideal way to get to know an unfamiliar orchestra.

From a whip crack it gets out of the starting gate in a mad flurry of arpeggios, Brent Grape’s trumpet leading...