★★★★½ A taut and textured Mahler shows the Davis is in the details.

Hamer Hall, Melbourne
July 1, 2016

When Mahler’s behemoth sixth symphony is on the menu, you don’t need much else to sate your musical appetite. For the latest instalment of the Sir Andrew Davis’ Mahler symphony cycle with the MSO, a somewhat token but nonetheless charming amuse-bouche of Mozart began the proceedings, specifically the Piano Concerto No. 21 in C.

American pianist Jonathan Biss’ performance was sharply articulate but often rather light in personality. Most likely written as a showcase for Mozart as both composer and performer extraordinaire, there is a wonderful chutzpah to the soloist’s part in this concerto, particularly in the fleet passagework of the outer two movements. While it’s, of course, important not to foist any inauthentic Romantic stodge onto Classical repertoire as buoyant and delicate as this, there was a bit of an absence of showmanship in Biss’ account, although a great deal more charisma was brought out in the flashy cadenzas. That said, this pianist is a faultless technician, and the razor-edged precision of his playing brought with it a crisp, dauntless level of communicative clarity.

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