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Evocative new works by Adès and Coll were performed thrillingly and provocatively by the Britten Sinfonia as they brought fizz and clarity to Beethoven's eighth and Prokofiev's "Classical" Symphony.

Presenting a cello—piano recital of mostly Gallic works spiced up with a contemporary British composition might appear counter-intuitive to most musicians. Not so to Steven Isserlis, who performed an unusual, challenging, inspiring and highly satisfying concert with pianist Connie Shih in Sydney on Monday night.

Despite the frequency with which the two composers are compared, Thomas Adès’ music seldom sounds very much like that of Benjamin Britten. But Adès has an uncanny knack of performing Britten’s music in such a way that it resembles his own.