Vassily Petrenko and Daniil Trifonov are an oddly contrasted pair of Russians: Petrenko stands ramrod straight on the podium, his gestures dramatic but always fluid, as if he'd been called upon to demonstrate exemplary posture as well as exemplary conducting. With his high Slavic cheekbones and definable air of authority, he might be a benign version of Lermontov's Hero Of Our Time. Trifonov, on the other hand, seems authored by Dostoyevsky, his scraggly hair bouncing around his scalp and his torso almost reaching into the keyboard, he could easily be mistaken for Crime And Punishment's Svidrigaïlov, buttonholing some unfortunate in a St Petersburg tavern.
But however different, when these two artists combine with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the only response is to offer superlatives. This was music-making of real power and force, the kind you always hope to find in the concert-hall, and those who were in attendance at Symphony Hall tonight struck lucky.
Trifonov is already being talked of as the outstanding pianist of his generation and on the evidence of his account of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto no. 4 in G minor, it is easy to see why. He tore into the opening Allegro vivace with a rare sense of risk-taking abandon, his fingers tapering across the keys and his whole body seemingly involved with the music. He has that rare thing – a strong and distinctive musical personality – that makes its mark without being at all overbearing or ingratiating; nor does he trade in 'charisma' or the charm that often puts gilt on an above-average talent. In the climax to the first movement, he and Petrenko combined to create one of those thrilling moments where time seems to stand still; and yet Trifonov proved that his naturally ebullient personality could also encompass the plaintive yearning of the central Largo movement before high-tailing it through the barn-storming finale. An encore of one of the same composer's Preludes left an ecstatic audience hungry to hear more.