There is nothing showy or self-conscious about pianist Till Fellner. His technique is brilliantly accomplished, but what impresses most about his playing is his intelligence and sensitivity. His is a virtuosity of interpretation and insight rather than bravura. His performance of Brahms's First Piano Concerto was the highlight of the Philharmonia's concert with Paul Daniel.

Brahms began composing this piece in 1854, in response to Robert Schumann's mental breakdown, and it contains some of the most extreme music Brahms ever wrote. Fellner's matter-of-fact phrasing of the first theme, however, did not hint at these volcanic emotions. He took the first movement at an unusually brisk tempo, transforming its atmosphere from romantic indulgence to classical restraint. His interpretation seemed understated, but this self-effacing surface concealed the subtleties of his performance. Fellner's control of line extended not just over individual themes, but to the architecture of the whole piece. The second movement grew as a single arc from its delicate opening to the grandiose climax. He shone new light on Brahms's piano-writing in the finale, drawing out the rich detail of the inner parts.

For all Fellner's mastery of the solo part, this was not a great performance of the concerto. Daniel and the Philharmonia could not match the musicality of their soloist; the conducting was lightweight, and there was little depth of sound or interpretive inspiration in the orchestral playing.

The same problems afflicted Daniel's performance of Dvorak's Seventh Symphony. Powerful moments - the rustic dance of the scherzo, the chromatic tempest of the finale - were not integrated into a satisfyingly symphonic whole. Daniel did not provide a strong structural support, and the Philharmonia's playing was marred by some surprising flaws of ensemble. It wasn't until Janacek's Jealousy, a miniature tone-poem full of volatile musical contrasts, that conductor and orchestra found a vivid and convincing performance.