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I used to think of Franz Liszt's "Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major for Piano and Orchestra," S. 124, as a musical portrait of the poet seducing the regiment.

But the way Russian pianist Alexander Ghindin pounded his way through it with the Knoxville Symphony on Thursday night at the Tennessee Theatre, it was more like the poet overcoming an entire brigade by the charisma of force.

It's not that Ghindin bludgeoned the piano in the process, because his playing was far more articulate than such a blunt process might imply.

In fact, what was indeed amazing was the skill with which he could play so loudly and still induce the piano to sing lovely phrases.

After it was over, to roars of bravo from the audience, as an encore, Ghindin sat down at the piano and delivered a thundering presentation of Vladimir Horowitz's bombastic arrangement of John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."

I don't think I will ever again hear an ordinary band performance of this piece without considering it a pale imitation of Ghindin's accomplishment and the equally boisterous roars it received.

But to those who thought nothing could top that and went home at intermission, they missed what may well be one of the most stellar performances the KSO has ever played in its simply magnificent presentation of Gustav Mahler's "Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor."

If playing like this is what maestro Lucas Richman and the KSO have spent this season developing, then the upcoming 75th anniversary season will be something definitely not to miss.

Although there were absolutely wonderful solos, especially by principal trumpet Kathy Leach in the first movement and principal horn Calvin Smith in the third movement, I can recall only a few occasions when every musician's awareness of the context of his or her playing was more keen.

It was ensemble playing of the highest order. The entire horn section, following Smith's lead, has never played better.

But that would also be true of each of the instrument groups in the orchestra.

The sensitivity with which Richman led the strings in the shimmering beauty of the love song with the harp in the fourth movement was exquisite.

But given the overall quality of this concert, that's a difficult moment to call out.

Bravo, indeed.

Harold Duckett is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
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