Review: Orchestra of Opera North *****

Leeds's world-class Orchestra were as accomplished as ever, with particularly fine work from the wind group which includes a pair of bassoons as distinguished as any in the business.

Conductor Alexander Shelley (first prize, Leeds Conductors' Competition 2005) has a vigorous presence and elegant gestures, but produced little in the way of phrasing in Beethoven's Fidelio Overture and Fourth Piano Concerto.

Soloist Evgenia Rubinova (second prize, Leeds Piano Competition 2003) was rumbustious with an insistent sound and powerful left hand – just right for Beethoven – but with capricious note lengths that made phrasing impossible.

All in all a muscular performance – Beethoven doesn't have to be pretty – and a tumble of piano wrong notes in the finale and a first movement string entry that drifted in with no apparent conductorial involvement were no more than quirks along the way.

Holst's The Planets requires no phrasing as its harmonies are too static. It is also ear-jammingly gigantic in the thickness of its scoring and decibel levels. I suppose the awesome visual and aural spectacle was the thing here, and the weird harmonics sent fizzing off the walls by the sheer weight of sound were great fun.