It was a great choice of two lovely works by two of the three great Bs, with which the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), directed by Brian Schembri, opened the Manoel Theatre’s  2016-2017season. This attracted an almost full house which, with summer not completely over, was a bit of a hot-house.

However, the performance was such that it made it sort of bearable. By now, pianist Charlene Farrugia has come to a point in her career that with increasing maturity and insight in her interpretation, knowledge of her participation in a concert has become an attraction.

She was soloist in Beethoven’s G Major (4th) Piano Concerto. Well, she deserves the plaudits she gets. It never goes to her head, she remains charming, almost shy but with a steely determination to bring home the work she tackles.

Even her handling of the most difficult passages seems easy, be it for softness and tenderness of touch and feeling, or bright and virtuoso. She puts all her being into the music. This is a feeling she projects all too well.

There was an obviously good rapport with director and orchestra, which could not but lead to a happy collaboration with the expected good result.  Following the drama and vigour of the concerto’s concluding Rondo: Vivace, the pianist performed a charming encore, a little playful piece by Schubert.

The other work performed was the Symphony N. 3 in F Major by Brahms. There was never a dull or black moment here. That famous initial bold statement: three massive chords, the top notes of which are F – A flat – F, are the germ rather than gem (or perhaps both!) of the whole symphony.

Standing for frei aber froh (free but happy), this makes the work a highly personal one. The idea often comes in repeatedly vigorous waves, only to subsist, with all such passages being finely wrought by the orchestra.

There were highly contrasting dramatic moments in the opening allegro con brio, which then gave way to a more peaceful and serene mood. The inner movements are soothing and happy and the latter one of them, the poco allegretto, was charm itself.

Some turbulence returned in the concluding allegro: un poco mosso, as did the brass in full force. Somehow, these moments as those in the opening movements lead one into thinking that Brahms doth protest too much.

But then, everybody is free to reach their own state of contentment and Brahms ends the work in a completely serene, if not to say, resigned mood.