Times Concert: St Petersburg PO/Temirkanov

…At least the soloist in Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody was out to dazzle. Denis Matsuev, like many young Russian pianists, could never be accused of reticence. The Steinway takes a hell of a pounding, even in places where you suspect that Rachmaninov might have wanted the orchestra to be heard. But his technique is phenomenal: blistering passagework, steely chords. Perhaps he is the new Horowitz. His encore, Grigori Ginzburg's outstandingly tasteless but breathtaking transcription of Rossini's Largo al factotum, certainly suggested the same penchant for outrageous showmanship…Richard Morrison, "Barbican"