If you decided not to come this evening because of other reviews then hang your head. The Rachmaninov was magnificent. Pogorelić was mesmerising. He was at the piano in tails and soft shoes, wandering around the keys as the audience arrived and a photographer took photos. He then went off for a short while to await the latecomers. When he came back, he chose the sheet music for his first piece. The rest was casually dropped onto the floor. He clearly chooses his pieces to suit him. They are all highly romantic and lend themselves to fortissimo flights of passion and delicate stroking of the keys. And yes he approaches them all in the same way. Subtle is not a word you would use when describing his style, and yet, it works.

You could say he is a man in love and at one with his instrument, though totally self-absorbed. Almost attacking the piano and just pouring himself into the music. After each piece he stood up, tall and slightly swaying, bowing to all four corners. Smiles uncertainly while his page turner gets the next frayed and brown-with-age score ready for him, and then launches into the next piece. He played his encores before the usual "oh alright you have tempted me back to play some more" and gravely announced the first "Frédéric Chopin Nocturne something something". Then just before telling us what his second encore would be, he paused, smiled and then slowly said "Chopin Polonaise..... " (surprise, surprise). At the end more bows, lots of clapping and calls of bravo from us, and what seemed like unexpected pleasure at his reception. He finished with a very definite "that's all folks" by picking up his music, laying down the music holder on the piano and pushing the piano stool under the piano with his foot. He had us eating out of his hand.