IT WAS so good to have the chance to see a musician who has attracted so much attention recently, including his Reviews own series of television programmes.

His particular slant is to cut out the stuffiness of classical concert and make them more accessible and, as the festival’s artist-in-residence, this included a performance the night before playing Chopin “for an hour in a pub round the corner.”

Here, though, we had an audience seated in rows, a darkened auditorium and a stage with a spotlight on keyboard and performer.

He opened by dashing off a previously unannounced Chopin Nocturne (another of his foibles) before introducing a programme of Schubert and Chopin.

As he does on his television programmes, he related the music to the composer’s sex life, and to his mental health experiences.

I wasn’t convinced by the former and can’t comment on the latter, but it was another way to get into the music which appeared to work for many.

I was pleased to hear complete performances of the Schubert Sonata (D664), Chopin’s Ballade No 3, Scherzo No 2 and Fantasie, which were generally well-played but less co-ordinated as the recital progressed. An encore of a set of variations such as Beethoven might have written was decidedly ragged.

Rhodes’ own tweet after the concert described “playing 100,000 odd notes of Chopin in more/less right order”

but he was prouder of the fact he got the hotel shower working perfectly.

There are many young pianists who would care more about the right order and, as one of those already converted, I know which I prefer, but I’m happy to acknowledge anyone who succeeds in bringing in a new audience.

Peter Bevan