Day 7 of this year’s Australian Festival of Chamber Music and after a day celebrating the cerebral genius of Bach, you couldn’t get a more refreshing contrast than a world-class line up of artists in an evening of Romantic Russian melancholy, passion and the occasional burst of sardonic humour.

One of the finest musical miracles of any composer’s youth has to be the remarkably mature trio that the 19-year-old Rachmaninov produced in 1892. A fine work, the notoriously insecure and self-critical composer buried his Trio Élégiaque, which only resurfaced in 1947, four years after his death. It enjoys a bold start – barely-heard oscillating cello is joined by violin, creating an oozy bed upon which the pianist lays down one of those infinitely wistful themes for which Rachmaninov would become so famous – and incoming Festival AD Kathryn Stott loaded it with just the right degree of emotional tug.

Czech cellist Jiří Bárta, a real aristocrat of his instrument, responded with passion and flair, his tone rich and full. The leaner, silvery tone of Italian violinist Francesca Dego made a welcome contrast, the three artists moving sensitively and seamlessly as one over the full span of this single-movement work. Stott found...