It is a rare occasion when four of the finest 20th-century chamber works are presented together within one concert. And here we have four works which are more known discographically rather than through live performance. As such it is a rare occasion where a personal fantasy becomes a musical reality, and a thoroughly delightful one at that where each piece calls for a different combination of instruments and stylistic approaches. The occasion provides the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with an opportunity to showcase not only fine sections within its line-up, but highly talented individuals who are capable of the finest chamber performances.

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This perceptively curated program features a quartet of works by as fine a group of 20th-century composers as one could wish for – Richard Strauss, Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel – and four personal favourites at that. What immediately grabs the listener’s attention is just how three-dimensional the works are, when given fine performances within an acoustically sympathetic hall like Adelaide University’s Elder Hall. Here the strings were allowed to breathe; there was plenty of air around them and all works were...