IT was an encore of blazing intensity.

Ukranian pianist Alexej Gorlatch did not so much as play Chopin’s Etude No 4 as unleash it, with razor-sharp attacks up and down the keyboard.

The self-contained jewel was a highlight of his appearance with Royal Northern Sinfonia at Sage Gateshead and underscored his brilliant performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 2.

RNS principal conductor Mario Venzago set the scene for the main piece by moulding a flowing outline of the dramatic and melodious themes to come.

Chopin penned the slow movement of the concerto as an unabashed declaration of his love for fellow student and soprano Constantina Gladkowska. Gorlatch captivated the audience, playing its lyrical passages with the most delicate of touches, while embraced by the warm accompaniment of the orchestra.

The final movement was technically flawless and driven to a thrilling climax.

The programme opened with a boisterous rendition of Weber’s Overture Der Freischutz, while the RNS also gave a welcome outing to John Casken’s Maharal Dreaming – a short orchestral fantasy based on the composer’s first opera Golam.

Venzago made a strong argument for the highly chromatic work, which distils the best of Casken’s stimulating soundworld.

The concert concluded with Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony.

Venzago began the singlemovement work slowly, warming to the task as it blossomed to reveal evershifting musical vistas.

The strings played with a sweeping grandeur, while the trombones did full justice to their plummy passages. The whole was drawn to a satisfying resolution.