Scottish pianist Steven Osborne just seems to get better every time he gives a concert. For his recital programme at the Queen's Hall, his versatility knew no bounds.

To describe James Crabb simply as an accordionist is to underestimate the power of his free-bass orchestral instrument, which allows both hands to play melodies and chords with a dynamic multi-octave range.

Under the baton of conductor Mariss Jansons, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at full tilt makes a sensational sound, as was evident in the second half of Monday night's concert, featuring the entire orchestra.

I SINCERELY hope that playwright Zoe Cooper hasn't experienced a relationship breakdown as shattering as the one depicted in this bittersweet 50-minute playlet, but how else to explain the fact that every single line of dialogue rings so poignantly true?

MAKING Richard Mills’s luminous song cycle, Songlines of the Heart’s Desire, the centre of this concert was a clever piece of programming. It introduced a lovely new piece, and allowed the 19th-century European lieder of his songwriting forebears to radiate from it.

If, occasionally, in the first part of James Crabb and George Vassilev’s tango-based recital, accordion and guitar sounded like virtuosos not quite at one, by the encore of Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango they were musically bound at the hip.

THIS was the best orchestral performance of the International Festival so far. And with it came a remarkably slimmed down Osmo Vänskä, who now looks a foot taller than he did when resident in Scotland as chief conductor of the BBC SSO almost a decade ago, and even more animated.

Nobody, not even the late Pina Bausch, could tell you what Água is about - so I won’t presume to make head nor tail of it here.

Robin Ticciati, the SCO’s new principal conductor is fast gaining a reputation for his innovative programming and absorbing performances of new works, as this concert demonstrated.