I thought that music director Robert Moody had programmed the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 as a crowd pleaser to offset the modernism of “Mothership” and the intellectualism of Copland’s Symphony No. 3 at the opening concert of the Portland Symphony Orchestra season.

The old warhorse, however, turned out to be a Derby winner in the hands of pianist Andrew Russo, best known for his recordings of contemporary music and fusion jazz. Russo’s interpretation, ably abetted by the orchestra, took the quintessential Romantic piece back to its barbaric beginnings, presenting it as something new under the sun.

Russo is also an unsuccessful New York politician, thank heaven.

The opening of the concerto, while so brilliant that it appeared to be the result of a specially prepared piano, was nevertheless a bit uncertain at times, as pianist and conductor settled on tempo and dynamics. Once that was settled, however, the collaboration was a sheer delight., revealing secrets never before uncovered. The Tchaikovsky No. 1 sounded positively “modern.”

Christopher Hyde’s Classical Beat column appears in the Maine Sunday Telegram. He can be reached at:

classbeat@netscape.net.

Look for the full review in the Portland Press Herald.