“Montgomery’s Rounds and the Bach Keyboard Concerto No. 4 pair exceptionally well, and both are suited to Pratt’s unique technical and interpretive gifts, which include a strong, percussive tone and the ability to phrase busy scalar passages in an interesting way.

The Montgomery began like a Bach gigue, with a busy, spinning polyphonic piano part that showcased Pratt’s technique in a similar way to the Bach, but introduced harmonies more reminiscent of Hindemith or Berg. This eventually settled into a slow, contemplative passage with open-ended piano chords reaching into the ether. This section was complemented by lovely sonorities in the strings, which were beautifully phrased by Abrahms and the orchestra.

The chords grew gradually thicker and more forceful and developed into an angry, emphatic theme that led back again to the spinning theme of the beginning. The three themes recurred and developed until the cadenza, which included an improvised section in which Pratt stood up and plucked and scratched the strings of the piano. Pratt’s improvisation matched the mood and musical idiom of the piece, and his transition back to the orchestra’s tutti was seamless. Rounds ended with the now familiar themes, and the audience responded enthusiastically with a standing ovation.”