Prom 5, Royal Albert Hall, London

An exotic trip into the rather familiar

This concert seemed to fall outside this year's Prom themes of Spanish/ Latin American music and the Old Testament. It was more a case of exotic journeys with a BBC commission thrown in – the quintessential exotic trip, Elgar's Overture "In the South (Alassio)" suggests that it may have rained quite a bit when the composer was sojourning – it was winter – on the Italian Riviera. Beginning in a boldly Straussian vein, it quickly sinks into Empire mode – more sweep than sizzle. It's the sort of work that could sound so good but probably merits little rehearsal time. Norbert Blume was touchingly retiring in his big viola solo, but possibly, in this large hall, more was needed. Nevertheless, Leonard Slatkin balanced his forces well.

David Sawer's BBC commission was as succinct as his programme note: "My Piano Concerto is made up of two movements, fast/slow, played without break. In the first movement, the piano hardly ever plays with the orchestra, and in the second movement, it hardly plays on its own."

Indeed, the first movement, rhythmically sprightly with bouncing syncopations, produces a "hocket" effect between orchestra and piano, a piano straight out of such Stravinsky scores as Petrushka and Symphony in Three Movements. The second movement has the soloist "captured" by the orchestra as Sawer provides a fine mesh of sensitive colours – bells and a de-tuned celeste – in his mildly dissonant writing. Rolf Hind was the nimble soloist.

Earlier, in the Composer Portrait at the Victoria & Albert Museum, students of the Royal Academy of Music gave excellent performances of Sawer's Between for solo harp (Catrin Finch), and Good Night for small mixed ensemble. His music has a pleasing straightforwardness about it, clear of texture and clear of message.

The large concert crowd was no doubt attracted by the Prom debut of Frederica von Stade – last September's horrors had thwarted a planned appearance. Ravel's Shéhérazade would seem a natural for her but shaky pitch and a coolness to be believed marred this performance of so seductive a work.

Firebird "selections" was the final offering, Slatkin choosing some less familiar sections along with big dance numbers. Despite using Stravinsky's 1919 forces (smaller), ensemble was often poor, a comfortable rather than intense performance.

ANNETTE MORREAU

The BBC Proms continue to 19 September (Box office 020-7589 8212, 9am to 9pm daily; www.bbc.co.uk/proms)