I like Beethoven. When I listen to his music I want it to be macho and brutal, in the image of the composer (recall the stone bust in A Clockwork Orange). This is made easy by sound systems which can reset one's heartbeat, and by the digital option of skipping slow movements. But even in live performances I want to hear the grinding of the strings and the struggle of the brass not to split the notes. I didn't really get much of that at Saturday's under-attended concert at Cadogan Hall. As this was the debut of The Oxford Philomusica at this venue, I was expecting some real fire, some sign that Philomusica were challenging the big boys of the nation's orchestral scene. What I heard was a very considered but ultimately rather unexciting rendering of two pieces which could be done bigger and better.

The piano concerto (No.1 in C Major) suffered from Marios Papadopoulos's determination to lead from the piano. He is undoubtedly an excellent pianist, but the orchestra would have been better served by his attentions as conductor. While Papadopoulos nodded vigorously - as if to convince himself that the music was exciting - the players suffered from some tentativeness, especially among the strings, and especially in the quieter sections. The closing Rondo: allegro scherzando was more feisty; but if the idea was to hold back for this during the first two movements, they overdid it.

From the first chords of the Eroica the orchestra sounded more comfortable. The Allegro con brio had er . . . cojones, as it should. In the Marcia funebre the cellos and basses came into their own, and the stately canon was particularly impressive, the tension building right up until the horns' blaring entry, which would have done justice to any sword and sandal epic. The Scherzo was neatly balanced between the playful woodwind and the determined energy of the low strings.

But even in the Finale the Philomusica were not violent, not elemental enough, as though Papadopoulos was too untrusting to let them off the leash. When the horns did offer a sternly martial parting shot, it sounded like they were picking on the rest of the orchestra, rather than doing combat with them.

I could probably have ignored my vulgar predilection for volume if Natalie Wheen had not sermonised for 25 minutes on the violence of Beethoven's Europe, and how his music brilliantly captured the turmoil of the times. Well, this rendition did not capture that: at most, it made passing reference to it.

The Oxford Philomusica are a good orchestra, with unquestionable technical ability. But, unless they are going to add some grit to their performance, they should find pieces which better suit their restrained approach.