Music Review: SCO, City Halls, Glasgow

Keith Bruce

Four stars

In what was a classic format orchestral concert - overture, concerto, symphony - here was abundant evidence of the fine relationship that now exists between conductor Robin Ticciati and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It was there from the very start, in the performance of Beethoven's Coriolan, one of the composer's great people-portraits, which was so perfectly balanced as to be almost startling, with every musical detail, from Peter Whelan's solo bassoon to the crisp cohesion of the strings, immaculately played.

That ensemble sound was also crucial to Magnus Lindberg's violin concerto, pictorial and narrative in a Sibelian way, and far from just a showcase for soloist Renaud Capucon, at least until the finale, with its flashy flourishes. The arc of the piece from the long first movement to that climax was beautifully constructed by the conductor with lovely playing from the winds and horns.

That was also a highlight of the Schubert's Symphony No9, the Great C Major. This is the sort of music that we expect a fresh and sparkling interpretation of from Ticciati and the SCO, and that is exactly what we got. The balance between the sections was perfect and there were flashes of virtuosic playing throughout from the opening entrance of the horns to principal clarinet Maximiliano Martin later on.

All three of our national orchestras are adaptable, but the SCO is peerless in its application of some the lessons from period performance practice to contemporary concert making, so evident in Ticciati's measured approach to the scherzo and finale here. The former was either stately or a little ponderous according to your taste, but the rhythmic assurance of the latter was masterly.