BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

City Halls, Glasgow

Thursday, March 9

Miranda Heggie

Five Stars

 

Receiving its Scottish premiere, hearing James MacMillan’s viola concerto played by its dedicatee Lawrence Power, was a truly profound and unforgettable musical experience. The work is in three movements, each with no title – and indeed, each one is impossible to define, refusing to be pinned down. Opening with an unsettling soundscape, the chords held in the orchestra seem pregnant with possibilities, played against Powers’ grippingly visceral virtuosity. The first movement steers wildly between charged, bustling passages and still, sparse sections, before moving into the more contemplative, dream-like middle movement. There are some very lyrical, almost romantic melodies in the solo viola part, but there’s always a slight sense of unrest in the harmony, giving the music a twisted beauty, a jagged serenity, with Powers’ evocative playing drawing the listener into this intimate sound world.

The second part of the concert, Elgar’s 2nd symphony was where conductor Richard Farnes really came into his own, conjuring up a lush wealth of emotion from the orchestra, and really capturing the essence of Elgar’s music. Brimming with energy, the strings played with a perfect balance of cohesion and clarity between sections,  whilst the brass were robust and strong, most notably the trombones and French horns. Farnes brought each movement to an end with a triumphant flourish, although his ultimate finale was also weighted with a sensitive musical gravitas.

The concert opened with George Butterworth’s rhapsody for orchestra ‘A Shropshire Lad’, inspired by A. E. Houseman’s set of English poems of the same name. The orchestra’s shimmering, delicate sound brought to mind scenes of gently rolling English countryside, with principal bassoon Graeme Brown playing with a pastoral warmth.