IT just doesn't come better than this, does it?
On Monday night, the Cottier Chamber Project was graced by the presence of four woodwind principals from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) and one of the best chamber music pianists in the business.
Oboist Robin Williams, clarinettist Maximiliano Martin, horn player Alec Frank-Gemmill and bassoonist Peter Whelan are famous for their roles within the SCO and beyond, whether through award-winning SCO recordings, other recordings that feature them as soloists, or from their wider reputation within the international music scene.
Meanwhile, pianist Alasdair Beatson is on his way, I believe, to becoming someone very special to all instrumentalists who express concern about the overbearing presence of the piano in mixed-ensemble chamber music performance.
On Monday night the five of them, in indivisible unanimity of ensemble, gave a performance of Mozart's Quintet for Piano and Winds that, simply and eloquently, represented the work faithfully to the audience. However great Mozart might have been, and whatever the stature of his genius, then even by his own standards he hit it lucky in the Wind Quintet. It is one of the most supreme pieces of music ever conceived. Perfection? Maybe.
And all of this was represented in the glorious SCO/Beatson performance which captured and projected the miraculous nature of the concept, inspiration, structure, seriousness and playfulness of the Quintet. Mozart thought it was the best piece he had written. He was right: it's unique, and it was preceded on Monday by a characterful performance of Beethoven's own Quintet for Piano and Winds.
A great night for the Cottier Project and a great night for music.
HHHHH
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