“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” Thus spake Confucius in the century before the era from which we measure western civilization. His wisdom represents the San Diego Symphony’s goal to provide high quality concert experiences for their community. The “Scottish Fantasy” weekend that opened their 2014-2015 season delivered a fine start in fulfilling that mission.
Scotland is the land of Celtic spirits, ghost-ridden castles and mythical water beasts. Coupled with its exquisite landscape, the mystery and legend that permeate the country’s atmosphere and history have inspired poets, artists and composers to capture its magic and distinctive folklore in evocative works of art. In a faithful reprise of one of his all-time favorite SDSO concerts, that of his debut appearance with the orchestra ten years ago, San Diego Symphony music director Jahja Ling opened the 2014-2015 season with three works that conjured diverse aspects of the unique Scottish character.
Kilts were in evidence, both in the audience and sported by the bagpiper in Peter Maxwell Davies’ An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise. Highland mystery abounded in Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony no. 3 in A minor, traditionally titled the “Scottish”.
British-born Davies has made the isolated Scottish Orkney Islands his home for the past three decades. Inspired by actual island nuptials at which he was present, the piece conjures up images gleaned from the area’s stormy climate and from the wedding procession itself, with its colorful country celebrations based on ancient Gaelic tradition. The guests, having been plied with fiery Scots spirits in their nightlong merrymaking, shake off their inebriation when the inevitable bagpiper summons the new day. At times the music clearly reflected the influence of Aaron Copland’s works: Billy the Kid and Rodeo transported to the Scottish offshore islands.
With its amply sized orchestration and complement of percussion instruments, Orkney gives abundant opportunity for the orchestra’s first-rate players to display their abilities. Standing out were principal associate concertmaster Jisun Yang, whose extended solos were played with no-holds-barred panache, and of course bagpiper Larry Samuels, who turned heads and elicited murmurs of wonder from the audience, with his grand entrance from the back of the house and polished playing. Maestro Ling’s energetic conducting and engaging balletic movements gave the orchestra the impetus to produce an impressively magnanimous sound: he alternately propelled them forward with aggressive gestures and stood back and let them play full bore, to great effect.
Performing in place of the injured Hilary Hahn, SD Symphony concertmaster Jeff Thayer gave an impassioned rendering of Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Unlike his compatriot Felix Mendelssohn, Bruch freely admitted to being captivated by the Scottish, their countryside and their folk tunes, and inspired by the romantically idealistic writings of Sir Walter Scott. The extreme virtuosity required of the soloist in this work made his dedication to dazzling virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, who premiered the piece in 1880, eminently logical. The unusual four-movement form is not unprecedented for a violin concerto; Henri Vieuxtemps already had employed that form in 1851 for his Violin Concerto no. 4 in D minor. However, because of the work’s free form, Bruch had doubts about using the term “concerto” and ultimately decided on “Fantasy” instead. It is perhaps the most evocative, atmospheric violin work ever written. Each movement portrays a setting or character worthy of a Walter Scott novel, regaling the listener with one after another of Scotland’s most poignant ballads and rousing Braveheart-like Scottish folk tunes.