Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Stravinsky, Beamish and Beethoven

By Alan Coady, 19 March 2012

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Edinburgh on 17 March 2012

Stravinsky, Concerto in E flat major for chamber orchestra "Dumbarton Oaks"

Beamish, Percussion Concerto Dance Variations (UK premiere, SCO commission)

Beethoven, Symphony no. 7 in A major, Op.92

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Joseph Swensen, Conductor

Colin Currie, Percussion

Saxophone dreams with Jess Gillam and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

David Smythe, 11th March

Jess Gillom and Scottish Chamber Orchestra in St Andrews in a wide-ranging programme of contemporary music. Ben Glassberg conducts.

****1

Baroque inspirations from Emelyanychev and the SCO

David Smythe, 20th February

Maxim Emelyanychev and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra offer a Baroque-inspired programme of Bach, Handel, Britten, a modern take on Scarlatti and wonderfully zany Schnittke.

****1

Maxim Emelyanychev and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra reshape Mozart

David Smythe, 29th January

In Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, Mozart’s final three symphonies are given a vibrant interpretation by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the effervescent Maxim Emelyanychev.

****1

Gnarly Buttons central to the SCO’s John Adams programme

David Smythe, 12th December

Andrew Manze conducts an all-Adams programme in Glasgow, Maximiliano Martín the fearless soloist in Gnarly Buttons, bookended by mesmerising Shaker Loops and exuberant Fearful Symmetries.

****1

Reich+ from Colin Currie and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

David Smythe, 6th November

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Colin Currie fizz with energy in Duddell, Grime and Steve Reich.

****1

A tale of two Glorias: Poulenc and Vivaldi with the SCO in Edinburgh

Simon Thompson, 9th October

Three sopranos, two Glorias and one French composer who isn’t great box office: the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus sound great, but where is the audience?

****1

More reviews...

Alan Coady

Alan has taught classical guitar in East Lothian schools since 1982. A graduate in Music of the then Huddersfield Polytechnic, he has a soft spot for the contemporary. He also writes a Musical Blog, where the special interest is the intersection of music/language/science.