Re-defining the string quartet? Scottish Ensemble at the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh

By Alan Coady, 10 June 2013

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Reviewed at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Edinburgh on 8 June 2013

Suckling, Musical Postcard no.4

Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op.68 (arr. Morton)

Shostakovich, Two pieces, Op.11

Britten, String Quartet no. 2 in C major, Op.36 (arr. David Matthews)

Scottish Ensemble

Pushing boundaries: Scottish Ensemble’s Shifting Patterns in Perth

David Smythe, 29th October

Jonathan Morton leads the Scottish Ensemble in Górecki’s extraordinary Quasi una fantasia, before diving headlong into seven Anna Meredith tracks, featuring visuals by Ewan Jones Morris.

****1

Scottish Ensemble at the QEH: hugely energetic, top-quality playing

Stephen Pritchard, 29th September

A carefully chosen programme of exciting, short pieces which all share parallel energetic explorations of musical patterns and pulses.

*****

Karen Cargill and the Scottish Ensemble burst into Songs for Life

David Smythe, 13th November

Life, death, childhood, community and love are celebrated in Songs for Life by Karen Cargill with the Scottish Ensemble in an exquisitely filmed performance.

*****

Scottish Ensemble’s adventures in music for a winter’s night

David Smythe, 7th December

A deeply soulful musical adventure for a winter’s night from the Scottish Ensemble to celebrate their 50th anniversary

****1

Soulful Advent music from the Scottish Ensemble with Sean Shibe

David Smythe, 8th December

The Scottish Ensemble with guitarist Sean Shibe perform a thoughtful programme of ancient and modern Christmas-themed music in a candlelit St John’s Kirk.

****1

Utterly thrilling: Prelude – Skydiving from a Dream

David Smythe, 10th November

Prelude – Skydiving from a Dream from Scottish Ensemble and Andersson Dance: mesmeric choreographed Bach and Lutosławski with a blistering performance of Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue played from memory and on the move. Thrilling, daring and exciting.

*****

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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.