Review: Scottish Chamber Orchestra at Perth Concert Hall

Nov 18 2008 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE Scottish Chamber Orchestra returned to Perth Concert Hall for the second time in less than a fortnight for their Perth Concert Series performance, this time featuring music composed in Paris between the two world wars. Conducted by the dynamic Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer, who is currently the Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the SCO gave a superb account of three very different pieces by Fauré, Ravel and Stravinsky all linked by their neo-classical style.

Fauré composed his suite Masques et Bergamasques in 1919, and had its premier less than five months after the Armistice. It is a genial piece consisting of a delightful overture and three charming dances and has a somewhat whimsical atmosphere that hide the horrors of the preceding years. The gentleness of the music was beautifully captured in Fischer’s expressive direction and the SCO’s attentive playing, reflecting the warmth and amiable style of the music perfectly from the bouncy rhythms of the opening Allegro, to the reflective and introspective final Pastorale.

Ravel’s popular G major Piano Concerto was composed some 12 years later, when a more extrovert mood was prevalent in Paris. Here the emotion is one of optimism and gaiety, and the extrovert performance by the young Venezuelan pianist Sergio Tiempo was electrifying.

From the snap of the ‘whip’ at the beginning, the music burst into life with an opening flourish and burlesque-style vivacity that made the piece come alive. The piano plays almost continually throughout the concerto and the power, virtuosity and emotion expressed by Tiempo was amazing. He maintained a vivid and vibrant clarity that brought out all the jazz inflections and the robust music hall style with great verve and aplomb that was ably matched by wonderful playing from the SCO, particular from the solo trumpet and bassoons.

There were also some memorable gentler moments that captured the poise and expressiveness of the concerto, not least in the sumptuous slow movement, which displayed Tiempo at his most expressive with beautifully phrased playing and again, delightful accompaniment from the orchestra; the cor anglais giving a particularly haunting and poignant solo.

The final Presto restored the work to its galloping, burlesque style with horn and trumpet calls setting the pace whilst the piano raced along in a display of immense virtuosity. The piece was full of joie de vivre with the orchestra obviously enjoying the performance as much as the audience, giving Sergio Tiempo a rapturous ovation.

The final work returned to the years immediately after the First World War with Stravinsky’s ballet score Pulcinella, music commissioned by Diaghilev for his Ballet Russe. This work began Stravinsky’s long neo-classical period (re-exploring past forms and styles) and is based on music attributed to the 18th century Italian composer Pergolesi.

The complete ballet music is less often heard than the orchestral suite and features three solo voices: performed by Martene Grimson soprano, James Gilchrist tenor, and Roderick Williams baritone. They gave a polished performance of the text whilst the SCO produced an intense and vibrant account of this colourful music. Stravinsky asks for a separate string quartet as the ripieno section against the concerto grosso of the remainder and, unusual for Stravinsky’s music, the work uses no percussion.

Thierry Fischer’s superb interpretation and the SCO’s vivid playing were exemplary with the various movements completing a marvellous insight to neo-classical music.