Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Usher Hall
Friday, February 10
Four stars
Miranda Heggie
Opening with the overture to Smetana’s most celebrated opera, The Bartered Bride, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra played with an uplifting joviality, under German conductor Cornelius Meister. Making his RSNO debut, Meister had an infectious energy on stage, as he led the orchestra with vigorous flair. The orchestra was then joined by Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski for Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. A powerful soloist, he was also very much part of the fabric of the orchestra, bringing out a kaleidoscopic range of colour through Rachmaninov’s vivid interpretations of Paganini’s work.
The second half of the programme saw Meister’s magnetic conducting continue in Tchaikovsky’s 4th symphony, proving that his style is definitely not without substance.
Opening with strong, forceful brass, Meister carefully sculpted the orchestra, layering sounds and creating carefully measured rises and swells in the music, in what was a very profound interpretation of this piece. The nostalgic second movement opened with a clear and calming solo from principal Oboist Adrian Wilson, before beautifully rich, impassioned chords from the strings. The third, scherzo movement saw the the string section produce a full bodied pizzicato, although the real fire was ignited in the final movement. Dark and menacing sounds emerged from the tuba and double basses, while the woodwind introduced the theme - the popular Russian folk song In the field stood a birch tree - with a gentle and lightsome touch. The final bars of the symphony were animated and energetic, the full orchestra bringing the piece to a close with jubilant abandon.
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