MUSIC | Classical MUSIC | Classical C L A S S I C A L
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SAXOPHONE CONCERTO MACMILLAN SAXOPHONE CONCERTO Perth Concert Hall, Wed 11 Apr; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Thu 12 Apr; City Halls, Glasgow, Fri 13 Apr.
There are few composers alive today who could boast an equal contribution to new music in their home country as Ayrshire-born James MacMillan. Having just picked up the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Award for Contribution to New Music in Scotland in 2017 at the Scottish Awards for New Music in March, Scottish audiences will be treated to the latest worldwide premiere of MacMillan’s work – his Saxophone Concerto, written for solo saxophone and string orchestra. ‘I’d written for saxophone before, but was excited to write for it as a solo instrument,' says MacMillan, who’s penned the work for Australian virtuoso saxophonist Amy Dickson. MacMillan, who’s known for melding musical influences from ancient Celtic lullabies to raucous modern jazz, takes the saxophone into more unusual territory with this Scottish-folk inspired piece. ‘The first movement draws on traditional Scottish dances – a march, strathspey and reel – and the second is inspired by a Gaelic psalm, with the saxophone as the cantor and the strings following.' Gaelic psalm singing – where the cantor leads and the congregation follow closely behind in song – is a mesmerising style of devotional singing common to the Western Isles, and Macmillan’s musical take on this, with the haunting yet piercing tones of the saxophone leading the sonorous strings of the SCO is sure to be something very special indeed. The third and final movement in this ‘succinct’ 15-minute concerto bears the title 'Jigs', and is a fun and fast-paced interpretation of the traditional Scottish dance. Paired with another Saxophone Concerto – the final work from Russian composer Alexander Glazunov, written in 1934 – this concert is a rare chance to hear not only two works which showcase the saxophone in a concerto context, but to witness such a sensational player as Amy Dickson perform two greatly contrasting works. (Miranda Heggie)
CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS
HITLIST GLASGOW
SCOTTISH OPERA: EUGENE ONEGIN Theatre Royal, Fri 27 & Sun 29 Apr, Thu 3 & Sat 5 May, scottishopera.org.uk Tchaikovsky’s sumptuous score, last put on by Scottish Opera in 1993, returns with its interpretation of the dramatic and raw emotion of Pushkin’s masterpiece, this time directed by Oliver Mears, director of opera at Covent Garden’s Royal Opera. Also Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 23, Sat 26, Tue 29, Thu 31 May.
MICHAEL FOYLE AND MAKSIM ŠTŠURA Pollok House, Sun 6 May, foylestsuraduo.com Brilliant young internationally award-winning duo of Scottish violinist Michael Foyle and Estonian pianist Maksim Štšura give their stunning interpretation of the complete violin and piano music by Brahms. Rare chance to hear them in Scotland.
SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE: MOZART BY NUMBERS Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Thu 31 May, scottishensemble.
SCOTTISH OPERA - ARIADNE AUF NAXOS Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Thu 22, Sat 24, Wed 28 Mar, scottishopera.org.uk Following his stunning Rusalka in 2016, director and designer Antony McDonald returns to Scottish Opera for a new production of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, where opera meets burlesque, both troupes of players being booked for the same stage on the same night resulting in a bit of fun and games. Also Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Thu 5, Sat 7 Apr.
TECTONICS City Halls/Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Sat 5 & Sun 6 May, bbc.co.uk/bbcsso A blowout of new and experimental music put on by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. International and local artists, composers and performers from classical, experimental, rock, noise, sound art and visual art come together for two days.
94 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2018 94 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018
Ariadne auf Naxos
co.uk Incredibly, particularly so as he died at the age of only 35, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote over 600 pieces of music. Six of them, from a string duo to a fuller symphonic score, are heard interspersed with more recent music in an intriguingly curated programme. Also Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Jun. EDINBURGH
WHITBURN AND CORY BAND St Cuthbert’s Church, Thu 5 Apr, whitburnband.com, coryband. com Hear two of the finest ever brass bands as Cory Band from the Rhonnda valley in Wales,
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ranked as the best brass band in the world, joins up with reigning Scottish champions, Whitburn, for a spectacular evening of impressive music for brass and percussion.
SUNDAY CLASSICS: CZECH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Usher Hall, Sun 22 Apr, usherhall. co.uk A Sunday afternoon chockablock with classic melodies in Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, Dvořák’s colourfully Slavic Symphony No 7 and rising star, Radio 3 New Generation Artist in 2014, Pavel Kolesnikov as soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4.
DRAKE MUSIC SCOTLAND'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT Queen’s Hall, Sat 5 May, drakemusicscotland.org Twenty years of working with children and adults with disabilities to make music together are celebrated with a special concert that puts the spotlight on Drake Music Scotland’s very special musicians. The evening features a new work by composer and fiddler Aidan O’Rourke and Drake’s own award-winning Digital Orchestra.