Classical review: Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Published on Sunday 7 June 2009 19:31

**** GRAND HALL, STIRLING CASTLE

IT'S that time of year when the Scottish Chamber Orchestra gets out of the big cities and into parts of Scotland where classical concerts are often a rare treat. Not that Stirling is starved of culture, but this concert marked the springboard for the SCO's summer excursion to the Highlands, and featured a programme that travelled to Kingussie and Ullapool over the weekend.

In the Grand Hall of a sun-kissed Stirling Castle, music by Mozart, Gluck and Dvorak was delivered with summery zeal. Former SCO leader Alexander Janiczek directed with his Stradivarius tucked firmly under his chin and the rest of his body dancing to the beat of the music. The opening Gluck overture – from Orfeo ed Euridice – set a virile tone for an evening distinguished by playing that was raunchy but refined. And in Dvorak's Czech Suite, a racy combination of suavity and swagger took the room temperature to stifling heights. But it was in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante that something very special happened.

It's a work that stands or falls by the compatibility of its solo duo. The pairing of Janiczek's silvery delivery with the seductive confidence of SCO principal violist Jane Atkins was a match made in Heaven. It struck that fine balance between individuality and synergy, between emotive display and intellectual constraint. The whole band picked up the vibes, supporting with intuitive spontaneity.

In much the same way, Mozart's Symphony No 29 provided a sparkling finale to a delightful evening.