Classical concert review: RSNO Chamber Series

The Dovecot Studios, in what was the Infirmary Street Baths, is an ideal venue for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's Sunday afternoon chamber series which gives orchestral players the opportunity to perform music on a more intimate scale. Instead of swimmers, looms and contemporary tapestries now occupy the airy vaulted space which offers excellent acoustics for this type of music.

Schubert's Octet in F major D803 for string quartet plus bass, clarinet, bassoon and horn is the largest and most challenging of Schubert's chamber works. There were quite a few rhythmically dubious moments, particularly in some of the slow movements where the sedate pace tended to unravel some of the more intricate passages. The theme and variations at the heart of this lengthy and mercurial piece featured some nice individual contributions from the clarinet, cello and horn but the movement itself lacked internal cohesion.

Musicians in the most successful chamber ensembles seem to have a telepathy between them acquired through years of performances and rehearsals. The RSNO players have not had that luxury, so that invisible communicative thread was missing from an otherwise articulate reading of Haydn's String Quartet in D minor Op 76 No 2.

A sparkling and energetic performance of Poulenc's witty Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon by John Cushing and David Hubbard respectively, was the highlight of the concert.