Classical review: RSNO, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

THE RSNO pulled out all the stops for the penultimate programme of Stéphane Denève’s tenure as musical director.

Featuring the silken delicacy of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, the unfiltered purity of Samuel Barber’s mellifluous Violin Concerto and Stravinsky’s emotionally wringing Rite of Spring, it was a jaw-dropping package, made even more special by the appearance of superstar Canadian violinist James Ehnes.

As a performance, the entire evening was nothing less than a knock-out. Denève lapped up the occasion big time, from opening remarks that were a stand-up routine in their own right, to the eccentric final notes of the Stravinsky, which he tossed aside like the throwaway dismissal they are.

Superlative clarity fed through every bar of this Rite of Spring, filling it with a kaleidoscope of vivid musical characterisations from the surreal wailing of the opening bassoon and general menagerie of wind and brass, to powerhouse chords and ostinato that sliced the air with electrifying ferocity.

That was in stark contrast to the summer evening dreaminess of the Debussy and Barber. Denève shaped the former with super-sensitive touches that spilled off the stage like the feathery wisps of an impressionist painter’s brushstrokes.

The Barber concerto, with its delicious melodies and alluringly sweet naïvety, was a stunning showcase for Ehnes, whose effortless musicality, immaculate technique and molten tone production captured every nuance.

After the sizzling finale came two show-stopping encores of Paganini (the famous Caprice No 24) and unaccompanied Bach. Superlative.

Rating; *****