Edinburgh based Scottish Chamber Orchestra was conducted by its own Robin Ticciati. Two loud chords opened Brahms Tragic Overture and, as all good overtures should, the audience turned off all cares of a very wet and windy outside world to concentrate on a thoughtful work. Memorable was the viola opening of a later theme. The intrigue is that nobody knows why Brahms called it Tragic.
Schumann's Rhenish Symphony is a tribute to his arrival in Düsseldorf and more settled times. A trip on the Rhine from Cologne sparked the writing of the Symphony.
Webern's Langsamer Satz was enchanting and romantic. It sprung from a walking holiday in the Austrian mountains with his wife to be.
German pianist Lars Vogt gave the impression from my seat in the stalls that he was loving every moment of Beethoven's Emperor Piano Concerto. It was fun to see him every so often, after a run on his keyboard, turn to the orchestra as if to say 'now you - its your turn'.
This was a chamber concert that so suited a Sunday evening and played with such expertise that walking home in the rain really didn't matter. I felt fulfilled.
Event: Sunday 10th August 2014 at 7.30pm