Each orchestra has its way of arriving on stage. The KBS Symphony had all but the violins, violas and cellos in place, and then they arrived. Their Concertmaster did the last minute tune before the Orchestra's Music Director and Chief Conductor, Pietari Inkinen, took command. This is his first season with the KBS, following considerable experience with well known orchestras around the world.
The programme notes reminded us that Dvorák wrote two cello concerti, but only the second is remembered, written towards the end of his life. For us it was a delight to have as soloist Jaemin Han who was born in 2006 and is certainly in the early days of a brilliant career. Throughout the concerto the music from his cello sounded magical and never overwhelmed by the large orchestra around him. I felt I simply had to keep watching him as he played.
After the interval Pietari Inkinen conducted Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, a rousing work which was first rejected when it emerged in 1888 but grew to be one of the Composer's great symphonies. It helps to know that fate in many forms is its underlying theme.
The KBS Symphony Orchestra was established in 1956 under the Korean Broadcasting System. In 1969 it was acquired by Korea's Minsitry of Culture and Public Information, but returned to KBS in 1981. It was a considerable pleasure to hear them play such a polished performance in Edinburgh.
Event: Friday 11th August 2023 at 7.30pm