Scotland's national orchestra has unveiled attractive and exciting
plans for its forthcoming new season but there are serious doubts over
when, where -- and possibly if -- they will be heard by the capital's
music lovers.
Brochures giving details of a season containing highlights such as
"Damnation of Faust", "Springtime in Paris" and the full version of
Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Nights Dream" have already gone out in and
advance bookings started in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and
Perth, but the overrunning refurbishment of the Usher Hall means that
no firm arrangements can yet be made for Edinburgh concerts.
Music director Stephane Deneve has devised a season with some of his
own special favourites, with a recurrent emphasis on sea-related, with
the bonus of top-flight visiting conductors and soloists.
"We cannot take bookings until we know exactly what seating will be
available in the Usher Hall and what front-of-house arrangements are,"
says Chief Executive Simon Woods.
For the past year, the traditional Friday night Usher Hall concerts
have transferred to Sunday nights in the Festival Theatre. There is no
other venue in Edinburgh with the acoustics and audience capacity of
the Usher Hall -- and the Festival theatre has only two vacant days in
the coming year.
Work at the Usher Hall is being put on hold to make it available for
the International Festival in August. It resumes immediately after the
Festival but is unlikely to be sufficiently advanced in time for the
RSNO season opening concert on Friday, October 3.