Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja last performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 1983. The Orchestra's Music Director, Thomas Søndergård, when telling us he was a mere young tympanist in the Royal Danish Orchestra when he first played with her, forewarned us to be ready for her sublime playing of the second movement of Beethoven's The Emperor concerto. And so it was - the applause brought her back on stage four times.
The evening had begun with a delightful short overture by a composer, Chevalier de Saint-Georges whose works are being rediscovered, his Overture to L’amant anonyme. In her pre-concert talk in the Upper Gallery foyer, violinist Ursula Heidecker-Allen concentrated on the fascinating life and work of Joseph Bologne, half French and half of African heritage, who, on being so honoured, thereafter called himself Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
Following the Saint-Georges overture, Thomas Søndergård conducted his smaller-than-usual orchestra in Haydn's The Bear Symphony, chosen for a very good reason. Saint-Georges was a leading musician in Paris - at one point conducting the Concert de la Loge Olympique when the Orchestra commissioned this symphony from Haydn. They gave it its first performance in 1787.
It was unusual to have a symphony before a concerto, but by goodness it worked - and we were able to go home absorbed by the memory of Elisabeth Leonskaja's keyboard mastery.
Event: Friday 25th October 2024 at 7.30pm