Just two works for this Royal Scottish National Orchestra concert; the contrast between them dramatic. A lively exposition of all a soprano saxophone can do, against the depths of depair of a symphony written in Russia during the Second World War.
Edinburgh University educated Anna Clyne is a highly respected composer now living in the United States who has made a name for herself writing for instrumentalists. After an earlier short collaboration, she used her Irish roots and the tales of the mythical banshee for Jess Gillam's soprano saxophone. It was a fascinating twenty five minutes with Gillam leading the Orchestra through the folklore of Clyne's Glasslands.
At the well attended pre-concert talk principal trumpet, Christopher Hart, was in an interesting discussion with Jess Gillam and all things saxophone. When she left to get herself ready, Hart gave a run down in preparation for the Shostakovich symphony.
We welcomed back the thirty-three year old music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Jonathon Heyward. His was the task to conduct the Orchestra through the massive Eighth Symphony of Shostakovich. In its long first movement the depths of despair of a Soviet Union in the midst of the worst of the Second World War were all too apparent. And then came some relief as the Allegretto moved on to Allegro non troppo, and without a gap to the Largo. With some significant solo contributions, rightly recognised at the end, the sixty five minute long symphony ended with us wondering just what was Shostakovich thinking. After adulation for his previous large work, this eighth was not acceptable to those in power. With Russia at war with Ukraine, the performance was particularly thought provoking and timely.
Event: Friday 4th April at 7.30pm