Romantic music was the theme for the Valentine's Concert, and what better to start with an overture based on lovers Romeo and Juliet. This was Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture, one of his best known compositions. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra was then joined by celebrity pianist Makoto Ozone for Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - another well known work. Makoto Ozone's career had been built as a jazz pianist before he took on classical music. He charmed us with a jazz encore which included his handclapping and foot stamping. My photograph above shows him receiving the audience's applause.
The pre-concert talk in the Upper Circle foyer concentrated on what we were to hear after the interval. When asked to raise our hands, very few of us had previously heard Alexander von Zemlinsky's The Mermaid. Although first performed in 1905 and withdrawn two years later, part of the score ended up in Vienna and the rest in Washington DC - only to be reconnected in 1984. The Orchestra had not played it before but the night's conductor, Kevin John Edusei, most certainly had. Indeed it is clearly one of his specialities. His answering of questions, some challenging, by oboe player Peter Dykes demonstrated an admirable depth of intellect whether about the music or his global career which had begun in Germany.
Composer Zemlinsky was poised to be married when she called it off - and four months later she had married Gustav Mahler. Zemlinsky was heartbroken and decided the story behind Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid was the basis for a three movement work. The similarities with his situation were appropriate with total despondancy a key sector of the music. On first hearing, it was exciting, so much so that I look forward to hearing it again before too long. Thank you to conductor Kevin John Edusei for bringing to us..
Event: Friday 13th February 2026 at 7.30pm