The Scottish Chamber Orchestra 2015/2016 season features many of Brahms compositions and the opening concert at the Usher Hall began with his Academic Festival Overture, a lively piece celebrating the exuberance of students freshers week at Breshlau University, where Brahms was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1879. He not only adopted much humour in the composition but also incorporated the largest brass section in any of his compositions to create a rousing finale in the familiar ‘Gauidamus igutur’ coda. Conducted by the SCO’s Principal Conductor Robin Ticciati the orchestra engaged wholeheartedly in this stirring composition doing it great justice.
Isabella Faust, the talented German violinist, was the soloist in Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto written in 1935. One of the most famous violin concertos of the twentieth century, Berg’s inspiration for writing the work came as a result of the untimely death by polio of Mahler’s eighteen year old daughter whom Berg adored. Based on the theme of a requiem he dedicated the work ‘to the memory of an angel.’ The first movement being Andante sets the tone for this contemplative composition and finishes on an uncertain note. The second movement is quite different, resonant of agonising grief but in Faust’s solo she sensitively elicited a feeling of tranquillity and then soon after the music reverted – without a break in the last two movements – to a mood of turbulence and at the end of the piece there was a sense of resolution with a lengthy sustained top register note, beautifully sustained by Faust in which she so effectively enhanced the pathos permeating this composition.
The final piece on the programme was Brahms Symphony no 1 in C minor. Beethoven set a precedent with regard to bold symphonic works and in his wake, many composers, including Brahms, felt daunted about writing such compositions. However, with the influence of Beethoven, Schubert and Bach, Brahms succeeded in creating a memorable piece which embraced his sense of romanticism – prevalent in all his compositions. Brahms is adept at creating crescendos and producing remarkable themes and with Ticciati at the helm the musicians amply displayed their talents to produce a marvellous, robust finale.
Friday 9th October, 7.30pm Glasgow City Halls.
Ticket prices: £15/29