The conductor at last night's performance at the Usher Hall with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra was Leon Fleisher. At the age of 83, he continues to lead an extraordinary multifarious musical career as a renowned pianist, masterclass mentor and conductor. Conducting some of the world's leading orchestras, he is a master in his field and we had an example of his superlative, minimalistic conducting expertise at this concert.
With Fleisher conducting seated from the podium the programme began with Beethoven's rumbustious Coriolan Overture written in 1807. This piece requires particular precision from the players as it is imbued with a great variety of tempi and under Fleisher's baton the orchestra sounded superb.
Nicholas Angelich was the soloist in Beethoven's piano concerto No 2 in B-flat major. The nervousness he displayed at the beginning, as he frequently adjusted his piano stool, quite belied the confident performance he ultimately gave of this popular concerto - particularly his rendition of the lengthy, complex cadenza towards the end of the first movement. And in the slow movement Angelich displayed a gift for eliciting tender emotions.
After the interval Fleisher and Angelich delighted the audience by unexpectedly playing a duet - Dvorak's Slavonic Dance arranged for 4 hands. Teacher and pupil playing together, it was enchanting and judging from Angelich's expression, he was thrilled to be accompanying this master of the piano.
The final piece on the programme was Mozart's very last Symphony No 41 in C major known as the Jupiter symphony. Fleisher obviously knows the score intimately and as with the Beethoven symphony, he brought out the best in the players and controlled the orchestra with aplomb, particularly in the final movement, which requires much technical expertise on the part of the orchestra.
All in all, it was a most enjoyable evening.
Friday 25 November - Glasgow City Halls 7.30pm
Saturday 26 November - Aberdeen Music Hall 7.30pm