If you believe Stéphane Denève’s opening words, and why shouldn’t we - the night’s programme was three works that encapsulated the finale of his seven year tenure as Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and included the full team, Orchestra, Chorus and Junior Chorus. Scottish music by James MacMillan, German by Richard Strauss and French by Ravel.
And why not - this was a farewell of a much loved and highly respected young man, still just 40, for whom the future on the world’s music stage is assured. We in Scotland have allowed him a very solid foundation in what was his first orchestra. And we at the Usher Hall have maintained our unique tradition of responding to the conductor’s greeting of Good Evening - although in French this time too. He’ll remember us.
James MacMillan’s Britannia is a thirteen minute overture written in 1994 and based on patriotic themes throughout Britain. For a moment Maya Iwabuchi, the Leader of the Orchestra, was as if playing the fiddle in a crofters inn, there was the hint of the national anthem, an Irish reel and a Cockney drinking song. The conductor had told us to listen out for the Scottish footballing whistle too.
Stéphane Denève spoke again and introduced Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks in German. Every part of the Orchestra was allowed to show of its best. And the fun was clearly there.
After the interval Brian Lang, the Chair of the RSNO, was on the stage along with Mrs Äsa Denève - but where was the conductor? On he came - dressed in kilt and black jacket; Hunting Denève the tartan, I think, but am not quite sure. The short speeches and formal farewell were handled with great dignity by Brian Lang, with an appropriate response from Stéphane Denève.
Part of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé was played at the very first concert Stéphane Denève conducted the RSNO in 2003. With the two Choruses at the back of the Orchestra and with the benefit of green superscript on a black background we heard the work all the way through. It confirmed, as if we did not already know, the expertise the RSNO now has in French romantic works.
The five minute long standing ovation from the entire audience at the end said it all.
For the past year Stéphane’s already been Chief Conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. In the next twelve months additionally his new website tells us he is listed as guest conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Barcelona Opera, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Farewell - and all the very best.
Event: Friday 11 May 2012, 7.30pm