Scottish Chamber Orchestra 2

Usher Hall, Edinburgh ☆☆☆☆

It was apt that Robin Ticciati should bring his nine extraordinary years as the SCO’S principal conductor to an end with a cycle of Brahms symphonies – numbers one and three the previous evening, with two and four in this concert. During his time with the SCO, Ticciati has frequently strayed into the symphonic repertoire with mixed results. While his light and delicate approach worked with Schumann, Brahms is a different proposition, even for the SCO who play with such vitality, passion and commitment.

There’s a complexity to Brahms’ scoring which requires a subtle balancing of forces. In Symphony No 2 in D major although the cellos and basses anchored the tune, the violins lacked heft, especially when pitted against the magnificence of the horn section. After some underwhelming woodwind contributions in the middle two movements, there was more integrity and character in the spirited finale. And the players seemed more attuned to an expansive sound world in the rousing opening to Symphony No 4 in E minor although the marchlike third movement lacked gravitas.

While Ticciati is a master of the nuanced gesture, overall there wasn’t enough finessing or shading of the finer details to really bring off these symphonies.

SUSAN NICKALLS