SCO quality earns warm response
Alasdair Beatson Fraser Band The penultimate Perth concert of the season on April 11 was one of exceptional quality and interest from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under conductor Joseph Swensen with Amy Dickson on sax.
The opening of Sibelius’ suite ‘Pelleas and Melisande’, ‘At the Castle Gate’, had great colour and atmosphere, deepening with the cor anglais’ portrait of Melisande herself.
Through the nine movements of this suite the SCO fully conveyed everything from anguish through desolation to mystery and joyful dance.
James MacMillan’s ‘Saxophone Concerto’ was a co-commission of Perth Concert Hall and enjoyed its premiere.
Amy Dickson, here on soprano saxophone, brought out the characteristics of this 15-minute piece.
The scherzo-ish start of the first movement, called ‘March, Strathspey and Reel’, had the saxophone turn sarcastic and mocking at times. In ‘Gaelic Psalm’ the soloist led the cantillation with a lyrical line, the string orchestra growing in warmth.
The final ‘Jigs’ started with pizzicato accompaniment taken up by the soloist before extensive col legno and varied glissandos.
As with his ‘Oboe Concerto’, it was enthusiastically greeted by the Perth audience, as was James MacMillan himself.
Changing to the alto saxophone, Amy Dickson had beguiling tone in Glazunov’s ‘Saxophone Concerto.’ In it the three usual movements were combined into one, moving from the melancholy of the start through lush romantic tone and Amy Dickson via a cadenza of virtuosic cast, accelerating to a final section of technical dazzle.
The concert ended with a performance of Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No 8’ of peerless quality.
Joseph Swensen led a fiery start and a dance-inspired second theme, building to a terrific climax in what is supposed to be a little Beethoven symphony.
The allegretto scherzando, Beethoven’s joke on the metronome, was alert and faster then usual. The minuet bounced and bowled along, its trio superb in the two natural horns and Philip Higham’s solo cello.
Vivace was the right word for the finale: exciting, very fast and with pinpoint articulation.
The audience’s applause rightly recalled Joseph Swensen many times and he shared this with the SCO, giving them multiple section bows.