Thank you to everyone who sent me a nice message after last night’s streaming of the latest concert in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra‘s digital series – on this occasion, a programme curated by their principal cellist Philip Higham and presenting two piano quartets by Mozart and Fauré.
Once again I had the impression that everyone must be stuck at home with more time than usual to think of things like writing to the performers, because I had an unusual number of appreciative responses and I believe my colleagues – Maria Wloszczowska, Felix Tanner and Philip Higham – did too.
The performance is free to watch, and remains online until 11 April. There are programme notes by David Kettle, free to read on the same web page that announces the concert.
Here also is a review of the performance by Vox Carnyx, Scotland’s new classical music website.
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra usually offers performances in orchestral format with many more players than a piano quartet, but in my view it’s an excellent and timely initiative to showcase the chamber music skills of individual players. A smaller format – just a few people on stage – lends itself so well to the current restrictions. And this type of music gives so much for talented instrumentalists to get their teeth into.
Speaking as a devoted chamber musician, I hope our current situation will give an extra boost to the profile of chamber music, a joyful repertoire which is so satisfying to play and listen to!
I am looking forward to listening to the concert tomorrow, here in Australia the timing of the broadcast made it difficult to all but the most devoted chamber music fans.
Sorry to make a side comment but I was thinking recently of your comment about composers such as Dvorak using unusual key signatures, perhaps to convince the public that this was indeed ‘proper’ classical music. Well, I’ve recently gotten a better job and I used my first pay check to buy some not too shabby editions of the Schubert sonatas (as you do). The earlier ones seem to me to be more awkward to play than the late ones. I wonder whether this was another example of a composer making his music more difficult than it needed to be in order to convince people of its seriousness. Anyway, that is all unrelated – congratulations on the great reviews!
James, you have a point, I think, about the young Schubert trying to make his piano music look serious. I agree that some of the early piano sonatas are very awkward to play!
The Mozart/Faure concert was such a treat. I didn’t manage to catch it last night but made time this afternoon to listen. Thanks to everyone involved in this splendid series.