The Scottish Chamber Orchestra's commitment to commissioning new work created an interesting and unusual programme of Stuart Mac Rae, Haflidi Hallgrímsson and an old favourite, all too rarely performed, Metamorphosen: A Study for 23 Solo Strings by Richard Strauss. All fairly modern works dating from 1945 or later, the orchestra under the direction of conductor John Storgårds performed well through even the most challenging commissions.
The first performance of the evening was an SCO commission by Stuart MacRae entitled Birches (2007). Inspired by birch trees from the Highlands, this piece stood apart for its exploration of tonality and rhythmic complexity. Sparse col legno effects, glissandi and squeaks here and there created interesting textural ideas which were featured throughout the piece.However, the formality of the structure was let down by the reliance on contrasting heavy bass and shrill violins, especially in the middle sections of the piece. Additionally, difficult rhythms (perhaps overtly difficult), created a sense of consistent movement but ultimately led to confusion of the main content of the piece.
Drawing in the crowds was cellist Truls Mørk, a distinguished veteran of the cello world, performing Haflidi Hallgrímsson's Second Cello Concerto. Using every possible colour of vibrato, his cello sang beautifully, creating a fine performance with charm and beauty. Rarely does one hear such a virtuosic piece played so precisely, from the flying unison double-stop octaves to the difficult harmonic leaps and the high register melodies. Despite the piece's unusual structure – it is based around a long middle section - the piece had some lovely movements. Highlights were the opening and close of the work, sections which both began senza vibrato, with pulsating extension D-flats in the double basses. This really set the tone of the work allowing Mørk to colour the texture in his own unique and beautiful way.
As the title suggests, Richard Strauss' Metamorphosen: A Study for 23 Solo Strings requires 23 strong orchestral players who can perform both soloistically and also blend in as part of a larger orchestral group. The piece only works well if all the players are exceptional and this accounts for one of the reasons it is not performed much in the amateur circles. Starting with the cellos and double basses, conductor John Storgårds propelled the orchestra to draw all possible dynamic colour out of Strauss' opening sustained melody. The only signs of imperfection were that some players played more soloistically than others. But it was such a beautiful performance I just sat back, closed my notebook allowing their great wallow of sound to wash over me: a fine, fine performance from the string sections of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
By Mary Robb