Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Source: The List (Issue 586)
Date: 20 September 2007
Written by: Carol Main

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Classic Bites, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 21 Sep; Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 22 Sep; Opening Concert, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Sep; Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 29 Sep

NEW SEASON

The leaves on the trees are starting to fall, so it must be new season time not just outside, but inside the country’s concert halls too. One difference this year for the RSNO is that their normal Edinburgh concert hall is keeping its doors firmly shut.

As Phase II of the Usher Hall’s renovations go ahead, the orchestra relocates for one year to Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Not that the change of venue is affecting what they will perform. With music director Stéphane Denève thrilled to extend his contract to 2011, the orchestra’s celebration of the symphonies of Mahler continues with Nos. 3 and 4, ballet music is a new theme, French music is to the fore and quite simply, as Denève says: ‘We have a fantastic year to look forward to.’

Although the season makes its formal start with a full-blown, wow-the-audience programme of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, a new commission from French composer Guillaume Connesson and Emanual Ax as pianist in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, there are a couple of Classic Bites taster concerts as tempting prelude. Stéphane’s Playlist features excerpts from the forthcoming season, as well as introducing the orchestra’s new assistant conductor, David Danzmarr. Concert-goers to this first Classic Bites concert can enjoy it all again by downloading the complete performance on a track-by-track basis free of charge. If you don’t approve of Denève’s programming, you can vote for your own favourites instead.

In an unprecedented move, public voting is open now and the pieces that are most popular will be heard in February. Chief Executive Simon Woods says: ‘Classic Bites is an affordable and accessible way to hear great orchestral music, and I am especially pleased that we have introduced an element of unpredictability by asking the audience.’ Who knows, it might just catch on.

More: Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Previews (Music), Classical (Music)