“Dive in headfirst to an evening of pure musical joy.”
The name “Baroque Inspirations” didn’t ring many bells for me, not being a connoisseur of classical music (my personal taste usually cuts off around 1970). But after spending my Friday night with the talented musicians of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and their energetic conductor Maxim Emelyanychev, I found a new appreciation for classical music, and I truly believes that even non-classical fans will really enjoy this lively evening.
The evening is divided up into 4 main movements, with the first two coming from 20th century composers inspired by the music and instruments of the Baroque period, and the latter two from composers from the era itself. I found the first half to be a more interesting spin on the theme – the music was cheeky, funny, unexpected, leaping about from a harpsichord solo (played by Emelyanychev) to a full sweeping orchestral moment. To many it may seem obvious, but I’d never seen before how conversational orchestral music could be – until I saw a double bass arguing with cellos and violas in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella.
In our second act, the music was more traditional, but still beautiful. A real highlight was first violin soloist Stephanie Gonley’s solo in Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico, soaring above her fellow soloist cello and second violin (Philip Higham and Marcus Barcham Stevens, respectively) in a heartbreakingly sorrowful and wild moment, leading to a gorgeous crescendo. There was also a fascinating array of traditional instruments used, from what I can only describe as a lute as big as a full-grown man, and what looked like a giant staff with bells on (see, I told you my musical knowledge is limited!)
I felt the main surprise of the evening lay in the interval performance. Maxim Emelyanychev led a few of his orchestra off-stage, into the lobby of the City Halls, performing a relaxed and cheery set of songs with a few instruments. Finally he called on us to sing and dance along for the last song, Pastime in Good Company by King Henry VIII – a few in the audience laughed, until he started handing us out sheet music and telling us to sing on verses two and four! It gave the feeling of being at a fete in a country village, singing not because you think you sound good but because music is something to be shared together.
I think that really exemplifies the ethos of the SCO – that music is for everybody and can be enjoyed by all, even if you don’t have the absolutely insane mastery of an instrument like each musician in the SCO, or have a cello that’s over 300 years old (that’s not an exaggeration – cello soloist Philip Higham’s cello was made in 1697, according to the programme notes).
Going to a classical music concert can sometimes still appear to be something for stuffy older people – and true, most of the attendees were several decades older than myself – but I don’t think there could be anything better than throwing yourself head first into the experience of great music played well, not waiting for any lyrics or direction to tell you what you should be thinking, and finding what emotion and story you yourself can sense from just the sound alone. The SCO is a great night out for anyone who wants to really feel how music can have an eternal impact, even hundreds of years later.