VoxCarnyx

City Halls, Glasgow

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra are shamelessly, but successfully, trading on the “Maxim” brand. He’s the orchestra’s charismatic left field chief conductor – Maxim Emelyanychev – and his zany presentational mark penetrated every aspect of Friday’s programme, entitled Maxim’s Baroque Inspirations. 

Even that had a tantalising dubiety. Did “Baroque” refer simply to the 17th/18th century musical epoch, or to its meaning in arts criticism as something bizarre or exaggerated? Given that this programme cast its net wider than Bach and his contemporaries – both in actual terms and by virtue of later influence – the former was stretching credibility. The latter, however, seemed more appropriate.

It hardly mattered in what was a captivating evening. There was barely a moment where activity ceased. The lights dimmed on an empty stage, then action: Emelyanychev bounded onto the platform with his SCO strings, having foregone their customary onstage warm-up, to launch immediately into Vaughan Williams’ Renaissance-inspired Fantasy on a theme by Thomas Tallis.  

In an acoustic naturally less glowing than the work’s original 1910 Gloucester Cathedral setting, Emelyanychev took every opportunity to explore forensically the score’s finest detail and antiphonal texturing. There were magical interactions, and just one or two moments of wavering intonation.

A few words from the restless maestro on the thinking behind the programme before he leapt towards the harpsichord for his solo spot in Philip Glass’ Harpsichord Concerto. A strangely incongruous work, with frequent jarring collisions between pastiche Baroque fantasia and the composer’s trademark minimalism that wouldn’t have been pout of place in a hammy 1970s TV horror soundtrack, it eventually took flight in an exuberant finale propelled by devilish rhythmic zest.

Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No 1, ended the opening half on a delicate note. There was jewel-like precision from an orchestra now enlarged to accommodate the composer’s refined re-imaging of the original Renaissance lute pieces. The opening Balletto: “Il Conto Orlando” was grace personified, complemented by a Galliarda that was sweet and jaunty. A plaintive Vilanella with gorgeous oboe solo and sporadic “pings” from the harp gave way to the closing Passo mezzo e mascherada, its agile flutey trumpet the icing on the cake.

The second half was genuine uninterrupted Baroque, opening with Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in B-flat, one of his fine Op 6 set, before taking us into unfamiliar Telemann territory with his Concerto in D minor for two Chalumeaux (forerunner of the clarinet) and a 1970 reconstruction of Bach’s spirited Triple Concerto in D.

These were a showcase for individual virtuosity within the SCO. The Corelli earned significant overtime for principal cellist Philip Higham, at one point racing through fistfuls of notes at hair-raising speed. The Chalumeau duo, Katherine Spencer and SCO clarinettist William Stafford, displayed an enticingly dulcet timbre in the Telemann, and there was scintillating team play from the Bach solo trio – violinists Stephanie Gonley, Marcus Barcham Stevens and Gordon Bragg.

If all that wasn’t enough to digest, the interval was consumed by Renaissance dances in the foyer, Emelyanychev now on cornett and sopranino recorder and egging on his fellow minstrels. He was even spotted on stage a moment later tuning the small chamber organ for the second half. Clearly his show!

Ken Walton