Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Mozart & Schubert

There are many reasons why the work of Mozart has stood the test of time so amazingly well. The subtle intricacies of his seemingly straightforward writing, his ability to write works so well-suited for a particular instrument and his delicate breaks from convention to name but a few. An overriding factor, however, seems to be performances such as the one this afternoon, as players from the SCO present the Trio in E flat for piano, clarinet and viola.

The three timbres compliment each other rather well, with sweeping—if sometimes slightly overblown—legato from clarinettist Barnaby Robson contrasting with the immaculate staccato semiquavers which are so characteristic to Mozart’s writing for the instrument. Overall, dynamic balance is good, with pianist Peter Evans and viola Caroline Henbest joining Robson in ensuring solo melodies come out just as well as unified passages.

Schubert’s Octet in F major brings to light the underrated colours of some less celebrated instruments. Melodies shine from bassoonist Guillermo Salcedo and horn player Gavin Edwards, while a powerful bass is maintained throughout from double bassist Graham Mitchell.  

For a piece written during a period of depression of the composers life, the Octet has some playful moments - the Scherzo, for example, which gracefully passes a bouncing theme between various instrument groups. A contrasting mood is brought forward in the theme and variations of the forth movement, in which expressiveness lies in abundance within the string section. The final movement however seems to stand out overall, with it’s slow and tense opening, extreme dynamic contrasts, and storming coda. The strings shine once again, with cellist David Watkin providing an especially passionate addition to the coda. First violinist Christopher George is somewhat below his usual standard throughout though, to his credit, it’s an exceptionally high standard to maintain. I don’t mind letting him off on this occasion.

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