This was the first of a series of lunchtime concerts from the recently renamed Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. If this one is typical of the series then the audiences have a treat in store. The price (free, though a retiring collection is requested) is very competitive and represents outstanding value.
In this concert the Playfair Orchestra presented ‘Verklarte Nacht’ (Transfigured Night) by Shoenberg. This is a single movement presentation of Dehmel’s poem of the same name. Chris George, the conductor, read the poem as an opening. This was a welcome touch and illuminated the event. As the concert fell on the Feast of the Transfiguration in many church calendars and this was held in the welcoming surroundings of the Cathedral this was a very apposite choice of piece.
This string sextet was superbly played in a lyrical and flowing manner: an experience of how good chamber music can be. Liam Lynch’s expressive and authoritative playing on 1st violin was an absolute pleasure; Emma Peebles brought a delicious sweetness to her flourishes on 1st viola. Chris George conducted unobtrusively and can take great credit for a tight performance that drew out the tonal nature of the piece and echoed the poem with which he opened. If the rest of the series follows the very high standard of this opener, a large number of people are going to go back to work well refreshed for the afternoon.
