thu 28/03/2024

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ticciati, Usher Hall, Edinburgh | reviews, news & interviews

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ticciati, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ticciati, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Three racy French scores overshadow Kevin Volans's new journey to nowhere

Robin Ticciati: Line and life in three French scoresChris Christodoulou
Which of the following has the thorniest dissonance: an early 18th-century dance-drama by Rebel, a symphony by Bizet, a concerto by Poulenc or a new work by South African composer Kevin Volans? If you think it's a trick question, you'll guess the right answer: the earliest. And which of the four sounds the least fresh and novel? My own take on that is the most recent.

Which of the following has the thorniest dissonance: an early 18th-century dance-drama by Rebel, a symphony by Bizet, a concerto by Poulenc or a new work by South African composer Kevin Volans? If you think it's a trick question, you'll guess the right answer: the earliest. And which of the four sounds the least fresh and novel? My own take on that is the most recent.

A few baleful woodwind chords apart, the progress of Volans's CSS Alabama is without compelling ideas

Share this article

Add comment

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters