SCO, 13/05/2011

Mozart : Overture to "The Magic Flute"
              Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter"
              Requiem

Susan Gritton (soprano)
Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)
Steve Davislim (tenor)
David Wilson-Johnson (bass)
SCO Chorus (Gregory Batsleer)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
James Gaffigan

This turned into a peculiar, but ultimately enjoyable concert.  To be blunt about it, I prefer to pass over the first half (the "Flute" Overture, and the "Jupiter") almost entirely, because it was distinctly unmemorable, but I suspect there was a very good reason for it.  Throughout the entire proceedings, I was perturbed by a persistent electronic whine.  I know other audience members heard it, and I'd be extremely surprised if all the musicians didn't as well, and found it just as distracting as I did.  The net result was performances that were correct but perfunctory, certainly unworthy of this orchestra.

Whatever the problem was, it got resolved during the interval, and the second half was a completely different proposition altogether, one of the finest performances of Mozart's Requiem it has ever been my privilege to hear.

It's the first time I've heard the SCO Chorus in many years.  The current formation has an interesting sound, soft-grained, just a little covered.  I was worried for a few minutes at the start that the ladies (sopranos in particular) were never going to get their teeth into the sibilants (I was certainly hearing "Chrifte", rather than "Christe"), but that clarified once the initial Kyrie over.  They performed from memory, which is not something I've seen too often, and there was some very fine shading in certain passages of the Offertorium.

The orchestra played with all the colour and fire that had been completely lacking in the first half, impeccably paced, and the whole was completed by an excellent quartet of soloists.  Susan Gritton's voice was more fragile than I expected - not weak, but delicate, just on the right side of being precious, while it was a real pleasure to hear Steve Davislim's lovely, mellifluous tenor, wielded with grace and fervour.  All in all, an outstanding performance, and a fine end to the concert season.