SCO Baroque Threads, Contemporary Colours Queen's Hall Edinburgh 23rd April 2026 Review
Baroque Threads, Contemporary Colours at the Queen's Hall Edinburgh tonight was exactly what the concert title advertised it as - a look at how selected 20th and 21st century composers have looked back at the Baroque music period and used its musical threads to create new work that also reflected their contemporary time-frames.
This programme of music also had another influence, work that was either specifically written for or heavily used the unique tonal range of the viola. Adding his own influence and insight to "Baroque Threads, Contemporary Colour" was director and internationally acclaimed viola player Lawrence Power. Also adding to this mixture was the fact that many composers throughout history, including Mozart and tonight's Ralph Vaughan Williams, were also viola players themselves.
The complete programme of music tonight was as below
COUPERIN (1668-1733) arr ADÈS (1994) Les barricades mystérieuses (1717)
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra (Selection) (1934)
TIPPETT (1905-1998) Fantasia on a Theme of Corelli (1953)
RAMEAU (1683-1764) Les Sauvages (1735)
LINDBERG (b. 1958) Viola Concerto (2023-24) (Scottish Premiere)
Each of the works performed this evening could easily have a review written specifically for them, so the best that can be done here is a brief overview of each. What connects them all, however, is the obvious love that Lawrence Power (and so many SCO musicians) have for the composers and their music that they were performing. An introduction or thoughts on these pieces by Lawrence Power added much to the overall feeling and contemporary connectivity to those baroque threads this evening.
This was also the chance for the often much under-rated and under-used viola to step out of the shadows between violins and cellos, and with the talents of Lawrence Power (and the composers of the music) let us all in the audience clearly appreciate what an expressive instrument this is. Throughout this music Lawrence Power's ability to captivate his audience effortlessly demonstrated why he is in such demand world-wide as a performer, and perhaps the most obvious place to highlight that was with the last, and most contemporary, work LINDBERG Viola Concerto.
The Baroque threads that are woven throughout this work are often instantly identifiable as to their source material, but Magnus Lindberg has woven them with contemporary colours to somehow create something that feels like it should always have been together. This is one of those works that really defies written description. To fully appreciate it you have to listen to it (preferably as a live performance) and simply immerse yourself in its sonic landscape.
Two of the shorter works this evening, the opening COUPERIN Les barricades mystérieuses (1717) arr ADÈS (1994) and RAMEAU Les Sauvages (1735) probably raise the most questions today. Just what is the "mysterious barricades" that the composer is referring to. He never wanted to tell us and so many people have been offering their version of the answer for centuries.
The very title of Rameau’s Les Sauvages with its inspiration taken from Native Americans (who were at the French Royal court) will provoke a reaction today, but here the composer was not using our direct (and poor) English use of the word. Instead he was referring to people of the wilderness. This work has a rhythmic heart to it that is pounded out with a Jingling Johnny (essentially bells on a wooden pole) and there is a Shamanistic quality to it. For me though, it also reminded me of the rhythm of Morris dancers.
Two major and longer works completed the music for this evening, a selection from VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra (1934) and TIPPETT Fantasia on a Theme of Corelli (1953). These two works, despite their Baroque threads, could not be more different. Both are wonderful works in their own right, but where VAUGHAN WILLIAMS has created music that blends his love of English and folk music into a piece that ebbs and flows back and forth in time, TIPPETT has in his work, which was originally premiered at the 1953 Edinburgh International Festival, created music that is challenging for the musicians and in many areas, for the listener too. Still this exploration into the dark and light, musically and emotionally is so obviously both loved and inspirational by so many musicians today. It was also interesting to hear from SCO viola player Steve King (whilst the stage was being re-set from the previous music) about how he remembered working with Michael Tippett during the SCO's recording of this work.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
This programme of music also had another influence, work that was either specifically written for or heavily used the unique tonal range of the viola. Adding his own influence and insight to "Baroque Threads, Contemporary Colour" was director and internationally acclaimed viola player Lawrence Power. Also adding to this mixture was the fact that many composers throughout history, including Mozart and tonight's Ralph Vaughan Williams, were also viola players themselves.
The complete programme of music tonight was as below
COUPERIN (1668-1733) arr ADÈS (1994) Les barricades mystérieuses (1717)
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra (Selection) (1934)
TIPPETT (1905-1998) Fantasia on a Theme of Corelli (1953)
RAMEAU (1683-1764) Les Sauvages (1735)
LINDBERG (b. 1958) Viola Concerto (2023-24) (Scottish Premiere)
Each of the works performed this evening could easily have a review written specifically for them, so the best that can be done here is a brief overview of each. What connects them all, however, is the obvious love that Lawrence Power (and so many SCO musicians) have for the composers and their music that they were performing. An introduction or thoughts on these pieces by Lawrence Power added much to the overall feeling and contemporary connectivity to those baroque threads this evening.
This was also the chance for the often much under-rated and under-used viola to step out of the shadows between violins and cellos, and with the talents of Lawrence Power (and the composers of the music) let us all in the audience clearly appreciate what an expressive instrument this is. Throughout this music Lawrence Power's ability to captivate his audience effortlessly demonstrated why he is in such demand world-wide as a performer, and perhaps the most obvious place to highlight that was with the last, and most contemporary, work LINDBERG Viola Concerto.
The Baroque threads that are woven throughout this work are often instantly identifiable as to their source material, but Magnus Lindberg has woven them with contemporary colours to somehow create something that feels like it should always have been together. This is one of those works that really defies written description. To fully appreciate it you have to listen to it (preferably as a live performance) and simply immerse yourself in its sonic landscape.
Two of the shorter works this evening, the opening COUPERIN Les barricades mystérieuses (1717) arr ADÈS (1994) and RAMEAU Les Sauvages (1735) probably raise the most questions today. Just what is the "mysterious barricades" that the composer is referring to. He never wanted to tell us and so many people have been offering their version of the answer for centuries.
The very title of Rameau’s Les Sauvages with its inspiration taken from Native Americans (who were at the French Royal court) will provoke a reaction today, but here the composer was not using our direct (and poor) English use of the word. Instead he was referring to people of the wilderness. This work has a rhythmic heart to it that is pounded out with a Jingling Johnny (essentially bells on a wooden pole) and there is a Shamanistic quality to it. For me though, it also reminded me of the rhythm of Morris dancers.
Two major and longer works completed the music for this evening, a selection from VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra (1934) and TIPPETT Fantasia on a Theme of Corelli (1953). These two works, despite their Baroque threads, could not be more different. Both are wonderful works in their own right, but where VAUGHAN WILLIAMS has created music that blends his love of English and folk music into a piece that ebbs and flows back and forth in time, TIPPETT has in his work, which was originally premiered at the 1953 Edinburgh International Festival, created music that is challenging for the musicians and in many areas, for the listener too. Still this exploration into the dark and light, musically and emotionally is so obviously both loved and inspirational by so many musicians today. It was also interesting to hear from SCO viola player Steve King (whilst the stage was being re-set from the previous music) about how he remembered working with Michael Tippett during the SCO's recording of this work.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
Please note that unless requested by performers/pr/venues this website no longer uses the "star rating" system on reviews.