SCO Felix Yaniewicz and the Scottish Enlightenment Queen's Hall Edinburgh 2022 Review
SCO Felix Yaniewicz and the Scottish Enlightenment at the Queen’s Hall Edinburgh tonight was, for me, one of the more unusual concerts in their current 2022/23 programme and the reason I like this orchestra so much - their ability to so often do the unexpected.
Many of the leading European composers, and some of the traditional Scottish songs I was already familiar with, but the titular figure in tonight’s programme, Felix Yaniewicz, I have to admit was a new name to me.
The story of why Polish-Lithuanian composer and virtuoso violinist Felix Yaniewicz fled the politics and changes of the Europe of his day (in particular France) is not an uncommon one, but his eventual arrival in Edinburgh at the time of the Scottish Enlightenment and the role he was to play in the performance and promotion of both European and Scottish music is, as I found out this evening, a rather unique one.
Finding out tonight that Felix Yaniewicz was one of the driving forces behind the Edinburgh Music Festival held between 30 October and 4 November 1815 with further festivals in 1819 and 1824 was a surprise to me, and this evening’s re-creation by the SCO of just what sort of music programme audiences would probably have listened to at the time was like taking a little step back in time to the early 19th century. Here music (SCO) and song (mezzo soprano Tara Erraught) combine into an evening of music which differs from most SCO concerts by virtue of containing more musical works, but of shorter length. The Queen’s Hall is a former church that was originally opened in 1824, and having this concert performed in an of the period building added much to the overall feel of how audiences of the time would have heard and seen a performance like this. The only other perfect venue would, of course, have been in St Cecilia’s Hall which was an original concert venue of the time.
This evening’s musical programme conducted by Peter Whelan (also on Harpsichord) gives us not only an insight into how a growing middle class/merchant class Edinburgh audience was starting to spend its money on “cultural entertainment” from Europe, but how easily Felix Yaniewicz was able to integrate himself with the growing artistic and political ideals of the Scottish Enlightenment. It seems that Felix was almost destined to find an artistic and cultural home in Edinburgh. Also of interest to me this evening is the ability to see in a concert programme like this just how interwoven with each other the leading figures of European music of the 18th and 19th century were. Here we have Mozart arranging the work of Handel and Johann Christian Bach (son of Johann Sebastian Bach) with Four Scotch Songs while the man many consider to be the father of Chamber Orchestras as we know them, Haydn, is represented by his Symphony No 100 ‘Military’.
This merging of classical European music of the day with traditional Scottish song was perfectly brought to life by the SCO and the very expressive vocal talents of Tara Erraught and I have no doubt that 19th century audiences would have enjoyed tonight’s musical programme as much as the 21st century one did.
The programme for this evening was as follows
MOZART Overture, Die Entführung aus dem Serail
GIORDANI Caro Mio Ben*
YANIEWICZ Go Youth belov'd*
THOMAS ERSKINE, EARL of KELLY Overture in C Op 1 No 2
MOZART Exsultate Jubilate*
HANDEL (arr MOZART) Overture, Alexander’s Feast
JC BACH Four Scotch Songs No 3 Lochaber + No 4 The Broom of Cowdenknows*
HAYDN Symphony No 100 ‘Military’
Peter Whelan Conductor/Harpsichord
Tara Erraught Mezzo soprano
Review by Tom King © 2022
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
Many of the leading European composers, and some of the traditional Scottish songs I was already familiar with, but the titular figure in tonight’s programme, Felix Yaniewicz, I have to admit was a new name to me.
The story of why Polish-Lithuanian composer and virtuoso violinist Felix Yaniewicz fled the politics and changes of the Europe of his day (in particular France) is not an uncommon one, but his eventual arrival in Edinburgh at the time of the Scottish Enlightenment and the role he was to play in the performance and promotion of both European and Scottish music is, as I found out this evening, a rather unique one.
Finding out tonight that Felix Yaniewicz was one of the driving forces behind the Edinburgh Music Festival held between 30 October and 4 November 1815 with further festivals in 1819 and 1824 was a surprise to me, and this evening’s re-creation by the SCO of just what sort of music programme audiences would probably have listened to at the time was like taking a little step back in time to the early 19th century. Here music (SCO) and song (mezzo soprano Tara Erraught) combine into an evening of music which differs from most SCO concerts by virtue of containing more musical works, but of shorter length. The Queen’s Hall is a former church that was originally opened in 1824, and having this concert performed in an of the period building added much to the overall feel of how audiences of the time would have heard and seen a performance like this. The only other perfect venue would, of course, have been in St Cecilia’s Hall which was an original concert venue of the time.
This evening’s musical programme conducted by Peter Whelan (also on Harpsichord) gives us not only an insight into how a growing middle class/merchant class Edinburgh audience was starting to spend its money on “cultural entertainment” from Europe, but how easily Felix Yaniewicz was able to integrate himself with the growing artistic and political ideals of the Scottish Enlightenment. It seems that Felix was almost destined to find an artistic and cultural home in Edinburgh. Also of interest to me this evening is the ability to see in a concert programme like this just how interwoven with each other the leading figures of European music of the 18th and 19th century were. Here we have Mozart arranging the work of Handel and Johann Christian Bach (son of Johann Sebastian Bach) with Four Scotch Songs while the man many consider to be the father of Chamber Orchestras as we know them, Haydn, is represented by his Symphony No 100 ‘Military’.
This merging of classical European music of the day with traditional Scottish song was perfectly brought to life by the SCO and the very expressive vocal talents of Tara Erraught and I have no doubt that 19th century audiences would have enjoyed tonight’s musical programme as much as the 21st century one did.
The programme for this evening was as follows
MOZART Overture, Die Entführung aus dem Serail
GIORDANI Caro Mio Ben*
YANIEWICZ Go Youth belov'd*
THOMAS ERSKINE, EARL of KELLY Overture in C Op 1 No 2
MOZART Exsultate Jubilate*
HANDEL (arr MOZART) Overture, Alexander’s Feast
JC BACH Four Scotch Songs No 3 Lochaber + No 4 The Broom of Cowdenknows*
HAYDN Symphony No 100 ‘Military’
Peter Whelan Conductor/Harpsichord
Tara Erraught Mezzo soprano
Review by Tom King © 2022
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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