SCO Sibelius Violin Concerto Queen's Hall Edinburgh 16th January 2025 Review
Scottish Chamber Orchestra Sibelius Violin Concerto featuring Geneva Lewis at The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh tonight was, along with his symphony No 6, a chance to hear together two of this often enigmatic composer’s most popular works.
Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor (1903-04, rev 1905) has a well-earned place as not only one of the most popular works for violin of all time, but also as one of the most technically demanding too. Over three movements, Sibelius creates a wonderland of music that plays with elements of traditional folk music whilst also creating something entirely new, bold and still today, over 100 years after its creation, fresh and innovative.
The sheer beauty of this work is at odds with the chaos in the composer's personal life at the time of writing when he was drinking heavily and creating havoc amongst the lives of friends and family. You can, if you listen closely, hear elements of this personal struggle with his inner demons in this work.
It takes a violinist of exceptional skills to perform not only the technical requirements of this work, but also to express the emotional nature of it, and perhaps this is deliberate. Sibelius himself, despite taking up the instrument a little too late in his life, had dreams of being a world class violin soloist. These dreams were to turn into huge personal disappointment when, at age 26, his audition for a prestigious post at the Vienna Philharmonic was turned down. Was this violin concerto partly written to live out his dreams in part through a violinist performing at a level that he now knew was never to be his destiny?
Tonight, that exceptional talent to play this work was New Zealand born violinist Geneva Lewis, and more remarkable is that we were all watching someone still in the early days of her career as a soloist. Aside from the technical demands, Sibelius created a work here that often gives the illusion of improvisation by the performer, when in fact every detail is so carefully scored. There is a special place that this music takes both performer and listener into, and watching the smiles on the faces of so many of the SCO musicians, particularly violinists, as they watched and listened to Geneva’s performance tonight clearly illustrated the ability of Sibelius through his music to touch people’s hearts and souls This performance by Geneva Lewis deserved all the applause that this audience gave it tonight.
Staying very firmly in the unique soundscape that Sibelius could create, his Symphony No 6 in D minor (1914 to 1923) created another wonderful soundscape, but often this was a far darker place than his violin concerto. His often repetitive use of small phrases to create an almost mechanical, machine atmosphere is at odds with the melodic music of other parts of this symphony. It is almost as if Sibelius is creating a bridge between the post war influences of European music and so much of what was to come from both himself and other composers in the inter war years (1919 to 1939).
The opening work of tonight’s concert was by a composer that I have to admit was a new discovery to me, one of Poland’s most respected composers, Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969). This work, Concerto for String Orchestra (1948), is over its three movements a remarkable work, that despite being so well known in Poland needs to be heard by a far wider audience.
Part of the reason for the low profile of Grażyna Bacewicz and her music is no small part due to two things; the fact that she was, like so many other female musicians and composers, struggling to make herself heard in a male dominated world of music, but also global politics. Sadly, Grażyna Bacewicz was working under the severe restrictions of Soviet politics that dominated post WWII Poland. Somehow though this work whilst conforming to state approval also clearly draws many of its influences from the not so approved history of European classical music. If I have to pick a favourite moment from this work, it is the opening of the second movement and its use of the cello as it mixes almost like a breath of air into the harmonies from the other stings.
Bringing all of tonight’s music into life (along with the SCO), and sharing along the way his obvious affection and enthusiasm for everything whilst also sharing with us all some valuable insights to what we were about to hear at the start of the concert, was conductor Joseph Swensen.
As so often with the SCO old musical friends introduce new ones, but the quality of the performance is never in doubt.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor (1903-04, rev 1905) has a well-earned place as not only one of the most popular works for violin of all time, but also as one of the most technically demanding too. Over three movements, Sibelius creates a wonderland of music that plays with elements of traditional folk music whilst also creating something entirely new, bold and still today, over 100 years after its creation, fresh and innovative.
The sheer beauty of this work is at odds with the chaos in the composer's personal life at the time of writing when he was drinking heavily and creating havoc amongst the lives of friends and family. You can, if you listen closely, hear elements of this personal struggle with his inner demons in this work.
It takes a violinist of exceptional skills to perform not only the technical requirements of this work, but also to express the emotional nature of it, and perhaps this is deliberate. Sibelius himself, despite taking up the instrument a little too late in his life, had dreams of being a world class violin soloist. These dreams were to turn into huge personal disappointment when, at age 26, his audition for a prestigious post at the Vienna Philharmonic was turned down. Was this violin concerto partly written to live out his dreams in part through a violinist performing at a level that he now knew was never to be his destiny?
Tonight, that exceptional talent to play this work was New Zealand born violinist Geneva Lewis, and more remarkable is that we were all watching someone still in the early days of her career as a soloist. Aside from the technical demands, Sibelius created a work here that often gives the illusion of improvisation by the performer, when in fact every detail is so carefully scored. There is a special place that this music takes both performer and listener into, and watching the smiles on the faces of so many of the SCO musicians, particularly violinists, as they watched and listened to Geneva’s performance tonight clearly illustrated the ability of Sibelius through his music to touch people’s hearts and souls This performance by Geneva Lewis deserved all the applause that this audience gave it tonight.
Staying very firmly in the unique soundscape that Sibelius could create, his Symphony No 6 in D minor (1914 to 1923) created another wonderful soundscape, but often this was a far darker place than his violin concerto. His often repetitive use of small phrases to create an almost mechanical, machine atmosphere is at odds with the melodic music of other parts of this symphony. It is almost as if Sibelius is creating a bridge between the post war influences of European music and so much of what was to come from both himself and other composers in the inter war years (1919 to 1939).
The opening work of tonight’s concert was by a composer that I have to admit was a new discovery to me, one of Poland’s most respected composers, Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969). This work, Concerto for String Orchestra (1948), is over its three movements a remarkable work, that despite being so well known in Poland needs to be heard by a far wider audience.
Part of the reason for the low profile of Grażyna Bacewicz and her music is no small part due to two things; the fact that she was, like so many other female musicians and composers, struggling to make herself heard in a male dominated world of music, but also global politics. Sadly, Grażyna Bacewicz was working under the severe restrictions of Soviet politics that dominated post WWII Poland. Somehow though this work whilst conforming to state approval also clearly draws many of its influences from the not so approved history of European classical music. If I have to pick a favourite moment from this work, it is the opening of the second movement and its use of the cello as it mixes almost like a breath of air into the harmonies from the other stings.
Bringing all of tonight’s music into life (along with the SCO), and sharing along the way his obvious affection and enthusiasm for everything whilst also sharing with us all some valuable insights to what we were about to hear at the start of the concert, was conductor Joseph Swensen.
As so often with the SCO old musical friends introduce new ones, but the quality of the performance is never in doubt.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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