There was a large audience in the Reid Hall, Forfar, on Saturday evening for a concert of Tchaikovsky’s music by Tayside Symphony Orchestra. They were not disappointed – the members of the orchestra rose to the occasion and displayed a very wonderful sense of togetherness and eagerness to follow, in great detail, what conductor Richard Allan asked for in both timing and dynamics.
In all, this was a most satisfying evening and the members have every right to be proud of their efforts. It also displayed the amount of work that must have gone into the preparation as there were not many rehearsals. I have been privileged to have attended all rehearsals and it was fascinating from the outset that Richard was clear about what he wanted – and that he was going to get it! Richard and the soloist, Maya Iwabuchi, Leader of RSNO, worked extremely hard to ensure everyone played their part.
The main feature of the recital was undoubtedly Maya’s playing which featured the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Maya displayed a simply wonderful ability to demonstrate the versatility of the violin and the orchestra responded excellently to her lead. The orchestral playing demonstrated a breadth of emotions, moving from a major to a minor key with increasing intensity until the triumphant coda. One of the features of Maya’s playing was the delightful feeling that she could, if she had wished, increased the tempo despite the intricacy of the solo passages– her control was perfect. She was very warmly welcomed by the audience on her arrival and was enthusiastically appreciated at the end of her work.
The concert opened with Marche Slave, which was commissioned by the Russian Musical Society to
benefit the Red Cross Society in support of Serbian veterans wounded during the Serbo-Turkish War. The military backdrop of the period was evident throughout the work, with the woodwind and brass sections in particular excelling throughout and leading to a resounding conclusion.
Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony is a very demanding work for an amateur orchestra and Richard is to be congratulated on guiding the orchestra through a number of elaborate passages to the rousing finale. Special mention must be made of the outstanding French Horn contributions throughout the symphony.