The Story of Vadim's Violin

 
Picture the scene... It's 1878 and the 38-year old Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is taking a break in Clarens, Switzerland. He is working on a Violin Concerto with his composition pupil Iosif Kotek. Four years previously in 1874, Tchaikovsky had witnessed a performance in Moscow by violinist Leopold Auer (who had championed Tchaikovsky's symphonic works when he was still a little-known composer) and went on to praise Leopold Auer's "great expressivity, the thoughtful finesse and poetry of the interpretation."
 
Leopold Auer played a 1689 Stradivarius violin; one of the best violins in the world. The sound created by this violin and this violinist must have stuck in Tchaikovsky's mind as he went on to dedicate his Sérénade mélancolique to him a year later.

It is perhaps then little surprise that when it came to dedicating his first (and only) violin concerto that Leopold Auer and his Stradivarius would again spring to Tchaikovsky's mind as his preferred soloist for its premiere, and also its dedication.

The date for the premiere was set for March 1879. However Auer refused and the concert had to be cancelled and a new soloist found.

Initially it was reported that Auer thought the work was "unplayable", but sources now suggest Auer thought that "some of the passages were suited to the character of the instrument, and that, however perfectly rendered, they would not sound as well as the composer had imagined."

Over two and a half years passed and the premiere of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto was eventually given by Adolf Brodsky in Vienna on 4 December 1881. A second edition was published and Tchaikovsky changed the dedication to Adolf Brodsky.

Fast forward 131 years, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is widely acknowledged to be among the most technically difficult works for violin. It has also become one of the best known and best loved of all violin concertos. And the "ex-Leopold Auer" Stradivarius has a new owner in Vadim Gluzman.

Over the next three nights Vadim Gluzman will join Music Director Peter Oundjian and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on stage to perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto on the instrument that was intended to give its premiere. So when you come along to our concerts in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow this weekend and marvel at the music you're hearing Vadim Gluzman play, just think: you're listening to the very same instrument that Tchaikovsky wrote it for!

Nicola Benedetti & Miloš Karadaglić winners at Classic Brit Awards 2012

The Classic Brit Awards 2012 took place on Tuesday night and we are delighted to tell you that Nicola Benedetti and Miloš Karadaglić, who both feature as soloists in the RSNO's 2012:13 Season, won awards.

 

All of us at the RSNO would like to offer both Nicola and Miloš our congratulations.

Nicola Benedetti picked up Female Artist of the Year, whilst Miloš Karadaglić was named as MasterCard’s Breakthrough Artist Of The Year.

Miloš Karadaglić will join conductor Gilbert Varga and the RSNO for a performance of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez atAberdeen's Music Hall on Thursday 11 April 2012, Edinburgh's Usher Hall on Friday 12 April 2013, and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 13 April 2013.

Nicola Benedetti will join Music Director Peter Oundjian and the RSNO for a performance of Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending and Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo capriccioso for our Season Finale in Edinburgh's Usher Hall on Friday 31 May 2013 and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 1 June 2013.

Don't miss your chance to catch these award-winning soloists in concert!

Check out the videos below featuring Classic FM's Jamie Crick interviewing Nicola and Miloš on the red carpet following the Classic Brit Awards 2012 ceremony. 

RSNO surprise Glasgow Airport passengers with live orchestral performance

Scotland’s national orchestra gave a rousing performance at Glasgow Airport as thousands of passengers prepared to take to the skies for the September holiday weekend.

Led by Scottish conductor Douglas Boyd, 70 Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) musicians gave two performances in the departures lounge, featuring Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. 

After the airport performance the musicians travelled to London, where they were the host orchestra for a special Classic FM Live gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall, celebrating the radio station’s 20th birthday.

Last year the Orchestra surprised travellers and airport staff in the check-in area with an impromptu rendition of Ravel’s Boléro, an online video of which has been viewed around the world.
The RSNO performance was the culmination of Glasgow Airport’s six week Best of Scotland campaign which has celebrated the best of Scottish food, drink, culture and entertainment.
Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said:

"We are always looking for ways to entertain our passengers but it doesn’t get more exciting than having Scotland’s national orchestra perform live in the terminal building. Joining forces with the RSNO for this unique event was a fantastic way to round off our Best of Scotland campaign which has proved hugely successful. In addition to celebrating everything that is great about Scottish culture, the various events over the last six weeks have created a real buzz and sense of theatre in the airport. The campaign was also an opportunity to highlight the improvements we have been making to the airport over the course of the past 18 months, during which time we have invested millions of pounds in enhancing our facilities to deliver an improved service to our customers."

RSNO chief executive Michael Elliott said:

"In recent years the RSNO has developed a reputation for taking live orchestral music out of the concert venue and into public spaces. It never fails to surprise me how much of an impact our music can have, especially when performed in unexpected surroundings. It’s extremely gratifying to see people new to live orchestral music enjoy the experience with so much enthusiasm. Our thanks go to Glasgow Airport for allowing us to present these performances." 

More than one million passengers passed through the airport during the Best of Scotland campaign, which has showcased some of the country’s most iconic brands and successful exports including Irn Bru, Tunnocks, Mackie’s ice cream and Harris Tweed. 

The RSNO performance was one of a series of musical, theatrical and comedic events which have helped to create a carnival atmosphere in the terminal during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Watch the video from the RSNO YouTube channel, here:

Katy Returns to Shetland – Part 4

Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog.
 

Our Friday concert was some 30 miles from Lerwick, in Busta House – a 16th century Scottish mansion with a long, low-ceilinged drawing room. In this rather intimate setting, we felt a direct connection with the audience.
 

Our Saturday concert was in the glorious Boat Hall of Lerwick Museum and Archives, surrounded by Shetland history and culture, and alongside the last surviving sixareen – an open six-oared fishing boat which was once key to Shetland's deep sea fishing industry and is of poignant relevance to items in our programme. Behind us, through an impressive wall of glass, was the small boat harbour of Hay's Dock. In this setting Spondrift – our specially written music interspersed with poetry and prose of the sea – could hardly fail to make its mark, and it was clear from the faces of the audience that they were following us closely. Long and enthusiastic applause confirmed the success of the project, and we retired to The Lounge, where fiddles and guitar (taken down from pegs on the wall) and oboe and piano entertained the Saturday night drinkers with foot stompin' reels until well after midnight. Despite this, I am pleased to report that I was up early on Sunday for a two hour run on the hills (others will confirm), before setting off at 09:45 for our flight back to Edinburgh.
 

We were very sorry to leave. Shetland is a special place, suffused with music, and it is in the nature of the people to keep their music very much alive.

Katy Returns to Shetland – Part 3

Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog.
 

Today [Thursday] started with a wonderful run at Culswick on Shetland's west side. There's a dramatic valley here, where the hills rise steeply on either side. We came upon a small Methodist chapel, built in 1893, with an old harmonium on which we played the Psalm I wrote for our concerts. It felt like we were bringing it home.
 

Then on to the Culswick broch, which is perched on the top of cliffs and remains remarkably intact despite being battered by the winds. The cottage lying below is built from stones plundered from the broch and, in contrast, lies in ruins.
 

Our rehearsal tonight went well. I now spend less time thinking about how to play in a Shetland idiom, and am simply enjoying the experience of playing together.
 

Gale force nine winds are forecast for later tonight. If this were at home, it would be time to batten down the hatches – in Shetland it's no big deal. The record wind speed recorded here was 177mph – just before the measuring equipment blew away!

Katy Returns to Shetland – Part 2

Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog.
 

Last night [Wednesday] we were rehearsing until midnight, and our concert is gradually taking shape. We are enjoying working together with Margaret Scollay and Maurice Henderson and are developing a good relationship in performance. The second half of the concert is the main focus, with our original compositions inspired by the poetry and prose of the sea around these islands. The first half is a more general tour of Scottish traditional music. By now our heads are full of Shetland fiddle music, and I am trying to develop a technique on oboe that takes account of the idioms of the Shetland fiddle.
 

The landscape is constantly decorated with rainbows. Maurice tells us that there is less rain in Shetland than in Glasgow. A major factor must surely be the wind ushering along the showers. In a strong wind, drops of rain feel like hailstones. Building standards are high here, with structures tied down to survive the severest of winter storms. Maurice talks enthusiastically about the sights and sounds of the Aurora Borealis, which has a keen following in these islands.

Katy Returns to Shetland – Part 1

Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog.
 

A 30-seater bus arrived at the house to take me to the airport. It seemed like overkill – perhaps they thought that all the orchestra were going, as before.
 

Our flight left on time, or slightly early. A higher tone was attached to this flight, something of a feeling of community. A great view of the Forth Bridges as we left behind the drizzle and flew into clearer conditions. With a backing wind, we reached Sumburgh 20 mins early and used that time on the drive north to visit the 12th century St Ninian's Kirk at Bigton. Here a local schoolboy unearthed the remains of a wooden box containing 28 pieces of Pictish silver. All that we discovered was an odd small pile of bones on an ancient grave, covering a 5p coin and commemorating a superstitious visitor. Some stunning scenery here – I am glad I brought my camera.
 

Just time for a quick food shop and a bowl of pasta, then on to a highly productive rehearsal. This was the first time that we had put together the efforts of both groups. Initially we had no idea what would come of it but at the end of four hours we were all in agreement that it had been a productive and stimulating evening. The basis of a good concert. This was my first time composing – a Reel entitled "Steamin' Oot" and a "Psalm" written for oboe, two fiddles and piano.
 

Water and wind are ever present. We are rarely out of view of the sea. The rain showers are ushered along in a strong southerly wind. Our accommodation is high on a moor above Lerwick and a wind turbine adjacent to the house provides our electricity. Whether this will continue to be the case remains to be seen, as it was in the process of being dismantled and repaired on Tuesday morning...

RSNO at St Magnus 2012 - Glamping in Orkney

Newlyweds Katherine Bryan and Kennedy Leitch brave camping for the full Orkney experience

RSNO Principal Flute Katherine Bryan discovers a new side to performing at St Magnus in her first weekend of (glamorous) camping at the festival. She shows us around the Orchestra campsite, heads out for a paddle with RSNO Double Bass Sally Davis and chats with her fellow musicians as they rehearse Sibelius‘ Fifth Symphony for their final concert in Orkney. Click here to view Tuesday‘s video report.

RSNO at St Magnus 2012 -- Ring (of Brodgar) Cycle

RSNO Principal Trombone Dávur Juul Magnussen and Principal Tuba John Whitener explore Orkney’s famous standing stones, perform for unsuspecting visitors and prepare for the evening’s concert.

RSNO at St Magnus 2012 – The Arrival

RSNO Assistant Principal Second Violin Elita Poulter reports from Orkney’s midsummer festival

The Orchestra arrives in Orkney for the 2012 St Magnus Festival. RSNO Assistant Principal Second Violin Elita Poulter gives an insight into the unique atmosphere of Orkney during the festival, established in 1977 by a collective including composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who is an islands resident. Click here to see Saturday’s reportage.

Backstage Pass to 2012:13 Season Launch Subscriber's Event

It's a busy time for the RSNO and, with the joint launch of our new Season and our fantastic new website, we thought: what better for the first blog than a backstage pass into our 2012:13 Season subscriber's event at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

 

As Marketing and Development Assistant, I have watched both of these significant events come to fruition over the past months. Tonight is a really exciting evening as this is the first time many special friends and supporters of the Orchestra will meet Peter Oundjian, the RSNO's new Music Director. He's been with us for a couple of days and has already been recording with the musicians, has met the RSNO board and members of the press, and been on a whirl-wind tour of some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery. Now it's the audience's turn, in what promises to be one of the highlights of our exclusive subscriber calendar – here we go!

A fantastic turn out! The evening begins with a short video of Season highlights before RSNO Chief Executive, Mick Elliott, takes to the stage to share some of the treats we can find in 2012:13 and to introduce the two new members of the RSNO artistic team, Music Director Peter Oundjian and Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Søndergård. From the audience's reaction, Orff's Carmina Burana, one of our Choral Classics in November and, of course, RSNO favourite John Lill who is to perform Grieg's Piano Concerto will really draw a crowd.

RSNO Principal Cello Aleksei Kiseliov is welcomed to the stage to perform the first movement of Dvořák's Cello Concerto. He absolutely wows the crowd and deserves his applause, a truly exceptional musician! In next season's penultimate concert, conducted by Thomas Søndergård, Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk will perform the entire work with the Orchestra.

And now the moment everybody has been waiting for. Peter enters the stage and is joined by Anne-Marie Minhall from Classic FM for an intimate conversation – in front of all the subscribers!

As the conversation gets going it is clear that Peter is a very intelligent and charismatic new addition to the team – no wonder the Orchestra has grown so fond of him during his guest appearances. Although obviously fond of his years as a violinist, it seems that Peter was destined for a career in conducting. From a childhood encounter with Benjamin Britten (who visited his choir and subsequently requested to work with them in a number of projects) to the incredible experience, in Peter's Julliard days, when the late Maestro Herbert von Karajan invited Peter, then the concertmaster of the Julliard Orchestra, to conduct in his place in front of a crowd full of New York's musical elite who were there to watch Karajan! Karajan even covered the music as Peter conducted – showing the faith he had in Peter's knowledge and understanding of the music and his ability as a conductor. A true honour.

As the questioning turns to Peter's plans for the RSNO and his experience so far, he is full of fondness and affection for his new orchestra. He comments that the Orchestra has 'special generosity and warmth' and 'respect for the style and the music they are performing'. He also tells us that he has big plans for developing the important younger audience group. He speaks highly of our Naked Classics series and joins in the audience's laughter at the prospect of dissecting and performing Wagner's Ring in one evening! (We will be turning to the lighter de Vlieger Orchestral Adventure adaptation in our final Naked Classics concert of the 2012:13 Season.) Peter remembers the first time he conducted the RSNO, in Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, and is delighted to announce that he will perform the piece again in his second concert as Music Director. He speaks passionately of the work of his friend John Adams, whose work features in both Peter's American Festival concerts, and also of Shostakovich. The composer is already an RSNO favourite and Peter is keen to continue this relationship. He opens the Season with Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony which he describes as his 'most engaging work' and 'one of the most powerful experiences in music'. There is no doubt that Peter has put plently of consideration into his opening Season and that audiences are definitely in for a treat!

Following tremendous applause for Peter and Anne-Marie, we are lead down to the Exhibition Hall for a glass of wine and so everyone can get their coveted Season Brochure. This is the first glimpse that anyone has had at the brochure and that's really important to many people here. There's no messing about – people are requesting extra brochures for friends and family and huddling in corners to plot and plan their concerts!

Following a quick chat with tonight's guests I have received a really positive response to the event and to Peter particularly. One subscriber mentioned her apprehension as someone replacing the beloved Stéphane but thought Peter was fantastic and said she was very impressed by him. Another commented on Peter's ability to continue Stéphane's rapport and relationship with the audiences. Many more commented on their favourites of next Season, with Shostakovich's Symphony No11 and Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez both highly anticipated. Our New Home project is also a talking point as never-before-seen images have been placed in the centre of the room. As the crowds move out I catch some final thoughts for the night. All our guests seem to have really valued the event and I'm looking forward to seeing many of them again next Season. Some I've spoken to tonight have been subscribers for years and were ready to tick every concert when they arrived; others were newer to the game and plan to book their tickets early to get a discount. 

It's events like this when I really love working for an orchestra – seeing many people brought together by an appreciation of music. And how lucky we are to have access to the talent and repertoire that I had the chance to explore tonight. Here's to another successful year for the RSNO!

Posted by Clare Campbell - Marketing and Development Assistant

Introducing Yunson 'o' Houllenscord...

The RSNO's Burra Bear

This gorgeous Burra Bear – named Yunson 'o' Houllenscord – was gifted to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra by Shetland Arts, on the behalf of the people of Shetland, as a memento of our time on the Islands during our Out and About week in March 2012 (read more about the week in our Shetland Out and About blog post, here).

Each unique Burra Bear is handmade by Wendy Inkster on East Burra, Shetland, created from pure Shetland wool and feature the famously distinctive Fair Isle knitting patterns.

We've all fallen in love with Yunson and over the coming months and we're hoping to introduce him to every aspect of life and work with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which you'll see recorded in this blog. 

See some more of Yunson's adventures on our Pinterest board.