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Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries
Sunday 23 November 2003
Conductor - Geoff Keating
Soloist - Murray McLachlan (piano)
- click here for his website
Glinka :
Overture - "Russlan and Ludmilla"
Khachaturian :
Adagio from "Spartacus"
Mozart :
Piano Concerto in D minor (kv 466)
Copeland :
Four Dances from "Rodeo"
Gershwin :
Rhapsody in Blue
Crit published in the Dumfries Standard following the concert :
"The Solway Sinfonia gave an outstanding performance in a most attractive program under the baton of its founder / conductor, Geoffrey Keating with guest pianist Murray McLachlan on Sunday 23 November 2003 in Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries.
Always a good opening to an orchestral programme is the overture Russlan and Ludmilla by the 19th century Russian composer, Glinka, and this was no exception. The Solway Sinfonia played with good attack, energy and sparkle at the brisk tempo set by its conductor, and in contrast, this was followed by the serenely undulating Adagio from the ballet Spartacus by Kachaturian, another Russian composer from a century later. This piece is well known for its theme which was used in The Onedin Line television series.
The first half of the programme concluded with music from the classical period, in which the acclaimed pianist, Murray McLachlan, gave a bold and powerful account of Mozart's D minor Concerto K 466. He demanded and received a high level of discipline from the orchestra which was reduced to classical proportions for this work, and he used his own cadenzas an all three movements.
The second half of the programme began with Four Dances from the ballet Rodeo by Copland, in which the orchestra, with increased wind and percussion, romped and danced with rhythmic vitality in the two outer movements, and produced the gentle restraint required in the second movement Corral Nocturne.
Then came the final work of the evening, Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, when Murray McLachlan came together again with the orchestra in an exciting and stimulating performance from himself and all. Ebullient brass, incisive percussion and well-drilled woodwind and strings carried the work through to a triumphant end for Geoffrey Keating and the Solway Sinfonia.
This, the Region's own orchestra has come a long way since its inception and all concerned are to be congratulated for such a brilliant evening. Please support this orchestra and help them to attract further artistes of the calibre of Murray McLachlan.
SM"