Review: a masterclass from Randall Goosby at Caird Hall in Dundee

The Herald Scotland

a day ago

Much of the work of violinist Randall Goosby as the RSNO's Artist in Residence this season has been behind the scenes, giving masterclasses for young string players and working with them on short pieces which will be showcased in Saturday's Glasgow concert of the penultimate week in the orchestra's season. An afternoon recital of chamber music from Goosby in the company of RSNO string players follows on Sunday.
His run of concerts began in Dundee, as soloist on the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in the superb acoustic of the Caird Hall. The programme began with a beautifully detailed performance of Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, first flute Katherine Bryan opening the work deliciously sotto voce.
Similarly, Goosby, for all his personal self-confidence, had a very tempered approach to the Mendelssohn, and the work was all the better for it. After a crisp account of the first movement cadenza, he and conductor Thomas Sondergard took the gorgeously melodic central Andante at a relatively brisk tempo, with superbly modulated trumpet-playing a highlight alongside rich ensemble string playing.
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Coming after the Debussy dance-score, there was a light balletic feel to the lively finale, and Goosby followed it with a bluesy encore – likely from his debut solo album, Roots – that encapsulated the young violinist's engaging charm.
A further compelling reason to be in the audience at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday evening is the programme's second half symphony by US-based Russian polymath Lera Auerbach. A poet and concert-pianist as well as a composer, her Symphony No 1, Chimera, is almost 20 years old but this – surprisingly – was its UK premiere.
Beyond argument symphonic in scale, it is a long way from traditional in structure, and also shares some DNA with the Debussy. Auerbach's inspiration came from fairytale and Greek myth, and the work is peopled with character-studies and constantly in a state of flux, with some very tuneful passages.
Rain-stick and tubular bells feature among the percussion, and the distinctive addition of the theremin was immaculately played by Charlie Draper behind the first violins, and often scored as an addition to the strings. The symphony also provided some eloquent soloing opportunities across the orchestra, but particularly from orchestra leader Maya Iwabuchi.