Maxim Emelyanychev conductor/harpsichord

Old and new, ancient and modern: Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev returns with an annual highlight of the SCO Season, rediscovering the musical splendours of the Baroque alongside more recent composers who have drawn inspiration from it.

Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto dazzles with brilliant invention and rhythmic drive, while Handel set out to impress no less a figure than King George I with the joyful fanfares and elegant dances of his lavish Water Music.

Closer to our own times, Britten reworked childhood tunes and Baroque dances in his charming miniature Symphony, while SCO Associate Composer Jay Capperauld unveils a brand-new piece that reimagines Scarlatti keyboard sonatas for the bright colours of an orchestra. To close, Alfred Schnittke’s wild, outrageous Gogol Suite half-quotes Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and more to outrageous effect – it simply has to be heard to be believed.

*Commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Programme Notes