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David Nicholson Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Peter David Nicholson was born in 1938 in Newcastle and educated Universally acknowledged as Photo: John Batten at Newcastle Royal Grammar School. He studied flute under one of the foremost MAXWELL DAVIES Geoffrey Gilbert at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama composers of our time, Sir and then also in Nice with Jean-Pierre Rampal and in Peter Maxwell Davies has Canterbury with Marcel Moyse. He moved to Edinburgh in made a significant contribution Strathclyde Concertos Nos. 5 and 6 1963 to teach and develop his love of chamber music. There to musical history through his he founded the Bernicia Ensemble and the Amphion Wind wide-ranging and prolific Quintet and was a founder member of the New Music Group of output. He lives in the Orkney James Clark, Violin • Catherine Marwood, Viola Scotland, directed by Edward Harper. In 1974 he was Islands off the north coast of instrumental in founding the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, in Scotland, where he writes David Nicholson, Flute which he served as principal flute until his retirement in 2000. most of his music. In a work His passion for teaching led to an association with the Royal list spanning more than five Conservatoire of Scotland lasting over forty years. He also decades, he has written Scottish Chamber Orchestra • Maxwell Davies taught in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, ran the Edinburgh Flute Course and gave many classes around Britain and across a broad range of abroad. He died in October 2010 at his home in Fife. His legacy is memorialized by his bequest of music, papers styles, yet his music always and a scholarship fund at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. communicates directly and powerfully, whether in his profoundly argued symphonic Scottish Chamber Orchestra works, his music-theatre works or witty light orchestral The Scottish Chamber Orchestra was formed in 1974 with a commitment to works. Maxwell Davies’ major serve the Scottish community. It is recognised as one of Scotland’s major dramatic works include two cultural ambassadors, touring internationally and appearing regularly at the full-length ballets, music- Edinburgh, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC Proms as well as theatre works Eight Songs for a Mad King and Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot, and operas including Resurrection, The performing throughout Scotland. Principal Conductor Robin Ticciati took up his Lighthouse, The Doctor of Myddfai, Taverner and Kommilitonen! (Young Blood!). His huge output of orchestral work post from the 2009/10 season and has established a highly successful comprises numerous symphonies and concerti, and light orchestral works such as An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise and partnership. The SCO’s long-standing relationship with its Conductor Laureate, Mavis in Las Vegas (8.572348). His substantial chamber and instrumental catalogue includes the landmark cycle of ten the late Sir Charles Mackerras, resulted in many exceptional performances and string quartets, the Naxos Quartets (8.505225), described in the Financial Times as “one of the most impressive musical award-winning recordings. The Orchestra enjoys close relationships with many statements of our time”. Maxwell Davies has held the position of Composer/Conductor with both the Royal Philharmonic leading composers and has commissioned more than a hundred new works, and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras. He has guest-conducted orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston including a number of pieces by its Composer Laureate Sir Peter Maxwell Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Russian National Orchestra, Oslo Davies. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra receives funding from the Scottish Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestra. He retains close links with the St Magnus Festival, Orkney’s annual arts Government. festival which he founded in 1977, is Composer Laureate of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and is Visiting Professor at London’s Royal Academy of Music and Christchurch University Canterbury. Maxwell Davies was knighted in 1987 and appointed Master of the Queen’s Music in 2004, in which rôle he seeks to raise the profile of music in Great Britain, as well as writing many works for Her Majesty the Queen and for royal occasions. www.maxopus.com www.intermusica.co.uk/maxwelldavies

Photo: Marco Borggreve

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Peter Maxwell Davies (b. 1934) until, after a brief crescendo, a further dialogue for the orchestral instruments – heard singly or as an ensemble James Clark Strathclyde Concertos Nos. 5 and 6 soloists over a spare yet evocative backdrop sees the – until ominous fanfare-like gestures from trumpets and work through to a calmly questioning close. timpani are abruptly broken off in favour of a cadenza Photo: Chris Stock James Clark’s musical career, spanning over thirty years, embodies Solo instruments have long had a significant place in the often intricate harmonies and dense textures of the Although it was written immediately after its which allows full reign to the soloist’s expressive though a wide range of accomplishment as chamber musician, soloist, Peter Maxwell Davies’ output ever since the concise yet string orchestra that accompanies them. As so often with predecessor, and indeed premièred at the same concert by equally its quixotic qualities. This continues at length until orchestral leader, conductor and teacher. He became leader of the demanding Trumpet Sonata (1955) that was his first Davies, earlier music is also present at various levels – David Nicholson (to whom this work is dedicated), the Sixth it reaches a subdued pause, from where the soft tones of Chamber Orchestra of Europe on its foundation at the invitation of published work. The concerto as a genre has been a later thus the early seventeenth-century song Vanitas by Dutch Strathclyde Concerto (1991) is a very different proposition. clarinets bring about the quiet though expectant ending. Claudio Abbado, and subsequently joined the Endellion Quartet and preoccupation, but one the composer was to pursue composer Jan Albert Ban, and the overture to the late Most distinctive is its scoring – the soloist being partnered The second movement, as in the preceding work, the Raphael Ensemble for a productive period as chamber musician intensively following the successful launch of what eighteenth-century opera L’isola disabitata by Haydn: the by a chamber orchestra without flutes, oboes or violins, but picks up from this with a thoughtful dialogue for strings and recitalist, making many radio broadcasts and several acclaimed became his First Violin Concerto (1985). Since then there harmonic profile of the former and the tonality of the latter which features bass clarinet and a percussionist playing and woodwind heard against gently ticking percussion – recordings. He went on to lead the BBC National Orchestra of have been solo concertos for the trumpet (1987), piccolo being evident at the outset. glockenspiel, claves and tambourine. It helps to give the the soloist presently entering with a graceful melodic line Wales, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and for eleven years, the (1996) [both on Naxos 8.572363], piano (1997) The first movement opens with a wistful dialogue for orchestral sound a lightness and transparency appropriate which finds a ready response from the other woodwind Philharmonia in London, before taking up concurrent leader [8.572357], horn (1999) and a second one for the violin the two soloists, into which the orchestral strings gradually to the nature of the piece, which was also inspired by Pieter and latterly horns without its underlying poise being in any positions with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Royal (2009). However, Davies’ most imposing contribution is enter as the harmonies become more expansive and the Bruegel’s painting Children’s Games – specifically a sense way disrupted. At length this yields to a tense backdrop Scottish National Orchestras. He has also appeared with all these likely to remain his cycle of ten Strathclyde Concertos, expression more intense. At length the tempo increases of uninhibited activity such as serves to conceal age-old from the strings, from where the music heads gradually orchestras as conductor. James Clark is a Fellow of the Royal commissioned by Strathclyde Regional Council and the incrementally and the upper strings unfold a forceful qualities of ritual and togetherness. In this respect the role into a return of the opening mood and material. The third Northern College of Music, and gives classes in orchestra leadership skills, chamber music coaching and advanced Scottish Chamber Orchestra, which undertook all ten of melodic line, the soloists engaging in ever more intricate of the percussion is striking, with the three above movement then starts almost haltingly, but quickly hits its individual tuition at the major music colleges in Britain. He has taught and conducted in Venezuela as part of El the premières. Composed between 1987 and 1996, this dialogue alongside some deft pizzicato writing, until instruments unfolding a succession of rhythmic patterns stride as the soloist heads forth in the company of Sistema. series takes in six solo concertos for oboe, cello vigorous ascending scales from strings presage a striding and accompanying figures which point up the quizzical and woodwind and pizzicato strings, while trumpets make [8.573017], clarinet [8.572353], flute, double bass and rhythm against which the music opens out in texture as it diverting nature in much of what is heard. That said, the their ominous presence felt with occasional chordal bassoon; a double concerto for horn and trumpet heads towards a sustained culmination with strenuous work is as finely argued as any in the series and in no interjections. The music for the soloist evinces discernible [8.572353], and one for violin and viola; a concerto for passagework for the soloists. This in turn builds to a sense an interlude viewed in the context of the cycle as a folk-like traits as it progresses, while the unforced Catherine Marwood woodwind sextet; before concluding with a concerto for climax which is cut off to leave the soloists musing on whole. momentum holds good as the texture becomes more orchestra. As he was also to do a decade later with his their salient material in an inward though eloquent The first movement begins with an elegant idea for intricate, until a brief eruption on brass and timpani throws Photo: Hugh at Maker Catherine Marwood’s musical career started in the Fairfield Quartet cycle of ten Naxos Quartets [8.505225], Davies explained cadenza, the orchestral strings countering with the soloist over pizzicato strings, which is soon joined by the soloist’s presence into greater relief. There is no with which she toured extensively in this country and abroad. She that embarking on such a project had enabled him to increasingly strident gestures such as bring about a clarinets and horns then percussion before resuming its extended leave-taking, only a gentle winding-down held the position of principal viola with the Scottish Chamber make the most of his relationship with the musicians both brusquely emphatic conclusion. nimble course much as before. The music continues to towards the chaste and tranquil close. Orchestra for ten years and, in that time, appeared frequently as individually and collectively: much in the way that Haydn The second movement picks up from this with an unfold seamlessly and yet cumulatively through a soloist and chamber musician alongside many distinguished artists wrote for specific players, and combinations thereof, aggressive opening phase that is immediately followed by succession of varied and often piquant encounters with Richard Whitehouse such as Yuri Bashmet, Ernst Kovacic, Joseph Swensen and Michael during his years at the Esterházy court. a gradually emerging threnody on the strings. This Collins. As part of the Marwood Ensemble she recorded for the Unlike the previous two works in this series, the presently subsides to reveal the soloists in ruminative Hyperion label. She is a member of the Hebrides Ensemble, a group present two concertos both comprise three movements accord, briefly interrupted by sudden outbursts from the specialising in contemporary and innovative programmes. They that conform at least outwardly to Classical models. In the strings until the music descends to the bottom of the have released a recording of the music of Messiaen to much critical instance of the Fifth Strathclyde Concerto (1991) – register; the soloists resuming in even more austere terms acclaim and have appeared at the Wigmore Hall, Aldeburgh, St premièred by James Clark and Catherine Marwood (to over a deliberate pizzicato motion, before the thoughtful Magnus, City of London, Bath and Edinburgh Festivals. She also is a member of the Scottish Ensemble, an whom it is dedicated), the Scottish Chamber Orchestra closing exchange is interrupted by a sudden burst of unconducted string group much in demand at home and abroad. In 2009 she was appointed principal viola of the and the composer at Glasgow’s City Halls on 13th March tremolo playing from orchestral strings. The third Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She teaches at St Mary’s music school in Edinburgh and examines for the 1992 – this was partly determined by the piece’s movement then commences with the hectic interplay Associated Board. inspiration in the Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola between soloists and strings that soon makes way for a (K364) by Mozart. A further notable facet is that these rhetorical accompanied cadenza over a tense tremolo soloists are heard in dialogue almost throughout, with backdrop. The initial activity tries to resume, but forward very little recourse to solo writing, and this in turn governs progress is held back by the lack of rhythmic impetus

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