SCO & Sunwook Kim, Edinburgh review: 'joy and energy'

Scottish Chamber Orchestra & Sunwook Kim, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh ★★★★

It was a rare treat to hear not one but two Beethoven piano concertos delivered with high-spirited enthusiasm by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and soloist Sunwook Kim, directing from the keyboard. But first Punctum, a curtain raiser from Caroline Shaw, originally written for her own string quartet and subsequently revised for string orchestra. Directing from the violin Stephanie Gonley kept a tight focus on the calming, pulsing effects, often on the same note, an exercise in subtle tonal and rhythmic shifts.

It was also a contrast to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, composed at a point when he was beginning to push at the boundaries of the form and the instrument. The understated musing of the solo piano theme set everything in motion and Kim elaborated on these ideas with tumbling arpeggios and dynamic scale passages. Playing with the lid off the piano gave a richness to the tone and Kim’s dialogue with the orchestra had a warm intimacy. His playing blended nicely with the SCO’s distinct classical sound underpinned by natural horns, trumpets and timpani. There was also a poignancy to the work knowing this was the last time Beethoven premiered a concerto as his hearing continued to deteriorate.

READ MORE: Sunwook Kim on playing Beethoven with the SCO: 'He's a composer I can't stay away from'

Despite this, the composer’s flirtation with improvisation and experimentation continued to develop in his fifth and final piano concerto. It was named ‘Emperor’ although it had nothing to do with Napoleon, who attacked Vienna just as Beethoven was finishing the work; apart from the militaristic march in the first movement, this is a piece dominated by sumptuous melodies, including one magical section where the piano rocks to a soft accompaniment of plucked strings. Kim delivered a poignant account of the heart-wrenching slow movement, one of Beethoven’s most moving, and took the finale across the finishing line with irrepressible joy and energy.

The Scotsman’s arts newsletter is now sent twice a week - subscribe today

Enjoying the Arts & Culture journalism on scotsman.com? Make it easier to find by selecting us as a preferred Google source

Want the latest Scottish headlines sent directly to your phone? Sign up to our new WhatsApp channel here