Beethoven's Fifth, Bruckner's Skull, and a bit o' Saint-Saens!

Beethoven's Fifth, Bruckner's Skull, and a bit o' Saint-Saens!

Very exciting prom for me this Friday night, because not only is it going to feature the most famous piece of classical music ever (well, the opening is at least, isn't it?), but it is also going to feature one of my all-time favourite composers - Camille Saint-Saens - in the form of his piano concerto No. 5 in F Major, 'Egyptian'.

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Tonight is the tenth concert from London, and it's the Scottish Chamber Orchestra this evening. I am almost late to the Albert Hall as I have forgotten about the earlier start time of 18:30. But despite this I do reach for my kitchen radio's power on button just in the nick of time, with less than two minutes to spare. I'm back on the microwave meal for one; this evening's offering being a chicken tikka masala from Lidl's Deluxe range. I pair this with some stilton (left over from this weeks salads), on Scottish oatcakes.

The programme opens with some French baroque to start. It's a piece called Les Indes galantes, by composer Jean‐Philippe Rameau. To me does sound typical baroque: very mellow and pleasant, with the typical harpsichord glangs and brass bursts that so define the period.

Next up it's Saint-Saens, whom I really do love to bits (I would pay Oasis prices to see a Danse Macabre live). And yes, this piano concerto does, to my ear at least, scream of his style: emotional rollercoaster highs and lows, crisp piano notes, gentle woodwind reminders, and all underscored by breathtaking acceleration on the strings.

I did predict that Alfred Hitchcock would once more come to my mind, but I didn't think happen again so soon! So it comes to pass with Bruckner’s Skull by Jay Capperauld. On the opening I can't help but be reminded of the atmospheric 'stabbing' noises of Psycho; but these ones are not as intense, and rather fit with the general death theme as opposed to murder. If I was blindfolded to the background of the piece, the word 'revenge' would spring to my own mind. There are really interesting motifs later in the song that remind me of Jerry Goldsmith's score from the 1990 film Total Recall. Incidentally, Goldsmith is another of my all-time faves.

And then, the one we've all been waiting for: Beethoven's Fifth! 'Nuff said!