RSNO Principals Month: Mozart Bassoon Concerto in B flat Major

PRINCIPALS MONTH MARCH 2021

MOZART BASSOON CONCERTO With RSNO Principal Bassoon David Hubbard

Gregory Batsleer Conductor Royal Scottish National Orchestra Recorded at the RSNO Centre, Glasgow Broadcast Fri 19 Mar 2021

Principals Month is dedicated to all RSNO Chair Patrons

2 Mozart Bassoon Concerto

Bassoon Concerto in B flat Major K191/186e where Mozart and his father Leopold were employed at the time, or for a wealthy Munichbased amateur bassoonist called Thaddäus von Dürnitz. The manuscript is dated 4 June 1774, though no details of the first performance are known.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

DURATION 19 minutes Allegro Andante ma Adagio Rondo: Tempo di menuetto Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto is the first of his concertos for a wind instrument and orchestra, written in Salzburg when he was 18. Despite his youthful age, it is nevertheless a work of Mozart’s early maturity, and it remains widely regarded as the finest piece of its type ever produced, showcasing as it does the bassoon’s specific qualities and disguising any of its limitations.

Quite who the work was composed for is something of a mystery, although it was probably intended either for one of the two bassoonists in the Salzburg court orchestra,

Mozart was a fine performer on the keyboard, the violin and the viola, but even at this relatively early phase of his career he also displayed an unerring instinct for writing for woodwind instruments. The first movement opens with the standard orchestral introduction, in which the movement’s main melodic material is set out. When the soloist eventually enters, his first two phrases balance to perfection the bassoon’s bumptiousness with utter refinement, the second phrase rising up to the instrument’s singing tenor register.

Thereafter the bassoon’s many qualities – particularly its great agility – are to the fore, and its interaction with the orchestra is lively and conversational throughout. Towards the end of the movement, a cadenza raises the virtuosity stakes even further.

The exquisite second movement features the bassoon at its most lyrical, as it sings out over a muted string accompaniment (in a precursor of the Countess’ aria ‘Porgi amor’ from Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro), the high lines punctuated from time to time with low bass interjections.

The third movement is a stately minuet, the main theme of which is interspersed with contrasting episodes. Though the bassoon is given licence for a great deal of irreverent display, its overall sense of decorum remains intact. © Anthony Bateman

RSNO: Scotland’s National Orchestra 3

David Hubbard BASSOON Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He is a regular participant in the RSNO chamber music series, and he also performs with other chamber ensembles such as Red Note and Nordic Viola.

David has been the Principal Bassoon of the RSNO since 2004.

He grew up in Wiltshire, where he attended the local comprehensive school in Corsham. He went on to study music at the Royal College of Music in London, graduating in 1990. He then lived in Spain for 12 years, working initially with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, and later the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla.

David has performed as a soloist with the RSNO in Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, Vivaldi’s E Minor and F Minor concertos and Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis. In 2011 he premiered a new concerto, That Blessed Wood, written for him by Rory Boyle and commissioned by Camerata Scotland. In 2014 he recorded Der alte Brummbär (The Old Grumbler) with the RSNO on the album A Festival of Fučík conducted by Neemi Järvi for Chandos.

David has guested as principal bassoon with the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra,

David is tutor of bassoon at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and at Milngavie’s Douglas Academy. He regularly coaches the bassoon section of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, as well as giving masterclasses at Chetham’s School of Music, Wells Cathedral School and the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department.

David Hubbard is supported by the James and Morag Anderson Chair

Spring/Summer 2021

Available from Fri 16 April 2021

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RSNO: Scotland’s National Orchestra 5

Gregory Batsleer CONDUCTOR he has curated and conducted cross-art performances at Latitude Festival, Wilderness Festival, Southbank Centre, London Handel Festival and Royal Northern College of Music.

He has worked as an artistic advisor at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and on projects with leading contemporary artists including Elbow, Damon Albarn, David Lang, Carlos Acosta, Clean Bandit and Guy Garvey.

From 2012 to 2016 Gregory was Artistic Director of the National Portrait Gallery’s Choir in Residence Programme, the world’s first in-house music programme in a museum or gallery. Together with the Portrait Choir, he recorded an acclaimed Choral Audio Guide to the Gallery’s permanent collection.

Gregory is widely regarded as one of the most innovative conductors of his generation. His current posts include Chorus Director with both the RSNO and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Music Director of the Huddersfield Choral Society. He has received widespread acclaim for raising the artistic standards of all these ensembles, as well as continuing to renew the choral traditions of each organisation.

As Guest Conductor, recent highlights include performances with Royal Northern Sinfonia, The Hallé, Black Dyke Band, National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Orchestra of Opera North, Manchester Camerata, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Academy of Ancient Music.

Gregory is deeply committed to exploring new ways of presenting music and extending its reach beyond the concert hall. He is cofounder Artistic Director of Festival Voices, a professional ensemble dedicated to the performance of choral music reimagined with live electronic music. In recent seasons

Alongside his work as a performer, Gregory works in a number of strategic and advisory positions and sits on the boards of Manchester Camerata and the London Handel Festival.

His work as a choral director was recognised with the 2015 Arts Foundation’s first-ever Fellowship in Choral Conducting.

6 Mozart Bassoon Concerto

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950, and was awarded Royal Patronage in 1977. The Orchestra’s artistic team is led by Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård, who was appointed RSNO Music Director in October 2018, having previously held the position of Principal Guest Conductor. Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan succeeds Søndergård as Principal Guest Conductor.

The RSNO performs across Scotland, including concerts in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness. The Orchestra appears regularly at the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms, and has made recent tours to the USA, China and Europe.

The Orchestra is joined for choral performances by the RSNO Chorus, directed by Gregory Batsleer. The RSNO Chorus evolved from a choir formed in 1843 to sing the first full performance of Handel’s Messiah in Scotland. Today, the RSNO Chorus is one of the most distinguished large symphonic choruses in Britain. The Chorus has performed nearly every work in the standard choral repertoire, along with contemporary works by composers including John Adams, Howard Shore and James MacMillan.

Formed in 1978 by Jean Kidd, the acclaimed RSNO Junior Chorus, under its director Patrick

Barrett, also performs regularly alongside the Orchestra. Boasting a membership of over 400 members aged from 7 to 18, it has built up a considerable reputation singing under some of the world’s most distinguished conductors and appearing on radio and television.

The RSNO has a worldwide reputation for the quality of its recordings, receiving a 2020 Gramophone Classical Music Award for Chopin’s Piano Concertos (soloist: Benjamin Grosvenor), conducted by Elim Chan; two Diapason d’Or awards for Symphonic Music (Denève/Roussel 2007; Denève/Debussy 2012) and eight GRAMMY Awards nominations. Over 200 releases are available, including the complete symphonies of Sibelius (Gibson), Prokofiev (Järvi), Glazunov (Serebrier), Nielsen and Martinů (Thomson) and Roussel (Denève) and the major orchestra works of Debussy (Denève). Thomas Søndergård’s debut recording with the RSNO, of Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, was released in 2019.

The RSNO’s pioneering learning and engagement programme, Music for Life, aims to engage the people of Scotland with music across key stages of life: Early Years, Nurseries and Schools, Teenagers and Students, Families, Accessing Lives, Working Lives and Retired and Later Life.

The team is committed to placing the Orchestra at the centre of Scottish communities via workshops and annual residencies.

RSNO: Scotland’s National Orchestra 7

On Stage

FIRST VIOLIN Maya Iwabuchi

VIOLA Tom Dunn

OBOE Peter Dykes

Lena Zeliszewska

Lisa Rourke David Martin Katherine Wren

Henry Clay

CELLO Betsy Taylor

PRINCIPAL

LEADER

ASSOCIATE LEADER

Patrick Curlett Barbara Paterson Elizabeth Bamping Susannah Lowdon Jane Reid Ursula Heidecker Allen SECOND VIOLIN Xander van Vliet PRINCIPAL

Harriet Wilson Paul Medd Anne Bünemann Sophie Lang Wanda Wojtasinska

PRINCIPAL

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Arthur Boutillier Rachael Lee Sarah Digger DOUBLE BASS Margarida Castro ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Paul Sutherland

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

HORN Christopher Gough Martin Murphy

8 Mozart Bassoon Concerto

RSNO Chair Patrons We are delighted to dedicate Principals Month to all RSNO Chair Patrons – a very special group of individuals whose giving is channelled through forming a personal connection with an RSNO musician.

On behalf of everyone at the RSNO, thank you for your inspirational support and encouragement.

Assistant Conductor

Cello Aleksei Kiseliov PRINCIPAL

Horn Christopher Gough PRINCIPAL

First Violin Maya Iwabuchi LEADER Sharon Roffman LEADER

Kennedy Leitch

Alison Murray

Dunard Fund Chair

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL The David and Anne Smith Chair

Tamás Fejes Assistant LEADER

Arthur Boutiller

David McClenaghan

Rachael Lee

Trumpet Christopher Hart PRINCIPAL

The Solti Foundation Chair

The Bill and Rosalind Gregson Chair

Patrick Curlett ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL The RSNO Circle Chair

Jane Reid

The James Wood Bequest Fund Chair

Alan Manson

The James Browning Chair

The Ardgowan Charitable Trust Chair The Christine and Arthur Hamilton Chair

Double Bass Ana Cordova PRINCIPAL

The Kate and Gavin Gemmell Chair

The Hugh and Linda Bruce-Watt Chair

John Clark

Elizabeth Bamping

The WL and Vera Heywood Chair

Flute Katherine Bryan PRINCIPAL

Second Violin Xander van Vliet PRINCIPAL

Helen Brew ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

The Hilda Munro Chair

Sophie Lang

The Ian and Evelyn Crombie Chair

Viola Lisa Rourke SUB PRINCIPAL The Meta Ramsay Chair

The Gregor Forbes Chair

The David and Anne Smith Chair The Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust Chair

Oboe Adrian Wilson PRINCIPAL The Hedley Wright Chair

Peter Dykes

David Martin

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust Chair

Francesca Hunt

Cor Anglais Henry Clay PRINCIPAL

The Miss Grace MM Mitchell Bequest Chair The Rolf and Celia Thornqvist Chair

The Springbank Distillers Chair

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Mr & Mrs Pierre and Alison Girard The J & A Mitchell Chair

Ms Chris Grace Hartness

Marcus Pope SUB PRINCIPAL

The Nigel and Margot Russell Chair

Trombone Dávur Juul Magnussen PRINCIPAL The Mitchell’s Glengyle Chair

Lance Green

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL The William Cadenhead Chair

Timpani Paul Philbert

Ms Chris Grace Hartness

Percussion John Poulter

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL The Dot and Syd Taft Chair

Director of Concerts and Engagement Bill Chandler The James and Iris Miller Chair

In memory of a dear friend, Fiona H

Bassoon David Hubbard PRINCIPAL

The James and Morag Anderson Chair

We would like to acknowledge the generous contribution of Mr Hedley Wright in supporting the RSNO Chair Patron Programme.

‘Being Chair Patrons gives us a very direct connection to the Orchestra and increases our sense of personal investment in its future and success’

Joining the RSNO as a Chair Patron is a unique way to support the work of the Orchestra both on-stage and in the community and creates a direct connection between Patron and musician.

Your support will enable RSNO musicians to explore the many facets of their art and the positive impact it has on people’s lives, from working with our Young Creatives to connecting with communities across Scotland.

As well as enjoying an individual relationship with an RSNO musician, as a Patron you will receive invitations to bespoke events and be welcomed to our Mezzo bar. Since March 2020 this hospitality has continued online and

our virtual ‘bar’ has become a place for our friends and supporters to enjoy conversation with each other, RSNO musicians and special guests.

If you would like to discuss how you can become part of the RSNO family of supporters, please contact Jenny McNeely at jenny.mcneely@rsno.org.uk

‘We decided to become Chair Patrons because, having been Circle members for a couple of years, we could see how much it means to the players to have sponsors’