ED2016 5/5 Reviews ED2016 Music Reviews

Pierre Boulez – A Festival Celebration (Edinburgh International Festival / BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra)

By Louise Rodgers | Published on Tuesday 16 August 2016

This was like watching someone conduct rockets bursting in the sky; Matthias Pintscher gestured and there was an instant explosion of sound. It can’t have been easy for Pintscher – he was a friend of Pierre Boulez, who died in January – but tonight was an intense yet disciplined tribute. The two Boulez pieces each featured a soloist: Yeree Suh, soprano in ‘Don’ (Gift) and Charlotte Ashton on flute in ‘Mémoriale (…explosante-fixe…Originel)’. They had a mastery of the unusual techniques demanded by these contemporary works that was marvellous to hear. But again, I return to conductor Matthias Pintscher who, with an elegant economy of movement, had this world class orchestra in the palm of his hand.

Usher Hall, 12 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]