The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor, Donald Runnicles, have completed their tour together of Germany and Austria to great critical acclaim, with performances in Regensburg, Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, Innsbruck, Munich and Vienna’s Konzerthaus. The repertoire included Brahms’ Violin Concerto with Arabella Steinbacher and Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with Vilde Frang. Other works include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Elgar’s First Symphony, which was also well-received at this summer’s BBC Proms.

Some reviews from their most recent tour are below:

“Donald Runnicles, der Chefdirigent des schottischen Klangkörpers, nimmt Dynamikanweisungen sehr ernst, fährt den gewaltigen Orchesterapparat auf Sparflamme zurück, oder forciert genau dort, wo es die klangliche Dichte erfordert. Dieses Werk [Sibelius-Konzert] mit seiner sinfonischen Dimension, quasi ein Geschichtenbuch mit nordischen Legenden und Mythen, weiß Runnicles sehr deutlich zu übersetzen und verständlich zu machen.”

“Donald Runnicles, the chief conductor of the Scottish orchestra, takes dynamics very seriously. He can put the powerful orchestra on the back burner, or push them to produce exactly what is required from the musical poetry. This work [Sibelius Violin Concerto], with its symphonic dimension, is almost like a story book with Nordic legends and myths, which Runnicles knows exactly how to translate and convey clearly to the audience.”

(Berliner Tageblatt, October 2010)

“Ganz in ihrem Element schienen die Schotten dann in der monumentalen, hierzulande eigentlich zu Unrecht kaum zu hörenden ersten Symphonie von Edward Elgar. Dieses üppige und ausladende Werk der englischen Spätromantik erklang in einer klangverliebten und wiederum dynamisch differenzierten Interpretation, die in ihrer Geschlossenheit ein überzeugendes Plädoyer für die vernachlässigte Symphonie darstellte.”

“The Scottish orchestra appeared to be completely in their element for the monumental, yet rarely-heard First Symphony of Edward Elgar. This sumptuous and expansive work, by the English Late Romantic, was a dynamically different interpretation which, in its unity, was a convincing plea for this neglected work.” (Krone, October 2010)