A burst of Mediterranean sunshine – and music – is forecast for Elgin this week, courtesy of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
The SCO’s Summer In Italy concert promises to be a joyous taste of drama and fizz to evoke memories of warm nights on the Continent when it arrives at Elgin Town Hall on Thursday July 20, with works by acclaimed composers such as Rossini and Bottesini.
So it might come as a surprise to learn the Italian-infused programme was dreamed up on the back of a bus travelling across the US, prompted by the SCO’s Russian-born principal double bass, Nikita Naumov.
“We had a big tour in America last October and we had been travelling around the country like mental, I think it was the busiest tour I had ever been in my life,” said Nikita, who is a featured soloist in Summer In Italy along with clarinettist, Maximiliano Martín.
Nikita looking forward to bringing fun and energy to audiences
“Maxi is my friend and we always prefer the back of the bus … we’re the bad ones. I was keen to get a solo and my dream was also to play a duet for double bass and clarinet with Maxi.
“Maxim (Emelyanychev, the SCO’s principal conductor) was also on the bus, so I decided to have a chat about my idea of playing a few pieces and suggested Bottesini who created lots of opera music for double bass.”
Maxim suggested Nikita and Maximilian do a solo each, then play together. The three of them talked through pieces by Rossini and Bottesini and Mendelssohn.
“Maxim literally suggested the programme there and then, everyone was so excited and the concert was confirmed that week. It was all dreamed up in the back of a bus on the journey from one venue to the next in America,” said Nikita.
“There was a student on the bus listening to the conversation who said: ‘Is that how you get a solo?’ I said: ‘If you don’t ask you don’t get.”
Which is why the SCO will be performing a heady mix of pieces, with Rossini’s instantly recognisable overture to The Barber Of Saville and his operatic Introduction, Theme and Variations for clarinet and orchestra – both billed as full of fun and energy.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra thrilled to be back with summer tours
Meanwhile, Nikita will have a chance to shine with the Bottesini piece ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ for double bass and orchestra before he and Maxi play together for Bottesini’s Gran Duo for clarinet, double bass and orchestra.
Rounding the evening off will be Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 4 ‘Italian’, the warmest of his symphonies inspired by his trip to Italy in 1830.
No matter its origins, Nikita is delighted to be bringing such a spectacular concert to Elgin as part of the SCO’s summer touring programme, returning after a pandemic-enforced two-year break.
“Those two years weren’t great, so I the appreciation of doing this tour is a thousand times more than it used to be. For me coming back into normal life is so good. Everyone is different but I feel like lockdown changed my life. I am enjoying every single moment and I think that is the way to be.”
“And I hope with this concert we can take people on a journey and tell a story and communicate with the audience. I am hoping to bring an energy that people can feel in the room.”
Nikita hopes Summer In Italy will attract new fans to classical music
It’s something audiences in Forfar will also enjoy when the SCO takes Summer In Italy to the town’s Reid Hall on Friday July 21.
Nikita hopes that the Summer In Italy tour will not only bring in existing classical music fans, but bring in new ones too.
“The idea of going to, for example, Forfar is to attract as many people as possible,” he said.
Not that the Summer In Italy tour is the last outing for the SCO. They will be back on the road next month with a Rhythms Of Summer tour, visiting Aboyne, Turriff and Inverurie.
Nikita said he and the orchestra will be busy in the coming months.
“After the tour, the orchestra goes to London to perform with Maxim at the Proms, then we go to the Edinburgh Festival and we are also going to Hamburg,” said Nikita.
But before that, Nikita can’t wait to welcome people to Summer In Italy.
“Just enjoy it as much as we will,” he said.
To find out more and book tickets for the Summer In Italy tour visit sco.org.uk
