Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ticciati, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Three racy French scores overshadow Kevin Volans's new journey to nowhere

by David NiceSaturday, 28 August 2010

Robin Ticciati: Line and life in three French scoresChris Christodoulou

Which of the following has the thorniest dissonance: an early 18th-century dance-drama by Rebel, a symphony by Bizet, a concerto by Poulenc or a new work by South African composer Kevin Volans? If you think it's a trick question, you'll guess the right answer: the earliest. And which of the four sounds the least fresh and novel? My own take on that is the most recent.

A few baleful woodwind chords apart, the progress of Volans's CSS Alabama is without compelling ideas

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