As Robin Ticciati enters his final season with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Linn celebrates his memorable tenure as Principal Conductor with a recording of four of the most sublime orchestral masterpieces ever written. The recording legacy of these revolutionary and distinctive works serves to underscore the confidence Ticciati has, not only in his own vision for these symphonies, but also in his partnership with the musicians of the SCO, who relish Brahms’ highly virtuosic orchestral writing. The SCO’s renowned recordings of Mozart Symphonies are a natural predecessor to Brahms, who advances the form’s classicism into the Romantic era. Ahead of the SCO 15/16 Season, in which all four symphonies were performed, Ticciati set out his aims: ‘The challenge…is to find a Brahms sound with the orchestra. To find something so unbelievably dark, autumnal, and yet steeped in counterpoint.’ By 2017, that Brahms sound was perfected; Ticciati’s interpretations are both muscular and energized, with detail and life in every line. Ticciati’s meticulous control of tempo, phrase shape and balance results in performances of extraordinary transparency and colour. This recording marks a major landmark in Ticciati’s career.

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REVIEW:

Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of these performances is the sheer variety of colors and timbres Robin Ticciati manages to extract from the outstanding strings of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Throughout each work, Ticciati projects strongly defined phrase characterisation, coupled with a great sense of forward momentum…Exciting, revelatory performances that make you listen afresh to this wonderful life-enhancing music.

– BBC Music Magzine