deFilharmonie . James MacMillan

Sitting slumped in your seat is not something you do during a concert of music by the Scottish composer James MacMillan. The public adores his whirling performances. His most popular work by far, the concerto for percussion and orchestra, 'Veni, veni, Emmanuel', has been programmed more than three hundred times. In his musical idiom he remains true to his Scottish origins and Catholic faith. He pours his predilection for Celtic folk music along with influences from Oriental, Scandinavian and Eastern-European music into a single vessel. 'The Berserking' is MacMillan at his musical best: a musical tussle between piano and orchestra. In the middle section we are able to catch our breath between the evocative Celtic folk melodies, but in the third section piano and orchestra join forces and go into battle. As a conductor, MacMillan is an excellent advocate of his own music. In the works of Stravinsky he pays tribute to one of his musical examples. He selects two works written in America, the Concerto in D and Variations, one in memory of Stravinsky's neighbour, Aldous Huxley.