AT HOME: Malcolm Martineau & Friends
Distinguished pianist Malcolm Martineau and a gathering of musical friends in a filmed concert of songs based on the poetry of Sir Walter Scott.
Not only one of Scotland’s greatest writers, Edinburgh-born Sir Walter Scott gripped readers right across Europe with tales of his nation’s history and landscape, its heroism and nobility. So much so, in fact, that his poetry was transformed into songs by many of the greatest composers of the time, in an extensive collection of commissions carried out by Edinburgh musician and folksong collector George Thomson.
Join Edinburgh’s most eminent pianist for song, Malcolm Martineau, as he invites an intimate gathering of musical friends for a concert of songs based around the heroic, romantic verse of Sir Walter Scott.
The recital includes Schubert’s Seven Songs from Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake, featuring his much-loved Ave Maria, as well as rugged Scottish folksong settings by Haydn and Beethoven, some of those two composers’ most overlooked masterpieces. All three figures were contemporaries of Scott, and they are joined by Sibelius, who himself set Scott’s The sun upon the lake is low to music a century later.
Joining Martineau are two eminent British singers, both known for their charismatic performances and brilliant musical insights: soprano Elizabeth Watts, and baritone Roderick Williams. Discover these seldom-heard musical responses to poetry by Scotland’s Borders Bard, in expert musical company.
This digital performance was available to watch online until 13 February 2022 at 11pm.
Martineau is a storyteller himself, giving each song its own innate sense of drama and purposeRick Perdian, Seen and Heard International
Malcolm Martineau Piano
Elizabeth Watts Soprano
Roderick Williams Baritone
Sijie Chen Violin
Ursula Smith Cello
A programme with texts by Sir Walter Scott, including works by Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven and Silbelius.
Our digital programme offers audiences the opportunity to discover artists from this year's International Festival at home for free.
All events are free, but donations are welcomed. You can donate when booking your ticket, or by visiting our Support Us page.
To join these online conversations, please book a free ticket. You'll then receive a confirmation email with full details on how to view.
At the time of the event, you'll need to return to the At Home event page and login to your account to view. You can watch in a web browser on your computer or mobile device, or use Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple Screen Mirroring or an HDMI cable to watch on a television screen. There's more information on how to connect and troubleshoot any issues on our At Home Support page.