Karen Cargill - Mahler: Lieder - Herald Scotland

Happy Hogmanay, all, and no better moment to rewind and fast-forward. Reminiscences first. These past 12 months have produced a clutch of unforgettable gems, a few inexcusable flops and an impressive contingent of fine performances. Overall we're tremendously fortunate for the classical music on our doorsteps, especially those of us who live in the central belt.

As in every corner of the arts, the referendum forced the classical sector to do some mostly useful, occasionally fractious soul-searching. The Commonwealth Games inspired a proud showcase of back-to-back orchestral music. Jonathan Mills bowed out as director of the Edinburgh International Festival by staging his own oratorio. Creative Scotland unveiled a long-term funding strategy that threw several key components of our musical ecosystem into uncertainty. Scottish Opera remained artistically rudderless, appointed no music director and opened its expensive new Theatre Royal lobby extension seven months late.

...Karen Cargill released a breathtaking album of songs by Gustav and Alma Mahler...