MUSIC LIST/CLASSICAL
I Music is listed as diary: by day, then by city. than by event.
FRIDAY 5
Glasgow
I McEwen Festival ( ‘oneert Hall. (ilasgow University. University Avenue. Tickets: at door. 1.15pm. £1. (ilasgow’striennial festival of new Scottish chamber music continues with Peter Mountain (violin) and Angela Dale (piano) in works byJohn Purser. Janet Beat. Judith Weir andJohn McLeod.
I Midday Concert Stevenson Hall. RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 3325057. 1pm. Admission free by ticket. ('Iara Schumann ~ A Musical Portrait. painted on piano by Rosemarie Wright.
I La Traviata Theatre Royal. Hope Street. 331 123-1 or 332 9000. 7.15pm. Extra dates: 26 May. 3 June (mat) — (ilasgow; 20 and 24 June - Edinburgh. £3-£23. Scottish Opera in new production directed by Nuria Espert with the young American soprano. Nancy (iustafson. singing Violetta.
I Glasgow Cathedral Choral Society Glasgow Cathedral. Tickets: 227 551 1 (Ticket Centre. ('andleriggs). 7.30pm. £4 (£2). Brahms' (ierman Requiem conducted by John Turner along with Motels by Standford and Parry. ()rchestra is the City of Glasgow Symphony.
I McEwen Festival Concert Hall. (ilasgow University. University Avenue. Tickets: at door. 7.30pm. £3 (£2). Paragon Ensemble give the premiere ofthe 1989 McEwen Commission. which has been written by William Sweeney. Also on the programme is Judith Weir‘s Pleasant Dreams. Assertions by Philip Norris and Leo by John Maxwell (ieddes.
I The Linn Choir Hillington Park Church. Further information: 638 1 100 ( 1 ion Sec). Choral concert featuring organist Nimmo Davidson.
Edinburgh
I The Mikado King's Theatre. Leven Street. 229 1201 . 7.30pm. lixtra date: Sat6 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. £4.50~£l2.50 (cone available). New l)‘()yle (‘arte ()pera Company in (iilbert and Sullivan favourite under the directorship of John \Vclls.
SATURDAY 6 Glasgow
I Don Giovanni 'l liealrc Royal. 1 lope Street. 331 1234 or 332 9000. 7.15pm. iiytra dates: 24 and 30 May ~(ilasgow :21 and 23 June lidinburgh. £3~ £23. Scottish ()pera‘s new production has Francois le Roux and Jason Howard sharing the title role. Della Jones as Donna lnlv ira and Faith ltlliot singing Donna Anna. Mark (ilansv ille as the Cominendatore and Plamen HidJov playing I .eporello. Director is Dav id Walsh. designs are by ls'atlirine Hysing and Fleonore Kleibei and John Pryce-Jones conducts. I McEwen Festival Studio Lime. Broadcasting l louse. Queen Margaret Drive 'l ickets. Reception. BB( ‘ or Miisic l)ept.(ilasgow l'iiiversity. Hl'nivcrsity “ (iardens. 7 30pm The BBCScottish Symphony ( )icliestra give the final concert of ( ilasgow ‘s triennial festival of new music l‘ll\l per‘loriiiance loi Iain ltillllllllllFS I’iano( om erto No 2. with soloist David Horne. and another first with l .yell ( 'resswell’s xi Moi/em Izi stavv A collaboration with writer Patrick
54The List 5 718 May 1989
llSTINGs CLASSICAL
McGuire. singers are Linda llirst and Stephen Roberts. Programme also includes Flight 'l'ahleau by Peter Nelson. I Morley String Quartet Friendship l louse. 8 Belmont Crescent. 339 3008. 7.30pm. £2.50(£l .50). Scotland L'SSR Society present the Morley Quartet. w ho will be playing the complete Shostakovich string quartetsover the next few years. Tonight it's Nos 3. 7 and 8. ()p 73. 108 and 1 10 respectively.
Edinburgh
I The Mikado King's Theatre. l.even Street. 229 1201 . 2.30pm and 7.30pm. £4.50- £12.50(conc available). See Fri 5 for full description.
I Edinburgh University Chamber Orchestra ()ld St Paul's Church. Jeffrey Street. Tickets at door. 7.30pm. iixtra date: Wed 10. £3 (£2). Interesting programme starting with Mozart‘s ()verture to Don Giovanni. then Beethoven's Symphony No 8 and Charles lves' Symphony No} entitled The ( amp .‘lleeting. Stuart 1 lope is soloist in David Johnson's Piano Concerto.
I Kevoclt Choir L'sher Hall. l.olhian Road. Tickets: 440 I093 660 2406M 2299685 (Sheena McNeil). 7.30pm. £1.50 £4 (half price cones). Twenty-second annual concert is an evening of songand entertainment with the Choir and guest artists the New Cambridge Buskers.
I Piano Recital Rudolph Steiner School. Spylaw Road. Tickets at door. 8pm. £3.50 (£2). Ronald Stevenson plays music by Bach. (irieg and Janacek as part ofthe Rudolf Steiner School's 50th anniversary celebrations.
Glasgow
I Westbourne Music Belhaven-Westbourne Church. \Vestbourne (iardens. Tickets: 332 5057 (RSAMI) Box Office). 3pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Scottish Piano Competition winner ( iraeme McNaught gives afternoon recital of Schubert Impromtus. Berg's ()p 1 and the Schumann Cmajor Fantasia. ()p 17.
I Culture City Preview Art Gallery and Museum. Kelvingrove. Tickets: 332 72-14 (SN() ()ffice). 6pm ~ 10pm. £15 (incl dinner and wine). Not quite all of 1990 in3 hours. but a joint sneak preview from Scottish ()pera. Scottish Ballet. SN()and (ilasgovv Art (iallery and Museums. Performers also include Scottish liarly Music Consort. various chamber groups and members of the SN() who are even giving up part of their annual leave toplay. Top artists include John Mauceri and Jane Iiaglen from Scottish ()pera.
Edinburgh
I St Giles‘ at Six Si (iiles‘ Cathedral. High Street. Free at door. 6pm. The Kinghorn Choir from File with Victoria‘s Respmisories for 'l‘enelirae and music by Kenneth Leighton.
IJubilo ()ueen's Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. 7.30pm. lixtra date: Mon 8. £4 (£3). In a rather clever arrangement. proceeds from tonight‘s Jubilo concert go to finance tomorrow's. so that a maximum amount is raised for Cancer Research. Programme includes 1 landel's The King Shall Rt’jtut't’.
La Traviata is one of the best-loved of all operas - and deservedly so: Verdi, at the height of his powers, pours out one good tune after another. For some, on the other hand. the opera typifies the contradictions inherent in the genre: we are asked to accept that the heroine is dying of tuberculosis all
through the last act, despite the obviously healthy lungs of the singer taking the part. It takes someone of exceptional dramatic as well as vocal gifts to bring this oil and it is not the least of Nancy Gustalson's achievements in this. her first role for Scottish Opera, that she is as totally convincing as the consumptive and abandoned woman of Act Three as she is earlier in the opera playing the vivacious courtesan. The young
LA TRAVIATA
American soprano's performance is superb: she seems destined for big things and the chance to hear her at this stage in her career should not be missed.
A performance of such strength in the title role inevitably overshadows the other players and only James Dietsch's Germont comes close to matching up. As Aliredo, Jorge Pita seemed somewhat ill at ease on opening night and had some problems with his higher register. ConductorJohn Mauceri shows a real affinity for Verdi, sweeping singers and orchestra along towards well-judged climaxes. He has restored much that is traditionally cut in perlormance, giving the audience a chance to hear repeated verses in some of the best-loved songs.
Miss Gustalson is lortunate hereto have been directed by Nuria Espert. As was clear from last year's Madame Butterfly, the great Spanish actress is a gifted director of women - particularly the tragic operatic heroine. Staging, body movement and gesture all , combine to re-create a real suffering person. and always in tune with the music. With the other characters too, Miss Espert's direction is sure-looted and is complemented by superb sets and costumes by Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino. Mid 19th century Paris is brilliantly re-created, culminating—as one might expect— in
the Spanish masquerade ol Act II. The production as a whole is marked by a unity of vision, all directed towards a realisation of Verdi's concept. (Noel O'Regan)
Further perlormances: Glasgow, April 29th, May 5th, 26th; Edinburgh, June 20th, 24th.
the Faure Requiem. Vaughan Williams” Serenade to Music and the first performance of Song by Edinburgh composer Michael Lester-Cribb.
I Edinburgh Chamber Players Reid Concert Hall. Bristo Square. Tickets: 668 2019(()ueen's Hall). 7.15pm. £3(£2). tinder their director Neil Metcalfe this Edinburgh liniversity student ensemble. with l Cantori Conversi. perform Bach's 8 minor .lilas's.
I Renaissance Group of StAndrews St Mary's Cathedral. Palmerston Place. Tickets at door. 8pm. £5. Carver Mass
I )um Sat-rum Mysterium with proceeds going towards Medical Aid for Poland.
MONDAY 8 Glasgow
I Competition Stevenson Hall. RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 10am. Free at door. The A Ramsay Calder Debussy Prize Competition for Piano.
Edinburgh
I Jubilo Queen's Hall. Clerk Street . 668 2019. 7.30pm. £15 (incl interval wine and buffet supper afterwards) £6 (incl interval wine ). (iala Concert in aid of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund conducted by Walter Thomson. See Sun 7 for programme information.
TUESDAY 9 Glasgow
I Competition Guinness Room. RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 10am. Free at door. Music students compete for the Hilda Bailey Prize for violin.
I Competition (iuinness Room. RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 2pm. Free at door. Another prize is at stake for young violinists. this time one bequeathed by Robert Highgate.
Edinburgh
I Edinburgh University Chamber Choir Reid Concert Hall. Bristo Square. Free atdoor. 1.10an Michael Turnbull directs his talented young forces in Britten‘s Rejoice in the Lamb.
I First Choice Recital Queen's- Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. 8pm. £5 (standby £3.50). Assembly Music's new series ofclassical music recitals by Scottish-based artists continues with cellist William Conway and pianist Peter Evans. who play Sonatas by Beethoven and Rachmaninov. an arrangement of Falla's Ritual I"iredanee and Legend by contemporary composer Bevan Baker.
WEDNESDAY 10
Glasgow
I Competition (iuinness Room. RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 10am. Free at door. Students of viola are after the Watson Forbes Prize.
I Guitar/Flute Recital (iuinness Room. RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 3325057. 7.45pm. £2 (£1 ). John Irvine and Nicholas Smith. both students of the RSAMD. give the first performances of works written specially for them by Thomas Wilson and Peter lnness. They ‘re joined by the Scottish (iuitar Trio for works from the classicalrepertoire.
I Baroque Bunch Free Trades Hall. (ilassford Street. Tickets: at door. 8pm. £3(£150). Stralhelyde l'niversity Chamber Orchestra w ith lots of Baroque music by Handel. Telemman and Bach. including the Concerto in I: nunor for flute and recorder by 'l'elernann.
Edinburgh
I Recital for Two Pianos St Mary 'sChurch. lladdinglon. 'l ickets: 062 082 3735 (Haddington House ) or 2281155(l,'sher Hall Bos()flicc). 8pm. lastradate: Thurs l1.(‘anongateKirk.Fdinburgh.£4.50 (£3 £1.50) Pianoduoot StephenCooinbs