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MUSIC LIST /CLASSICAL
WEDNESDAY 4 Glasgow
I 800 City Hall, Candleriggs, 227 5511. 7.30pm. £2.20—£9.20 (£1/series discount available). Glasgow performance only for the SCO with J ukka-Pekka Saraste and Stravinsky‘s Apollo, the Horn Concerto by Hindemith (soloist is the SCO‘s own Robert Cook) and Beethoven Symphony No 8.
Edinburgh
I Oueen's Hall Afternoon Tea Concert Queen‘s Hall, Clerk Street, 668 2019. 3pm. £3.50 (including afternoon tea— series discount available). A new departure for the Queen‘s Hall brings live music in the afternoons. For the first ofthe series. take tea with violinist Leonard Friedman accompanied at the piano by Peter Evans.
I Musical Gala Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1 155. 7.30pm. £3—£5 (£1 off). The Band of HM‘s Royal Marines and Edinburgh‘s Gilbert and Sullivan Society join together for an evening‘s entertainment in aid of the King George‘s Fund for Sailors.
THURSDAY 5 Glasgow
I The Marriage ol Figaro Theatre Royal, Hope Street, 331 1234/332 9000. 7.15pm. Extra dates: Sat 7, Thurs 19 October, Sat 21 October (mat), Tue 5 Dec, Thurs 7 Dec — Glasgow; Wed 1 November, Fri 5 November— Edinburgh. £3—£25 (various concessions and series discounts available). Scottish Opera in a revival of John Cox‘s production of Mozart‘s first comic opera, with designs by John Byrne. Figaro is Jason Howard, Rosa Mannion sings Susanna and Cherubino is played by Clare Shearer. In the pit is young staff conductorJustin Brown, just back from his American debut at Sante Fe Opera.
Edinburgh
I Edinburgh University Lunchtime Concert Reid Concert Hall, Bristo Square. 1.10pm—1.55pm. Free at door. Music for mezzo and piano performed by Katrine Townhill and Leon Coates.
FRIDAY 6 Glasgow
I Academy oi Ancient Music Stevenson Hall, RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 1pm. Admisson free by ticket. ‘A Plaine and Basic Introduction to Practicall Musicke‘ is the title ofthis Midday Concert involving violins, viola, ‘cello and keyboard in a variety of English and Italian music.
I Stalils Masterclass Guinness Room, RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 2.30pm. Free at door. A workshop showing just how it‘s done, using Baroque string instruments by players from the Academy of Ancient Music (see above). I Carlo Curley Organ Recital Cathedral Church of St Mary, Great Western Road. Tickets: 227 5511 (Ticket Centre). 8pm. £7.50 (£6). First ever recital in Glasgow by top organist Carlo Curley is actually the last before St Mary‘s organ is taken away for a complete overhaul and repair. In more or less a year‘s time he‘ll be back for the first recital on the refurbished instrument. Programme this time round includes popular and modern pieces, from Bach to Scott Joplin.
I The Merry Widow Theatre Royal, Hope Street, 331 1234/332 9000. 7.15pm. Extra dates: Wed 25 October. Wed 6 December, Sat 9 December (mat) — Glasgow; Tue 31 October. Sat 4 November — Edinburgh. £3—£25 (various concessions and series discounts available). See Saturday 30 for full description.
I SCO City Hall. Candleriggs, 227 5511.
7.30pm. Extra date: Saturday 7.
The Merrv Widow
Scottish Opera’s Winter
Season went oil with a semi-bang from the RSC’s Dl Trevls's operatic debut production of Lehar's masterpiece. This Widow was more sanguine than merry on the first night with a particularly glum lirst act. Happily the second and third acts showed much more promise and the cast seemed to settle into an easier rapport with the audience, which became decidedly lively by the linal curtain.
John Wells'new translation owes much to that classic Marx Brothers’ iilm Duclt Soup, with Peter Knapp as the pompous idiot Daron Zeta hearing more than a passing resemblance to Groucho as Dr l-lacltenhush, the saviour of Freedonla, and Suzanne Murphy certainly looked like Margaret Dumont
in lull blllow. Unlortunately the enunciation ol the sung words was so bad that most oi John Wells’ eilorls were wasted.
The evening was well sung overall but the Scottish Opera Orchestra under John Pryce-Jones were often too loud and not as well disciplined as usual.
Bunny Christie's sets and costumes were disappointing, particularly in the lirst act, although her grisettes breathed plenty oi lile into the last act.
Di Trevis clearly has good ideas behind her Merry Widow and hopefully given a little re-thought and the coniidence ol the cast it will come togetherlor her. (Erika E. King)
The Merry Widow, Theatre Royal, Glasgow.
Edinburgh. £2.20—£9.20 (£1/series discount available). Principal conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste continues to get the SCO‘s new season off to a flying start, tonight with Richard Strauss‘s Metamorphosen and the Gran Partita B flat Serenade No 13 by Mozart.
I Kilmardinny Music Circle Kilmardinny Arts Centre, 50 Kilmardinny Avenue, 943 0312. 7.45pm. The Pembridge Ensemble (actually a piano quartet), play works by Hadyn, Martinu and Brahms.
Edinburgh
I SNO Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm, Extra date: Saturday 7, Glasgow. £2.95—£12.70 (standby £2.50/series discounts available). New SNO series opens with Musical Director Bryden Thomson conducting Martinu‘s Symphony No 4, the Martinu symphonies being a particular feature of the winter season, Glinka‘s Russian and Ludmilla Overture, Rachmaninov‘s Piano Concerto No 2 with Howard Shelley as soloist and, rather a rarity. Dvorak‘s Water Sprite.
SATURDAY 7 Glasgow
I The Marriage of Figaro Theatre Royal, Hope Street, 331 1234/332 9000. 7. 15pm. Extra dates: Thurs 19 October, Sat 21 October (mat), Tues 5 Dec, Thurs 7 Dec— Glasgow; Wed 1 November, . 'i 5 November— Edinburgh. £3—£25 (various concessions and series discounts available). See Thurs 5 for full desscription.
I SNO City Hall, Candlen'ggs, 227 5511. 7.30pm. £3.50—£12.70 (standby £2.50/series discounts available). See Friday 6, Edinburgh, for full description.
Edinburgh
I 800 Queen‘s Hall, Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £2.20—£9.90 (£3.50 advance/£2.20 standby/series discount available). See Friday 6, Glasgow, for full description.
SUNDAY 8 Glasgow
I Westbourne Music Belhaven-Westbourne Church, Westbourne Gardens. Tickets: 332 5057
(RSAMD). 3pm. £4.50 (£3.50). The Auriol String Quartet play Quartettsatz and Death and the Maiden by Schubert, with Ravel‘s String Quartet in Fmajor appearing in between.
Edinburgh
I Scottish Ensemble Queen‘s Hall, Clerk Street, 668 2019. 2.30pm. Extra date: Mon 8 at 7.30pm, Glasgow. £5/£7.50 (£2/£3.50/£5/series discount available). A French flavour to the Scottish Ensemble's first concert of their 88/89 season brings music by Lully, Francaix, Faure, Satie and Britten‘s Les Illuminations with soprano soloist Kathleen Livingstone.
I Richard Ballet's Grand Tour to Melody King‘s Theatre, Leven Street, 2291201. 7.30pm. £5. A musical journey with Richard Baker as your courier in four different capital cafes - Paris, Vienna, Berlin and London — with help alongthe way from a six-strong team of operetta singers.
I Scottish Sinlonia Queen‘s Hall, Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £3.80 (£3/£2). Neil Mantle conducts Brahms‘ Piano Concerto No 2, with Richard Beauchamp as soloist, and Bruckner‘s 3rd Symphony. I Old St Paul's Centenary Concert Old St Paul‘s Church, Jeffrey Street. Tickets at door. 2.30pm. The Oldham Choral Society perform Mendelssohn‘s ‘St Paul‘.
MONDAY 9 Glasgow
I Scottish Ensemble Stevenson Hail, RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £6.50 (£3.50/series discount available). See Sunday 8, Edinburgh, for full description.
TUESDAY 10
Glasgow
I Violin/Piano Recital Hutchesons Hall, 158 Ingram Street. Ticket at door. 1.15pm. £1 .25 (inc refreshments). Krzysztomeietana and John Blaker play works by Dallapiccola, Wieniawski and Beethoven in the first of Strathclyde University‘s bumper season oflunchtime concerts.
Edinburgh
I Edinburgh University Lunchtime Concert
Reid Concert Hall, Bristo Square. 1.10pm—1.55pm. Free at door. The Edinburgh Quartet return to one of their most popular haunts.
I Piano Recital Reid Concert Hall, Bristo Square. Tickets: St Giles‘ Cathedral Shop, High Street. 8pm. £6 (incl wine). Herrick Bunney plays Sonatas by Chopin and Schubert, as well as works by Bach and Debussy, in aid of the St Giles‘ Renewal
Appeal.
WEDNESDAY 11
Glasgow
I BBC SSO BBC 880 Centre, BBC, Queen Margaret Drive. Tickets: Room 209, BBC. 1pm. Free. Lunchtime studio concert of Bizet‘s La Patric and Schumann‘s Piano Concerto with Michael Roll as soloist. Jean Bernard Pommier conducts.
Edinburgh
I The Greytrlars Story Greyfriars Kirk, Candlemaker Row. Tickets: 6682019 (Queen‘s Hall). 7.30pm. Extra dates: Thursday 12, Friday 13, Saturday 14. An entertainment in words and music with Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group and the choir of Greyfriars Kirk. In aid of Greyfriars International Appeal.
I Edinburgh Quartet St Bernard‘s Church, Saxe Coburg Street. Tickets: 6682019 (queen’s Hall) or 228 1155 (Usher Hall). 7.45pm. £6 (inc refreshments)/£4.20 (£2/series discount available). The E0 open their new season with Mozart‘s G major K387, Variations for String Quartet by Kenneth Leighton and Dvorak’s Quartet in E flat, Op51.
THURSDAY 12
Glasgow
I SNO City Hall, Candleriggs, 227 5511. 7.30pm. Extra dates: Friday 13, Edinburgh and Saturday 14, Glasgow. £3.50—£ 12.70 (standby £2.50/series discount available). Appealing to the masses, it‘s an all-Tchaikovsky night starting with Romeo and Juliet, followed by the Violin Concerto with Ida Haendel, and the Symphony No 4 in the second half. Can we take all this in one go? Arnold Katz conducts.
I lntemalional Celebrity Recital Stevenson Hall, RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £10 (£7.50/series discount available). Pianist Vladimir Ovchinikov is the first guest of this new series. He plays Rachmaninov‘s Etudes-tableaux Op 33 and 39 and Tchaikovsky‘s Sonata in G, Op 37.
I Robin Orr: 80th Birthday Celebration Concert Hall, Glasgow University. 1.15pm. Free at door. A rather special birthday present. Linda Ormiston, Leonard Friedman and the Camerata of St Andrew with Kenneth Elliott, piano, present a programme devoted to the music of Robin Orr, ex-Gardiner Professor of Music at Glasgow University.
Edinburgh
I SCO Queen‘s Hall, Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. Extra date: Friday 13, Glasgow. £2.20—£9.90 (£3.50 advance/£2.20 standby/series discount available). Still in Spanish mood from their recent tour there, the SCO conducted by Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos plays Theme and Variations by Turina, Rodrigo‘s Guitar Concerto (soloist Eduardo Fernandez), Falla‘s Master Peter's Puppet Show and, keeping up the Don Quixote theme, Don Quichotte and Dulcinee by Ravel. The ever popular baritone Benjamin Luxon makes a guest appearance.
I The Greyfriars Story Greyfriars Kirk, Candlemaker Row. Tickets: 6682019 (Queen‘s Hall). 7.30pm. Extra dates: Friday 13, Saturday 14. £4 (£3/£2). See Wednesday 11 for full description.
44 The List 29 September— 12 October 1989