3%: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius Revisited 3 City llalls. ('andleriggs. 353 8000. 7.30pm.
£9 £31.50. See llitlrst. page 8|.
I Madama Butterfly Royal (‘oncert Hall. 3 Sattcltieltall Street. 35.3 8000. 7.30pm. £18 £30.50. See l‘ri l7.
Edinburgh
I Scottish Opera: Tamerlano Unwrapped Festival Theatre. 13 3‘) Nicolson Street. 53‘) (i000. (rpm. l‘rec. ady'artce bookirtg required. Key nterttbers of cast. orchestra attd backstage teant sltare some of tlteir secrets itt art ltottr lortg look at what makes opera tick.
I Edinburgh University Chamber Choir: Royal Norwegian Advent Concert St (iiles’ ('athedral. Royal Mile. 336 0073. 7.l5prtt. l'ree. liric yon lbler conducts a prograrttrtte of music attd carols for (’hristtttas attd Ady'ettt.
Glasgow
I The World of Wolf: Andrew Kennedy and Chriss Glynn RSAMl). I00 Rettfreyy Street. 333 5057. lprtt. £7 (£5). The BB(' Radio 3 series concludes \yith attotlter BB(' .\'eyy (ierteratiort :\t'llsl. tenor Andreyy Kennedy. He'll be partrtered by (‘hris (ily'nn. a pri/eyy'intter at tlte most recertt (‘ardifl Singers of the World.
I Madama Butterfly Royal ('oncert Hall. 3 Satrcltieltall Street. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £l8 £30.50. See l'ri I7. Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Adventurer (’ity' llalls. ('attdleriggs. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £l0 £23.50
l£7.50 £l(i.80r. See llitlist. page 8|.
Edinburgh
I Organ Recital .‘ylcliyy‘art llall. Bristo Square. (350 3437. l.l0pttt. Free. Art appetising lurtclttirtte menu of (iuilrttart. Widor. llollirts. Bunk. ('rackel. Werner artd Jortgett. yy ith organist Michael Waltlirt. I Scottish Opera: Tamerlano l'iestlHtl 'l‘lteatt'e. l5 3‘) Nlcttlsttlt Street. 53‘) (lillli). 7.15pm. £13 £40. See (ilasgoyy. 'l'hu lo.
I Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Greig Piano Concerto l'slter llall. l.otltian Road. 338 l I55. 7.30pm. £10 £38. Joined by pianist Lukas \‘ondracek arid conducted by RSNO fayottrite Jac yan Steert. tlte orchestra perforrtt a cortcert of popular classics including Beetltoyen’s l'lr/r'Hu ()t't’l'ltll'l’. (ireig's l’imm (Warm) and
'l'cltaikoy sky ’s Symphony .Vu 5.
Glasgow
I Glasgow Chamber Choir St Bride‘s lipiscopal ('hurch. (r‘) llyrtdlartd Road. 7.30pm. £‘) (£6). The cltoir corttrtterttorate tlte 50th :tltlti\et'sitl'y of tlte deatlt of (ier'ald liirt/i attd explore the music of Spanish Renaissance master l‘rartcisco (iuerrero \y itlt mixed programme of their respectiy e works.
I Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Greig Piano Concerto Royal ('ortcert Hall. 3 Sauchiehall Street. 35.3 8000. 7.30pttt. £l0 £30. See lit 34.
Edinburgh
I Scottish Opera: Der Rosenkavalier l-‘estiyal 'l'heatre. l3 3‘) Nicolsott Street. 53‘) 0000. b.30pttt.
£l4 £44. See Tue 31.
I Edinburgh University Music Society Chorus St (‘uthhert’s (‘hurch. S l.othiatt Road. 33‘) l I43. 7.30pm. £0 (£4). liys'art :\t'lltslt't)ltg conducts a programme to include Bach‘s .llugni/it'ur. Rerttire/‘s .lliyu (‘n'nlti arid selected African spirituals. ('all 07875 355307 or email ettrttspresident(a grttail.cortt for tickets.
12' Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Adventurer (irey‘ friars Kirk. (irey friars Place. ()68 30l‘). 7.30pm. £l-l (£40.50). See fit 34.
I Calton Consort (‘anongate Kirk. Royal Mile. 0| 3| 33‘) (>357. 'l‘ickets: at door. 7.30pm. £7 t£5). 'l‘y'pically‘ intentiy'e programme front the polished voices of
82 THE LIST to 3:) Nov your;
OPERA SCOTTISH OPERA: TAMERLANO Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Thu 16 & Sat 18 Nov; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh,
Fri 24 & Thu 30 Nov
Although Handel’s Tamerlano is one of the gems of Baroque opera, it is, oddly, very rarely performed. Or perhaps it’s not so odd, given that it is only relatively recently that such operas are gaining in renewed popularity. Conducting Scottish Opera’s new production, which follows hot on the heels of the same composer’s hugely successful Semele last season, is Glasgow-born conductor Christian Curnyn. With director John La Bouchardiere, he was part of the creative team behind Semele and is delighted to be returning for this latest Handel undertaking.
‘I don’t really know why Tamerlano hasn’t been done nearly as much as it should be,’ he says. ‘I think that, basically, people are now realising that it is just amazing music. Even ten years ago, it was on the sideline and now it’s getting into the mainstream of core repertoire.’ Not wanting to give too much away about the production in case it spoils the surprise — albeit a promise of a nice surprise - Curnyn does, however, describe the opera as ‘certainly not a laugh a minute. There isn’t much light in it, but it is immediate and very different to Handel’s other operas.’
Inspired by the 14th century nomad conqueror, Tamerlane, and set in what is now Turkey, the music does not, says Curnyn, ‘have a lot of explosive vocal fireworks. It’s lyrical, through composed, in that it doesn’t use the style of big show pieces, and has a rather meditative quality to it.’
Over three hours long, it is vital that Curnyn paces the baroque score so that, as he says, ‘it’s like keeping a ball in the air. The strings play with no vibrato and use shorter than usual bow strokes to get the right sort of sound. Like any good orchestra, they are up for doing something different.’
(Carol Main)
the ('alton ('onsott. fratttirtg Stray ittsky ’s Mass for (‘/I()I'll.\ (mil u'im/ fltxll'tmtr’ltlx
\\ ith lltttlels and the .qux in If ntinnr by Bruckner.
Glasgow
I Scottish Open Brass Band Competitions Royal (‘ortcert llall. 3 Satrcltieltall Street. 353 8000. ‘)artt. £7. The l'K's top brass hands compete for the title of Scottish ()pert ('ltarttpions.
I Organ Recital Kely'ingroye :\rt (ialler'y & .\lttseurtt. Argyle Street. 376 ‘)5‘)‘). 3.30 3pm & 3.30 4pm. Free. Take a seat irt the museum's magnificently restored centre hall artd enjoy some wonderful music at one of the museum‘s Sunday Promenade concerts. This month with Williant llutchesort.
I BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius Revisited 4 ('iry llalls. (‘artdleriggs. 353 8000. 3pm.
£l5 £3 l .50. Join the orchestra artd conductor Stephen Strly'ottt as they deconstruct Sibelius' .S'y‘mplmny' No 3 to exltibit hoyx the corttposer forrtted artd assembled one of ltis greatest eotttpositions.
I Glasgow Sinfonia: A Russian Concert RSAMI). I00 Rettfreyy Street. 333 5057. 7.30pm. £8 t£4 £o). (ierard
l)olterty conducts a performance of tttttsical gents frottt Rttssia. including (ilirtka's RIM/(HI um! Lin/mill}! ()t'r'rlurr' artd 'l‘chaikoy sky 's Rnr'm‘r) lirriulinnx attd .S‘y‘nrp/runy' .Vn /.
Edinburgh
I Edinburgh University Music Society Symphony Orchestra
(ircy friars Kirk. (it'ey friars Place. 7.30pm. £7 l£4). Rttssell (‘oyy iesott conducts as the orchestra tackle Sltostakoy iclt's l'i'xrr't't' ()r't'rlru‘r' artd .S'y'ni/r/runy' .Vn /l. attd Arutuniatt's Trumpet ('mrt‘t'rlu. ('all 07875 355307 or email
euttts.president(a gmailcont for tickets.
I Meadows Chamber Orchestra Queen's Hall. 87 8‘) (‘lerk Street. 008 30l‘). 7.45pm. £l £‘). l’etet' liyans conducts the orchestra irt l.ester-(‘ribb’s .S't'm' Nomi/re. l)\or'ak\ Sure/truly in I) ()p 33 attd Brahms‘ tin/in ('unu'rm in I). ()p
Tuesday 28
Glasgow
I Gustav Fenyo: The Genius of Mozart Rarttsltorrt 'l'lteatre. ‘)8 Ingram Street. 5.53 348‘). l.l.5 3pm. £3. The second of two progratttrttes marking the 350th anniyersary of the great cttlttpttset'is birtlt.
I [rout] ('(':\. 350 Sauchieltall Street. 353 4‘)00. 8pm. £5 (£3). liourtded by corttposers Sam llaydert. l’attl Nets-land artd l’aul Whitty. tltis dynamic ensemble. exploring collaborative. experimental artd cr‘oss-diseiplirtar'y' approaches to compositions. is a unique collaboration between (ilztsgoyy‘ t'niy‘ersity's .\lusic iii the l'niy‘ersity. the (‘(‘.-\ attd the British .\lttsic Information ('etttre.
Edinburgh
I Florian Kitt and Rita Medjimorec Reid (‘ortcert llall. lidinburgh l'niyersity. Bristo Square. 650 3437. l.l0prn. l‘ree. 'l‘lte cellist artd pianist present Debussy ’s .S‘urrulu. ()sborne's anu Diary 3006 attd Brittert's Snitqu in ('. ()p ()5.
I Scottish Opera: Der Rosenkavalier Unwrapped l-‘estiy-al 'l'lteatre. l3 3‘) .\'icolson Street. 53‘) ()(XX). (rpm. l-‘ree. adyartce booking required. Key members of cast. orchestra artd backstage team share sortie of their secrets yx itlt neyycortters arid existing opera goers alike in art hour long look at “but makes opera tick. Key scenes from l)a\'id .\tc\'icar's production of this exquisite fairy story. yylticlt tells the tale of tltyyarted loy e itt l8tlt century Vienna. \y ill be introduced as particular highlights.
Wednesday 29
Glasgow
I The Governors’ Recital Prize for Strings RSAMI). l00 Rertfreyy Street. 333 5057. l0attt. l’ree. Strings students front the RS:\.\tl) corttpete for this prestigious pri/e.
I Gustav Fenyoz The Genius of Mozart ('rayy furd ('afe/Bar. l‘niy'ersity ()t' Str'atltelyde. Jordarthill Campus. 76 Soutltbrae Drive. ‘)50 3438. H5 3pm. liree. See Tue 38.
I Piano Masterclass Stratltclydc t'niy'ersity. Jordarthill ('arnpus. 7o Soutltbrae l)l'l\ e. ‘)50 3000. 3 4pm. l’ree. With (ittstay' l-enyo.
I RSAMD Wind Orchestra RS.-\.\ll). I00 Rettt'reyy Street. 333 5057. 7.30pm. £3. l.ut/ Kohler returns to the acadettty condtrctirtg the orchestra iii the \yorld pt'erttiere of llilas’ 'Iirlm (‘mrt‘vrm alortg \y itlt yyorks by Strauss attd llirtderttitlt. He'll be joined by rteyyly appointed Director of the School of Music. James (iour'lay. on tttba.
Edinburgh
I Scottish Opera: Der Rosenkavalier l-‘estiyal 'l‘heatre. l3 3‘) Nicolsott Street. 53‘) 6000. (3.30an
£ l4 £44. See llle 3l.
Glasgow
I Masterclass RSAMI). l00 Renl'rets Street. 333 5057. 3pm. liree. ticketed. \‘ittltt \‘it‘ttloso atlttl l-cllttW of the Royal Acadettty of .‘yltrsic. .\lartirt ()utr'am. deliyers ttttlit} is lltttstet'cltlss.
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius Revisited 4 (‘ity llalls. (‘andleriggs 353 8000. 7.30pm. £‘) £3l.50. See llitlrst. page 8].
Edinburgh
I Scottish Opera: Tamerlano l'csllHtl 'l'heatr‘e. l3 3‘) \icttlstttt Street. 52‘) 6000. 7.l5pltt. £l3 £40. See Hi 24. I Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Great Romantics 3 l'sher llall. l.otltialt Road. 338 l I55. 7.30pm. £8 £34 (£6 £18). l.atyian \iolinist Baiba Skride perforrtts one of the rttost popular of all the \ iolin cortcertos .\tertdelssoltn's tin/in ('mrt‘mu in If minor. pltts pieces by Weber arid Sclturttartn. John Storgards conducts.
I Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers (‘anongare Kirk. I53 ('anongate. 0| 3| 050 343‘). 7.45pm. £7 (£4). Works by 'romas l,uis de Victoria attd l‘t‘l'llillltlt) de las lrtfantas proy'ide the musical tttatter for this exciting prograrttrtte of Iberian music. conducted by .\'oel ()‘Regart.