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Mendelssohn, Brahms and Schumann. FREE Scottish Opera: The Italian Girl in Algiers Unwrapped Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. 6pm. Behind the scenes at the opera. ■ RSNO: Romantic Rachmaninov Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). Rossen Milanov leads the orchestra through Rachmaninov’s music. The Symphony No 1 is followed by the epic The Bells, for which the orchestra is joined by the RSNO Chorus.
Saturday 21
Glasgow ■ RSNO: Romantic Rachmaninov Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). See Fri 20. Edinburgh ✽✽ Scottish Opera: The Italian Girl in Algiers Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. 7.15pm. £14–£62. Colin McColl directs a co-production with New Zealand Opera that brings Rossini’s opera into the 21st century. Soloists include bass Tiziano Bracci in his UK debut and Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill. Wyn Davies conducts. ■ Organ Recital: Philip Rushforth Reid Memorial Church, 182 West Saville Terrace, 662 1203. 7.30pm. £6. The Chester Cathedral organists perform works including Lindberg’s Sonata in G. ■ Edinburgh University Chamber Choir Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, 8pm. £7 (£5). The choir performs sacred music in the historic Canongate Kirk.
Perth ■ Perth Symphony Orchestra Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7.30pm. £10 (£5). Allan Young conducts Dvorák’s exultant Carnival Overture followed by Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Borodin’s Symphony No 2.
Sunday 22 Glasgow ■ The Bohemians: Miklós Perényi and Balász Szokolay City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 3pm. £12. Cellist Perényi and pianist Szokolay perform a selection of Bohemian works. Including Dvorák’s Polonaise in A major, Janácek’s Pohádka and Martinu’s Variations on a Theme of Rossini. FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3pm. Sunday promenade concerts with different organists. ■ A Mass for St Cecilia’s Day St Andrew’s in the Square, St Andrew’s Square, 559 5902. 7.30pm. £15 (£12). The Glasgow Lyric Choir, Georgian Orchestra and soloists perform Haydn’s grandest mass.
■ Glasgow Sinfonia RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £10 (£6–£8). Etienne Cutajar is soloist in Mozart’s Horn Concerto No 4, performed alongside Liadov’s The Enchanted Lake, the ‘Adagio’ from Khachaturian’s Spartacus Suite and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4. Edinburgh ■ Raymond Gubbay: Four Seasons by Candlelight Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 3pm. £16.50–£29.50 (concessions available). See Fri 20. ■ Scottish Opera: The Elixir of Love Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. 4pm. £14–£62. A revival of Giles Havergal’s 1994 production of Donizetti’s opera buffa. FREE St Giles’ at Six: The Consort of Voices St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Retiring collection. A celebration of St Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. ■ Edinburgh University Chamber Orchestra Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 7.30pm. £8 (£5). Opening with the introduction to Haydn’s The Creation, the orchestra is joined by mezzo-soprano Clare Wilkinson for Berlioz’ song cycle Nuits d’Été, and finish with Beethoven’s Symphony No 3 (‘Eroica’). ■ Scottish Sinfonia Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £11 (£3–£9). Polish cellist Barbara Misiewicz is soloist in Elgar’s Cello Concerto, alongside the five-part suite from Rimsky Korsakov’s opera Mlada and the last of Rachmaninov’s three symphonies.
Monday 23
Glasgow ■ RSAMD Bassoons RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £5 (£3). A musical exploration of the bassoon through the ages. FREE BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Discovering Music City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 2pm. Presenter Stephen Johnson, pianist Martin Roscoe and the BBC SSO explore two works by Czech composer Martinu: the Piano Concerto No 2 and Three Inventions. To be recorded for BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music. Edinburgh ■ Fanfare Concert Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7pm. £8 (£4). Talented young musicians from Edinburgh schools perform.
Tuesday 24 Glasgow ■ Ole! – A Portrait of Folkloric Fireworks Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, 548 3444. 1.15pm. £4. Award winning clarinettist Alison Turriff. FREE Edinburgh Quartet: Twilight Recital Glasgow University Memorial Chapel, The Square, off University
Avenue. 6pm. The acclaimed ensemble performs Mozart’s Quartet in D minor K 421 and Britten’s Quartet No 3. Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Quartet Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 1.10pm. The Quartet gives a lunchtime performance of Leighton’s Seven Variations and Crawford’s Quartet No 3. FREE Scottish Opera: The Elixir of Love Unwrapped Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. 6pm. A behind the scenes look at the production. ■ ChildLine Winter Concert Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7pm. £9 (£4.50). Young Edinburgh musicians perform festive music, carols and popular classics. Proceeds go to the NSPCC Child’s Voice Appeal in Scotland. ■ Le Duo de Guitares de Paris Institut Français d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent, 225 5366. 7.30pm. £10 (members £8). Classical, world and popular music. ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: CL@Six St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 229 1142. 6pm. £12 (concessions available). The SCO Winds perform Dvorák’s charming Wind Serenade and Richard Strauss’ Suite in B minor.
Wednesday 25
■ Scottish Opera: The Italian Girl in Algiers Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. 7.15pm. £14–£62. See Sat 21. ■ The Band of her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £12–£16. A musical extravaganza featuring an array of classics, showtunes and traditional military music. FREE Edinburgh Quartet Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, 7.30pm. £12 (£2–£8). Quartets by Mozart, Britten and Beethoven. FREE Michael Edwards and Marcus Weiss Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 8pm. Works for sax and electronics, including Edwards’ Who says that, saying it’s me? for tenor sax and computer.
Thursday 26 Glasgow ■ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Bohemian Rhapsodies 3 City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7pm. £10–£23 (£8–£21). Stefan Solyom conducts a programme of Dvorák’s Symphony No 7 and The Golden Spinning Wheel. Pianist Ivo Kahánek continues the cycle of Martinu piano concertos with the fifth (Fantasia). ■ RSAMD Brass: War and Peace RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £7 (£5). Bryan Allen conducts a concert on a theme of ‘war and peace’, including an arrangement of Prokofiev’s
Classical Music Hitlist THE BEST CLASSICAL & OPERA*
✽✽ Scottish Opera: The Italian Girl in Algiers It’s either love or loathe for Scottish Opera’s mad, bikini-clad production of Rossini’s totally updated lively opera about a playboy chasing an Italian signorina. We’re going for loving it, especially with such a fantastic cast including Scottish mezzo Karen Cargill. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 21, Wed 25, Fri 27 Nov. ✽✽ The Bohemians: Thomas Zehetmair and Ruth Killius Glasgow’s International Series presents two outstanding soloists in violin and viola music also by the neglected Czech, as well as by a composer who won world fame as an oboist, Heinz Holliger. City Halls, Glasgow, Sun 29. ✽✽ RSNO: A St Andrew’s Day Party with Phil and Aly Time to celebrate St Andrew’s Day and who better to lead the way than the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in a relaxed mood for a Saturday night. Special guests are Aly Bain, Scotland’s foremost traditional style fiddler, and Phil Cunningham playing accordion. Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 28.
Romeo and Juliet, Scheidt’s Battle Suite and Gordon Crosse’s Peace. Edinburgh FREE Royal Norwegian Advent Concert St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 7pm. The Edinburgh University Chamber Choir, organist and conductor Eric von Ibler and musicians from Norway, perform seasonal works by Holst, Bunney, Willcocks and Vella.
Never been to the opera? Try it for free. Get a taster at Opera Unwrapped where the orchestra, singers and back-stage crew introduce you to the plot, characters and music and let you in on some behind-the-scenes secrets.
Fri 20 • Tue 24 Nov 6-7pm Festival Theatre Edinburgh
scottishopera.org.uk 19 Nov–3 Dec 2009 THE LIST 81