Music CLASSICAL
moving minimalist work by exemplary modern composer Arvo Pärt is performed in the centre hall of Kelvingrove. Inspired by the Russian Orthodox choral tradition, his Kanon Pokajanen is brought to life by the singers of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Edinburgh FREE Michael Tsalka St Cecilia’s Hall, Niddry Street, 668 2019. 1.10pm. A voyage through 500 years of keyboard music history, including music by Cabezon, Poglietti, JS Bach, Seixas, Bartok and Leonardo Coral. ■ RSNO: Romantic Valentine’s Classics Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). A pre-Valentine’s swoonfest of passionate classics, including Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No 5 and Rachmaninov’s luscious Piano Concerto No 2, featuring the skills of pianist Alice Sara Ott.
Saturday 12
Glasgow ■ RSNO: Romantic Valentine’s Classics Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). See Fri 11. ■ Sites and Sounds: Tavener in Kelvingrove Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 8pm. £15. Kelvingrove brings two supernovae of the modern classical music scene to lucky audiences in Glasgow this weekend, with Saturday’s evening being given over to one of the most original and profound composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Cellist Natalie Clein takes on John Tavener’s mystic piece The Protecting Veil, which is followed by the visionary and brilliant choral work Ikon of Light. Get yourself there if at all possible. ■ Sites and Sounds: Late Night in Kelvingrove Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 10pm. Free to ticket holders of Tavener in Kelvingrove. To round off the evening, ticket holders for the Tavener in Kelvingrove concert also get to hear a collaboration between Tavener and Arvo Pärt performed by the joint forces of the Scottish Ensemble and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Edinburgh ■ InvisiblEARts Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 6pm. £5 (£3). New compositions from the electro collective. ■ Pete Stollery at 50 Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 8pm. £5 (£3). The composer celebrates his half-century with a retrospective of his work.
Sunday 13
Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3–3.45pm. See Sun 6. ■ London Sinfonietta: Reich – Music for 18 Musicians City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7pm. £15. The London Sinfonietta comes to Glasgow for a one-off concert which brings together works by two utterly different musical spirits. Composer Thomas Adés has created a concerto for piano, orchestra and video with artist, Tal Rosner. In Seven Days reflects on the myth and act of creation in a spectacular and virtuoso score which was conceived alongside its visual element – a multi screen video projection by Rosner. Edinburgh ■ New Electroacoustic Works Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 6pm. £5 (£3). Compositions from students at the University of Edinburgh’s Music department.
82 THE LIST 3–17 Feb 2011
■ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Sacred and Profane 2 Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£26 (concessions available). See Thu 10. ■ Meadows Chamber Orchestra The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £11 (£9; students £5; children £1). The orchestra perform Tea Break by Gregor Forbes, the winning entry in last year’s Composers’ Competition, alongside Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Walton’s Violin Concerto and the charming Symphony No 7 in D Minor Op 70 by Dvorák. With principal viola Jane Atkins. Dundee ■ Scottish Ensemble: Side by Side Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940. 7.30pm. £14.50 (£5–£11). See Thu 10.
Perth ■ Hallé Orchestra Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7.30pm. £12–£32 (£10–£26; children free). Britain’s longest-established orchestra makes the trek up from Manchester to
Glasgow ■ Song Studio Valentine’s Day Concert: Sie Liebt Mich . . . Nicht RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £6.50 (£4.50). Love is in the air, sort of. Following the success of last year’s similar endeavour, the RSAMD performs works by two of Germany’s most adorable songwriters – Schumann and Robert Wolf.
Edinburgh ■ Scottish Ensemble: Side by Side The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £12–£14 (concessions available). See Thu 10. Perth ■ Lunchtime Tartan Gondolas Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 1pm. £6.50 (£5.50) in advance; after noon on day of concert all tickets £7.50.
MULTI-CULTURAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS PARAGON AT 30 CCA, Glasgow, Thu 17 Feb
Happy Birthday to Paragon! For the past thirty years, the Glasgow- based ensemble has been making music, much of it commissioned from Scottish based composers, and encouraging people from all walks of life to enjoy it. For their special 30th birthday event – Paragon at 30: Travelling Home – the multitude of strands which come together under the Paragon heading include a premiere from Gareth Williams, a Bhangra remix of Tommy Fowler’s Take One, Scottish Dance Theatre in Make Music Move, which has been created with young wheelchair dancers, traditional melodies from around the world and children from Govanhill performing their own new contribution to the ensemble’s wealth of repertoire. ‘It’s a major event showcasing the fantastic work that Paragon has
achieved in recent times,’ says founder member and creative director Ninian Perry. ‘It shows off all the various things that Paragon does.’ The Fowler piece is originally for string quintet, flute and horn, but has been reincarnated by hip hop DJs Tigerstyle. Williams’ new composition is inspired by Roma music and features percussionist Heather Corbett playing the cimbalom, a hammered dulcimer which is commonly found in eastern European countries. ‘Paragon is aware of the new migrant communities in Glasgow and the opportunity for cultural enrichment, entertainment and education through music,’ says Perry. ‘There is quite a large population of Roma in Glasgow, mainly from Slovakia and Romania, and we are drawing them together through music.’ Williams has based his piece on the traditions of the European gypsy style as heard in the music of composers such as Bartok and Kodaly. ‘Music is incredibly important,’ says Perry, ‘as no matter where people are living, they carry their music around with them and music is where people feel at home. That’s why we’ve called the event Travelling Home.’ (Carol Main)
perform Scenes Historiques by Sibelius, the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen by Mahler and Elgar’s beautiful Symphony No 1. Conducted by Mark Elder. Soprano Mhairi Lawson is accompanied by pianist Jan Waterfield for a grand voyage in song from Italy to Scotland via France, Austria and Germany.
Monday 14 Tuesday 15
Glasgow ■ Musical Fantasies Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, 552 3489. 1.15–2pm. £4. Eleanor Hodgkinson and Jakob Fichert present a piano duet concert featuring Schubert’s Fantasy in F minor Op 103 and Rachmaninov’s Six Morceaux Op 11.
✽✽ Scottish Opera: Orlando Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, 0844 871
7647. 7.15pm. £17–£49 (concessions available). Handel’s tale of convoluted romance is rarely performed in the UK. Featuring the vocal skills of Sally Silver, who won critical plaudits for her role in I puritani in 2008, and led by award- winning conductor Paul Goodwin.
Edinburgh FREE Robin Michael and Peter Evans Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 1.10pm. The cellist and pianist undertake Chopin’s Sonata for Cello and Piano Op 65, Solos by General Reid (the august soldier and music fan after whom the hall is named) and Ginastera’s Pampeana No 2 for Cello and Piano.
Perth ■ Steven Osborne Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 1pm. £10–£20 (£8–£18). The internationally-acclaimed pianist performs a programme of broad flavours, from Beethoven’s whimsical Bagatelles Op 33 and Op 119 to the breathtakingly demanding Piano Sonata No 2 by Rachmaninov, via Ravel’s Valses Nobles et Sentimentales.
Wednesday 16 Edinburgh FREE Tovey Memorial Prize Competition Final Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 2pm. This year’s finalists compete for the annual Tovey Memorial Prize, which is awarded to the music student who shows the greatest promise in composition or performance.
Thursday 17
Glasgow ■ BBC SSO Afternoon Performance II City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 2pm. £7. The orchestra entertains with the rousing Symphonic Variations by Dvorák, songs from Peer Gynt and Sibelius’ Third Symphony. ■ Paragon at 30 – Travelling Home CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. £8 (£5). Special event to mark the 30th birthday of Glasgow based Paragon Ensemble includes a new piece by Gareth Williams and a breathtaking range of different musical experiences to showcase Paragon’s work over the years since 1981.
Edinburgh FREE Emma Versteeg National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound, 624 6200. 6–6.30pm. The popular soprano performs songs inspired by landscape works, including compositions by Amy Beach, Fanny Hensel, Cecile Chaminade and James MacMillan, with Maryam Sherhan on piano. Perth ■ RSNO: Great Symphonies – Sibelius Six and Seven Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7.30pm. £8.50–£23 (students and children £5). A darkly foreboding opening as violinist Mikhail Simonyan performs Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1, and the orchestra’s exploration of the great symphonies continues as Kristjan Järvi conducts Sibelius’ final two – the mellifluous, sunny sixth and the intense and majestic seventh.