Music CLASSICAL
Monday 20 Glasgow RCS Brass Department Recital Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, See Mon 6.
Tuesday 21
Glasgow FREE Glasgow University Chapel Choir: Choral Contemplations Glasgow University Chapel, University Avenue, 330 4092. 6–7pm. Lent is commemorated with Allegri’s Miserere and two works by James MacMillan. FREE Music in the University: Ronald Brautigam Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, 330 4092. 7.30pm. Beethoven and Chopin on the fortepiano. Booking essential. Edinburgh FREE Florian Kitt & Aima Labra- Makk Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Sq, 650 2427. 1.10pm. Music for cello and piano by Schumann, Strauss and Nigel Osborne.
Wednesday 22 Glasgow Bamber/Galloway Keyboard Competition Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 9.30am. £3. Student pianists wrestle with Rachmaninov. Head Music Renfield St Stephen’s Church, 260 Bath Street, 332 8878. 7pm. £8. Killermont String Quartet plays Haydn and Mendelssohn in a charity concert for Headway Glasgow.
Thursday 23
Glasgow Fournier Trio Westbourne Music, 7 West George Street, 649 5347. 12.45pm. £8 (£4). Tunnell Trust Award-winning piano trio in recital. FREE Music in the University: Florian Kitt & Aima Maria Labra- Makk Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, 330 4092. 1.10–2pm. Music for cello and piano by Debussy, Osborne and Stravinsky. BBC SSO: Bruch’s First Violin Concerto and Dvorák 8 City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 2pm. £7–£9. Stefan Solyom conducts Liszt and Dvorák with soloist Alexandra Soumm (violin). Margaret Dick Award Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 2.30pm. £4 (£3). A competition for student singers. Scottish Ensemble with Lawrence Power City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10. See Sun 19. Edinburgh Russkaya Cappella: Images of Russia in Choral Music St Cecilia’s Hall, Niddry St, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £8 (students & under 10s free). For its debut concert in Edinburgh, the Glasgow-based Russian-singing choir sing sacred and secular work by Tchaikovsky and others. SCO: Serenade The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £9.50–£28 (£5–£26). Berlioz’s Love Scene from Romeo and Juliet, Brahms’ Serenade and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 1 with soloist Lars Vogt.
Friday 24
Glasgow RCS String Ensemble: Music for Basel Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew St, 332 5057. 1pm. £10.50 (£7.50). The student ensemble presents works by Bartok and Stravinski. RCS Junior Conservatoire: Gilbert Innes Prize for Brass Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 6pm. £4 (£3). Junior brass players compete. SCO: Serenade City Halls, Candleriggs. See Thu 23. 108 THE LIST 2 Feb–1 Mar 2012
Edinburgh FREE Adam Brown St Cecilia’s Hall, Niddry Street, 668 2019. 1.10pm. Solo guitar recital. Edinburgh Studio Opera: Handel’s Semele St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, 07543 596155. 7.30pm. £12 (£8; students £6). Michael Richardson directs Handel’s 1743 opera. RSNO: Lisa Milne Sings Songs of the Auvergne Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £11–£34. Scottish soprano Lisa Milne and conductor Fabien Gabel present works by Berlioz, Canteloube and Franck.
Saturday 25 Glasgow Kelvin Ensemble Bute Hall, University of Glasgow, University Ave, 330 4092. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). Chris Swaffer conducts the student orchestra in Sibelius and Nielsen. RSNO: Lisa Milne Sings Songs of the Auvergne Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. See Fri 24.
Edinburgh FREE Live Music Now: Zilia String Trio National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. 3.15pm. String trio recital. Edinburgh Studio Opera: Handel’s Semele St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, 07543 596155. 7.30pm. £12 (£8; students £6). See Fri 24. La Traviata The Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Pl, 0844 847 1660. 7.30pm. £22.50–£40.50. Ellen Kent presents Verdi’s tragic opera. Meadows Chamber Orchestra Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £11 (£9; students £5; children £1). World premiere of James Clapperton’s Tomnaverie plus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 2 K466.
Sunday 26 Glasgow Young Artists in Residence Recital Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. Noon. £9 (£7). Young musicians play Britten and Vaughan Williams.
FAIRYTALE OPERA HANSEL AND GRETEL Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sat 4 Feb, Wed 8 Feb, Fri 10 Feb, Sun 12 Feb; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 14 Feb, Thu 16 Feb, Sat 18 Feb
Irish soprano Ailish Tynan is proving a hit with Scottish audiences. After joining the RSNO for a highly successful Viennese New Year, she’s now back in Glasgow and Edinburgh to work with Scottish Opera, taking the role of Gretel in their brand new production of the only opera that German 19th century composer Engelbert Humperdinck is known for these days, Hansel and Gretel. Faithful to Humperdinck’s original conception of the piece, director Bill Bankes- Jones has made a new translation – the first in the UK for 25 years — which takes the opera back to its roots.
‘Sometimes directors have mad ideas,’ says Tynan, who sang the role with the Royal Opera House last year, ‘and they do things like making the gingerbread house a 1920s tenement. But sometimes people want to go to opera and see the original idea. What Bill has done is very traditional and there’s no mucking about with the music at all.’ More than that, Bankes-Jones is also happy to take on board ideas Tynan herself has for the role, putting the rich characterisation of Humperdinck’s lush, folk-inspired score to the fore.
With former Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artist Kai Rüütel
singing Hansel, the two main characters are enticed by the Witch to everything a gingerbread house should be, generous in size and with lots of lovely things to eat. ‘It’s a really magical opera,’ says Tynan, ‘and the director and conductor – Emmanuel Joël-Hornak – are doing everything they can to conserve the magic. You just step into another world, a fairy-tale world.’
But this is a Grimm fairytale and darkness if never far away. Leah- Marian Jones as the Witch proves deliciously wicked as the child abductor. ‘There is a real sense of fear,’ says Tynan, ‘and the Witch getting shoved into the oven at the end is pretty horrendous, even for a baddie.’ (Carol Main).
FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 1pm. See Sun 5. Bruce Millar/Gulliver Prize Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 2.30pm. £10. Student singers from across the UK compete. Edinburgh Edinburgh Studio Opera: Handel’s Semele St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, 07543 596155. 7.30pm. £12 (£8; students £6). See Fri 24.
Monday 27
Glasgow RCS Woodwind Department: Flutes Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £7 (£6). Student flautists. La Traviata Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. See Sat 25. Edinburgh Future Classics: Piatti Quartet & Clare Hammond The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.15pm. £5–£15. Acclaimed quartet and pianist in recital. Edinburgh Studio Opera: Handel’s Semele St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, 07543 596155. 7.30pm. £12 (£8; students £6). See Fri 24.
Tuesday 28
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Quartet Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 1.10pm. Guest clarinettist Maximiliano Martin sits in for quintets by MacMillan and Mozart. SCO: CL@SIX: The Lark Ascending St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Rd, 229 1142. 6pm. £12 (£5; seniors £10). Vaughan Williams’ sort-of-concerto complements Mendelssohn’s Overture and Schubert’s Symphony No 5. Edinburgh Studio Opera: Handel’s Semele St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, 07543 596155. 7.30pm. £12 (£8; students £6). See Fri 24.
Wednesday 29
Glasgow RCS String Department Concert Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £10.50 (£7.50). String students play chamber music. Edinburgh FREE Tovey Memorial Prize Competition Final Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 2pm. The climax of the competition for Edinburgh University’s most outstanding composition/performance student. The Threepenny Opera The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Rd, 558 7604. 7.30pm. £10 (£5). Napier University Academy of Music does Kurt Weill.
Thursday 1 Glasgow FREE Music in the University: Katharine Fuge & David McGuinness Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, 330 4092. 1.10–2pm. Music by Haydn and Schetky for soprano and fortepiano. Note Rouge: Music from Paris Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew St, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £9 (£7). Red Note Ensemble celebrate the newly formed partnership between the conservatoires of Scotland and Paris.
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Singers Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. 6–6.30pm. John Gormley conducts. The Threepenny Opera The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. 7.30pm. £10 (£5). See Wed 29.