MUSIC | Classical Friday 4
Glasgow ■ AdLibitum Renfield St Stephen’s Church, 260 Bath Street, 332 2826. 7.30–9.30pm. £8–£10. Violin/accordion duo of Djordje and Andrea Gajic. ■ Edit-Point City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30–9pm. £6 (£3; students £3). Live electroacoustic music. ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Mass in C Minor City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £14–£28. See Thu 3. Saturday 5
Glasgow ■ Tamas Fejes Renfield St Stephen’s Church, 260 Bath Street, 332 2826. 1–2pm. Free but donations are welcome. Bach Partitas 3 & 2 for solo violin. FREE Lucy Reynolds & MAP: A Feminist Chorus Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, 550 2267. 5–6pm. Collective choral event inspired by the Women’s Movement. ■ Eddy Grossenstein Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, 248 4970. 7.30pm. £9 in advance; £11 on the door (£7). Harpsichord works by Handel, Mozart, Scarlatti and Soler. Edinburgh ■ The Quest and the Return through Dangerous Lands of Music and Enchantment Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road, 312 2200. 10–11am and 2.15– 3.15pm. £9 (one accompanying adult free). A harp & storytelling event for kids, with a come-and-try harp session afterwards. Morning sessions are for ages 5–8; afternoon sessions are for ages 4–9. Part of Edinburgh International Harp Festival. ■ Siân James and Clotilde Trouillaud Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road, 312 2200. 3pm. £11 (£9; children £5). Harp music from Wales and Brittany. Edinburgh International Harp Festival. ■ Jubilo St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 229 1142. 7.30pm. £12 (£10). Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum and Bach’s Magnificat in D, with special guests. Walter Thomson conducts. ■ Michael Shea Scholarship Winner’s Recital Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square, 651 4336. 8pm. £10 (students £5). Recital by Julie Moote (soprano).
Sunday 6 Edinburgh ■ The Quest and the Return through Dangerous Lands of Music and Enchantment Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road, 312 2200. 10–11am and 2.15–3.15pm. £9 (one accompanying adult free). See Sat 5. FREE St Giles’ at Six St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Organ recital by Stephen Hamilton.
Tuesday 8
Edinburgh ■ Tea Concert: Elinor Evans, Ada Francis, Lena Lozano Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road, 312 2200. 3–4pm. £11.50. Harp music. Edinburgh International Harp Festival. ■ Scottish Opera: Macbeth King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street, 529 6000. 7.15pm. £13.50–£28. See Sat 22.
Wednesday 9 Edinburgh ■ The Festival Orchestra Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road, 312 2200. 3–4pm. £9 (under 16s £5). Presentation of Fiona Rutherford’s commissioned piece for the Edinburgh International Harp Festival. Edinburgh International Harp Festival.
94 THE LIST 20 Mar–17 Apr 2014
Friday 11
Glasgow ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Currie Plays ‘Veni, Veni, Emmanuel’ City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £14–£28. See Thu 10. Edinburgh ■ Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and Tom Arthurs Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square, 651 4336. 7.30pm. £10 (students £5). Improvisation from Fred Frith (guitar), Chris Cutler (drums/percussion) and Tom Arthurs (trumpet). ■ RSNO: Shankar Plays Shankar Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £11.50–£36 (students & under 26s £5; under 16s free). Anoushka Shankar is the soloist in her father’s Raga-Mala (Sitar Concerto No 2). Also, Arvo Pärt’s Symphony No 3 and Fratres. Kristjan Järvi conducts.
Saturday 12 Glasgow ■ Dunedin Consort: St Matthew Passion City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £15–£20. John Butt conducts Bach’s magnificent sacred drama. ■ Edinburgh Quartet Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £15 (£5–£12). Mozart’s Quartet No 15 in D minor K421, Janácek’s String Quartet No 1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ and Bartók’s Quartet No 1 in A minor. ■ RSNO: Shankar Plays Shankar Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £11.50–£35 (students & under 26s £5; under 16s free). See Fri 11.
Edinburgh ■ Edinburgh Youth Orchestra Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £15–£20 (£13–£18; students & schoolchildren £5). Garry Walker conducts Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with guest soloist Jack Liebeck, and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.
Sunday 13
Glasgow ■ NYOS Junior Orchestra Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 4pm. £12 (£8; under 16s £5). Roland Kieft conducts works by Walton, Longworth, Elgar, Arnold and Grainger. ■ Edinburgh Youth Orchestra City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £15 (£13; students & schoolchildren £5). See Sat 12. Edinburgh ■ Dunedin Consort: St Matthew Passion The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 3pm. £12–£25 (students & children £8). See Sat 12.
Wednesday 16 Perth ■ Dunedin Consort: St John Passion St John’s Kirk, St John’s Place, 01738 633192. 7.30pm. £tbc. John Butt directs Bach’s masterpiece. Featuring Joanne Lunn (soprano), Margot Oitzinger (alto), Thomas Walker (tenor) and Jonathan Sells (bass).
Thursday 17 Edinburgh FREE Gordon Ferries Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. 6–6.30pm. Guitar music inspired by the Titian display, including works by Francesco di Milano, the painter’s contemporary. FREE Separation – Integration McEwan Hall, Bristo Square. 8pm. Electroacoustic works by Stockhausen, David C Johnson and Sean Williams.
SHAKESPEAREAN OPERA MACBETH Citizen’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 22, Thu 27 & Sat 29 March; King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 8 & Thu 10 Apr
Macbeth, the ‘Scottish play’ that is one of Shakespeare’s very finest tragedies, has been relentlessly adapted for film, television, novels and comic strips. But Verdi’s operatic version is one that should unfailingly hit the audience between the eyes. In Scottish Opera’s revival of Dominic Hill’s staging, first seen in 2005, Shakespeare’s dark tale of ambition, betrayal and murder takes further inspiration from the war- torn Balkans of the late 20th century. Playing the title role is baritone David Stephenson who says, ‘I really like the concept that Dominic has come up with. Bringing Macbeth up to date in the way he has done works extremely well. It’s earthy and gritty and pretty much as Shakespeare intended and as Verdi adapted.’ It is, of course, not always the case that contemporary settings suit
traditional operas. ‘Sometimes it works, and sometimes it simply doesn’t,’ says Stephenson. ‘But this is a modern-day take on a traditional story that is as relevant today as if it was set in the wilds and mists of the Scottish landscape.’ While the Theatre Royal remains closed for major upgrading,
Scottish Opera moves to the considerably smaller Citizen’s Theatre, where Hill is artistic director, for three performances of Macbeth before transferring to the King’s in Edinburgh. ‘The production is very intimate, and really powerful because of that,’ says Stephenson. ‘By necessity we have a small cast, but at no point does it feel that anything is lacking. Arguably the greatest dramatist for opera, Verdi certainly knew what he was doing with Shakespeare and the music is fantastic. It’s a full-on emotional journey for me as an actor and singer.’ With its dark power and psychological menace as ambition and evil collide, this Macbeth promises to be a rollercoaster of a ride for audiences too. (Carol Main)
Thursday 10
Glasgow ■ High Heels and Horse Hair Westbourne Music, 7 West George Street, 221 1876. noon. £8 (£7; students & children £4). Alice Rickards (violin) and Sonia Cromarty (cello) play Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello. Edinburgh ■ Scottish Opera: Macbeth King’s
Theatre, 2 Leven Street, 529 6000. 7.15pm. £13.50–£28. See Sat 22. ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Currie Plays ‘Veni, Veni, Emmanuel’ Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£30 (£5–£28; under 16s free). James MacMillan’s Veni, Veni, Emmanuel featuring Colin Currie, plus works by Vaughan Williams and Sibelius. Rosie Staniforth (cor anglais) is also featured. John Storgårds conducts.