MUSIC | Classical MUSIC | Classical C L A S S I C A L
P H O T O :
I I
R O B N M T C H E L L
Mark Simpson
CLASSICAL FESTIVAL LAMMERMUIR FESTIVAL Various venues across East Lothian, Fri 14–Sun 23 Sep
In the wake of the throngs who crowd out Edinburgh in peak festival season, it’s balm to the soul to come up for cultural air again at a completely different type of festival. Lammermuir Festival is rooted in its beautiful East Lothian location as much as its beautiful music. This year – its ninth – the ten days of performances by top-drawer classical musicians include song, opera, new commissions, chamber, orchestral and choral music. Most visible is composer and clarinettist, Mark Simpson, who
is artist in residence. Multi-talented – he also plays piano and conducts – Simpson is a big fan of Lammermuir. ‘I played there in 2013 with the Danish String Quartet and loved it. It was such a treat. It’s a perfect environment for any classical musician to work in.’ This year, Simpson’s presence extends over several strands. He is soloist in Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, then plays John Adams’ virtuosic Gnarly Buttons with Red Note Ensemble, who also programme music composed by Simpson. Finally, he performs Mozart’s Gran Partita with SCO Winds, plus his own Geysir, written for the same forces. Performing and composing are, he says, ‘both intrinsically
part of who I am as a musician. I’m a performer and love being on stage. Can’t think of anything better than connecting with an audience. I could never let that go.’ Winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2006 propelled a 17-year-old Simpson to countless opportunities. ‘I started to use that platform to commission new work to extend the repertoire and as my clarinet career took off, my own composing career took off even more. Although not as high profile, I couldn’t do just wall-to-wall performances. I’ve got a wild imagination and creative energy. If not able to have a vent for that, I’ll turn into a bad person.’ He's such a nice guy, that's highly unlikely. (Carol Main)
CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Vilde Frang
HITLIST GLASGOW
SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE: PAUSE
Glasgow Science Centre, Wed 12 Sep, glasgowsciencecentre. org Live music plus debate. Violinist Daniel Pioro curates a programme ranging from Handel to Philip Glass. Also Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, Fri 14 Sep, queenshall.net
WESTBOURNE MUSIC: MAYA IWABUCHI & SUSAN TOMES
Merchant’s House, Wed 5 Sep, westbournemusic.org A chance to hear RSNO leader Iwabuchi in a lunchtime recital rather than on the orchestral stage, as she and pianist Susan Tomes launch Westbourne Music’s new series of chamber music concerts with music for violin and piano.
lammermuirfestival.co.uk For the first time, Scottish Opera appear at Lammermuir Festival, bringing a new semi-staged production of Britten’s church parable, The Burning Fiery Furnace, to the medieval St Mary’s Church in Haddington. All about King Nebuchadnezzar and the three Israelites who came out of his fiery furnace in one piece, the performance features five boy trebles as well as a strong cast of soloists. See preview, above.
SCO: VILDE FRANG PLAYS RHAPSODIES
VIVALDI – THE FOUR
BBC SSO: HUNGARIAN LONDON CONCERTANTE:
BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Thu 27 Sep, usherhall.co.uk Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang, plus Sibelius’ Symphony No 3. Also City Halls, Glasgow, Fri 28 Sep, glasgowconcerthalls. com/city-halls
SCOTTISH OPERA: OPERA HIGHLIGHTS
Various venues, Scotland, Sep–Oct, scottishopera.org. uk Autumn tour of 17 venues the length and breadth of the country.
City Halls, Thu 11 Oct, glasgowconcerthalls.com/city- halls No end of melodic invention inspired by Hungarian and Russian folk-tunes from composers Dohnányi, Kodály and Borodin, the latter’s Symphony No 2 being one of his most popular pieces. And to find out more, all is revealed in a pre-concert talk from the orchestra’s Hungarian conductor, Gergely Madaras. EDINBURGH
SCOTTISH OPERA: THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE
St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington, Fri 21 Sept,
SEASONS St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, Sat 29 Sep, londonconcertante. com/concerts Two Scottish dates as part of a massive tour of UK churches and cathedrals, with an eye out for those who are first- timers to classical music concerts. Atmospherically performing in candlelight, this versatile group play ‘Spring’ and ‘Summer’ from the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires by Piazzolla and ‘Autumn’ and ‘Winter’ from Vivaldi’s version. Arensky in place of Piazzolla for Glasgow performance. Also St Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, Sat 13 Oct.
RSNO: SØNDERGARD CONDUCTS MAHLER FIVE
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 5 Oct, usherhall.co.uk In his first season as music director of the RSNO, Danish conductor Thomas Søngergard starts as he means to go on for the next four seasons, over which the orchestra will play the whole of Mahler and Prokofiev’s symphonic output. For the opening concert, it’s Mahler’s Symphony No 5 that takes centre stage. Also Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 6 Oct, glasgowconcerthalls.com/ glasgow-royal-concert-hall
P H O T O :
M A R C O B O R G G R E V E
88 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2018