MUSIC | CLASSICAL C L A S S I C A L
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CLASSICAL MUSIC AT PAXTON Paxton House, Paxton, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Fri 19–Sun 28 Jul ‘The thing about chamber music, I feel, is that it’s a dialogue between audience and performer.’ So says Angus Smith, incoming artistic director of Music at Paxton, a summer festival of chamber music held annually in the Scottish Borders. ‘It’s different from the music you hear in opera houses and grand concert halls – the clue’s in the name. It’s music that’s been designed to be played in a room, with intimacy – a connection between musicians and listeners.’ Smith builds on the work of founding director Helen Jamieson who stepped down last year after 12 years at the helm. The event brings a wealth of music from established performers and rising stars to the stunning surroundings of Berwickshire’s Paxton House. ‘You watch these period dramas on television and you see the manner in which the music was performed in the 18th century – the period when the house was built,’ says Smith. ‘It’s an entertainment for friends, a gathering of like-minded people.’ Part of Smith’s focus for this year’s festival has been to open up discourse with performers and audience members by introducing Q&A sessions before concerts, singing on the lawns, having a marquee set up for anyone who wants to bring a picnic, and throwing an end of festival party with artists in residence, the Maxwell Quartet. The festival is, as it has always been, a huge advocate for emerging professional players, though bigger names such as Paul Lewis and Tamsin Little will grace its stage too. ‘Whatever stage of their career these artists are at, they are all excellent musicians, wonderful players, captivating personalities – everything that sets us up for a wonderful series of concerts.’ (Miranda Heggie)
CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS
HITLIST GLASGOW
RSNO: SØNDERGÅRD CONDUCTS BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sun 1 Jun, glasgowconcerthalls.com Thomas Søndergård, RSNOmusic director, brings his first season to an electrifying close with Walton’s knock-out cantata, Belshazzar’s Feast. Also Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 31 May, usher hall.co.uk
SCOTTISH OPERA: THE MAGIC FLUTE Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 5, Sun 9, Tue 11, Thu 13, Sat 15 Jun, capitaltheatres. com/your-visit/festival-theatre It's impossible not to enjoy Sir Thomas Allen’s effervescent – and five star – production of Mozart favourite, The Magic Flute. Comedy, fantasy and pantomime combine in the opera’s search for wisdom, love and truth. Watch out for rising star soprano Julia Sitkovetsky as Queen of the Night.
114 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2019
OPERA BOHEMIA: THE MERRY WIDOW St John’s Renfield, Tue 20 Aug, operabohemia.co.uk Celebrating another milestone anniversary is the small-scale professional touring company, Opera Bohemia, who mark their ten years of bringing opera to audiences across Scotland with favourite Franz Lehár operetta, The Merry Widow. A perfect showcase for some of the finest new musical talent around, including Catriona Clark, Douglas Nairne, Marie Claire Breen and Andrew McTaggart. Also St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, Thu 15 & Fri 16 Aug; Perth Theatre, Sun 18 Aug; Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy, Tue 20 Aug; Lanark Memorial Hall, Thu 22 Aug; Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, Sun 25 Aug.
EDINBURGH
STEVEN OSBORNE & ALBAN GERHARDT The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 6 Jul, thequeenshall.net Marking the night 40 years ago, in 1979, when HM Queen Elizabeth II declared the doors of Edinburgh’s
Queen’s Hall open, two of the venue’s international favourites from over the years – namely Messrs Osborne and Gerhardt – give a celebratory performance of music for cello and piano, perfectly suited to the hall’s fine chamber music acoustic. OUT OF TOWN
EAST NEUK FESTIVAL Various venues, East Neuk, Fife, Wed 26–Sun 30 Jun, eastneukfestival.com It’s difficult to pull out just a couple of must-sees from this year’s bumper edition of the East Neuk Festival, but legendary pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja’s solo recital (Bowhouse, St Monans, Thu 27 Jun), with Mozart, Chopin, Jord Widmann and Schumann, is a sure winner. As is former royal harpist Catrin Finch (Anstruther Town Hall, Sat 29 Jun), performing a unique blend of classical and other music traditions with Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita.
NYOS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: SUMMER TOUR Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall, Wed 7 Aug, nyos.co.uk For the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, life
Catrin Finch
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doesn’t begin at 40, but very much began 40 years ago when this brilliant national youth orchestra and associated ensembles were founded. For 2019’s summer tour of Kirkwall, Dundee and Stirling, the Australian-British conductor Jessica Cottis takes her young forces through a wealth of orchestral colour, including Bartok’s ever popular Concerto for Orchestra. Also Caird Hall, Dundee, Thu 8 Aug; Albert Halls, Stirling, Fri 9 Aug.