www.list.co.uk/music

'Mthic Classical

FREE BBC SSO: Rococo Variations ('ity Halls. ('andleriggs. 353 8000. 5pm. A live edition ol BBC Radio 3's drive-time programme In lune. The 2008 Classic FM (iramophone Young Artist of the Year. violist Maxim Rysanov. performs Tchaikovsky's Roi'oeo Variations. Also featuring works by Mo/art. Vaughan Williatns and others. (Max four tickets per applicant; unreserved seating; children under 12 not admitted.)

I Songs by Schumann and Ravel Milngavie Town Hall. Station Road. Milngavie. 7.30pm. £10 (£5). Milngavie Music Club presents baritone Alexander Robin Baker and pianist Alasdair Young in a performance of vocal works by Schumann. Ravel. Finn and Britten.

Edinburgh

FREE Chamber Organ Recital St Cecilia‘s Hall. Niddry Street. 650 2427. 1.10pm. Violin and keyboard music by Handel performed by Thomas Dean with John Kitchen at the 18th century Parker organ.

Rutherglen

I A Viennese Strauss Gala Rutlierglen Town Hall. 13‘) Main Street. 613 5700. 7.30pm. £13 (£12). A costumed recreation of the Viennese festive season incorporating some of Strauss' masterpieces as well as highlights of operettas by Kalman and 1.ehar.

Glasgow

I Scottish Opera: La Traviata Theatre Royal. 282 Hope Street. 0870 060 6647. 7.15pm. £97 £60. See Fri 6.

I Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Music, the Food of Love Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. 35.3 8000. 7.30pm. £10 £32 (concessions available). Swoon along to an intoxicating blend of romantic masterpieces. David Dan/mayr conducts 'l'chaikovsky's passionate Romeo and Juliet. (iricg's famoUs Piano ('oneerto in A minor with soloist Sunwook Kim and Ravel's Bolero along with works by Mahler and Morricone.

Lochgilphead

I Essential Scottish Opera (‘raignish Village Hall. ()tters. Ardfern. 0844 847 1645. 7.30pm. £10 (£5). Scottish ()pera hits the road again. touring the length and breadth of Scotland with its popular highlights show. combining some of opera‘s best-known favourites with the more obscure. ()pera fans will love this. and if opera isn't normally your thing. prepare to be converted.

Clarkston

FREE Greenbank Recitals: John Turner (ireenbank Parish Church. 36 liaglesham Road. lptn. Part of a regular series of recitals. this time on the organ. with tea and coffee served afterwards.

Edinburgh

I Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Music, the Food of Love Festival Theatre. 13/29 Nicolson Street. 529 6000. 6pm. £10-£2S (concessions available). See Sat 14.

I St Giles’ at Six St Giles‘ Cathedral. Royal Mile. 226 0673. 6pm. Retiring collection. The Choir of Heriot Watt University performs music by MacMillan. Gibbons. Bartok. Byrd. Mudd. Hilton. Batten and Dvorak.

PREVIEW COLLABORATION

COLIN CURRIE AND THE SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE Queen's Hall. Edinburgh. Thu 5 Feb; City Halls. Glasgow. Sun 8 Feb

Percussionist extraordinaire Colin Currie is making a return visit to his native Scotland to be re-united with the Scottish Ensemble for the first performances of a new specially commissioned piece intriguingly named now you hear me, now you don 't for marimba and strings. Austrian composer Kurt Schwertsik's title refers to Currie's role as soloist. ‘Sometimes he’s got the marimba at the forefront of the action,‘ says Currie, ‘but at other points it vanishes without a trace. He keeps changing how it is used.’ Schwertsik, who was a horn player in the Vienna Philharmonic for many years, is one of Austria’s leading contemporary composers. ‘His music is quite fascinating' says Currie, ‘it’s lovely to listen to, extremely tuneful, but underneath there is something quite cheeky bubbling away, which is a very characteristic part of his compositional

voice. It’s very sparkly.’

Currie first came across Schwertsik’s music several years ago when he heard his short opera The Wondrous Tale of Fanferfizzy Sunnyfeet. He was drawn to the music so much that when the Scottish Ensemble asked who he would like to write a new concerto, be tracked Schwertsik down, heard more of his music, met him and told him the sort of piece he would like to play. Totally coincidentally, Schwertsik was also the top choice of Scottish Ensemble artistic director, Jonathan Morton. ‘He has definitely based it on what we talked about,’ says Currie, “and the result is a very polished, very high-end composition.’ It's the tenth concerto that Currie has had specially written for him, only one of which hasn't yet been performed after its premiere. Broadening the marimba and tuned percussion repertoire even further, number eleven will be a new concerto by Finnish composer Rautavaara, to be premiered by Currie and the London Philharmonic

Orchestra in October. (Carol Main)

Dunfermline

I Travelling by Tuba II - The Sequel Carnegie Hall. liast Port. 01383 602302. 7.30pm. £8 (£1 ). The mention of eight-foot-high Tibetan dungs and Turkish schnibs might bring to mind all sort of unsavoury objects. but they are in fact musical instruments with long traditions. Leam all about them and more with witty anecdotes. good chat and plenty of music.

St Andrews I Aisling Agnew and Matthew

McAllister St Leonards School. The Pends. 01334 472126. 4pm. £10(£l~£9). The flute and guitar duo performs Bach's Sonata in [5 minor. Sor's lariations' on a Theme by Mozart. Debussy"s Swim and other works.

' Monday 16

Glasgow

5' I Music on Mondays RSAMD. 100

Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 1pm. £5.

' .j Chamber works by Mendelssohn and his

SO THE LIST 5—19 Feb 2009

; contemporaries.

I RSAMD Strings ()ran Mor. 731-735 (ireat Western Road. 357 6200. 6pm. £10. The student ensemble performs Mendelssohn's Sin/onto in (’ and Britten's Simple .S'Ivmphony. lili/abeth Layton. BBC SS() leader. directs. Doors open at 5.15pm.

'I’uesday 1 7

Glasgow

FREE Organ Recital: Kevin Bovvyer Glasgow University Memorial Chapel. The Square. off University Avenue. 1.10pm. A century-spanning programme of organ works.

I Latin String Quartet Rarnshorn Theatre. 98 lngram Street. 548 3444. 1.15pm. £4. Villa-Lobos' String Quartet No 5 and string quartet miniatures by Puccini and Pia/lolla.

I RSAMD Evening Concert RSAMI). 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 7.30pm. £5. works for combinations of voice. strings and piano by Mendelssohn and his contemporaries.

Edinburgh

FREE The Edinburgh Quartet Reid Concert Hall. lidmburgh l‘mversity. Bristo Square. 650 242‘ 1 10pm. String quartets by liyblei and Crawford

I Get Organised! Si t‘utliheri's Church. 5 l.othian Road. 22" 1142

1 10pm. £ 3. Pick the programme yoursell as John Kitchen lakes requests ol your lavourite organ pieces

I Organ Recital: Simon Nieminskl St Mary 's Metropolitan Cathedral. Broughton Street. 556 1708 Split Retiring collection. ()rgan works by Widor. Mendelssoh. Bach and Saint Saens.

Bathgate

Hebrides Ensemble: On the

Brink Regal Community 'I heatie. 24 34 North Bridge Street. 01506 433634. 7.30pm. £10(£7). The world class ensemble demonstrates how the milsic of Bartok. (iideon Klein and Hans Krasa despite has trig been composed at a time when the world was on the brink of war provides an optimistic look to the future

Wednesday 18

Edinburgh Hebrides Ensemble: On the Brink ()ueen's Hall. S7 S") Clerk Street. 668 201‘). 7.30pm, £12 (concessions available). See Tue 17

Dunfermline

I Yeomen of the Guard (‘arnegie Hall. liasl l’or't. 0| 383 602302, 7. 30pm. £10(£‘); l’los £5). (iripptng performance of the (iilbert and Sullivan Savoy ()pera from the Dunlermline Society.

St Andrews

I Wednesday Lunchtime Concert Series Younger Hall. North Street. 01334 462226. 1.15pm. £2 (members free). Cellist Angela Stevenson and pianist William Stevenson perform sonatas by Henrietta Bosmans.

Thursday 19

Glasgow FREE Music in the University Concert Hall. l'niversity of(ilasgo\s. l'niversity Avenue. 330 4002. 1.10pm. ('ellist l’hilip Norris and pianist l.ynda Norris perform Martinu's lirriationv on a Slovak 'I'lieme alongside works by John l’urser. Hamish MacCunn and Debussy. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: The Symphonic Collection 4 City Halls. ('andleriggs. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10 £2.3 (concessions available). Donald Runnicles conducts with John Adams‘ Slommsltv 's liar/tot and Berlioz's massively influential Svmplronie l'ontastique. inspired by the composer‘s unrequited love for an lingllsh actress. Also. Adam (iollxa performs Ravel's l’tutm ('utti‘et'tt) for left Hand. With a l’re-Concert l’relude at 6.45pm and a Post-Concert Coda. I Liederabend Evening Concert RSAMD. 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. 7.30pm. £5. The recently-formed Song Studio performs lieder by Mendelssohn and Brahms alongside sortie lesser- known ones by Loewe and Clara Schumann.

Edinburgh FREE Live Music Now: Amici Winds National (iallery of Scotland Complex. The Mound. 624 6200. 6:6.30pm. The ensemble performs works by Mendelssohn. Canto Vivo! Queen's Hall. X7 8‘) Clerk Street. 668 201‘). 7.30pm. £12 (concessions available). Works for guitar and voice performed by Maltese soprano Claire Debono and Scottish guitarist Simon Thacker.

Dunfermline

I Yeomen ot the Guard Carnegie Hall. East Port. 01383 602302. 7.30pm. £10 (£9: L'16s £5). See Wed 18.