Music Classical
■ Ian Smith of Stornoway Opera Workshops RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.15pm. £12 (£8). Geof Dolton directs a performance by RSAMD postgrad students of staged scenes from a selection of operas. ■ Jack Liebeck and Katya Apekisheva in Recital Recital Room, City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.45pm. £12. Bach, Brahms, Mozart and Dvorák in a violin and piano recital which follows on from a public lecture on the life, work and musical connections of Einstein. Edinburgh FREE Organ Recital Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 1.10pm. Renate Sperger performs works by Buxtehude, Bach and Bruhns. ■ Edinburgh University Music Society Chorus St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 229 1142. 7.30pm. £6 (£4). Neil Metcalfe conducts Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, the last of his ‘sins of old age’. ■ RSNO: Denève conducts Mahler 6 Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). See Thu 11.
Saturday 13
Glasgow ■ Scottish Opera: La bohème Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, 0844 871 7647. 2.15pm. £8.50–£63. See Sat 6. ■ Star Wars: The Concert SECC, Finnieston Quay, 0844 395 4000. 6.30pm. £25–£75. See Fri 12. ■ Ian Smith of Stornoway Opera Workshops RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.15pm. £12 (£8). See Fri 12. FREE BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Hear and Now City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. An exploration of the work of contemporary Glaswegian composer James Dillon, with a performance of his 1992 work for solo viola Siorram by BBC SSO Principal Viola Scott Dickinson. Max 4 tickets per application. ■ Cappella Nova: Angels and Archangels St Columba’s Church, 74 Hopehill Road, 554 1333. 7.30pm. £12.50 (£10). Be among the first to hear the latest in James MacMillan’s oeuvre, a group of motets that forms the most recent instalment of his Strathclyde Motet series, performed by Cappella Nova along with two Renaissance masterpieces: Robert Carver’s Missa L’Homme Armé and Victoria’s Vespers Psalms. ■ Glasgow Orchestral Society Sherbrooke St Gilbert’s Church, Nithsdale Road, Pollokshields, 7.30pm. £10 (£6); £5 for first concert. Eric Dunlea conducts Nielsen’s Helios Overture, inspired by the hot Greek sun, followed by works by Finzi and Albinoni and finishing with Brahms’ lovely, lyrical Symphony No 2. ■ Glasgow Chamber Orchestra RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 8pm. £12 (£4–£9). Jill Morton is soloist in Rachmaninov’s fantastic Piano Concerto No 2, one of the composer’s best-loved works, in a spring concert which also features Glinka’s Russlan and Ludmilla and Sibelius’ Symphony No 2. Edinburgh ■ Edinburgh University Music Society Sinfonia Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 7.30pm. £6 (£4). Cellist Mairi Gray is soloist in Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, performed alongside Panufnik’s Heroic Overture, Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Glazunov’s Symphony No 5. ■ Hebrides Ensemble: Pierrot Lunaire Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. 7.30pm. £16 (£12). See Wed 10. ■ Bach Concerti St Cecilia’s Hall, Niddry Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £14
80 THE LIST 4–18 Mar 2010
Edinburgh ✽✽ Exaudi Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place, 2251900. 7.45pm. £10 (£7). ecat presents the acclaimed London- based vocal ensemble in a performance of new vocal music. James Weeks directs. Perth ■ Soloist of the BBC SSO Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 1pm. £6.50 (£5.50); meal deal £10 (£9). Get out of the office for an hour as violinist Elizabeth Layton (orchestra leader), violist Scott Dickinson and an as-yet-unnamed cellist give a lunchtime concert of Mozart and Dohnanyi.
Tuesday 16
Glasgow ■ Impressionistic Iridescence Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, 548 2558. 1.15pm. £4. Pianist Roman Rudnytsky gives a concert showcasing the gorgeous shimmering colours in musical Impressionism with works by Debussy and Ravel, including the former’s Images and the latter’s Jeux d’Eau. FREE Edinburgh Quartet: Twilight Recital Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, 330 4092. 6pm. An evening performance of Haydn’s Quartet Op 20, No 5, Robert Crawford’s Quartet No 1 and Shostakovich’s Quartet No 7. ■ Glasgow Music Festival Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. Times vary. Prices vary. See Sun 14. Edinburgh FREE Andrew Zolinsky Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 1.10pm. The pianist gives a recital featuring Haydn’s Sonata in B minor, Simon Holt’s Black Lanterns and Barber’s Sonata Op 26. ■ Organ Recital: Otto Krämer St Mary’s RC Cathedral, York Place, 8pm. £5. The German organist performs a concert of improvisations.
Wednesday 17
Glasgow FREE G.U. Contemporary Music Ensemble Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, 330 4092. 1.10pm. The modern music group explores performing and composing ‘beyond norms’, combining the avant- garde with improvisation to create music that darts between extremes of freedom and constraint. ■ Masterclass: Singing with Christine Brewer RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7pm. £3 (£2). World-leading soprano Christine Brewer works with some of the RSAMD’s vocal students.
Thursday 18
Glasgow ■ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Maestros’ Choice 5 City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10–£23 (concessions available). Internationally renowned for his conducting of Wagner, Donald Runnicles’ interpretation of the overture and Venusberg Music from Tannhäuser will be a wonderful start to this concert, which also features soprano Christine Brewer performing a lush selection of songs by Richard Strauss, and finishes with Beethoven’s magnificent Symphony No 7. With pre- and post-concert events. Edinburgh FREE Live Music Now National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. 6–6.30pm. Clarinettist Fraser Langton and pianist Juliette Philogene perform a varied programme of ballet music by Shostakovich and works by Debussy, Finzi and Gershwin.
CLASSICAL HEBRIDES ENSEMBLE – PIERROT LUNAIRE Victoria Halls, Helensburgh, Wed 10 Mar; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 13 Mar
Whether in poetry, film, animation, popular and classical music, dance and even jewellery, the figure of Pierrot, the sad clown pining for love, is one that has proven irresistible since his rise to fame in the commedia dell’arte tradition of 16th century Italy. In an evening inspired by the Pierrot character, Hebrides Ensemble place Schoenberg’s strangely fascinating Pierrot Lunaire at the heart of their latest innovative programme. Complemented by pieces written by Debussy, Chopin, Sally Beamish and young composer Helen Grime, the Schoenberg sets 21 poems by Belgian Albert Giraud. In a sequence of different scenes, they tell of the love-struck Pierrot, who is both hero and fool, intoxicated by the light of the moon.
First performed in Berlin in 1912, key to the success of Pierrot Lunaire is the central role which is performed in the half-spoken, half-sung style known as Sprechstimme. Usually, it is taken on by a singer – Cleo Laine and Bjork have performed it – but Hebrides’ Pierrot is Sylvie Rohrer, lead actor of Vienna’s Burgtheater. ‘I did it for the first time in Hamburg 10 years ago,’ she says, ‘at the invitation of conductor Ingo Metzmacher. Since then, Rohrer has performed Pierrot Lunaire in St Petersburg, Vienna and Switzerland, but appears in Scotland for the first time. Of vital importance to her is that the rhythm and notes are as Schoenberg composed them, bearing in mind his instructions that Sprechstimme is not really like singing in the sense of sustaining tone. ‘I tried to figure out the subtle difference between singing and speaking’, says Rohrer, adding, ‘There are many beautiful recordings by singers, but I miss the brutality of the piece. To my mind, it needs a shriller way, sometimes almost shouting. Actors can dare to do that without having to worry too much about their voice.’ (Betsy Dickson)
(£5–£11). The Georgian Concert Society presents a concert by violinist Rachel Podger and harpsichordist Gary Cooper and friends, of violin concerti and a harpsichord concerto by JS Bach. ■ Edinburgh University Chamber Choir Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, 8pm. £7 (£5). Eric von Ibler conducts a concert including works by Palestrina, Robin Orr, Tchaikovsky and Poulenc, as well as his own work, What Eye Beholds the Spring.
Sunday 14 Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3–3.45pm. See Sun 7. ■ Glasgow University Choral Society and Chapel Choir Glasgow University Memorial Chapel, The Square, off University Avenue, 330 5522. 7.30pm. £9 (£6). An evening performance of Confitebor tibi Domine by little-known composer and contemporary of Haydn, Samuel Wesley.
■ Glasgow Music Festival Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. Times vary. Prices vary. An annual festival featuring 7000 amateur performers. Bands, orchestras, choirs and soloists perform and are appraised by a team of professional adjudicators. Edinburgh ■ St Giles’ at Six St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Retiring collection. The Edinburgh Quartet premieres works by undergraduate and postgraduate student composers at Napier University.
Monday 15 Glasgow ■ Baroque Wind Trio RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £5 (£3). The SCO’s Peter Whelan, is one of the performers in Zelenka’s Sonata for two oboes and bassoon. ■ Glasgow Music Festival Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. Times vary. Prices vary. See Sun 14.