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and popular sounds of the Kelvingrove Organ, which is over 100 years old, in daily recitals. Edinburgh FREE Live Music Now: Nafis Umerkulova Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. 6–6.30pm. Pianist Umerkulova interprets the Van Gogh to Kandinsky: Symbolist Landscape in Europe 1880–1910 exhibition with a programme of solo piano music by composers of the period, including Debussy, Stanchinsky and Scriabin.
Berwick upon Tweed Mahan Esfahani Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, 01289 386291. 7.30pm. £20 (£10). Pieces for harpsichord by Gibbons, d’Anglebert, Della Ciaja, Couperin and JS Bach’s English Suite. Part of Music at Paxton. Crail Crail Festival Orchestra Crail Community Hall, St Andrews Road, 01333 451206. 8pm. £12. A programme of Purcell, Mozart and Beethoven performed by the orchestra, joined by Lyndsey Ellis (flute) and Gwen Sinclair (harp). Part of the Crail Festival.
Friday 20 Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 1pm. See Thu 19. After the recital, visitors are welcome to join a tour of the organ from Dr James Hunter.
Berwick upon Tweed Doric Quartet Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, 01289 386291. 7.30pm. £20 (£10). Quartets by Haydn (Op 20 No 4), Bartok (No 1) and Beethoven (Op 131). Part of Music at Paxton. Crail Fife Opera Crail Parish Church, Marketgate North, 01333 312631. 8pm. £8 (children £4; family £20). A programme of popular opera classics. Part of the Crail Festival.
Saturday 21 Berwick upon Tweed FREE Les Canards Chantants: Jazzdrigals Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, 01289 386291. 4.30–5.30pm. York University’s vocal group sings pieces by Marenzio, Byrd and Dowland as well as modern jazz standards. Part of Music at Paxton. Cédric Tiberghien Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, 01289 386291. 7.30pm. £22 (£11). Young piano maestro in recital, with Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata, Schumann’s lively Kreisleriana, Szymanowski’s Masques and Debussy’s Masques, D’un Cahier d’Esquisses and L’Isle Joyeuse. Part of Music at Paxton.
Sunday 22
Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3–3.45pm. Sunday promenade concerts with different organists.
Edinburgh FREE St Giles’ at Six: Summer Songs St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Contralto Elizabeth Pink joins Tim Tozer at the piano for this programme of summery music from Brahms, Strauss, Chaminade and Quilter. Berwick upon Tweed Arctic Winds Front Steps, Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, 01289
386291. 4.30pm. £7.50 (free). Young wind quintet plays pieces by Ibert, Geddes, Shostakovich and Parker. Bring a rug or folding chair. Part of Music at Paxton. Alina Ibragimova & Cédric Tiberghien Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, 01289 386291. 6pm. £22 (£11). Ibragimova (violin) and Tiberghien (piano) play duets by Schubert. Part of Music at Paxton.
Wednesday 25 Edinburgh Celebrity Organ Recital: Iain Simcock St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 8pm. £8 (students £5; accompanied children free). Messiaen and Franck are the orders of the day at this special organ recital featuring Franck’s Grande Pièce Symphonique, as well as Chants d’oiseaux (Livre d’orgue) and L’Ascension by Messiaen.
Thursday 26 Edinburgh FREE Lunchtime Concert: Movement in Worship – Psalm Drummers St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 12.15pm. Music at lunchtime, with a religious theme.
Friday 27
Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 1pm. See Thu 19. After the recital, visitors are welcome to join a tour of the organ from Dr James Hunter.
Edinburgh Artisan Play Mendelssohn and More St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 229 1142. 1pm. £10 (£8). Programme includes Haydn’s Piano Trio in A major No 18 and Avo Part’s ‘Mozart-Adagio’ as well as Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D minor No1. Saturday 28
Glasgow FREE BBC SSO: John Cage at 100 City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. Free but tickets limited to four per application. John Cage is infamous for his high-concept, so-called ‘silent’ piece 4’33”, but he could also write ravishing music such as his works for prepared piano, and the Concerto for Prepared Piano kicks off this concert of uncut Cage. Also included are Atlas Eclipticalis, Winter Music and a series of short pieces including conductor Ilan Volkov playing an amplified cactus in Child of Tree. Master improviser John Tilbury is the piano soloist. Not suitable for young children. Edinburgh Artisan Play Mendelssohn and More St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 229 1142. 1pm. £10 (£8). Performances of Edvard Grieg’s Andante and Mozart ‘s Piano Trio in G major K564 join Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in C minor No 2.
Sunday 29
Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3–3.45pm. See Sun 22. Edinburgh FREE St Giles’ at Six: Hugh Hillyard-Parker and Neil Metcalfe St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Bass Hugh Hillyard-Parker and Neil Metcalfe on piano perform songs and arias by Mozart, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss and more.
CLASSICAL Music
Tuesday 31 Edinburgh FREE Lunchtime Concert: Rowan McGirr St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 12.15pm. The violinist performs some midday music.
Wednesday 1
Edinburgh FREE Very Wednesday St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 12.15pm. Will Pickvance (piano) and guests play classical favourites and new material. FREE Cathedral Lunchtime Concerts St Mary’s Cathedral, 23 Palmerston Place, 225 6293. 1.10–1.55pm. Lunchtime music in the cathedral. Edinburgh Celebrity Organ Recital: Giampaolo di Rosa St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 8pm. £8 (students £5; accompanied children free). Virtuoso organ playing of music by masters of the kings of instruments, including JS Bach, Guilmant and
Messiaen, with an improvisation by tonight’s special guest, who comes from the Portugese church in Rome, to finish.
Thursday 2 Edinburgh FREE Lunchtime Concert: Irvine Classical Players Orchestra and Seraphim Symphony St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 12.15pm. Californian musicians perform. FREE Cathedral Lunchtime Concerts St Mary’s Cathedral, 23 Palmerston Place, 225 6293. 1.10– 1.55pm. See Wed 1. Classical Guitar – Jonathan Prag C Too, St Columba’s by the Castle, Johnston Terrace, 0845 260 1234. 1.30– 2.20pm. £9.50 (£7.50; children £5.50). Jonathan Prag strums some classical pieces. Le Nozze di Figaro Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place, ariaalba.org. uk, 226 0000. 7–10pm. £5. Preview of Aria Alba’s Fringe production of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, in the original Italian and set in 1930s Italy, with fascism all around and war on the horizon.
TWEEDSIDE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL MUSIC AT PAXTON Paxton House, by Berwick-upon-Tweed, Thu 19 Jul (Mahan Esfahani); Fri 20 Jul (Doric Quartet); Sun 22 Jul (Celebrity Recital); Sun 22 Jul (Arctic Winds)
Once again offering top quality international chamber music in the most beautiful of surroundings, the summer Music at Paxton festival is well worth the hour or so drive from Edinburgh or even making the focus of a Tweedside mini-break if travelling from further afield. This year’s Celebrity Recital features a return visit from the popular violin and piano duo of Alina Ibragimova and Cedric Tiberghien. Picking up the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Young Artists last year, Ibragimova goes from strength to strength and with French pianist Tiberghien plays an all Schubert programme which they plan to record. ‘They are phenomenal artists,’ says Helen Jamieson, festival director,
‘and the relationship between the two of them is one of beautiful cohesion. It’s a sensational partnership.’’ In common with Ibragimova and Tiberghien, first-time Paxton
performer Mahan Esfahani has come through the BBC New Generation Artists programme. The Iranian born harpsichordist is something of a coup for Paxton, especially as his concert at the Proms last year – the first ever harpsichord soloist in its history – was sold out.
‘He is playing a very interesting programme,’ says Jamieson, ‘with music from throughout Europe, all written about the same sort of time, mainly 17th century, but by unusual composers from France and Italy as well as the more well known Gibbons, Couperin and Bach.’
Other string playing favourites are the globetrotting Doric Quartet, who play Beethoven’s monumental Quartet Op 131. From closer to home are Arctic Winds, who brave the elements for real as well as in name, as their concert is scheduled for outdoors. Bring a picnic or follow Music at Paxton’s instructions for Plan B, which could well be heading inside to the cosy Hayloft or Stables for afternoon tea or supper using freshly sourced local produce. (Carol Main)
19 Jul–2 Aug 2012 THE LIST 83