Birmingham International Concert Season 2008 - 09

See the world’s greatest artists perform on the UK’s finest stages

Sir Simon Rattle, The Royal Opera and Antonio Pappano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Jurowski, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Choir of King’s College Cambridge, Mitsuko Uchida, Leif Ove Andsnes, Murray Perahia, John Williams, the Brodsky Quartet-these are just a few of the stars performing this season at Town Hall and Symphony Hall. In this season you’ll find a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of the classical music world.

From the unrivalled acoustic of Symphony Hall to the historic ambience of Town Hall, there are no better platforms for such outstanding talents. We hope you will cherish these special evenings of music making with us.

Concert Packages: Book six or more concerts and save up to 30%!
Book a concert package and guarantee those special musical experiences.
And, the more concerts you book for, the more money you’ll save:

• Book 6 to 8 concerts and save 10%
• Book 9 to 10 concerts and save 15%
• Book 11 to 16 concerts and save 20%
• Book 17 or more concerts and save 30%

You will also receive these exclusive benefits:

• First choice of seats in Town Hall and Symphony Hall
• Ticket exchange scheme
• Free concert programme
• Discounts on selected additional concerts throughout the year
• 6 months interest free credit if you book by 30 June 2008
• Car parking for just £3.80 at Brindleyplace
• 12½% discount THe SHop, our classical music shop at Symphony Hall
• 10% discount on Town Hall and Symphony Hall merchandise
• 30% discount on additional Birmingham International Concert Season concert tickets if you book 17 or more concerts in your package

How to Book
Postal booking of concert packages is open now. Download an order form from below or phone the Information Line on 0121 644 5198.
Priority booking for Friends of Town Hall and Symphony Hall and group bookers opens on Thursday 12 June at 10am, by phone, post and in person. (For more information on becoming a Friend click here)

General booking opens on Thursday 19 June at 10am, online, by phone, post and in person.

• Mahler's Third Symphony  

  Tue 7 Oct Symphony Hall

  From its opening primeval theme, thundered out by eight horns, to its exultant earth-shattering close, this is a journey of discovery like no other. Mahler’s Third Symphony is one of the most extravagant all-embracing symphonies ever written, with an impact that will fill every corner of Symphony Hall. Mahler himself spoke of it as being “of such magnitude that it mirrors the whole world”. It is performed by Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, whose recent performances of Mahler have had the critics reaching for superlatives. £5-£37.50 Choir not available. Please note there is no interval.
  *Budapest Festival Orchestra* *Iván Fischer* conductor *Birgit Remmert* mezzo-soprano *The Ladies of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus - Seniors*
  *Mahler* Symphony No 3 99’
  

• Tchaikovsky From St Petersburg  

  Tue 14 Oct Symphony Hall

  The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra is Russia’s oldest and most legendary orchestra, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself for the first performance of his tragic Pathétique Symphony. In tonight’s concert, this most emotional of all Russian works is heard next to the autumnal melancholy of Elgar’s cello concerto, in the hands of the wonderful Dutch cellist Quirine Viersen. *Classic FM's Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight's recommended concert:* _I was lucky enough to see the St Petersburg Philharmonic and Yuri Temirkanov perform live in their home city a couple of years back. They’re an absolutely stunning orchestra to see (and hear) in action. Included in tonight’s programme is a short piece by the St Petersburg-born composer, Anatoli Liadov. Poor old Liadov was the composer who, unwittingly, changed the course of musical history by not writing something. It was he who was first approached by the maestro, Sergei Diaghilev, to write the score for a new ballet called The Firebird. Unfortunately for Liadov, he couldn’t get the score done in time and so the job went to one Igor Stravinsky instead._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk 6.15pm pre-concert talk £5-£37.50
  *St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra* *Yuri Temirkanov* conductor *Quirine Viersen* cello
  *Liadov* Kikimora 6’ *Elgar* Cello Concerto 28’ *Tchaikovsky* Symphony no 6, Pathetique 46’
  

• Celebrity Piano Recital: Paul Lewis  

  Thu 30 Oct Town Hall

  Few other pianists have identified themselves so closely with the great Viennese classics as Paul Lewis. A protégé of the legendary Alfred Brendel, his award-winning recordings of the Schubert Sonatas have been highly acclaimed. Tonight he combines Schubert’s majestic G major Sonata with two of Mozart’s most profound piano works and Ligeti’s scintillating _Musica ricercata_, parts of which were used in Stanley Kubrick’s film _Eyes Wide Shut_. This is a chance to hear at first hand one of today’s most celebrated young pianists. 6.15 Pre-concert talk: Paul Lewis in conversation Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Mozart* Fantasia in C minor, K475 12’ *Ligeti* Musica ricercata-11 Pieces for Piano 27’ *Mozart* Rondo in A minor, K511 9’ *Schubert* Sonata in G major, D894 30’
  

• Celebrity Recital: John Williams  

  Thu 6 Nov Symphony Hall

  One of today’s greatest guitarists, John Williams’s restless questing spirit has led him to work in virtually every genre, from classical to cross-over, jazz to rock, Bach to Beatles. A legend in his own lifetime, he has attracted admiration and controversy but never indifference. His recital at Symphony hall is keenly anticipated - book now. Tickets £5-£20
  
  PROGRAMME: ANTONIO VIVALDI Concerto Op.3, No.9 DOMENICO SCARLATTI Two Sonatas ENRIQUE GRANADOS Valses Poeticos ISAAC ALBENIZ Torre Bermeja JOHN WILLIAMS Notes in the Margin INTERVAL AGUSTIN BARRIOS MANGORE La Catedral JOHN WILLIAMS Prelude to a Song/ Open End/ Song without Words/ Hello Francis ENNIO MORRICONE Cinema Paradiso (theme) STANLEY MYERS The Deer Hunter (Cavatina) JOHN T. WILLIAMS Schindler's List (theme) PETER SCULTHORPE Djilile TURLOUGH O'CAROLAN Carolan's Concerto and traditional Irish tunes
  

• Strauss's Four Last Songs  

  Fri 14 Nov Symphony Hall

  Three great masterpieces: the autumnal sweetness of Strauss’s final songs, the gentle Idyll that Wagner presented to his wife on Christmas Day, and Beethoven’s _Eroica_ - a work that changed the course of Western music for ever. The Orchester der KlangVerwaltung Munich is made up of musicians from leading german orchestras including the Berlin and Munich Philharmonics. it was founded in 1997 with the aim of realising the unique musical vision of conductor Enoch zu Guttenberg, who has gained a cult following for radical performances of fierce integrity and depth. *BBC music magazine’s editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"The Four Last Songs are Richard Strauss’s emotional farewell to the world. With Wagner’s exquisite Siegfried Idyll and Beethoven’s groundbreaking Third Symphony, this concert features three of the finest works to have emerged during the last 200 years.”_ "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Orchester der KlangVerwaltung Munich* *Enoch zu Guttenberg* conductor *Solveig Kringelborn* soprano
  *Wagner* Siegfried Idyll 18’ *Strauss* Four Last Songs 20’ *Beethoven* Symphony no 3, Eroica 50’
  

• Brodsky Quartet  

  Sun 16 Nov Town Hall

  Without a doubt, the Brodsky is Britain’s best-known string quartet. With a repertoire stretching from the classics to collaborations with pop artists, this remarkable ensemble is at the very top of its game. The players visit the intimate space of Town Hall with four outright classics of the string quartet repertoire - a masterpiece from Beethoven’s fiery youth, Shostakovich’s most intense and best-known Quartet, Stravinsky’s three ground-breaking miniatures, and the quiet melancholy of Tchaikovsky’s Third and last Quartet. Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Beethoven* Quartet in D Major, op 18, no 3 25’ *Shostakovich* Quartet No 8 in C Minor, op 110 20’ *Stravinsky* Three Pieces for String Quartet 8’ *Tchaikovsky* Quartet No 3 in E Flat Minor, op 30 38’
  

• Uchida Plays Mozart  

  Sun 23 Nov Symphony Hall

  Few pianists today command the respect and awe accorded to Mitsuko Uchida. “One of today’s great pianists,” wrote The Times, while The Independent summed her up as simply “sublime”. In this concert she directs two of Mozart’s greatest concertos from the keyboard-the serenity and poise of the A major Concerto contrasting with the tragedy of the C minor. Uchida’s lucid Mozart playing is ideally suited to the perfect acoustic of Symphony Hall, uniting performer and audience in an experience of crystal-clear intensity. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _Tonight the pianist Mitsuko Uchida joins forces with the orchestra formed in in 1981 and made up of fifty players from fifteen countries-The Chamber Orchestra of Europe. A chance for you to enjoy two of Mozart’s Piano Concertos written at the same time, but in very distinct moods. Mitsuko Uchida gained her international reputation by playing and recording the music of Mozart-there’s nothing she doesn’t know about the composer’s best-loved works for keyboard._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Chamber Orchestra of Europe* *Mitsuko Uchida* piano/director
  *Stravinsky* Apollon Musagète 30’ *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 23 in A Major, K488 24’ *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K491 30’
  

• Quartet for the End of Time  

  Tue 9 Dec Town Hall

  Four world-class soloists come together to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of France’s greatest composers - Olivier Messiaen. His visionary _Quartet for the End of Time_ is an uplifting and spiritual work, and will be accompanied by specially commissioned visuals from artist Kathy Hinde. It is preceded by Ravel’s Piano Trio - tinged with serene disquiet and written as the world descended into the carnage of the First World War. *BBC music magazine’s editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"Messiaen premiered his Book of Revelation-inspired Quartet at a Polish prisoner of war camp in 1941 in front of 5,000 fellow prisoners. Widely seen as his finest work, it’s the perfect introduction to a composer who brought French music kicking and screaming into the 20th Century.”_ "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com 6.15pm pre-concert talk Tickets £5-£20
  *Steven Osborne* piano *Alban Gerhardt* cello *Viviane Hagner* violin *Kari Kriikku* clarinet *Kathy Hinde Messiaen* visuals
  *Ravel* Piano Trio in A Minor 20’ *Messiaen* Quartet for the End of Time 50’
  

• Ultimate Romantics 1: Mahler and Wagner  

  Wed 10 Dec Symphony Hall

  In two concerts this winter, some of the most extravagant and passionate music of the late romantic era comes to Symphony Hall. The second act of Wagner’s Tristan contains one of music’s greatest love scenes. The adagio from mahler’s unfinished tenth Symphony is similarly in love with life, but it is the heartfelt last testament of a man about to be torn from the world. Few young conductors have received the plaudits that have been awarded to Vladimir Jurowski, new Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and music Director of Glyndebourne Opera, who conducts the first concert in this series. 6.15pm pre-concert talk Tickets £5-£37.50
  *London Philharmonic Orchestra* *Vladimir Jurowski* conductor *Anja Kampe* Isolde *Robert Dean Smith* Tristan *Sarah Connolly* Brangaene *Laszlo Polgar* Marke *Stephen Gadd* Melot/Kurnewal
  *Mahler* Adagio from Symphony No 10 22’ *Wagner* Act II from Tristan and Isolde 75’
  

• Rattle Conducts Schumann  

  Fri 19 Dec Symphony Hall

  Earlier this year, Sir Simon Rattle picked music by Schumann as one of his eight choices on Desert Island Discs. Now he turns his attention to two of the composer’s most popular works: the fresh and vibrant _Spring Symphony_ and the _Rhenish Symphony_ - a joyous celebration of the Rhineland, the awe-inspiring gothic architecture of Cologne Cathedral and, of course, the river itself. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _Fresh from his role as one of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Artists Laureate 2008 for the European Capital of Culture, Sir Simon Rattle returns to his former stomping ground here in Birmingham. This evening he’ll be conducting the OAE, an orchestra he’s been closely associated with for many years now. Rattle is one of just six conductors who’ve been key in the development of this self-governing orchestra established more than twenty years ago. It was he who took the OAE to Glyndebourne for the first time in 1989 with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro; the orchestra is now a regular visitor to the East Sussex festival._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£45
  *Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment* *Sir Simon Rattle* conductor
  *Berlioz* King Lear overture 15’ *Schumann* Symphony No 1, Spring 32’ *Schumann* Symphony No 3, Rhenish 33’
  

• King's College Choir at Christmas  

  Sat 20 Dec Town Hall

  What could be more evocative of Christmas than the magical sound of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge? This world-famous choir visits Town Hall with a concert of Christmas music ranging from majestic baroque masterworks by Praetorius and Schütz through to quintessential favourites from the Nine Lessons and Carols, including Darke’s _In the Bleak Midwinter_ and Joubert’s _There is no Rose_. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _It’s thanks to Henry VI that the Choir of King’s College Cambridge exist. The last king of the Lancastrian dynasty envisaged daily singing in his splendid chapel and to this day that remains the main purpose of the Choir. Tonight a musical festive fayre is promised including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, a work based on traditional carols. Other seasonal favourites on the menu include Harold Darke’s beautiful In The Bleak Midwinter and John Joubert’s There Is No Rose._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-30
  *Choir of King’s College Cambridge* *Stephen Cleobury* director
  Programme includes works by *Praetorius*, *Schütz*, *Poulenc*, *Rachmaninov*, *Vaughan Williams*, *Joubert* and *Howells*, with organ solos.
  

• National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain  

  Tue 6 Jan Symphony Hall

  There is nothing quite like the excitement of an orchestra of young musicians - and when they’re as talented as the National Youth Orchestra, we can expect extraordinary results. Many of these young performers are having their first encounters with great orchestral music, experiencing it onstage at Symphony Hall with a freshness and passion never to be recaptured - it’s like being in love for the first time! Tickets £5-£37.50
  
  *Programme to be announced*
  

• Celebrity Piano Recital: Murray Perahia  

  Sat 31 Jan Symphony Hall

  Murray Perahia is simply one of the greatest living pianists. “The soul of a poet, the mind of a thinker, the hands of a virtuoso; no wonder the audiences love this guy,” wrote one critic recently. As a young man Perahia played chamber music with Rudolf Serkin and Pablo Casals, was befriended by the legendary Vladimir Horowitz, and was Peter Pears’ accompanist. His music-making is marked not only by its depth and maturity but also by its sheer _joie de vivre_ - don’t miss this recital. Tickets £5-£30
  
  *Programme to be announced*
  

• Nash Ensemble  

  Tue 10 Feb Town Hall

  Rarely has a composer produced a work of such effortless genius as the sixteen-year-old Mendelssohn’s _Octet_ - a miraculous stream of wonderful melody. The Nash Ensemble marks the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth (February 1809) with a performance of this masterpiece in the hall in which the composer once played and conducted. It is heard next to the delicious Sextet from Strauss’s _Capriccio_ and the dark tragedy of Mozart’s great G minor String Quintet. 6.15pm pre-concert talk Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Strauss* Sextet (_Capriccio_) 6’ *Mozart* Quintet in G Minor, K516 33’ *Mendelssohn* Octet 38’
  

• Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich  

  Fri 13 Feb Symphony Hall

  The Russian State Philharmonic has the music of their homeland running strong in their blood. And with tonight’s celebrity soloists we can expect the powerful music of Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich to come to life in vivid technicolour: the illicit passion of Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini offset by the Mozartian elegance of the Rococo Variations; the brilliance of Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto in stark contrast to the despair and joy of his Sixth Symphony. Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Russian State Philharmonic Orchestra* *Valery Poliansky* conductor *Julian Lloyd Webber* cello *Tatyana Polianskaya* piano
  *Tchaikovsky* Francesca da Rimini 22’ *Shostakovich* Piano Concerto No 2 20’ *Tchaikovsky* Variations on a Rococo Theme 18’ *Shostakovich* Symphony No 6 33’
  

• Ultimate Romantics 2: Gurrelieder  

  Fri 27 Feb Symphony Hall

  In the second of our ‘Ultimate Romantics’ concerts, the high-voltage combination of Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra unleash one of the ultimate and most gorgeous of all romantic experiences. Schoenberg’s lavish _Gurrelieder_ is the epic and upernatural tale of King Waldemar and his love for Tove, resident of castle Gurre. From the sumptuous love music of the opening to the fantastical Wild Hunt of spectres, this thrilling, kaleidoscopic score never lets the listener go. This is the only performance of this unmissable event outside london: we promise that you will love it! *BBC Music magazine’s Editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"Before Schoenberg experimented with the atonal composing system that has given him a certain reputation among audiences, he wrote several highly romantic, lush works including Gurrelieder. Think Wagner, Mahler and a hint of Bruckner and you get the idea. It’s one of the most OTT works of the 20th century - and wonderful for it!”_ "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com *6.15pm pre-concert talk* Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Philharmonia Orchestra* *Esa-Pekka Salonen* conductor *Ladies of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *Men of the Philharmonia Voices* *Soile Isokosk* _Tove_ *Monica Groop* _Waldtaube_ *Stig Andersen* _Waldemar_ *Andreas Conrad*_ Klaus-Narr_ *Ralf Lukas*_Bauer_ *Barbara Sukowa*_Speaker_
  *Schoenberg* Gurrelieder 100’
  

• Celebrity Piano Recital: Peter Donohoe  

  Thu 5 Mar Town Hall

  Peter Donohoe’s performances are a dazzling fusion of passion, virtuosity and intellectual rigour. His recital ranges from the majesty of Bach to the superhuman demands of Liszt’s B minor Sonata. Before that come magical works by Brahms reflecting the mature wisdom of the composer’s old age and the untamed ardour of his youth. *BBC music magazine’s editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"The indefatigable Peter Donohoe launches into a brave programme here - Busoni’s technically astounding transcription of one of Bach’s great organ works sits next to Liszt’s greatest piece for the piano - the colossal Sonata. And as Donohoe is one of the most skilled musicians in this repertoire, the evening’s music-making should be full of plenty of memorable pyrotechnics…” "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com *6.15pm pre-concert talk* Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Brahms* Six Pieces, Op 118 20’ *Brahms* Sonata No 3 in F minor, Op 5 28’ *Bach-Busoni* Toccata, Adagio and Fugue, BWV564 15’ *Liszt* Sonata in B minor 27’
  

• Verdi's Requiem  

  Fri 20 Mar Symphony Hall

  The Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House take up residence at Symphony Hall for two nights, with a glittering line-up of soloists and their Music Director, Antonio Pappano. _“ Everything Pappano conducts has highoctane energy, and that quality radiates off the podium as strongly as it does on it”_ *Daily Telegraph* Verdi’s Requiem is one of the greatest choral masterpieces of all time, and often described as an opera in all but name. Charged with passion, terrifying force, tenderness and consolation, this music comes straight from the composer’s heart. His sumptuous and dramatic choral writing gives us the chance to hear one of the world’s great opera choruses in full voice, in what promises to be a searing performance of this great score. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _The first of two performances in Symphony Hall for the Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House under Antonio Pappano. It’s seven years since the London-born Italian-American conductor became the music director at Covent Garden. Then 42, he was also the youngest to hold the post and since taking over the musical reins, he’s been acclaimed both by the public and critics alike. Pappano even had a premonition he’d be in the top job at Covent Garden as he read the former music director Sir Georg Solti’s autobiography._ *6.15pm pre-concert talk* Tickets £5-£50 _please note there is no interval_
  *The Royal Opera Chorus* *The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House* *Antonio Pappano* conductor *Barbara Frittoli* soprano *Olga Borodina* mezzo-soprano *Piotr Beczala* tenor *Ildar Abdrazakov* bass
  *Verdi* Requiem 90’
  

• Britten's War Requiem  

  Sat 21 Mar Symphony Hall

  The War requiem is one of Britten’s most powerful works, born out of his fiercely held pacifism. Composed at the height of the Cold War, it spoke directly to a nation living under the threat of nuclear war. The work mixes powerful settings of the poems of Wilfred Owen, describing the horrors of war, with the words of the Requiem mass, and ultimately offers the hope of reconciliation. No tenor is more associated with Britten’s music at the moment than Ian Bostridge, heard here alongside the warm baritone of Simon Keenlyside and leading young soprano Emma Bell. *BBC music magazine’s editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"This unsettling work is a powerful anti-war oratorio, written for the re-consecration of nearby Coventry Cathedral in 1962. Bringing this searing piece to life are three of the most gifted British singers alive today accompanied by Covent Garden’s orchestra - an ensemble currently at the height of its powers. This will be a highly emotional, haunting concert - full of drama and pathos.”_ "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com *5.45pm pre-concert talk* Tickets £5-£50
  *The Royal Opera Chorus* *The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House* *Antonio Pappano* conductor *Emma Bell* soprano *Ian Bostridge* tenor *Simon Keenlyside* baritone *Tiffin Boys’ Choir*
  *Britten* War Requiem 90’
  

• Tokyo Quartet with cellist David Watkin  

  Sun 29 Mar Town Hall

  Schubert’s String Quintet is one of the jewels in the crown of the chamber music repertoire. Its warm-hearted melodies and the rare beauty of its slow movement have made it one of the most popular Desert Island Discs for countless music-lovers. The incomparable Tokyo Quartet is celebrated for its ravishing refinement of tone and ensemble. They perform Schubert’s masterpiece alongside Haydn’s much-loved Emperor Quartet and the fresh innocence of Mendelssohn’s early Quartet in A minor. Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Haydn* String Quartet in C, Op 76, No 3, Emperor 25’ *Mendelssohn* String Quartet in A minor, Op 13 30’ *Schubert* String Quintet in C, D956 55’
  

• Good Friday St Matthew Passion  

  Fri 10 Apr Symphony Hall

  Ex Cathedra’s trailblazing performances and critically acclaimed recordings have put them at the forefront of the international early music movement. So we can expect them to bring searching new insights to this season’s traditional Good Friday performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. It is the largest, most elaborate and most affecting of all Bach’s works, telling the story of the last days of Christ in music of great dignity and emotional intensity. Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Ex Cathedra Soloists, Choir & Baroque Orchestra* *Jeffrey Skidmore* conductor *Nicholas Mulroy* _Evangelist_ *Eamonn Dougan* _Christus_
  *J S Bach* St matthew Passion 180’
  

• Celebrity Recital: Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt  

  Fri 24 Apr Town Hall

  This partnership between two of today’s finest soloists is one of the great musical success stories of recent years. Each is a formidable artist in his own right, and as a duo they combine superb virtuosity and engaging musicianship. They are playing three of the most popular sonatas for violin and piano: a musical journey from the grave beauty of Bach’s F minor Sonata to the full-blooded romantic sweep of Cesar Franck, via the serenity of the much-loved a major Sonata by Brahms. Tickets £5-£20
  *Christian Tetzlaff* violin *Lars Vogt* piano
  *Bach* Sonata in F minor, BWV 1018 18’ *Brahms* Sonata in A major, Op 100 20’ *Franck* Sonata in A major 30’
  

• Dvorák’s New World Symphony  

  Fri 8 May Symphony Hall

  Libor Pešek is one of a long line of Czech conductors who have the music of Dvorák firmly in their blood. He visits Symphony Hall with the Prague Symphony Orchestra in two of Dvorák’s best-loved works: the Cello Concerto, packed with superb melodies that tug at the heart-strings, and the evocative New World Symphony, one of the most enduringly popular of all symphonies. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _I interviewed the cellist Steven Isserlis for The Guest List on Classic FM before he was due to give a series of performances of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto and he had this insight into the work: “I think recordings distort it because actually although the cello is of course the most important instrument, it's really like a big symphony in that there are so many important parts in the orchestra as well. The solo flute part is very, very important, (as is) the solo clarinet part, and there's lots of duets and there's lots of bits where the cello is accompanying the orchestra, so I like to think of it as chamber music on a huge scale." Tonight Nina Kotova is the soloist for the Concerto written by a love-struck and homesick Dvorak._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Prague Symphony Orchestra* *Libor Pešek* conductor *Nina Kotova* cello
  *Dvorák* Prague Waltzes 9’ *Dvorák* Cello Concerto 40’ *Dvorák* Symphony No 9, From the New World 40’
  

• Handel's Arianna  

  Wed 13 May Town Hall

  Handel heaven for lovers of great singing! We present a truly starstudded international cast for Arianna, the last in the academy of ancient music’s series of Handel operas in Birmingham and a fitting celebration of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death. Since its first recording in 1999 Arianna has emerged as a forgotten masterpiece, full of vital, colourful music. It is the perfect vehicle for the sublime voices of Angelika Kirchschlager, Alice Coote, Lisa Milne and their colleagues, and baroque opera is a wonderful experience in the intimate and beautiful surroundings of Town Hall. Tickets £5-£30 Please note - Concert performance sung in italian. There will be two intervals.
  *Academy of Ancient Music* *Christopher Hogwood* conductor *Lisa Milne* _Alceste_ *Angelika Kirchschlager* _Teseo_ *Sonia Prina* _Carilda_ *Alice Coote* _Tauride_ *Antonio Abete* _Minos_
  *Handel* Arianna in Creta (1733) 164’
  

• Andsnes Plays Mozart and Beethoven  

  Sun 17 May Town Hall

  The outstanding pianist Leif Ove Andsnes plays and directs a pair of contrasting classical concertos with his native Norwegian musicians: sparkling, sunny Mozart and turbulent Beethoven. Two much-loved works from a later era continue the classical and Norwegian themes - Prokofiev’s dashing Classical Symphony and Grieg’s Holberg Suite. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _ Leif Ove Andsnes is one of my favourite musicians. Not only is he one of the best pianists on the planet, he’s also deeply passionate about every project he undertakes from playing Grieg on top of a Norwegian mountain to running his own annual summer music festival in Risor, three hours from Oslo. Andsnes is also a devoted chamber musician and regularly works with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra as their first guest leader._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£30
  *Norwegian Chamber Orchestra* *Leif Ove Andsnes* _piano/director_ *Terje Tønnesen* _director_
  *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 14 in E flat, K449 22’ *Prokofiev* Classical Symphony 14’ *Grieg* Holberg Suite 21’ *Beethoven* Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op 37 34’
  

• Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto  

  Wed 20 May Symphony Hall

  An evening of dazzling Spanish orchestral showpieces played in truly authentic style by the orquesta Nacional de España. Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is the most famous of all guitar concertos, suffused with the atmosphere of hot Spanish nights and the animated rhythms of Spanish dance. No less evocative is Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole, one of the most captivating musical portraits ever painted of Spain. Ravel’s slow-burning Boléro brings this enjoyable concert to a climactic conclusion. Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert: _The players of the National Orchestra of Spain are fine ambassadors of Spanish music and culture and tonight, together with guitarist Jose Maria Gallardo Del Ray, they’ll be performing the much-loved Rodrigo Concerto. Since its premiere nearly seventy years ago in Madrid, the Concerto De Aranjuez has become a firm favourite. The composer dedicated his most-famous work to the Spanish classical guitarist, Regino Sainz de la Maza, who also gave the first public performance of the work._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£37.50
  *Orquesta Nacional de España* *Josep Pons* conductor *José María Gallardo* guitar
  *Turina* Danzas Fantásticas 17’ *Rodrigo* Concierto de Aranjuez 21’ *Ravel* Alborada del Gracioso 9’ *Ravel* Rapsodie Espagnole 15’ *Ravel* Boléro 13’
  

• Thomas Trotter plays Bach’s Trio Sonatas  

  Fri 29 May Symphony Hall

  It is said that Bach wrote these six miniature masterpieces as training studies for his son Wilhelm Friedmann. Written in three parts (one for each hand and one for the feet!), they are still amongst the most taxing pieces in all organ music, requiring physical dexterity and superb artistry to realise their vitality and charm. *BBC Music magazine’s Editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _The master of organ performance tackles Bach’s fiendish, extraordinary Trio Sonatas. Few organists would dare play all six in performance, but then Trotter has a reputation for being pretty fearless at the keyboard. If you want to be astounded by technique and musical beauty, this is the concert for you. The Symphony Hall Klais organ is perfect for this repertoire too._ "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com *6.15pm Pre-concert talk* £5-£20 The concert will finish at approx. 9.30pm.
  
  
  

• Bach Discovery Day  

  Sat 30 May Symphony Hall

  A day-long series of talks by guest speakers, with discussions and live music, that will give us a deeper insight into Bach’s beautiful mind, as well as the man behind the music. £15 60plus & students £10
  
  
  

• Angela Hewitt plays Bach’s Goldberg Variations  

  Sat 30 May Town Hall

  Bach’s Goldberg Variations is regarded as one of classical music’s most iconic works: a universal masterpiece that somehow reconciles simplicity and complexity, pleasure and profundity, music and mathematics. Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is one of the work’s greatest living interpreters, playing it here in the intimate surroundings of Town Hall. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _After Leif Ove Andsnes appearing in the Town Hall earlier in May, what a treat to welcome another phenomenal pianist, Angela Hewitt before the month is out. Angela Hewitt is also one of many musicians who keeps fans up-to-date with an online blog on her official website•angelahewitt.com You can keep track of her relentless performance schedule (one day Rome, the next London before moving onto Ottawa ..) as well as read the latest reviews of her concerts. Tonight an opportunity to hear the work of genius that is Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Astonishing to think that Johann Sebastian was commissioned to compose the piece by a nobleman desperate for a good night’s sleep. Poor old Count Kayserling, who was a great supporter of Bach’s, suffered with insomnia. One of his musical employees, Johann Goldberg, was tasked with playing the Variations in an attempt to lull his Master to sleep._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk *6.15pm Pre-concert talk* £5-£30 The concert will finish at approx. 9pm. Please note there is no interval.
  
  
  

• Natalie Clein & Alina Ibragimova play Solo Bach  

  Sun 31 May Town Hall

  Two of today’s most eagerly watched young soloists share a programme of Bach masterpieces for solo violin and cello. No young cellist has made more impact than Natalie Clein, and violinist Alina Ibragimova was described recently by The Times as “destined to be a force in the classical music firmament for decades to come.” Bach’s Second Solo Violin Partita includes the towering Chaconne in D minor-one of the ultimate peaks of the violin repertoire-whilst the Cello Suites glow with life-affirming joy and expressivity.
  *Natalie Clein* cello *Alina Ibragimova* violin
  *Bach* Cello Suite No 1 in G, BWV1007 17’ *Bach* Violin Partita No 2 in D minor, BWV1004 29’ *Bach* Violin Sonata No 1 in G minor, BWV1001 16’ *Bach* Cello Suite No 3 in C, BWV1009 20’
  

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