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Britten Sinfonia at Lunch - Feb 2009
Thu 19 Feb 2009 Town Hall
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Transfigured Night
Thu 19 Feb 2009 Symphony Hall
The idea of transfiguration loomed large for late romantic artists, and these two masterpieces by Strauss and Schoenberg • although the product of composers who were just 25 years old • seem to sum up a whole lifetime’s experience in music that is among the most luscious ever composed. Schoenberg’s masterpiece for strings tells of a transfigured night in which a couple fall in love all over again. Messiaen’s more explicitly religious world-view provides the perfect complement: in his powerful piece for wind, brass and percussion he expresses his own deeply-held beliefs on the resurrection of the dead. And the concert climaxes with a chance to hear the CBSO and Andris Nelsons • already so admired in Strauss’s music • play the magnificent tone poem Death and Transfiguration.
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht 32’ Messiaen: Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum 26’ Strauss: Tod und Verklärung 24’
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Symphonic Rock with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Fri 20 Feb 2009 Symphony Hall
Following sell-out shows at London's Royal Albert Hall, experience the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing great rock anthems and classic pop tracks, featuring hits by: *Queen, The Moody Blues, The Beatles, Procol Harum, U2, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf and Eric Clapton*
*Ken Bruce, BBC Radio 2* presenter *Nick Davies* conductor *Metro Voices*
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CBSO Youth Orchestra
Sun 22 Feb 2009 Symphony Hall
Andris Nelsons demonstrates his commitment to Birmingham’s young musicians in this, his debut appearance with the CBSO’s acclaimed Youth Orchestra. And it’s all about colour. Whether in the gorgeous oriental fantasies of Ravel’s impressionist song-cycle Shéhérazade, the brilliant sunrise that opens his Daphnis and Chloé suite or the glittering Russian jewel-box of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, this is a programme to dazzle the ears. Expect our superb young players to give it their all, as Andris Nelsons celebrates the start of what we hope will be a very special relationship.
Andris Nelsons - conductor Christine Rice - mezzo-soprano
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2 16’ Ravel: Shéhérazade 19’ Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition 30’
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Centre Stage CBSO Players
Tue 24 Feb 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
CBSO Players Rossini: String Sonatas Nos. 1, 3 and 4 Barrière: Sonate à Deux
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Made in America
Tue 24 Feb 2009 Symphony Hall
Many composers have left Europe to find a new home in the USA, and both in Bartók’s wartime Concerto for Orchestra • composed for the virtuosi of the Boston Symphony Orchestra • and Dvorˇák’s most popular concerto, composed in New York, you can hear elements of each composer’s old world as well as the new. John Adams’ riotous orchestral showpiece seems more authentically American, though it was a by-product of his celebrated opera Nixon in China, and imagines Madam Mao reliving her music-hall past.
Andris Nelsons - conductor Alban Gerhardt - cello City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Adams: The Chairman Dances (24 Feb) 12’ Dvorák: Cello Concerto in B minor 40’ Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra 35’
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Made in America
Wed 25 Feb 2009 Symphony Hall
Many composers have left Europe to find a new home in the USA, and both in Bartók’s wartime Concerto for Orchestra • composed for the virtuosi of the Boston Symphony Orchestra • and Dvorˇák’s most popular concerto, composed in New York, you can hear elements of each composer’s old world as well as the new. John Adams’ riotous orchestral showpiece seems more authentically American, though it was a by-product of his celebrated opera Nixon in China, and imagines Madam Mao reliving her music-hall past.
Andris Nelsons - conductor Alban Gerhardt - cello City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Three Hungarian Dances 12’ Dvorák: Cello Concerto in B minor 40’ Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra 35’
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Ultimate Romantics 2: Gurrelieder
Fri 27 Feb 2009 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’
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Central England Ensemble 'Town Hall Connections' Sibelius, Downes & Dvorak
Sun 1 Mar 2009 Town Hall
Central England Ensemble presents three popular composers with strong links to Birmingham Town Hall: Dvorak conducted two of his world premieres here, The Spectre’s Bride (1885) and his Requiem (1897); Sibelius directed the British premiere of his Symphony no 4 here in 1912; Andrew Downes’ connections with the hall began as a chorister (with the CBSO under Harold Gray) and a counter-tenor soloist in the 1960s/70s, continued throughout the 1970s/80s with many performances of his Fanfare for a Ceremony at the Town Hall Open University ceremonies, and are confirmed in this concert with the world premiere of his Piano Concerto.
*Central England Ensemble* *Anna Downes* Leader *Duncan Honeybourne* Piano *Anthony Bradbury* Conductor *Sibelius* Finlandia *Downes* Concerto for Piano and Symphony Orchestra (world premiere performance) *Dvorak* New World Symphony
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Viennese Masters with Mackerras
Wed 4 Mar 2009 Symphony Hall
Still leading a vigorous musical life well into his eighties, Sir Charles Mackerras is a living legend, and in tonight’s programme he brings his wealth of experience to three of his favourite composers. Our first contribution to the Haydn bicentenary celebrations comes in the smiling form of one of the composer’s ‘Paris’ symphonies, while a distinguished pianist joins Sir Charles for one of Mozart’s most delectable piano concertos. Beethoven’s energetic Seventh completes a splendidly cheerful programme.
Sir Charles Mackerras- conductor Imogen Cooper - piano City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Haydn: Symphony No. 85 (La Reine) 21’ Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22 K.482 33’ Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 36’
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Celebrity Piano Recital: Peter Donohoe
Thu 5 Mar 2009 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’
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Centre Stage CBSO Players
Fri 6 Mar 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
CBSO Players Schubert: String Quartet in G, D.887
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Viennese Masters with Mackerras
Sat 7 Mar 2009 Symphony Hall
Still leading a vigorous musical life well into his eighties, Sir Charles Mackerras is a living legend, and in tonight’s programme he brings his wealth of experience to three of his favourite composers. Our first contribution to the Haydn bicentenary celebrations comes in the smiling form of one of the composer’s ‘Paris’ symphonies, while a distinguished pianist joins Sir Charles for one of Mozart’s most delectable piano concertos. Beethoven’s energetic Seventh completes a splendidly cheerful programme.
Sir Charles Mackerras- conductor Imogen Cooper - piano City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Haydn: Symphony No. 85 (La Reine) 21’ Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22 K.482 33’ Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 36’
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Centre Stage A Pepys Portrait
Sun 8 Mar 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
A Pepys Portrait on period instruments CBSO Baroque Ensemble & Emily van Evera (soprano) Including music by Purcell, Locke and Mattheis
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Britten Sinfonia at Lunch - March 2009
Thu 12 Mar 2009 Town Hall
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Schubert’s Great
Tue 17 Mar 2009 Symphony Hall
Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmila - Overture Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 schubert: Symphony No. 9 (The Great) Always a favourite with CBSO audiences and players, the distinguished conductor Walter Weller returns for one of the greatest musical masterworks from his native Vienna, Schubert’s last completed symphony. Though never performed in the composer’s lifetime, it has since become one of his most frequently-performed works;Tchaikovsky’s equally well-known concerto also nearly never saw the light of day, its dedicatee denouncing it as ‘poorly composed and unplayable’. Well, pianists and audiences since 1874 have tended to disagree!
Walter Weller -conductor Sergey Kuznetsov -piano City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmila - Overture Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (The Great)
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Centre Stage CBSO Players
Wed 18 Mar 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
CBSO Players Mozart: String Quintet in C, K.515
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Verdi's Requiem
Fri 20 Mar 2009 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’
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Britten's War Requiem
Sat 21 Mar 2009 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’
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Orchestra of the Swan: Essential Mahler
Wed 25 Mar 2009 Town Hall
*Debussy* _arr Schoenberg_ L'aprés midi d'un faune *Berlioz* _arr Mathews_ Nuit d’été *Mahler* _arr Stein_ Symphony No 4
