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Dvorák’s New World Symphony
Fri 8 May 2009 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’
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IgorFest: The Fireworks Finale
Sat 9 May 2009 Symphony Hall
For the grand finale of our Stravinsky project, we return to the composer’s Russian roots with some musical fireworks. His 1922 comic opera Mavra - dedicated to Tchaikovsky - is a wickedly witty setting of a Pushkin tale set in a Russian village. In his glittering early Fireworks we can hear the influence of his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, while his strange, visionary 1912 cantata The King of the Stars (composed at the same time as The Rite of Spring) sounds like nothing else on this earth. And there could be no other way to end this amazing journey than with the Rite - still, nearly a century after its scandalous Paris premiere, a piece which astounds with every performance. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk - The Fireworks Finale
Sakari Oramo - conductor Anita Watson - Parasha Liora Grodnikaite - The Neighbour Elizabeth Sikora - The Mother Robert Gardiner - The Hussar City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
Stravinsky: Fireworks 4’ Stravinsky: Four Russian Peasant Songs 4’ Stravinsky: Mavra 27’ Stravinsky: The King of the Stars 5’ Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring 35’
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Orchestra of the Swan: Tasmin Little and Sibelius
Sun 10 May 2009 Town Hall
*Tasmin Little* Violin
*Sibelius* Rakastava *Roxanna Panufnik* Tibetan Winter Violin & Orchestra *Sibelius* The Swan of Tuonela *Sibelius* Violin concerto
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A Pastoral Symphony
Tue 12 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Like so many city dwellers then and now, Beethoven took great pleasure in escaping to the countryside, and captured these feelings in his Pastoral Symphony, premiered 200 years ago in the same concert as his fiery Fifth. Acclaimed Scottish conductor Douglas Boyd also takes us to the French countryside for a selection of Canteloube’s glorious French folk-songs, including the haunting Baïlèro, sung by one of our greatest sopranos. The imposing northern forests of Sibelius’ Tapiola offer a darker view of the natural world.
Douglas Boyd - conductor Joan Rodgers - soprano
Sibelius: Tapiola 20’ Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne 25’ Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral) 42’
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Handel's Arianna
Wed 13 May 2009 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’
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Centre Stage Briony Shaw (violin), Richard Jenkinson (cello), Robert Markham (piano)
Fri 15 May 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
Briony Shaw (violin), Richard Jenkinson (cello), Robert Markham (piano) Schubert: Piano Trio in B flat, Op. 99
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Symphony Ballroom!
Fri 15 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Dust off those sequins, put on your dancing shoes... after last year’s sell-out performances, Symphony Ballroom is back! The CBSO’s symphonic big band, together with inspirational arranger/conductor John Wilson, will once again be joined by dancers from BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing for a show that combines great music, great dancing and is bound to get your toes tapping.
John Wilson - conductor Camilla Dallerup - dancer Ian Waite - dancer
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Symphony Ballroom!
Sat 16 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Dust off those sequins, put on your dancing shoes... after last year’s sell-out performances, Symphony Ballroom is back! The CBSO’s symphonic big band, together with inspirational arranger/conductor John Wilson, will once again be joined by dancers from BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing for a show that combines great music, great dancing and is bound to get your toes tapping.
John Wilson - conductor Camilla Dallerup - dancer Ian Waite - dancer
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Andsnes Plays Mozart and Beethoven
Sun 17 May 2009 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’
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The Emperor Concerto
Wed 20 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Premiered 200 years ago in 1809, Beethoven’s last and grandest concerto is a work on a truly epic scale, its torrents of notes providing the soloist with both a great challenge and a fantastic opportunity to shine, a task to which Birmingham favourite Freddy Kempf is well equal. 1809 was also the year of Mendelssohn’s birth, and we continue our bicentenary celebrations with his most popular and tuneful symphony. Finally, we stay in Italy for another of Tchaikovsky’s passionate tales of doomed love - this time, the lovers out of Dante’s Inferno.
Vassily Sinaisky - conductor Freddy Kempf - piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) 38’ Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 (Italian) 26’ Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini 24’
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Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto
Wed 20 May 2009 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’
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The Emperor Concerto
Thu 21 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Premiered 200 years ago in 1809, Beethoven’s last and grandest concerto is a work on a truly epic scale, its torrents of notes providing the soloist with both a great challenge and a fantastic opportunity to shine, a task to which Birmingham favourite Freddy Kempf is well equal. 1809 was also the year of Mendelssohn’s birth, and we continue our bicentenary celebrations with his most popular and tuneful symphony. Finally, we stay in Italy for another of Tchaikovsky’s passionate tales of doomed love - this time, the lovers out of Dante’s Inferno.
Vassily Sinaisky - conductor Freddy Kempf - piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) 38’ Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 (Italian) 26’ Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini 24’
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Mahler’s Resurrection
Wed 27 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Andris Nelsons is the latest CBSO music director to bring us his interpretation of Mahler’s huge, all-embracing Resurrection symphony, long a CBSO speciality. Featuring a gigantic orchestra - on and offstage - as well as vocalists and chorus, this is one of the biggest statements in late-romantic art. Mahler’s emotional intensity, his echoing trumpet calls and his way of dividing the orchestra into different groups all find a contemporary echo in a recent work by leading German composer Jörg Widmann. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk - Premiere! - Jorg Widmann Eminent German composer Jörg Widmann talks to Stephen Maddock about his Antiphon - which receives its UK premiere tonight.
Andris Nelsons - conductor Sarah Fox - soprano Mihoko Fujimura - mezzo-soprano City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
Widmann: Antiphon (UK premiere) 15’ Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) 77’
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Centre Stage Haydn 200
Thu 28 May 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
Haydn 200 CBSO Players Haydn: String Quartet in D, Op. 20 No. 4 Haydn: String Quartet in B minor, Op. 33 No. 1
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Thomas Trotter plays Bach’s Trio Sonatas
Fri 29 May 2009 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.
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Bach Discovery Day
Sat 30 May 2009 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
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Angela Hewitt plays Bach’s Goldberg Variations
Sat 30 May 2009 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.
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Mahler’s Resurrection
Sun 31 May 2009 Symphony Hall
Andris Nelsons is the latest CBSO music director to bring us his interpretation of Mahler’s huge, all-embracing Resurrection symphony, long a CBSO speciality. Featuring a gigantic orchestra - on and offstage - as well as vocalists and chorus, this is one of the biggest statements in late-romantic art. Mahler’s emotional intensity, his echoing trumpet calls and his way of dividing the orchestra into different groups all find a contemporary echo in a recent work by leading German composer Jörg Widmann.
Andris Nelsons - conductor Sarah Fox - soprano Mihoko Fujimura - mezzo-soprano City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) 77’
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Natalie Clein & Alina Ibragimova play Solo Bach
Sun 31 May 2009 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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Shostakovich’s Fifth
Sat 6 Jun 2009 Symphony Hall
Three composers on a learning curve. Shostakovich’s epic Symphony is a powerful music portrait of a great artist learning the hard way about tyranny. Composed at the height of Stalin’s terror, its triumphant finish is either a bitterly ironic comment on its times, or an heroic victory for freedom. Decide for yourself - either way, it’s a gripping journey. Britten’s ravishing song-cycle finds him at the start of a lifelong love-affair with the human voice - but it’s no less magical for it. And Mahler’s teenage Symphonic Prelude is a real find, packed with all its composer’s trademark drama and angst.
John Storgårds - conductor Barbara Hannigan - soprano
Mahler: Symphonic Prelude 10’ Britten: Les Illuminations 23’ Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 47’
