2014-15 Barbican Concert Series
“It is this spirit of adventure that has won Britten Sinfonia a reputation as one of the UK’s most forward-thinking musical ensembles.”
Britten Sinfonia © Harry Rankin Britten Sinfonia © Harry Rankin
Financial Times
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Britten Sinfonia back to the Barbican in the orchestra’s third season as Associate Ensemble, building upon the great successes of last season, including concerts celebrating Birtwistle and Britten, an Olivier nominated dance collaboration and the Barbican’s critically acclaimed production of Curlew River. This season, amongst a typically eclectic and pioneering programme, we are co-producing the late John Tavener’s last major concert work, Flood of Beauty, and premiering a new work by Nico Muhly based on the life of Alan Turing, demonstrating the rich and diverse nature of our flourishing partnership.” Louise Jeffreys, Director of Arts, Barbican
Those of you who’ve already seen Britten Sinfonia in action will sense the excitement our musicians have performing across the Barbican’s venues and, of course, in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s wonderful new concert hall, Milton Court. Britten Sinfonia’s relationship with the Barbican is based on unfettered musical ambition. This season, we will be playing music spanning 500 years in the company of extraordinary collaborators from across the musical spectrum, in concerts that often surprise, and always illuminate. In short: music to relish and inspire. We have major premieres from the late John Tavener, Nico Muhly and James MacMillan’s eagerly awaited St Luke’s Passion. We also celebrate the music and influence of the British composer John Woolrich in his 60th year and present two concerts focused on the sensational artistry of Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan, who also conducts the orchestra. Other featured artists include Iestyn Davies, Sarah Connolly, Sophie Bevan,
Natalie Clein, Nicholas Daniel, King’s College Choir and our own Britten Sinfonia Voices. You can hear classics such as Bach’s Magnificat, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, but also discover the very latest music by Hans Abrahamsen and Tom Coult. We’ll be playing lesser known gems by Dowland, Respighi, Berg, Crawford Seeger, or perhaps you might want to try Bach’s Goldberg Variations in a thrilling arrangement for strings? As ever, we’ve programmed all these works in a way where one piece illuminates the other, building some unexpected bridges and creating what we hope is a refreshing musical alchemy. We very much look forward to welcoming you to our Barbican season. David Butcher Chief Executive, Britten Sinfonia
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John Tavener By Richard Morrison Chief Music Critic, The Times
Whatever you thought of John Tavener – and opinions during his lifetime varied much more than the mostly respectful obituaries last November may have suggested – he had a unique voice in British music. When he burst on the scene, he was a lanky, long-haired 24-year-old with a compositional verve that dazzled everyone from crusty classical-music critics (he was the Guardian’s “musical discovery of the year” in 1968) to the Beatles, who fixed him a recording contract. Works such as The Whale and the Celtic Requiem seemed to herald a new avant-garde whizzkid using Penderecki-like note-clusters but with very English irony. Then he discovered religion – or, more accurately, religions. In the next 40 years his spiritual journey became a theological grand tour, grounded in Orthodox Christianity, but also embracing Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist and more esoteric teachings. That, and his fragile health, seemed to focus his creativity totally on things eternal and led to an austere cleansing of his compositional style. Normal musical “development” was
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“The harmonies were emphatically tonal, yet amazingly lush”. abandoned for ritualistic formats that revolved around endlessly repeated (but often progressively enriched) refrains. The harmonies were emphatically tonal, yet amazingly lush. The pace was stately; subject matter uncompromisingly transcendental. In the 1980s Tavener was derided for all this in smart circles. That he ended up as one of the few serious modern composers acclaimed both by critics and the wider public was due to more than changing tastes. His musical intellect was as profound as his spiritual quest; his style unique and unmistakeable. And, most of all, he had the courage to ignore the mockers and stick to what worked for him.
Sun 28 Sept World premiere of Tavener’s Flood of Beauty (page 4) Mon 29 Sept Tavener’s oboe concerto, Kaleidoscopes (page 5)
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FLOOD OF BEAUTY “This is ecclesiastical architecture at its best and most sublime, where the structure soars and reassures at the same time”
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Nico Muhly on Tavener’s music
Sunday 28 September 2014 Barbican Hall 7.30pm TBC soprano TBC baritone Natalie Clein cello Sheema Mukherjee sitar Kuljit Bhamra tabla Britten Sinfonia Voices Eamonn Dougan Britten Sinfonia Voices Director Martyn Brabbins conductor Tavener Flood of Beauty (World premiere)
Britten Sinfonia premieres John Tavener’s last major concert work, Flood of Beauty (Saundarya Lahari). Based on a Sanskrit poem by the 9th-century philosopher and poet Sankara, the piece celebrates God in the feminine aspect, as beauty. In the words of the late British composer, who would have turned 70 this year, Flood of Beauty ‘is an attempt to show the rapture and bliss of the Divine Being’ through Hinduism – following his many revered musical journeys through Christianity, Islam and Judaism. £25, £20, £15 (plus booking fee) Part of Transcender Produced by the Barbican in partnership with Britten Sinfonia
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KALEIDOSCOPES “Some of the best oboe playing you’ll hear anywhere”
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BBC Record Review
Monday 29 September 2014 Milton Court Concert Hall 7.30pm Nicholas Daniel oboe / director Jacqueline Shave violin / director Mozart Adagio for string trio and cor anglais Kurtág arr. Thomas Adès In Memoriam András Mihály Lutosławski Preludes and Fugue Tavener Kaleidoscopes That ‘most inexplicable’ of composers is how John Tavener once described his great hero Mozart whose poignant Adagio opens a concert which explores sounds and spaces to great theatrical effect.
Tavener’s own oboe concerto, Kaleidoscopes (written for Britten Sinfonia and Nicholas Daniel in 2006) places the soloist at the heart of four string quartets (North, South, East and West) and percussion including the haunting sound of temple bowls. Lutosławski’s Preludes and Fugue for 13 solo strings conjures up an intriguing and compelling sound world, and Thomas Adès’s arrangement of Kurtág’s tribute to Hungarian composer András Mihály experiments with space and communication, sending the musicians out into the different parts of the auditorium. £30 £20 £10 (plus booking fee) Part of Britten Sinfonia multibuy Supported by Friends of Britten Sinfonia Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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JOHN WOOLRICH AT 60 h© lric oo nW Joh
Thursday 20 November 2014 Milton Court Concert Hall 7.30pm Sophie Bevan soprano Thomas Gould violin / director Clare Finnimore viola Duncan Ward conductor* Purcell arr. John Woolrich Three Songs Wolf arr. John Woolrich Italian Songs John Woolrich Ulysses Awakes Stravinsky Eight Instrumental Miniatures* Mozart Per pieta, non ricercate Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks* John Woolrich Violin Concerto (London premiere)*
A concert marking the 60th birthday of one of Britten Sinfonia’s close friends, distinguished composer and programmer, John Woolrich. Joining the party are celebrated young soprano Sophie Bevan, and two established soloists from within Britten Sinfonia: Clare Finnimore, who is soloist in Ulysses Awakes, and Thomas Gould who will give the London premiere of Woolrich’s dynamic but lyrical Violin Concerto. £30 £20 £10 (plus booking fee) Part of Britten Sinfonia multibuy 6.15pm Pre-concert event Milton Court Concert Hall The young musicians of Britten Sinfonia Academy take to the stage in this pre-concert event featuring pieces by John Woolrich alongside a discussion with the composer. Free to ticket holders.
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Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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BACH’S MAGNIFICAT “Under Stephen Cleobury the choir bought immaculate voicing and seamless phrasing to the programme”
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Evening Standard
Saturday 6 December 2014 Barbican Hall 7.30pm Lucy Crowe soprano Kitty Whately mezzo-soprano James Laing countertenor Ben Johnson tenor Ashley Riches bass King’s College Choir, Cambridge Stephen Cleobury conductor Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.2 Poulenc Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël Respighi Lauda per la Natività del Signore Bach Magnificat
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And so this is Christmas! Cambridge’s King’s College Choir and Britten Sinfonia once again join forces under the baton of Stephen Cleobury in a programme of jubilant energy and quiet reflection. Christmas 1723 in Leipzig must have been a memorable one for those lucky enough to hear the first performance of Bach’s glorious Magnificat. Respighi’s exquisite musical drama celebrates the birth of Jesus, and Poulenc’s haunting motets, with their beguiling harmonies, bring a very special sense of peace and wonder to this festive performance. £35 £25 £20 £15 £10 (plus booking fee) Premium seats: priced at £59 each, enjoy the very best seats and a pre-show reception with Britten Sinfonia and guests Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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Tuesday 20 January 2015 Milton Court Concert Hall 7.30pm Sarah Connolly mezzo soprano Jacqueline Shave violin / director Carter Elegy for Strings Rodney Bennett A History of the Thé Dansant Copland Appalachian Spring Crawford Seeger Andante for Strings Copland Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson
American music is something of a giant melting pot, an exhilarating blend of wide open spaces, dance rhythms, traditional hymn tunes, and jazz, with composers often taking something of what was happening across the pond in Europe and carving out an identity of their own. Aaron Copland, a pioneering figure, established an American sound-world particularly evident in his enduringly popular Appalachian Spring. His admiration for the poet Emily Dickinson is demonstrated in his setting of eight of her poems performed by acclaimed mezzo Sarah Connolly. Completing the programme are works by Copland’s contemporaries, the visionaries Ruth Crawford Seeger and Elliot Carter and surrogate New Yorker, Richard Rodney Bennett. £30 £20 £10 (plus booking fee) Part of Britten Sinfonia multibuy Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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GOLDBERG VARIATIONS “Thomas Gould’s musicianship is enthralling. A talent to watch”
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The Guardian
Friday 20 March 2015 Milton Court Concert Hall 7.30pm Thomas Gould violin / director Alasdair Beatson piano Locatelli Concerto Grosso Op.1 No.11 in C minor Tom Coult New Work (London premiere) Hans Abrahamsen Double Concerto for violin, piano and strings (London premiere) Bach arr. Dmitry Sitkovetsky Goldberg Variations
Britten Sinfonia’s Associate Leader, Thomas Gould directs this programme centred on Dmitry Sitkovetsky’s beautifully realised and heartfelt arrangement for strings of Bach’s great keyboard work, The Goldberg Variations. Pianist Alasdair Beatson joins Gould for the London premiere of Hans Abrahamsen’s double concerto alongside the London premiere of a new work by Tom Coult. £30 £20 £10 (plus booking fee) Part of Britten Sinfonia multibuy Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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MACMILLAN’S ST LUKE PASSION © an illi cM Ma es m Ja
Easter Sunday 5 April 2015 Barbican Hall 6pm
Premium seats: priced at £59 each, enjoy the very best seats and a pre-show reception with Britten Sinfonia and guests
James MacMillan conductor Britten Sinfonia Voices Children’s choir TBC James MacMillan St Luke Passion (London premiere) Britten Sinfonia continues its close relationship with Scottish composer James MacMillan with the eagerly awaited London premiere of his St Luke Passion which takes as its starting point the passage in the Gospel of Luke describing the suffering and death of Jesus. MacMillan’s musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music. Musically £35 £25 £20 £15 £10 (plus booking fee)
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Barbican Hall In Conversation A post-concert discussion with James MacMillan, and a panel of both music and religious experts, discussing MacMillan’s St Luke Passion. Free to ticket holders Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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BARBARA HANNIGAN IN FOCUS I :
STRAVINSKY & NEO-CLASSICISM “A singer blessed with an amazing soprano voice and full artistic incorruptibility”
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Berliner Zeitung
Wednesday 6 May 2015 Barbican Hall 7.30pm Barbara Hannigan soprano / conductor Mozart Overture to La Clemenza di Tito Stravinsky Souvenirs de mon enfance Stravinsky Pastorale Haydn Symphony No. 49, La Passione Stravinsky Act One Scene 3 from The Rake’s Progress Mozart Overture to Idomeneo Mozart Bella mia fiamma, addio Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite
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Barbara Hannigan is an exceptional artist, revered for her sensational voice and her charisma. In this concert she brings her passion for music, and her skills as a singer and as a conductor, to a programme which plays with the contrasting and complementary sound worlds of Mozart, Haydn and Stravinsky. £35 £25 £20 £15 £10 (plus booking fee) Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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In Focus By Barbara Hannigan
“ Britten Sinfonia has a generosity of spirit which, combined The audience will see a very different result with an incredibly from what we look like in the rehearsal studio, high level of especially for the pieces in which I am singing. I have a very “hands on” approach at the musicianship, makes beginning, facing the orchestra and singing and conducting everything. I gradually do for a very special less and less conducting as my instrumental colleagues take on more and more responsibility. artistic experience.”
“I first began working with Britten Sinfonia in 2010, and they were enthusiastic and supportive for one of my first sing-lead attempts, in repertoire of Mozart and Ligeti. I am thrilled that we’re together again for these concerts.
The basic ins and outs of approaching a new piece together are dealt with as quickly and clearly as possible, so that we can work on another musical level. Eventually we are all breathing as one organism – which is what one hopes to obtain with any kind of musical experience, and my gestures are pared down to necessity.”
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Barbara Hannigan Š Elmer de Haas
Barbara Hannigan in Focus Discount Book for Stravinsky & Neo-Classicism (page 11) and Songs of Vienna (page 14) and save 20%. This discount is only available by phone or in person.
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BARBARA HANNIGAN IN FOCUS II :
SONGS OF VIENNA “The impressive young soprano, Barbara Hannigan, gave a riveting and uninhibited performance”
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New York Times
Thursday 7 May 2015 Milton Court Concert Hall 7.30pm Barbara Hannigan soprano / director Richard Strauss Dance from Capriccio (1941) Schoenberg Six pieces for piano duet Berg Hier ist friede Chausson Chanson Perpetuelle Johann Strauss arr. Schoenberg Lagunen-Walzer Mahler Piano Quartet in A minor Schoenberg String Quartet No.2
“Decadent and dripping with passion” – that’s how Barbara Hannigan describes tonight’s programme of late romanticism. Love, loss and longing abound in these pieces infused with deeply rich harmonies and sensuous orchestral textures, culminating in Schoenberg’s iconic second String Quartet which marked his musical journey from tradition towards the beckoning intrigues of dissonance. £30 £20 £10 (plus booking fee) Part of Britten Sinfonia multibuy Produced by Britten Sinfonia
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NICO MUHLY/ SENTENCES “A child of cyberspace, Nico Muhly’s music undulates and pulses through a universe of connecting souls.”
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The Independent
Saturday 6 June 2015 Barbican Hall 7.30pm Iestyn Davies countertenor Lawrence Power viola Nico Muhly conductor Dowland If my complaints could passions move Britten Lachrymae Vivaldi Stabat Mater Nico Muhly Sentences (World premiere) Compelling listening is promised in Nico Muhly’s new work based on the life, tragically cut short, of Alan Turing, the ‘father’ of computer science and artificial intelligence. This unsung hero has inspired Muhly to unfold the story of a man whose codebreaking was undoubtedly a decisive factor in the Allied Victory in the Second World Musically War. Acclaimed countertenor Iestyn Gifted Davies performs the role of Turing to a libretto by
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best-selling author Adam Gopnik. Muhly’s own sound world is a colourful mosaic of passions and influences which we can also hear in the first part of the concert with laments, sacred and profane by Dowland, Britten and Vivaldi. £35 £25 £20 £15 £10 (plus booking fee) Fountain Room In Conversation A pre-concert talk with Nico Muhly about his new work. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Limited capacity. Produced by Britten Sinfonia and the Barbican Sentences is co-commissioned by Britten Sinfonia, the Barbican, Festival de Saint-Denis and Kölner Philharmonie
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Support Nico Muhly’s new usically work –M more info visit fted Gifor www.musicallygifted.org.uk Buy a gift and create new music
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BOOKING INFORMATION Tickets Please see individual concerts for ticket prices Milton Court Concerts Multibuy Discount* Book all five Britten Sinfonia concerts in Milton Court Concert Hall and save 20% Milton Court Concerts • Kaleidoscopes / 29 Sep 14 / page 5 • John Woolrich at 60 / 20 Nov 14 / page 6 • Sarah Connolly / 20 Jan 15 / page 8 • Goldberg Variations / 20 Mar 15 / page 9 • Songs of Vienna / Thu 7 May 15 / page 14 Barbara Hannigan in Focus Discount Book for Stravinsky & Neoclassicism (page 11) and Songs of Vienna (page 14) and save 20%. Premium Seats Premium seats are available for concerts on 6 Dec 2014 and 5 Apr 2015 in the Barbican Hall. Premium seat ticket holders will be invited to a private reception hosted by Britten Sinfonia. Tickets are strictly limited. Concessions Under 18s and students: all tickets £5 (students must have a valid NUS card; one concession per customer). Groups of 10 or more Receive a 20% discount when booking 10 or more tickets for one concert.
All information and booking fees correct at time of going to press. Britten Sinfonia reserves the right to make changes to advertised programmes and artists as necessary.
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Disabled visitors Disabled visitors who have joined the Barbican Access Membership scheme can inform the Barbican of their access requirements, receive information in alternative formats and may be eligible for reductions on tickets. Any available discounted tickets are limited in number and subject to availability – please book early to avoid disappointment. Full details are available online at www.barbican. org.uk/access and will be sent with your membership information. Ticket Exchange Tickets can be exchanged for another Britten Sinfonia performance or for credit vouchers valid for six months provided that you return your tickets at least 24 hours prior to the performance. Tickets received within 24 hours of the performance may be offered for re-sale. An administration fee applies for these services. Full conditions of sale are available at www.barbican.org.uk How to Book • Online at www.barbican.org.uk • By phone 020 7638 8891 Monday – Saturday 10am-8pm Sunday and Bank Holidays 11am-8pm • In person at the Advance Box Office Monday – Saturday 10am-9pm Sundays and Bank Holidays 12noon-9pm Booking Fees The following booking fees are applicable per transaction: £3 online, £4 by telephone. There is no booking fee when tickets are purchased in person from the Box Office.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU CAN JOIN US OUTSIDE OF THE CONCERT HALL AND BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN BRITTEN SINFONIA AND ITS WORK. Britten Sinfonia Online • Join in the conversation via Twitter and Facebook @brittensinfonia facebook.com/brittensinf • Sign up for our monthly eBulletins for the latest news and behind the scenes stories • Visit our website for a whole host of videos, podcasts, programme notes and news Play Your Part From as little as £50 you can get closer to the orchestra by joining Britten Sinfonia’s circle of friends
Musically Gifted Costing from just £10 you can take an active part in helping create new music by some of the world’s greatest composers through our Musically Gifted scheme. www.musicallygifted.org.uk
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Britten Sinfonia 13 Sturton Street Cambridge CB1 2SN Telephone: 01223 300795 Email: info@brittensinfonia.com www.brittensinfonia.com Chief Executive: David Butcher Chairman: Stephen Bourne Registered Charity No. 291245
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