2013-14 Concerts in Cambridge
THE TIMES
”
exhilarating energy and theatricality”
Benjamin Ealovega ©
Benjamin Ealovega ©
Benjamin Ealovega ©
Benjamin Ealovega ©
Benjamin Ealovega ©
Benjamin Ealovega ©
Benjamin Ealovega ©
WWW .Britten Sinfonia .COM
love the concerts, “Icommitment and
wonderful programming - I feel each concert is an adventurous journey thank you.
”
Cambridge Audience Member
It still feels as if we’re still drawing breath after a thrilling series of concerts in Cambridge last season. Nearly all the concerts sold out and the musicians are still glowing from winning the prestigious Ensemble Award (for the second time!) at the recent 2013 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.
such as Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Maxim Rysanov and Baldur Brönnimann. With music ranging from Bach’s St. John Passion through to works by Sir Harrison Birtwistle in his 80th year, we will hope to surprise and inspire with the familiar and unfamiliar programmed and presented in an illuminating and entertaining way.
Looking ahead to this new season we’re being even bolder with our programming and expanding the main concert series and BBC lunchtime concerts by one concert respectively – that’s a total of 11 concerts in 2013-14, not to mention pre-concert events and a range of projects run by our Creative Learning team. A stellar line up of soloists join us, including regular Britten Sinfonia collaborators Paul Lewis, Mark Padmore, Imogen Cooper, Pekka Kuusisto and Iestyn Davies, and also some new artists
I hope you’ll enjoy reading through this brochure and perhaps subscribe to all six main concerts and save up to 20% - and also choose your favourite seat in West Road Concert Hall, with its fabulous acoustic. On behalf of the musicians, we all look forward to welcoming you for what promises to be an inspiring season of concerts. David Butcher Chief Executive, Britten Sinfonia
1
is in Lewis’s playing “There a strong physicality, a firm
connection between his deep thinking about the music and his articulation of it. This was playing of intellectual rigour and imaginative vigour.
Paul Lewis © Josep Molina
PAUL LEWIS
”
Daily Telegraph
Wednesday 9 October 2013 7.30pm Paul Lewis piano / director Jacqueline Shave violin / director Nicholas Daniel oboe Stravinsky Three pieces for string quartet Anna Clyne Within Her Arms (UK premiere tour) Mozart Piano Concerto No.12 in A major, K414 Maw Little Concert Haydn Symphony No. 60 “Il distratto”
2
Paul Lewis directs Britten Sinfonia in Mozart’s elegant and lyrical Piano Concerto No.12. The classical thread continues through the rest of the programme including Haydn’s inventive and quirky Il distratto symphony. Nicholas Daniel is the soloist in Nicholas Maw’s concert aria for oboe, and Britten Sinfonia perform Anna Clyne’s beautiful and poignant elegy for strings. £30, £25, £15 In conversation – 6.30pm Paul Lewis talks about tonight’s programme
Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings Mark Padmore tenor Pekka Kuusisto violin / director Stephen Bell horn Nico Muhly Three Songs for tenor & violin Bartók Fourth movement from Quartet no. 4 Britten Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal Erkki-Sven Tüür Lighthouse Judith Weir I Give You The End of a Golden String (world premiere tour) Arne Nordheim Individualisierte Höhemessung der Lagen (from Partita für Paul) Nico Muhly Material in E flat for violin & drone Bartók Third movement from Quartet no. 4 Berg arr. Schnittke Kanon Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten George Crumb God Music from Black Angels Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings
Britten Sinfonia celebrate Benjamin Britten’s centenary with a special concert on what would have been the composer’s 100th birthday. The orchestra’s recent recording of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Mark Padmore, has been acclaimed worldwide and these artists will perform the work in this fascinating concert. Violinist Pekka Kuusisto directs the orchestra in an illuminating programme of works which also includes a new work by Judith Weir, commissioned by the Britten Pears Foundation and Royal Philharmonic Society, to celebrate Britten’s centenary and the Bicentenary of the Royal Philharmonic Society. £30, £25, £15 In conversation – 6.30pm Judith Weir talks to Royal Philharmonic Society’s Tom Hutchinson
Mark Padmore © Ben Ealovega
Friday 22 November 2013 7.30pm
Songs of No Man’s Land
LET’S MaKE a CONCERT
A concert for children commemorating the start of World War I through stories and songs
A creative afternoon celebrating Benjamin Britten’s centenary
Saturday 1 February 2014 2pm and 4pm West Road Concert Hall Join presenter Rus Pearson and members of Britten Sinfonia on a journey from the east of England to the trenches of northern France. Exploring with sensitivity the themes surrounding the Great War of friendship, loss, horror and remembrance. Including classic chamber repertoire, a new commission by Emily Hall, and songs to learn and sing along to. Concert duration: approx. 70mins. Suitable for children: age 7+ Tickets: £10
Saturday 23 November 2013 2pm-5pm / Performance 5.30pm St John’s College School Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AA Intermediate instrumentalists are invited to join Britten Sinfonia and talented musicians from Girton College, to become members of our creative Benjamin Britten inspired orchestra. We will be creating and performing music inspired by our namesake, to celebrate his 100th birthday. Download and learn music in advance, and also help us to compose our own new piece! Tickets: £14 per child, tickets are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment Visit www.brittensinfonia.com for more information, for guidance as to whether this opportunity is suitable for your child and to book tickets.
Imogen Cooper © Sam E Studios
Imogen Cooper poise of Cooper’s “The playing holds one
breathless…Cooper’s sense of rightness of colour and her exquisite balancing of textures fully justify her reputation
”
The Sunday Times
Thursday 13 February 2014 7.30pm Imogen Cooper piano / director Mark Simpson New Work (World premiere) Beethoven Quintet in E flat for piano and winds, Op.16 Mozart Serenade No. 10 for winds in Bb major, K361 “Gran Partita”
Britten Sinfonia’s celebrated wind section, including oboist Nicholas Daniel, take centre stage in a concert which includes Mozart’s Gran Partita – a towering masterpiece of the wind repertoire. Pianist Imogen Cooper joins the musicians for Beethoven’s piano and wind quintet alongside BBC Young Musician of the Year and composer, Mark Simpson, who has been specially commissioned to write a new work scored for the same wind ensemble. £30, £25, £15 In conversation – 6.30pm Mark Simpson talks about his new work
5
Patricia Kopatchinskaja DIRECTs Monday 3 March 2014 7.30pm
Brahms arr. Paul Angerer Chorale Preludes Op. 122 Tigran Mansurian Four Serious Songs after Brahms Bartók Romanian Dances Janácˇek arr. Richard Tognetti String Quartet No. 1 Kreutzer Sonata Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in D minor Explosive, barefoot and unpredictable! It quickly becomes apparent when you hear Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja perform that there is only one thing of importance to her: the music. In Patricia’s debut directing Britten Sinfonia she performs a distinctly Eastern European folk-flavoured programme including Bartók’s Romanian folk melodies, and Tigran Mansurian’s violin concerto inspired by the four biblical songs of Brahms. £30, £25, £15
6
Patricia Kopatchinskaja © Marco Borggreve
Patricia Kopatchinskaja violin / director
Link Ensemble – 6.30pm Composing, interacting and creating music together, the Link Ensemble is a project for young people with special needs. Come and hear our new compositions and find out about our work. We are grateful for the support of South Cambridgeshire District Council and Orchestras Live.
Bach St John Passion Composed for Good Friday vespers in 1724, Bach’s masterpiece perfectly balances the theatrical with the devotional. In this performance, which will showcase the technical precision and musical beauty of this sacred oratorio, Britten Sinfonia is joined by a stellar line-up of soloists and its acclaimed professional choir, Britten Sinfonia Voices.
Wednesday 16 April 2014 7.30pm Julia Doyle soprano Iestyn Davies counter-tenor Nicholas Mulroy Evangelist Jeremy Budd tenor Matthew Brook bass Eamonn Dougan Pilate / Britten Sinfonia Voices Director Jacqueline Shave violin / director Britten Sinfonia Voices
£30, £25, £15
Davies’s voice remains “ true to the English choral tradition, of which he is a product. Its purity is astonishing… it sounded effortless…
Iestyn Davies © Marco Borggreve
In conversation – 6.30pm Julia Doyle and Iestyn Davies discuss Bach’s St John Passion
Bach St John Passion
”
Financial Times
7
FIELDS OF SORRoW
Maxim Rysanov © Kozhevnikov and Podushko
Rysanov’s tone is full “ and perceptively shaded,
Friday 23 May 2014 7.30pm Baldur Brönnimann conductor Maxim Rysanov viola Eamonn Dougan Britten Sinfonia Voices Director Britten Sinfonia Voices Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis Holst If you love songs Lovely venus David’s Lament for Jonathan The Fields of Sorrow Harrison Birtwistle The Fields of Sorrow Harrison Birtwistle Melencolia I Vaughan Williams Flos Campi
8
his ornamentation neat and unobtrusive, his use of the viola’s individual timbre and colouristic spectrum judicious.
”
The Telegraph
A fascinating programme of music which traces three major English composers’ responses to landscape and national identity. Vaughan Williams’ unique pastoral elegy Flos Campi (Flower of the Field) explores a landscape of physical and spiritual longing, whilst Holst’s Fields of Sorrow is a cold and bleak emotional journey. Using the same Ausonius text as Holst, Harrison Birtwistle demonstrates a highly individual continuation of the English pastoral tradition that has its roots in the rediscovery of landscape as a creative force. £30, £25, £15 In conversation – 6.30pm Eamonn Dougan talks about tonight’s programme
Creative Learning Although our concert programmes take us to the Americas and Europe, and with our residency at the Barbican in its second season, our roots remain firmly in the east of England, not only with concerts, but with our wide-ranging Creative Learning programme. We’re committed to developing long-term relationships with key partners, such as councils, schools, Cambridgeshire Music Partnership and other arts organisations. This season, in Cambridgeshire, we will be focusing on: Britten Sinfonia Academy Founded in 2012 the academy is an auditioned youth ensemble for the most talented classical musicians of secondary school age from the east of England. Academy members are coached by Britten Sinfonia players on the features that make Britten Sinfonia unique, such as playing without a conductor and exploring new music.
Composers’ Workshop Our annual workshop allows students from Cambridge University to put their compositional work forward to be rehearsed by an ensemble of Britten Sinfonia musicians and receive feedback from a renowned composer. One lucky composer wins an At Lunch commission.
The Link Ensemble Launching this season, our new creative ensemble will work with children with autistic spectrum syndrome and their families, focusing on communication and making connections through music.
Creative Learning at Lunch We regularly visit primary and secondary schools for half day workshops in order to make the music we play accessible to younger audiences. These workshops introduce the repertoire in a creative way and explore it in context, before inviting a school class to attend a Britten Sinfonia At Lunch concert.
We also run a variety of bespoke projects and have a Family Concert on Saturday 1 February 2014. See page 4 for further details. www.brittensinfonia.com/creative-learning
9
Harry Rankin ©
britten sinfonia at lunch
Subscribe
to Britten Sinfonia’s evening concerts and pay just £6 for At Lunch tickets. See page 13 for details West Road Concert Hall – 1pm Our award-winning lunchtime concerts feature Britten Sinfonia’s principal musicians performing major works from the chamber repertoire alongside new pieces co-commissioned by Britten Sinfonia and Wigmore Hall. This season we extend the series to five concerts and are pleased to welcome young musicians from Britten Sinfonia Academy for the final of our 2013-14 At Lunch performances. £8, £3 (under 18s and students)
10
At Lunch 1 Tuesday 17 December 2013 – 1pm
At Lunch 3 Tuesday 18 March 2014 – 1pm
Jacqueline Shave violin Clare Finnimore viola Caroline Dearnley cello Huw Watkins piano
Thomas Gould violin Clare Finnimore viola Caroline Dearnley cello Stephen Williams double bass Joy Farrall clarinet Sarah Burnett bassoon Stephen Bell horn
Mozart Adagio from Violin Sonata in E flat K481 Lutoslawski Bukoliki for viola and cello Sally Beamish New Work (world premiere tour) Fauré Piano Quartet No. 2 in G minor
At Lunch 2 Tuesday 11 February 2014 – 1pm Roderick Williams baritone Huw Watkins piano Joy Farrall clarinet Britten Sinfonia Voices Eamonn Dougan Britten Sinfonia Voices Director Roderick Williams Red Herring Blues Schubert Der Tanz D826 Schubert Trinklied D75 Roderick Williams New Work (world premiere tour) Schubert An die Sonne D439 Schumann Auf einer Burg Schubert Schicksalslenker D763 Schumann Mondnacht Schubert Lebenslust D609 Schubert Trinklied D183
William Cole (Winner of University of Cambridge Composers Workshop) New Work (world premiere tour) Beethoven Septet in E flat, Op. 20
At Lunch 4 Tuesday 6 May 2014 – 1pm Allison Bell soprano Jacqueline Shave & Miranda Dale violins Brett Dean viola Caroline Dearnley cello Tintner Ellipse Brett Dean New Work (world premiere tour) Schoenberg Quartet No. 2
At Lunch 5 Tuesday 1 July 2014 – 1pm Britten Sinfonia Academy and members of Britten Sinfonia Programme to include: Philip Cashian New Work (world premiere tour)
11
ate new music
Musically Gifted Buy a gift and create new music
Gifte Musically Buy a giftGand ifted create new music
Buy a gift and create new m
For centuries, the world’s greatest composers have benefited from the enthusiasm and financial support of music-lovers, enabling them to focus on their craft and share their talent and vision with the world.
Costing from just ÂŁ10, and whether for yourself or as a unique gift for someone special, you too can leave your mark in musical history.
This tradition continues to this day, and through Musically Gifted you too can take an active part in helping create music of the highest quality.
Visit www.musicallygifted.org.uk
Musically Gifted. Buy a gift and create new music.
booking Information Tickets Please see individual concerts for ticket prices Season Subscription Offer Book for all six evening concerts at the same time and save 20% Season subscribers also enjoy an annual reception and £6 tickets for Britten Sinfonia At Lunch concerts Concessions • Evening concerts: Under 18s and full-time students – all tickets £5 (must show valid ID) • At Lunch concerts: Under 18s and full-time students – all tickets £3 (must show valid ID) • Evening concerts: Jobseekers – all tickets £5 (must show valid ID) • Patrons with a disability are eligible to a free companion ticket if they require a carer to accompany them. Please note there is limited space for wheelchair users. • Please note only one concession applies per customer. Schools & Families We welcome school groups and families to all our concerts. For discounted tickets, schools’ programme notes and additional benefits please contact our Creative Learning team.
How to Book • In person Cambridge Corn Exchange, Wheeler Street, CB2 3QB (Box Office open Monday to Friday 12noon-6pm. Saturday 10am-6pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays) • By phone 01223 357851 (Phone lines open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays) • Online www.brittensinfonia.com Tickets can be posted at a cost of £1 or collected in person. Booking Fee Cambridge Corn Exchange charge a £1 booking fee on every ticket purchased via the Corn Exchange. Refunds Britten Sinfonia operates a no refunds policy. Venue Information West Road Concert Hall 11 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP www.westroad.org West Road Concert Hall is fully accessible and there are hearing loops. Parking Limited metered parking is available on West Road, Sidgwick Avenue and Queen’s Road.
All information correct at time of going to press. Please visit www.brittensinfonia.com for changes and additional concerts. Britten Sinfonia reserves the right to substitute repertoire and artists as necessary.
13
Design: carly.merrydew@gmail.com
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