Last month I had the pleasure of sharing with you some of the great events that were part of the 2015 Proms season that runs until 12 September, and as we bid farewell to this phenomenal music festival for another year, I want to highlight some of the other outstanding concerts you can look forward to this month. Now, as the summer season draws to a close with ever darkening evenings and that tell-tale autumn morning mist on the car windscreens, one thing that is guaranteed to lift the spirits is to focus on the pleasures in store for us in Britain’s diverse and culturally wealthy musical world. Here is my pick of the best concerts to catch this September…
1. For those who need a bit of encouragement and musical guidance, the renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will be presenting a programme entitled The A-Z of the CBSO at Symphony Hall Birmingham, on Saturday September 19 at 7pm. If you’re not sure where to begin with the CBSO, go along for just £10 to find out more. And if you’re a regular, why not bring a friend to introduce them? For full programme and ticket details: https://cbso.co.uk/event/a-z-of-the-cbso
2. The CBSO again presents a winning programme, with what is perhaps my favourite romantic piano concerto, Rachmaninov’s Third, again at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on two consecutive days – Wednesday September 23 at 7.30pm and Thursday September 24 at 2.15pm (which includes a preconcert talk at 1pm, 2020 Vision, in which writer and critic David Fanning and musicologist Michelle Assay celebrate the 150th anniversary of Carl Nielsen’s birth). For full programme and ticket details: https://cbso.co.uk/event/rachmaninovs-third-piano-concerto
3. The Royal Albert Hall has been host to the fabulous BBC Proms for six glorious weeks during the summer, but despair not – there is no let-up to the continuing musical energy coming from this amazing venue. Classic FM is returning to London’s Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 22 September at 7.30pm with another of its celebrated live concerts. This will be an evening of the world’s greatest classical music performed by internationally renowned musicians. This time the line-up includes the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – Classic FM’s Orchestra in the North West of England, conducted by Vasily Petrenko in this, their 175th anniversary year. They will be joined by a host of star soloists and special guests featuring Sir James Galway, ‘The Man with the Golden Flute’ – as well as pianist Ji Liu, who will perform Rachmaninov’s ever popular 2nd Piano Concerto. For ticket details: http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2015/classic-fm-live-2/
4. Beethoven’s famous Choral 9th Symphony never ceases to thrill with its bold energy and scintillating orchestration, to say nothing of the inspirational, world-famous and rousing Ode to Joy. On Saturday September 26 the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing this with the City of London Choir. Also on the programme is the monumental Emperor Piano Concerto No. 5, with Alexandra Dariescu as soloist. For full programme and ticket details: http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2015/beethovens-ninth/
5. For those of you who were able to hear the fabulous violinist Nicola Benedetti (below) at the Proms performing Korngold’s scintillating and virtuosic violin concerto, you will have another chance to hear her at the Royal Albert Hall in the afternoon of Sunday September 27 at 3pm. Performing with a first-class ensemble of musicians, the concert includes two seminal and cherished works from the classical repertoire, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence. It will also feature the London premiere of a work written specially for Nicola Benedetti and Leonard Elschenbroich by one of the UK’s foremost composers, Mark-Anthony Turnage. For ticket details: http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2015/nicola-benedetti/
6. After all these orchestral suggestions there may be some of you thirsting for an operatic offering so have no fear, the Royal Opera House is here. David McVicar’s production of Mozart’s comic opera Le Nozze di Figaro will be performed at 7pm on September 15/18/21/25/29 (more performances in October as well as live cinema relay on Monday, October 5, more of which later). Mozart’s scintillating and engaging Marriage of Figaro is now regarded as a cornerstone of the standard operatic repertoire, and it appears among the top ten at the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide. The performance will feature Erwin Schrott and Anita Hartig with conductor Ivor Bolton. For further details: http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/le-nozze-di-figaro-by-david-mcvicar
I mentioned live cinema relay above. If you are not able to get to the actual venue, the Picturehouse Cinemas offer a chance to view a live streaming of performances from the Royal Opera House, as well as from the English National Opera, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne Opera and the National Theatre, to name a few. To avail yourselves of this marvellous opportunity, go to https://www.picturehouses.com/
NEXT MONTH
The new season gets fully under way in October, and in addition to all that the great cultural Mecca of London has to offer I will be sure to feature some exciting events nationwide, from Newcastle to Manchester and Birmingham down to Bournemouth. Be assured that I will not forget the amazing offerings of the BBC Scottish and Welsh orchestras. I hope to be able to propose something for everyone, and in order to do that I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Please let me know which events are of interest to you and I will endeavour to provide the information and guidance to enhance your musical enjoyment!
Jocelyn Abbott is leader of the Abbott O’Gorman Piano Duo and your guide to classical music. Have a question you’d like to ask Jocelyn about music? Drop her a line at enquiries@cubittmusic.co.uk
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