What's On

Tonight’s programme marks the centenary (29 May 1913) of one of the most famous premieres in musical history: Stravinsky’s primitivist ballet The Rite of Spring. Showered throughout by a torrential hail of farmyard noises from the gallery, the whole thing ended in uproar with the young conductor, Pierre Monteux, and his musicians fleeing for their lives. Puccini, who was in the Paris audience that night, described it as ‘the creation of a madman.’ Yet Stravinsky claimed that he was merely ‘the vessel through which the Rite passed.’ Opening the concert is Debussy’s no less groundbreaking Prelude à l'après-midi d'un faune. ‘From that moment,’ wrote Pierre Boulez, ‘music began to beat with a new pulse’.

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Amériques

Edgar Varèse (1883-1965)

The Rite of Spring, 'Le Sacre du Printemps'

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

A glorious programme encompassing music of sublime wit, high drama and intense emotion. Mozart produced some of the most joyous operatic music ever written, and we are treated to several delights boasting vocal lines of deep expression and breathtaking agility.

Weber’s operas have been hugely influential, inspiring the likes of Wagner to embark on his pioneering music dramas. But it is his operatic overtures which are most frequently performed, and their popularity is understandable: the music brims with energy, intrigue and originality.

The programme culminates in the devastating beauty of Tchaikovsky’s 'Pathétique' Symphony, a masterpiece of aching emotion and symphonic brilliance.

Mia Speranza Adorata

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Overture from Euryanthe

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Popoli di Tessaglia!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Symphony No 6 in B minor, 'Pathétique'

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

The Nash Ensemble, Resident Chamber Ensemble at the Wigmore Hall, London, opens our 70th anniversary season. Well-known from appearances on television and radio, at the BBC Proms, the Southbank, music clubs and music festivals, the ensemble has established itself as one of Britain's finest and most adventurous chamber groups, an acclamation which extends to the international scene, with enthusiastic reception for tours throughout Europe, the USA and Canada. From a vast repertoire the Nash brings sensitivity and musicality equally to the performance of music ranging from Haydn to the present day and is acknowledged as a major contributor to the recognition and promotion of many composers. An impressive catalogue of recordings illustrates the same varied and colourful combination of classical masterpieces, little known or neglected gems and important contemporary works. Our concert reflects the Nash Ensemble's reputation for elegant, imaginative and innovative programming.

Quintet for Horn and Strings in E flat

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

String Quartet No 2 in D

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

Sea Eagle

Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-)

String Quartet No 2 in A minor

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

This is the first concert of the 2013 season of Bledington Music Festival. It will also feature a joint performance of one or two pieces with Bledington School Choir which will have been rehearsed with The Cann Twins on the day before as part of the Education programme.

Ticket price includes interval canapes.

Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

Czárdás from Swan Lake

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Rhapsody in Blue (solo piano version)

George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Dolly Suite

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Prélude from Carmen Suite

Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

The Blue Danube

Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)