The season begins with a concert by London Winds – Britain’s leading wind ensemble – joined by the pianist Ian Brown who last visited us with the Nash Ensemble. The programme includes Mozart’s Quintet for piano and winds which the composer described in a letter to his father as “The best thing I have ever done“.
Saint-Saens Caprice sur des airs Danois et Russes
Mozart Quintet for piano and winds K452
Rimsky Korsakov Quintet
Poulenc Sextet
This programme is titled “A Venetian Carnival” – music of the 17th and 18th centuries, including songs, duets and instrumental music by Monteverdi, Cavalli, Vivaldi and Handel, performed by the singers and instrumentalists of the Musicke Companye and interlaced with readings from Venetian stories and gossip of the time.
We are delighted to have a return visit by Christopher Maltham, the internationally renowned English baritone, who is equally at home on the opera stage and in the recital hall. He will be accompanied by Graham Johnson. The recital will include works by Britten (his popular arrangement of folk songs), Schumann, Ireland, Poulenc and Loewe.
While we are delighted to have the stars of the musical world to perform for us, we are also committed to encourage young, emerging musicians. Our concert on March 18th is by the Heath String Quartet, founded in 2002 and supported this year by the Countess of Munster Trust. The Heath Quartet has already made its mark and will be the Young Artists in Residence at the Lake District Summer Music Festival.
Haydn Quartet Op. 74 No. 3 “The Rider”
Debussy Quartet No. 10
Brahms Quartet Op. 51 No.1
We finish the season with another return visit by artists who have an international reputation – the Nash Ensemble. This time they feature works for clarinet and stringsm with performances of classic works for that line-up by Weber and Brahms.
Beethoven String Trio Op. 9 No. 3
Weber Clarinet Quintet Op. 34
Brahms Clarinet Quinter Op. 115