Britten Sinfonia's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings

On the evening of Sunday 17th November 2013 I attended the Britten Sinfonia Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings concert at Norwich Theatre Royal. Britten Sinfonia’s recent recording of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Mark Padmore has been acclaimed worldwide and these artists performed the work in this fascinating concert.

Violinist Pekka Kuusisto directed the orchestra in an illuminating programme of works which also included 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. The programme was jointly devised by Pekka Kuusisto and Britten Sinfonia.

The programme consisted of Three Songs for Tenor and violin (and drone from orchestra) - Nico Muhly, Fourth movement from Quartet no. 4 - Bartok, Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal - Britten, Lighthouse - Tuur, I give you the end of a golden string (world premiere tour) - Judith Weir, Individualisierte Höhemessung der Lagen (from Partita fur Paul) - Arne Nordheim, Material in E flat for violin and drone from orchestra - Nico Muhly, Third movement from Quartet no. 4 - Bartok, Kanon - Berg arr Schnittke, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten - Arvo Part, God Music from Black Angels - George Crumb, Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings - Britten.

Britten Sinfonia were joined by Mark Padmore - tenor, Pekka Kuusisto - violin and Stephen Bell - horn on a wonderful night of classical music at Norwich Theatre Royal. They played twelve works by nine different composers which proved to be a varied and enjoyable concert. The performance took the audience to new and unfamiliar places.

LSO and Kavakos at The Barbican

After an afternoon in London's West End on Sunday 25th November 2012 I made my way to The Barbican to attend the London Symphony Orchestra's UBS Soundscapes concert featuring violinist Leonidas Kavakos. Semyon Bychkov conducted the orchestra in a programme that consisted of Violin Concerto - Berg and Symphony No.1 Titan - Mahler.

Berg's Violin Concerto was written in 1935. It is probably his best-known and most frequently performed instrumental piece. The concerto is structured in two movements, each further divided into two sections. The Concerto was written as a memorial "to an angel" upon the premature death of Alma Mahler's daughter Manon Gropius.

Mahler began his First Symphony in his late twenties. Incorporating themes from his earlier song cycles, this monumental score charts a young hero’s coming of age. It retains a youthful energy, but explores suffering and sorrow, and ends by defying the mundane and insisting on life’s joy. This piece reached it's definitive four movement form in 1896.

This was a concert full of energy with the LSO and Leonidas Kavakos playing Berg's Violin Concerto with lots of enthusiasm and emotion. After the interval Semyon Bychkov led the LSO in an absolute brilliant performance of Mahler's Symphony No.1. There was a great atmosphere with lots of applause at the end on another memorable night at The Barbican.