Royal Liverpool Philharmonic: Tchaikovsky 5

Our trio of fifth symphonies in the season concludes with Tchaikovsky’s wonderful Romantic masterpiece, a work that never fails to blaze its impassioned colours when heard in a live performance. At the helm we have young charismatic maestro Alexander Shelley and the word charismatic certainly also applies to the Norwegian brother and sister duo Mari and Håkon Samuelsen who are our soloists in the Brahms Double Concerto; “It was virtually impossible to divert attention from the pair with their sensitive and athletic playing. Dazzling in their intelligence, the two played together as a mirror, with perfection, with great brilliance and virtuosity - a joyful and optimistic performance of the Brahms concerto.” (Grazia Italia, May 2011). Completing the programme is Richard Strauss’ portrayal of Don Juan - the perfect work to showcase the virtuosic talent of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s musicians.

Programme:
Strauss Don Juan
Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor

Conductor: Alexander Shelley
Violin: Mari Samuelsen
Cello: Håkon Samuelsen

Concert in a Café

Love, loss and dastardly doings

Grab a cup of tea and settle in to enjoy some great moments from opera unfold around you….

Soprano Bibi Heal escapes from the stage and lands in the Arch Café, to perform some of opera’s most beautiful and dramatic moments, from Spain, France and Italy, accompanied by accordion.  Find your socks blown off by the power and beauty of the operatic voice up close, and do something really different with your afternoon tea break.

Concerts last approx 25 minutes and are free of charge to café customers. No need to book.

Start times:

• 12.30pm
• 1.30pm
• 2.30pm

Inside Opera: Joshua

Members of the cast and creative team of Joshua discuss Opera North's new production of Handel's epic biblical drama.  Free, but tickets must be booked in advance at the Box Office.

Joshua

New Production

Given their splendid, highly affective music, riveting drama and continuing appeal and relevance to today’s audiences, it is hardly surprising that Handel’s late oratorios have often been described as his greatest operas. Accordingly, staged productions of Handel’s oratorios have increasingly entered the repertoire of the world’s great opera houses.

With Joshua, Opera North now takes on one of Handel’s greatest works from the height of his late creative period. Conveying the Old Testament story of Moses’ successor as he leads the Israelites in conquest of Canaan, it marries spiritual meditation and the most tender of love stories with the kind of epic plot line most people would associate with the latest Hollywood movie.

Handel deploys all of his vast experience as an opera composer in his highly theatrical and pictorial score. Strongly characterised, Joshua includes a marvellous series of set-piece moments, such as the collapse of the walls of Jericho and the miracle of the sun and moon standing still at the battle of Gibeon. As you would expect from the composer of the Messiah, Joshua also contains some of Handel’s most monumental choral music. The triumphal return of Othniel after his victory at Debir is celebrated in one of Handel’s most famous choruses, ‘See, the conqu’ring hero comes!’ best known in its incarnation as the hymn tune ‘Thine Be the Glory’.  

Joshua was first performed in 1748 at the Covent Garden Theatre in London. Its military themes struck an immediate chord with a public in a triumphalist mood following the defeat of the Jacobite uprising in 1746,  quickly turning the piece into one of the most successful of Handel's later oratorios. Now staged in Leeds Grand Theatre by director/designer Charles Edwards, this new presentation returns the work to its roots in the theatre.  Tackling the militaristic undertones of the original by exploring the costs of war on the individual and society, Edwards converts the work's original message into a passionate plea for peace and understanding.

Lasts approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
Sung in English.

Financially supported by the Opera North Future Fund

Music: Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal

‘It’s the work of two musicians from very different backgrounds who seem to understand each other almost intuitively’ The Guardian

Ballaké Sissoko, one of Mali’s greatest kora player, joins forces with cellist Vincent Segal to perform material from their sublime 2011 album Chamber Music.

Sissoko’s music is steeped in ancient West African traditions. He’s also a staunch innovator, as demonstrated through his collaboration with Segal who has also worked with Elvis Costello and Cesária Évora. These two gifted musicians have found a way to make a global chamber music for the 21st century audience by interweaving the kora and cello to create delicate sweeps of music.

Discover more about their album Chamber Music here.

Save 20% at the Howard Assembly Room: Buy tickets for two or more shows displaying the 'Save' symbol (only available when you book in person or by phone, not available on-line).

Music: Fence Collective presents...James Yorkston, The Pictish Trail, Seamus Fogarty

‘Yorkston has reached a state of grace that writers can spend forever trying to attain: songs that sound not so much written as carefully retrieved from your own subconscious, playing with an intuition bordering on telepathy.’ The Times

The sleepy fishing village of Anstruther, East Fife is home to the much admired and Mercury nominated Fence Records - a collective of musicians founded by King Creosote, whose sublimely, far-reaching collaborations are always imbued with a folk spirit.

James Yorkston was the first artist to emerge from the Fence Collective with a series of critically acclaimed albums, including his latest, I was a Cat from a Book, which brings a new approach to his compelling, emotional songwriting. This tour sees Yorkston share the stage with other key artists from Fence Collective - The Pictish Trail (Johnny Lynch) and Seamus Fogarty.

Save 20% at the Howard Assembly Room: Buy tickets for two or more shows displaying the 'Save' symbol (only available when you book in person or by phone, not available on-line).