Music / Classical
February classical
Visitors to St George’s on Feb 5 are in for an extraordinary journey into musical memory. Aurora Orchestra will play Mozart’s Symphony No 40 in the company of Ed Cooke, Grand Memory Master and founder of memrise.com, who can memorise the order of a deck of cards in less than a minute. Cooke will apply his playful, imaginative and often hilarious ‘memory palace’ techniques for improved memory retention to Mozart’s penultimate symphony, illuminating the genius and drama of the writing and inviting audience members to astonish themselves with the power of their own memories.
A little later St George’s welcomes back regular visitors the Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra on Feb 13, under the baton of Polish conductor Ewa Strusi??ska, who leads a programme including Rimsky-Korsakov’s typically exotic and pungent Capriccio Espagnol, Malcolm Arnold’s skittering and energetic Concerto for Flute and Strings – and Shostakovich’s early masterpiece Symphony No 1, already showing that telling conjunction of wit and tragedy that would be the great composer’s hallmark.
On Feb 10, meanwhile, Colston Hall welcomes composer and pianist Federico Albanese, whose far-reaching influences span rock, folk, electronic, modern and contemporary classical. Albanese’s acclaimed 2014 debut album The Houseboat and the Moon prompted comparisons with fellow Italian and highly acclaimed composer Ludovico Einaudi. With his follow-up The Blue Hour, the former prop man brings together airy, cinematic compositions that blend classical, pop and psychedelia.
is needed now More than ever
Later in the month, the Hall hosts the latest in its series of lunchtime concerts by the Young Classical Artists Trust, showcasing some of Britain’s most exceptional young musicians. This February session welcomes pianist Jonathan Ware and bassoonist (and Philharmonia principal) Amy Harman for a programme including original music written for bassoon by Dutilleux and Saint-Saëns, alongside transcriptions of music by Schumann and Bach.
www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk / www.colstonhall.org
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