New Bristol Sinfonia - Archive

©Rob Townley

Following unforseen circumstances, Geoffrey Paterson now replaces James Lowe as conductor for this concert.

New Bristol Sinfonia present an evening of moving music.

Tonight’s concert starts with the merry overture to Rossini’s 1813 opera “L’Italiana in Algeri”. Given the madcap lunacy of the opera’s story, it’s perhaps not surprising that the overture is so charming and vivacious - it sets the scene for what is to come. A tale of love, a trio of characters chasing each other around and plenty of madness are all depicted vividly in the overture. The slow introduction gives way to a fast melodic chase section, with a transition leading to a thrilling finish which gave rise to Stravinsky dubbing Rossini “Il Signor Crescendo”.

Our second piece tonight is Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto. Written in 1928 for the Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad, the concerto is one long movement, with four distinct themes. The concerto was written during a particularly difficult time in Nielsen’s life. Although well known in his native Scandinavia, he was disappointed that he had not reached a wider audience. He also knew that his life was nearing an end and perhaps this accounts for the musical struggles which occur throughout the piece. At the time, it was written that “he has liberated the soul of the clarinet, not only the wild animal aspect, but also its special brand of ruthless poetry....Oxenvad’s sonority is in tune with the trolls and giants.....Certainly Carl Nielsen must have had his particular clarinet sound in mind while composing this Concerto.”

Our final piece is Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. Given that it took Brahms 15 years to write his first symphony, the second was composed in complete contrast, during a remarkably short few months in the summer of 1877. It is a far more cheerful piece than the rather melancholy first symphony although Brahms enjoyed teasing his friends and admirers while writing it, joking that “the symphony is so melancholy that you will not be able to bear it”. He wrote it while staying in a beautiful village in the Austrian Alps “all rippling streams, blue sky, sunshine and cool green shadows”. He sent the first movement of the symphony to Clara Schumann for her opinion and she predicted that the music would fare very well with the public. Indeed on its premiere in Vienna under Hans Richter, it was so well received that the orchestra was made to repeat the third movement.

Concert Details

Date: Saturday 21 November, 2009
Time: 7.30pm

Venue: Victoria Rooms, Clifton, Bristol. Click here for a map

Programme:

• Rossini: Overture L'Italiana in Algeri
• Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto
• Brahms: Symphony No 2

Clarinet: Scott Lygate
Conductor: Geoffrey Paterson

Tickets:
We recommend booking in advance with our Box Office: 07796 573869.
Cheques are accepted and there is no booking fee.
Pre-booked tickets will be posted to you or can be picked up at the door.

Most seats for this concert are numbered and can be reserved in advance. Click here to see a seating plan of the Victoria Rooms. The Box Office can advise on which seats are available and which have the best view.

The ticket prices are:

• £13 (£11 concessions) balcony
• £10 adults (£8 concessions) stalls
• £5 students
• £2 children/school parties

Pre-concert talk:
Geoffrey will be presenting a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. This is open to all and entry is free.