Jonathan Morton Takes Over

Posted: Tuesday 10 April 2012

Glasgow MusicOn Friday 13th April there will be a fantastic night of minimalism to get this exciting weekend underway. Icebreaker and the Scottish Ensemble will give three mesmerising performances the first of which will be one of Glass’s best selling albums Glassworks, the bitter sweet harmonies in this piece are seductive and exciting all at one time. Also being played is Andriessen’s De Snelheid which has a driving energy like no other and grippingly explores the nature of time and velocity. Finally Reich’s Variations for Vibes, Pianos and Strings, which was written as part of dance collaboration, will be performed. It is vibrant and uplifting music which will permit the audience to leave the performance revived and fulfilled.

On Saturday afternoon the Scottish Ensemble will be unlocking their creative process with an open rehearsal which will be led by Jonathan Morton who will give some insight into preparing a new concert programme. The audience will be invited to watch the musicians prepare and further develop their programme for the final concert of their 11/12 season: SE Inversion – Travelling Against Time. Music by Ligeti, Webern, Debussy, Bruckner, Mendelssohn and Bach will be practiced in this rehearsal.

The finished product can be experienced at St Andrew’s in the Square on Saturday 21st April at 7.30pm

On Saturday evening there will be an opportunity to meet Jonathan Morton, the man behind the programme this weekend. We know him best as the Artistic Director of the Scottish Ensemble but his musical life and interests extend far and wide and in this discussion the audience will learn about some if his favourite music and his biggest influences.

On Saturday night the supercharged supergroup Taraf De Häidouks will be performing, the Romanian fiddlers have been said to ‘at exhilarating full – tilt, play more notes per second than any other band!’ The all star night will include the maverick Finnish violinst Pekka Kuusisto who will play Bach with a twist of electronica. Also performing is the Hilliard Ensemble who will showcase their distinctive and masterful blend of ancient and modern.

On Sunday 15th April Sir John Tavener’s Towards Silence will be performed in the grand and dramatic setting of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. His music has been said to have the power to move audiences to tears with its deep spirituality and bitter-sweet harmony. Towards Silence is perhaps his most powerful piece of recent years: a reflection on mortality, in which four fantastic string quartets will perform out of sight from locations around Kelvingrove’s grand hall and on-stage will be only an immense Tibetan prayer bowl. This beautiful piece of music has been referred to as ‘awesome, in the true sense of the word.’

Frequenting the stage again tonight will be solo violinist Pekka Kuusisto and the Hilliard Ensemble. It was difficult to find music that would match Tavener’s masterpiece but a one-off performance combining these fantastic musicians might just meet that challenge. When Kuusisto realised that the Hilliard Ensemble were on the same bill as him he made a very special request – that the Hilliards join him in recreating their own 2001 Bach project MORIMUR.

The essence of MORIMUR is the discovery that Bach concealed within his solo violin Partita BWV 1004 (the one with the immense Ciaccona at its heart) a number of chorale melodies. In particular, Bach integrated them into the Ciaconna itself: the theory is that he undertook this incredible creative feat in tribute to his wife Barbara who had died and was buried while he was away from home and is a heartfelt memorial to her. In MORIMUR the Hilliard Ensemble returns the chorales to the Partita, making the connection audible. In recent performances like this the results have been described as ‘deeply affecting’, ‘Profound’ and ‘impossible to hear without deep emotion.’ With the beautiful acoustics in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum this will be sensational

Svend Brown, Director of Glasgow Music, said: “Glasgow music is delighted to be handing over the reins to an eclectic and engaging programmer such as Jonathan Morton. The three day event promises to offer some fresh perspectives on familiar pieces.

“This adventurous weekend clearly demonstrates Glasgow music’s commitment to deliver ambitious projects in order to enhance the range of musical experiences available to citizens of the city of Glasgow and beyond.”

Glasgow music is delighted to offer a fantastic deal to Under 26s who only have to pay a mere £5 for each concert throughout this brilliant weekend!

BOOKING INFORMATION
Online: www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
By Phone: 0141 353 8000
In Person
Tickets for all performances at Glasgow's Concert Halls can be booked at both locations:
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Box Office, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3NY
Open Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm

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