Usher Hall concerts guide

eif.co.uk/usherhall

2010

El Niño

BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraJames Conlon Conductor

Edinburgh Festival Chorus National Youth Choir of Scotland Christopher Bell Chorus Master

The miracle of the nativity is given new life in John Adams’s oratorio El Niño. Conductor James Conlon leads a wonderful cast in this extraordinaryopener for Festival 2010.

Friday 13 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10 (Returns only)

eif.co.uk/opening

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Monday 13 September 7.00pm

Sponsored by

Opening Concert

by John Adams“M

ujer

de

Muc

ha E

nagu

a”

Pa’

ti X

ican

a (1

999)

Yre

ina

D. C

ervá

ntez

Rhapsodies in Red, White and Blue

Royal Scottish National OrchestraGunther Schuller Conductor

Royal Scottish National Orchestra ChorusTimothy Dean Chorus MasterSteven Osborne PianoClarke Peters Narrator*

Copland Lincoln Portrait*Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (original jazz band version)Ives Symphony No 4

The Festival goes Stateside for an evening of 20th century North American classics. American actor, singer, writer and director, Clarke Peters makes his Festival debut as The Narrator in Copland’s dramatic Lincoln Portrait.

Saturday 14 August 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/america

Sponsored by

Pho

to: i

Sto

ckP

hoto

.com

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra: ‘ingenious, imaginative and explosive’ The Scotsman

Pho

to: P

ekka

Saa

rinen

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra01

Sakari Oramo ConductorPetra Lang Mezzo soprano

Nielsen Overture, HeliosWagner Wesendonck LiederNielsen Symphony No 4 ‘The Inextinguishable’

Sakari Oramo and the FRSO bring some of Nielsen’s most lyrical works thrillingly to life. Petra Lang’s compelling, intuitive and insightful performance of the Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder will undoubtedly delight.

Monday 16 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/frso2

Sunday 15 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/frso1

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Wednesday 15 September 7.00pm

02

Sakari Oramo ConductorJuha Uusitalo Bass baritone

Wagner Overture, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Dutchman’s Monologue, Der fliegende Holländer; Wotan’s Farewell, Die WalküreNielsen Symphony No 5

The Dutchman in Wagner’s Flying Dutchman has become a signature role for Finnish baritone Juha Uusitalo. Here he sings the Dutchman’s Monologue alongside Wotan’s emotive Farewell from Die Walküre.

Invigorating Baltic blasts characterise Carl Nielsen’s work. His Fifth Symphony depicts an immense struggle for supremacy between good and evil.

‘Welser-Möst drew the most magnificent colours and moods from the orchestra’ Telegraaf

Pho

to: R

oger

Mas

troi

anni

Cleveland Orchestra

01

Franz Welser-Möst ConductorJoela Jones Organ

Ives Variations on America (original version for organ) From the Steeples and Mountains Postlude in F Bruckner Symphony No 8

The first of two concerts by the mighty Clevelanders who perform works by iconoclastic Ives – now seen as the father of American music – and Bruckner’s lavish ‘Apocalyptic’ Eighth.

Wednesday 18 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/cleveland02

Tuesday 17 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/cleveland02

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Monday 20 September at 7.00pm

02

Franz Welser-Möst Conductor

Laura Aikin Soprano

Korngold Act II Prelude, Die tote Stadt Marietta’s Lied, Die tote StadtBerg Lulu SuiteBrahms Symphony No 2 in D

Dynamic soprano Laura Aitkin joins the orchestra for the first 3 works in tonight’s concerts: Two extracts from Korngold’s lush 1920 opera Die tote Stadt (The Dead Town) and Berg’s ‘jazzy’ Suite from the opera Lulu. Brahms’s idyllic Second Symphony completes this transatlantic evening.

Supported by

Dunard Fund USA

Supported by

Dunard Fund USA

Russian National Orchestra

Mikhail Pletnev ConductorVadim Repin Violin

Beethoven Overture, CoriolanTchaikovsky Violin ConcertoShostakovich Symphony No 15

The Russian National Orchestra’s impassioned strings, brilliant brass and passionate percussion combine to deliver a compelling and illuminating performance.

Thursday 19 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10 (Returns only)

eif.co.uk/russian

Supported by

Dunard Fund USA

Pho

to: R

NO

Idomeneo

Concert performance sung in Italian

Idomeneo Kurt StreitIdamante Joyce DiDonatoIlia Rosemary JoshuaElettra Emma BellArbace Rainer TrostSacerdote Keith LewisVoce di Nettuno Jan Martiník

Scottish Chamber OrchestraSir Charles Mackerras ConductorScottish Chamber Orchestra ChorusGregory Batsleer Chorus Master

Sir Charles Mackerras leads the SCO, its Chorus and an all star cast in a performance of Mozart’s masterpiece.

Friday 20 August 7.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/idomeneo

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Saturday 18 September at 6.00pm

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Supported by

The Binks Trust

Pho

to: R

obbi

e Ja

ck

Kronos Quartet

Aleksandra Vrebalov …hold me, neighbor, in this storm…Steve Reich Different TrainsGeorge Crumb Black Angels

With a fearless drive to expand the range and context of the string quartet, the Kronos Quartet is one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of today. This is chamber music on a grand scale – colourful, imaginative, provocative and sure to set the expansive acoustic of the Usher Hall ablaze.

Saturday 21 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £8

eif.co.uk/kronos

Pho

to: J

eppe

Gud

mun

dsen

-Hol

mgr

een

Joyce DiDonato David Zobel

Joyce DiDonato Mezzo sopranoDavid Zobel Piano

Joyce DiDonato is among the world’s most enchanting performers and her thrilling debut at the 2009 Festival wowed the audience. In this solo recital she performs works by Pergolesi, Caccini and Leoncavallo alongside repertoire by Beethoven and Rossini.

‘dazzlingly virtuosic’ San Francisco Chronicle

Sunday 22 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £8

eif.co.uk/didonato

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Tuesday 14 September 7.00pm

Pho

to: S

heila

Roc

k

La fanciulla del West

Concert performance sung in Italian

Minnie Susan BullockDick Johnson Carl Tanner Jack Rance Juha UusitaloAshby Brindley SherrattNick Colin JudsonSonora Roland WoodWowkle Louise Collett

The Orchestra of Scottish OperaFrancesco Corti ConductorEdinburgh Festival ChorusChristopher Bell Chorus Master

Highly dramatic and brilliantly orchestrated La fanciulla del West is a fast-moving tale of love, jealousy, gambling, banditry and violence and their effect on a tight knit community.

Monday 23 August 7.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/scottishopera

by Giacomo Puccini

Supported by

The Stevenston Charitable Trust

With additional support from

The Italian Cultural Institute, Edinburgh

Pho

to: S

ussi

e A

hlbu

rg

The Sixteen

Concert performance sung in Italian

Daniel Purcell The Masque of HymenHenry Purcell Come, ye sons of artHenry Purcell The Indian Queen

Gillian Keith SopranoKatherine Manley Soprano Robin Blaze CountertenorJohn Mark Ainsley TenorAllan Clayton TenorRoderick Williams Bass

Harry Christophers Conductor

Following the success of their performance of The Fairy Queen in 2009, Harry Christophers and The Sixteen return to delight Festival audiences in 2010 in a programme from the Purcell brothers.

Tuesday 24 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/sixteen

Sponsored by

Pho

to: M

ark

Har

rison

Kronos QuartetSaturday 21 August 8.00pmeif.co.uk/kronos

Pho

to: C

ourt

esy

of K

rono

s Q

uart

et

‘an extraordinary career of boundary-breaking

discovery and innovation’ The New York Times

L’heure espagnole

Concert performance sung in French

Chabrier EspagneIbert EscalesRavel L’heure espagnole

Concepcion Sophie KochRamiro Johannes WeisserGonzalve Gordon GietzDon Inigo Christopher PurvesTorquemada Keith Lewis

Royal Scottish National OrchestraStéphane Denève Conductor

Stéphane Denève leads the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and a wonderful cast in a programme that delights the ear in its affection for the colours and sonorous contours of all things Spanish.

Wednesday 25 August 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/rsno

Made possible by a legacy from

Ronald Alexander Miller Mackenzie, FRICS

Pho

to: D

rew

Far

rell

by Maurice Ravel

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

Gunther Schuller ConductorTommy Smith LeaderJoe Lovano Saxophone

The SNJO performs music from jazz luminaries Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie, plus Gil Evans’s arrangements of music from Porgy and Bess made famous in a recording by legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.

Joe Lovano: ‘It’s fair to say that he’s one of the greatest musicians in jazz history.’ The New York Times

Tommy Smith: ‘brilliantly fl exible and gorgeously melodic’ The Herald

Thursday 26 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £8

eif.co.uk/snjo

Pho

to: C

olin

Rob

erts

on

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Robin Ticciati ConductorKatia and Marielle Labèque Piano

Rebel Les ElémensKevin Volans Symphony: Daar Kom die Alibama (EIF commission, World Premiere)Poulenc Concerto for two pianosBizet Symphony in C

Virtuoso pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque bring their highly communicative style to Poulenc’s exciting Concerto for two pianos. Bizet’s stylish Symphony in C is characterised by brisk fanfares and rushing strings. Kevin Volans has incorporated African folk song into his new work, Symphony: Daar Kom die Alibama, commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival.

Friday 27 August 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/sco

With support from

Donald and Louise MacDonald

Supported by

Pho

to: B

rigitt

e La

com

be

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Donald Runnicles ConductorMidori Violin

Stravinsky Concerto in E flat ‘Dumbarton Oaks’Bernstein SerenadeDvorák Symphony No 9 ‘From the New World’

Virtuoso violinist Midori performs Bernstein’s Serenade which the composer himself described as a ‘series of related statements in praise of love’, and Dvorák’s lyrical New World Symphony was intended to celebrate the fourth centenary of Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of America.

Saturday 28 August 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/bbcsso

Pho

to: K

. Miu

ra

Sponsored by

Pho

to: A

nn M

arsd

en

Minnesota Orchestra

Osmo Vänskä ConductorAlisa Weilerstein Cello

Barber Music for a Scene from ShelleyElgar Cello ConcertoBeethoven Symphony No 7

The Minnesota Orchestra ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles. In 2003 Osmo Vänskä took over as musical director and has received high praise for his musicality and leadership.

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was written in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars and plainly reflects the circumstances in which it was written. Dominated by monumentally grand themes Beethoven’s so-called gigantic symphony is among his most passionate and dramatic works.

Osmo Vänskä: ‘the most vivid Beethoven playing on the market’ The New Yorker

Sunday 29 August 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/minnesota

Supported by

Dunard Fund USA

‘masterly cogency and riveting insight’ The Daily Telegraph

Pho

to: M

arco

Bor

ggre

ve

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra01

Mariss Jansons Conductor

Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind InstrumentsBartók Music for Strings, Percussion and CelestaBerio 4 DédicacesStravinsky Firebird Suite (1945)

A welcome return to the Festival for this great orchestra. The magical combination of the Concertgebouw, conductor Mariss Jansons and an eclectic and invigorating programme is sure to ignite.

Monday 30 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/rco1

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Wednesday 22 September 7.00pm

Tuesday 31 August 8.00pm

Tickets from £10 (Returns only)

eif.co.uk/rco2

Lloyds TSB Scotland Inspiring Performances

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

02

Mariss Jansons ConductorAnna Larsson Mezzo soprano

Edinburgh Festival ChorusRoyal Scottish National Orchestra Junior ChorusChristopher Bell Chorus Master

Mahler Symphony No 3

Mahler’s monumental hymn to the natural world uses dynamic vocal forces to create one of the most exceptional symphonies in the repertoire.

Pho

to: K

eith

Sau

nder

s

Sydney Symphony Orchestra01

Vladimir Ashkenazy ConductorDene Olding Violin

Elgar In the SouthRoss Edwards Maninyas – Concerto for Violin and OrchestraPeter Sculthorpe Memento MoriElgar Enigma Variations

The eminent Russian-born conductor and pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy brings Australia’s premiere orchestra to Edinburgh for two Festival performances.

Two of Elgar’s most popular works sit alongside two modern works by Australian composers Peter Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards.

Wednesday 1 September 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/sydney1

Thursday 2 September 7.30pm

Tickets from £10

eif.co.uk/sydney2

02

Vladimir Ashkenazy ConductorHélène Grimaud Piano

Sibelius RakastavaRavel Piano Concerto in GMatthew Hindson EnergyStrauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite

Hélène Grimaud brings her formidable technique and finesse to Ravel’s jazz-inspired piano concerto. Der Rosenkavalier is perhaps Strauss’s best loved opera. His Rosenkavalier Suite begins with the opera’s orchestral prelude, depicting the night of passion (vividly portrayed by whooping horns) between the two leading characters.

Sponsored by

Susan Graham Malcolm Martineau

Susan Graham Mezzo sopranoMalcolm Martineau Piano

Now a firm Festival favourite, American mezzo soprano Susan Graham is one of the world’s foremost opera and recital stars. Tonight she performs a sumptuous programme of music by American composers alongside songs by Mozart and Mahler. An evening of glorious vocal music-making.

Friday 3 September 8.00pm

Tickets from £8

eif.co.uk/graham

Broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Tuesday 21 September 7.00pm

With support from

Frank Hitchman

Pho

to: D

ario

Aco

sta

BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraDonald Runnicles Conductor

Edinburgh Festival ChorusRoyal Scottish National Orchestra Junior ChorusChristopher Bell Chorus Master

Erin Wall SopranoHillevi Martinpelto SopranoNicole Cabell SopranoKatarina Karnéus Mezzo sopranoCatherine Wyn-Rogers Mezzo sopranoSimon O’Neill TenorAnthony Michaels-Moore BaritoneJohn Relyea Bass

Donald Runnicles leads the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, a stellar cast of soloists, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus in Mahler’s heavenly Eighth Symphony.

Mahler Symphony No 8

Saturday 4 September 8.00pm

Tickets from £10 (Returns only)

eif.co.uk/mahler8

Recorded for future broadcast by BBC Radio 3

Sponsored by

Edinburgh International Festival Society is Scottish Charity (No SC004694) and is registered in Scotland (SC0247660) at The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE.

Book yourFestival tickets!eif.co.uk 0131 473 2000

Front cover photo: Greg Helgeson

Young People and Students

All young people under 18 and all students in full-time education are entitled to 50% discount on tickets across the Festival 2010 Usher Hall programme.

Standby tickets

50% off all tickets for senior citizens, unemployed people, Young Scot, Equity and MU card holders from 4 August 2010.

Access discounts

Wheelchair users, people with severe mobility difficulties or with visual or hearing impairment will be sold seats/spaces at £10 in the area of the venue most appropriate to their needs. Discount also applies to a companion. Dedicated access booking line 0131 473 2089.