Summer Festival of Chamber Music
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Summer Festival of Chamber Music 14–23 July Paxton House, Berwickshire 2017 “The Paxton Festival has the perfect balance of intimacy and grandeur that invites the audience to play an active Great chamber music performed by outstanding musicians, a stunning backdrop of works from part in the performance and allows the musicians to feel the National Galleries collection, and the peace warmly embraced in a thrilling atmosphere. After our very and quiet of the Scottish Borders countryside on the River Tweed – these all await you at the first concert in Paxton House we already thought of it as a 2017 Music at Paxton Festival. very special home. The setting, the creative team, and the This year’s programme is bigger than ever, with music fantastic audience come together and form the perfect spanning the Baroque to the present and featuring some of the great masterpieces of chamber music, including festival atmosphere.” Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations, Schumann’s Piano Doric String Quartet – Festival 2016 Artists Quintet, and Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet, alongside more recent works by Sally Beamish, Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt. The string quartet features prominently and we welcome three this year: the Elias and the Carducci Quartets from the UK and the Quatuor Zaïde from Paris. The irrepressible Mahan Esfahani returns with two harpsichord recitals, Steven Osborne plays Rachmaninov, and Pieter Wispelwey completes his cycle of Bach’s Cello Suites, with a masterclass immediately beforehand. Baroque violinist Bojan Cicic brings his star-studded Illyria Consort, and leading soprano Ruby Hughes performs Schubert, Schumann and Mahler in her first visit to the festival. Presenting musicians earlier in their careers and integrating them into our programme remains of key importance to us, and we are proud to continue our relationship with Live Music Now Scotland. This year sees the return of many of their alumni, some sharing the stage with leading international artists, in addition to those currently under their wing. With Sunday morning keyboard recitals, varied afternoon events including folk music in the marquee, two intimate recitals in the Dining Room, and a musical tour exploring some of the principal reception rooms of the house, we hope that our visitors will stay with us for the whole weekend. We look forward to seeing you this summer. Helen Jamieson, Artistic Director Elizabeth Macdonald, General Manager www.musicatpaxton.co.uk Music at Paxton was formed in 2006 to present high quality chamber music performances at Paxton House. Music at Paxton is registered in Scotland No. 305241; Charity No. SC037392 2 Music at Paxton 2017 Music at Paxton 2017 3 Photo: Ben Ealovega Saturday 15 July 4.30pm Saturday 15 July 7.30pm Various, Paxton House Picture Gallery, Paxton House Promenade Concert Carducci String Quartet with The opportunity to visit some of the Emma Wilkins, flute principal rooms in Paxton House with Esther Swift, harp some musical entertainment from Emma Calum Robertson, clarinet Wilkins (flute), Esther Swift (harp) and Calum Robertson (clarinet) along the way! Shostakovich String Quartet No 1 in C Pärt Summa Tickets £10.00 (concessions £5.00) Glass String Quartet No 3 ‘Mishima’ Approximate duration: 1 hr (no interval) Shostakovich String Quartet No 4 in D Please note: capacity 30; may be Ravel Introduction & Allegro unsuitable for visitors with mobility issues as seating will be extremely limited. In 2015, the award-winning Carducci Quartet performed the complete cycle of Shostakovich’s Buffet suppers in the Hayloft Gallery fifteen string quartets across the UK and in the from 6.00pm – tickets £24.00 USA and Colombia, marking the 40th anniversary of the composer’s death. These masterworks move from the optimism and reminiscence of childhood to the pain and hardship suffered under Soviet oppression. They are contrasted in this programme with the gently hypnotic works of ‘Supreme clarity, Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass, and the performance focus and precision.’ concludes with Ravel’s gloriously sunny Introduction and Allegro, for which the quartet The Guardian is joined by this afternoon’s performers. Tickets £25.00 (concessions £12.50) ‘A masterclass in the Approximate duration: 2 hrs true beauty of pianism.’ The Scotsman Friday 14 July 7.30pm widely considered to be one of the Picture Gallery, Paxton House greatest pianists of his generation. We welcome him back with his Steven Osborne, piano critically acclaimed interpretations of Rachmaninov’s virtuosic tonal studies, Brahms Intermezzi Op 117 Nos 1-3 the two sets written within five years of one another for Rachmaninov Rachmaninov Études Tableaux Op 33 himself to perform. Debussy La Cathédrale Engloutie from Preludes Book 1 Tickets £25.00 (concessions £12.50) Rachmaninov Études Tableaux Op 39 Approximate duration: 2 hrs No stranger to Music at Paxton, Steven Buffet suppers in the Hayloft Gallery Osborne has won numerous awards and is from 6.00pm – tickets £24.00 Photo: Andy Andy Holdsworth Photo: 4 Music at Paxton 2017 Music at Paxton 2017 5 Sunday 16 July 3.30pm ‘…a superstar whose Marquee, Paxton House musicianship, imagination, Aonach Mòr virtuosity, cultural breadth Aonach Mòr combines the talents of three outstanding musicians in their own right – and charisma far transcends Claire Hastings, Grant McFarlane and Ron the ivory tower in which the Jappy – to create an exciting blend of songs and tunes. With accordion, fiddle, guitar and harpsichord has traditionally song, they draw on a wealth of traditional material whilst adding contemporary melodies been placed.’ and new works. The Times Tickets £8.00 (concessions free entry) – unreserved. Approximate duration: 1 hr (no interval) ‘An exciting blend of songs and tunes.’ Sunday 16 July 6.00pm Picture Gallery, Paxton House Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord J S Bach Goldberg Variations Mahan Esfahani kicks off his latest project – a cycle of the complete works of J S Bach – with a major tour of the Goldberg Variations. Sunday 16 July 11.30am This iconic work, comprising an aria and 30 20th century. His recordings of Jean Philippe variations, is said to be one of the pillars of Rameau were selected in the New York Times’ Western Classical Music. Dining Room, Paxton House Critics’ Choice as top recordings of 2014, and in 2015 he received the Gramophone Awards not Tickets £22.00 (concessions £11.00) Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord only for best Baroque Instrumentalist but also Approximate duration: 1 hr 15 (no interval) Martinů Sonata for Harpsichord for Best Instrumentalist and Artist of the Year. Rameau Suite in A minor (Premier Livre Judge for yourselves in the glorious intimacy of the Paxton House Dining Room. ARTIST INSIGHTS de Pièces de Clavecin) Photo: Bernhard Musil / DG Musil Bernhard Photo: » Peter Vieg Le voyage à Montfort 5.00 – 5.30pm Please note: seating unreserved; capacity 40 Rameau Three pieces from ‘Nouvelles Suites des Tickets 15.00 (concessions £7.50) – Esfahani on Goldberg Pièces de Clavecin’ unreserved Free to tonight’s ticket holders. Iranian born Mahan Esfahani is renowned for Approximate duration: 1 hr (no interval) Come and listen to Mahan Esfahani sharing his championing of the harpsichord and its Coffee, pastries and other refreshments will be his thoughts on this pinnacle of Western repertoire, from the Baroque period to the available in the Stables Tearoom from 10.00 am. Classical Music. 6 Music at Paxton 2017 Music at Paxton 2017 7 Thursday 20 July 7.30pm Picture Gallery, Paxton House Illyria Consort Photo: Neda Navaee Neda Photo: In the Shadow of Handel Handel Violin Sonata in D Carbonelli Sonate da camera I and IV Handel Harpsichord Suite No 2 (1st collection) in F Ariosti Lesson IV from Six Lessons for Viola d’Amore Corbetta Prelude and Chaconne for Guitar Carbonelli Sonata da camera VI Join a stellar ensemble of Bojan Cicic (violin), Susanne Heinrich (viola da gamba), Steven Devine (harpsichord) and David Miller (theorbo and guitar) for a feast of Tuesday 18 July 7.30pm Association Rising Stars. They open with the Baroque music in this celebration of Handel and his London contemporaries. Picture Gallery, Paxton House glittering sonorities of Debussy’s Quartet – a quartet which marked a watershed in classical Tickets £25.00 music, moving away from the rules of classical (concessions £12.50) Quatuor Zaïde harmony. Schubert’s monumental G major Approximate Quartet completes the programme, one of a Debussy Quartet in G minor duration: 2 hrs Schubert Quartet in G D887 group of chamber music masterpieces written at the end of the composer’s short life. Concert sponsored Formed in 2012, this lively young French quartet is by the Benefactors gathering up many of the notable chamber music Tickets £20.00 (concessions £10.00) of Music at Paxton prizes, performing extensively in major halls Approximate duration: 2 hrs throughout Europe as European Concert Hall Concert sponsored by the Patrons of Music at Paxton ‘It is striking how exclusive the Wednesday 19 July 7.30pm Champions League of baroque Picture Gallery, Paxton House violinist remains... Bojan Cicic Sirocco Winds stands on the threshold of Ligeti Six Bagatelles Gershwin Selections from Porgy & Bess that pantheon.’ Berio Opus Number Zoo arr. Bill Holcombe De Standaard Hallam Dance Suite Piazzolla Libertango Barber Summer Music arr. Jeff Scott Schifrin La Nouvelle Orleans Formed in 2012, Sirocco Winds is a brilliant young ensemble comprised of current Masters students and graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Although based