Sebastian Taylor’s music news: Juliana opera; relax at the Wigmore; Hendrix sounds; Australian Chamber Orchestra
Thursday, 18th October 2018 — By Sebastian Taylor
Samuel Pantcheff, Cheryl Enever, and Rebecca Afonwy-Jones
PARLIAMENT HILL conductor George Vass’s company Nova Music Opera is giving the London premiere of composer Joseph Phibbs’ new one act opera Juliana at St John’s Smith Square, Westminster, on Sunday evening (October 21). “We’ll be converting the famous concert venue into a theatre,” he says. The opera transplants August Strindberg’s celebrated play Miss Julie to a contemporary Swedish setting, confronting a number of topical issues head-on.
• St John’s Smith Square, Westminster, 020 7222 1061, 8pm, from £25
SOMETHING of a novelty at the Wigmore Hall on Saturday afternoon (October 20) – a “relaxed concert” providing an opportunity to explore music with wind quintet Magnard Ensemble in an informal environment. There’s a relaxed attitude to noise and movement, house lights remaining on. Audience members can move in or out of the auditorium as they like – and there’s a cuppa afterwards.
• Wigmore Hall: Relaxed concert: Magnard Ensemble, 3pm, £5; New Nash Ensemble season opener: German Romantics, 7.30pm, from £15, 020 7935 2141, www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
SOME of Jimi Hendrix’s innovations in guitar playing are being demonstrated by Nigel Jones at his Electric Ladyland workshop being held this Saturday morning (October 20) at Handel & Hendrix, Brook Street, Mayfair. Other Hendrix workshops are being held on November 17 and December 20.
• Hendrix Talks Electric Landlady: hour-long session for guitarists, Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, Mayfair, 11am, £12
THE wonderful Australian Chamber Orchestra is playing three not-to-be missed concerts at Milton Court, Barbican, next week. First on Monday evening (October 22) is Mozart’s last three symphonies portraying three universes of emotion, beauty and artistic truth. The second on Tuesday (October 23) involves a film screening of Mountain, a nature documentary about mountains, accompanied by live music. The third, on Wednesday (October 24), is an unconventional tripling of Bach, Beethoven and Bartok.
• October 22: 7.30pm, from £15
• October 23: 8pm, £25
• October 24: 7.30pm, from £15
Milton Court, Barbican, Silk St, EC2Y 8DS, 020 7638 8891, www.barbican.org.uk
