Join one of Britain’s busiest chamber ensembles as part of their Brandenburg Concertos 2018 Tour as they stop off at St George's Hall performing two hallmarks of the baroque era: JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos Nos 4 and 5.
London Concertante is one of the finest chamber ensembles in the country, its players brought together through a shared passion for chamber music. The group has the rare ability to combine flexibility of instrumental grouping and consistently maintain superb artistic endeavour. With an enviable array of critical acclaim, a stunning selection of recordings on such prestigious labels as Chandos, Toccata Classics and Harmonia Mundi, and performances throughout the UK and Europe, London Concertante rightfully claims its position at the forefront of classical performers in the UK.
The Brandenburg concertos are iconic works for their ground-breaking use of instrument combinations and musical development that ultimately changed the course of music history. While Brandenburg Concerto No 4 features bursts of dazzling technical difficulty from the violinist, Brandenburg Concerto No 5 has often been referred to as the first harpsichord concerto ever written, with a particularly exciting and immensely virtuosic passage of solo writing at the end of the first movement, featuring a rapid succession of twists and turns that require the most gifted of performers to master. Handel’s luxurious Concerto Grosso compliments these works by Bach magnificently, with a sumptuous, although remarkably short, opening slow movement that leads onto a daringly simple melody before returning to a sublimely expansive middle movement. The other two pieces in the evenings programme present the contrasting characters of Mozart, with the enigmatic and playful outer movements of the Divertimento in D and a more introvert, wistful flute melody in the middle movement of the Flute Quartet with an inspired accompaniment of plucked strings.
If you don’t consider yourself ‘in the know’ about Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach, fear not, this is the orchestra for you. The London Concertante boasts a remarkable audience record in which an impressive 50% of spectators are first time classical concert goers! The London Concertante has its audience laughing at jokes, gasping at virtuosity, moved by gorgeous string playing, and leaving with a smile on their faces.
“Just exceptional. If you’ve always wanted to attend a classical concert, but feared it would be snobby or dull, this is for you… Wonderful.”
- A happy audience member (December 2017)
“A perfect evening out. We loved it.”
- Another happy audience member (November 2017)
“Heady stuff … thrilling virtuoso playing. Exciting listening”
- Gramophone Magazine