TIL MAY BANK HOLS

Photo: Wouter Van Vaerenbergh
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: 100 YEARS
OF MAGIC
The Brussels Philharmonic and
Music Director Stéphane Denève return
to London this week with a tribute to one
of the most talented, versatile and
successful musicians in American
history, Leonard Bernstein. Considered
‘among classical music’s best-kept
secrets’ (The Guardian), the Belgian
orchestra takes the stage of Cadogan
Hall on Thursday 31 May at 19.30.
A century after his birth, Leonard
Bernstein – composer, conductor,
cultural ambassador, and humanitarian –
and his music continue to speak to our
imagination. His Serenade is perhaps
his most famous non-theatrical work and
has been performed by many great
violinists. It is based on Plato’s
Symposium, the text in which he
introduced the concept of Platonic love.
Speaking to BBC Music Magazine,
Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman, joining
the Brussels Philharmonic for this violin
showpiece, says, ‘The Serenade has its
own unique voice, great thematic writing
and incredible instrumentation. I find it a
pity when people think that his classical
repertoire was somehow secondary to
his lighter works. It really stole my heart,
and I’m really keen to find a much larger
audience for it.’
The 1944 musical On the Town
represents Leonard Bernstein's first
venture onto the Broadway stage.
Inspired by his successful ballet Fancy
Free, the musical follows the adventures
of three sailors on shore leave in New
York City and is focused around a series
of dance episodes, three of which
Bernstein selected for an orchestral
suite. Jazz and dance rhythms, finger
clicking, not to mention a police whistle
are not ordinarily heard at symphony
concerts, but expect to hear them all
during a performance of West Side
Story, Bernstein’s modern-day, big-city
adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. In 1960,
Bernstein drew from it an orchestral
suite of Symphonic Dances which
follows the principal episodes of the
drama. It is thanks to the swinging and
captivating music from West Side Story
that Bernstein has come to be engraved
in our collective memory.
For tickets, telephone 020 7730 4500
or www.cadoganhall.com
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER –
A MUSICAL CELEBRATION
Live at Chelsea have announced
further additions to the cast of Andrew
Lloyd Webber – A Musical Celebration,
which takes place at the Royal Hospital
Chelsea on 17 June as part of the
ongoing celebrations for his 70th
birthday this year. These include Alfie
Boe, Beverley Knight, Madalena Alberto,
Jodie Prenger, Michael Xavier, Ben
Lewis and Raphael Bellamy Plaice.
Culminating in an extravagant
firework display, this night of unique
performances of Lloyd Webber’s work by
recording artists and stars of the West
End, will be accompanied by The Royal
Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Songs
will be performed from Andrew’s famous
repertoire including Cats, Aspects of
Love, Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ
Superstar, Evita, Starlight Express and
Love Never Dies.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is the most
successful composer of musicals in
history and professional productions of
his shows have sold more than 330
million tickets worldwide. When Sunset
Boulevard joined School of Rock, Cats
and The Phantom of the Opera on
Broadway last year, Andrew Lloyd
Webber became the only person to equal
the record set in 1953 by Rodgers and
Hammerstein with four Broadway shows
running concurrently.
Tickets are available from the website
www.liveatchelsea.com
Live at Chelsea.
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