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sinfonia ViVA with Claire Bradshaw

Saturday 7th February 2009 at 8.00pm
Stamford Arts Centre
Ticket details from the Box Office on the number below
Box Office: 01780 763203
Online booking available

Claire Bradshaw - Mezzo Soprano

sinfonia ViVA's Leader and Artistic Director Benedict Holland is at the helm and is joined by the terrific Claire Bradshaw (mezzo-soprano) for tonight's concert with sinfonia ViVA as we take a tour through beautiful works by Ravel, Berlioz, Dvorak and Bizet.

Ravel's 1905 Introduction & Allegro was written as a commission for a firm of harp manufacturers as part of the promotion of the pedal harp, a newly innovated version of the instrument that was being marketed. He dedicated the piece to the head of the company. Somewhat overlooked by the composer himself, the warm and engaging piece has remained one of his lesser known works, possibly because of the huge success he was to find with later compositions.

Berlioz song-set Nuits d'été (Summer Nights) was written in 1840-1, though orchestration of individual songs continued over the next 15 years. The composer may originally not have intended the songs as a connected series, but this they subsequently became, joined by their shared exploration of the themes of passion and sorrow as expressed in the poetry of Théophile Gautier upon which they were based. The version by David Matthews being performed tonight is for a chamber orchestra of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, harp and solo strings and was specially commissioned by sinfonia ViVA.

Dvorak's career was in its ascendancy when in 1878 he composed the Serenade in D minor, which received its first performance with the composer conducting in Prague during the winter of that year. The version we hear most often today is the 20th century revision of the work done by František Hertl.

And finally, to a marvellous selection of excerpts from the German composer and oboist Andreas N. Tarkmann's ensemble arrangement of Bizet's incomparable opera Carmen - Introduction and Habañera, Flower Song, Prelude to Act 4, Seguidilla and the Toreodor Song.

Fine music from the finest musicians. A treat not to be missed!

Supported by Orchestras Live and Arts Council England