the performers:
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective + Matthew Rose (bass)
the programme:
Schubert + Glinka + Borodin + Whitley + Walker + Barber + Korngold
about the music:
You can tell that so much thought has gone in to this programme. This concert is designed to take you on a dramatic emotional journey for our times.
The music starts with Schubert’s brilliant Adagio and Rondo concertante in F major, a piece full of light and energy. Schubert wrote this fun showpiece when only 18: have a listen to the last few bars for a flavour of its positivity.
But then the mood changes.
The middle of the programme moves towards darker themes. Glinka’s Doubt and Borodin’s The Pretty Girl No Longer Loves Me will both feature bass-superstar Matthew Rose, and are just as moody as their titles suggest. You can hear the heartache in the piano intro and cello solo of the Borodin.
Later on in the programme, George Walker’s haunting and intense Lyric for Strings will reinforce the seriousness of this programme. Walker was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and his music has complex roots in Chopin, Brahms, church hymns and jazz. This piece was written in memory of his grandmother; listen to this section for a sense of its intensely felt nostalgia and mourning.
The Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective aren’t the kind of people who like to be gloomy for long, though. The programme ends with Korngold’s lush, quirky and uplifting Piano Quintet in E major. Korngold was the man who invented the sound of early Hollywood soundtracks, and his music is always full of character and bold colours.
We think this concert couldn’t be more in touch with how people are feeling at the moment. It’s got darkness and fear, but ultimately hope and positivity, and we think it’s going to be really special.
about the performers:
The Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective were described by The Arts Desk as “a sparky, shape-shifting ensemble of starry young musicians”, and they’re on a mission to bring diverse, uplifting chamber music to as many people as possible. Every concert they give is packed with positive energy. Check out this video of them practicing an encore for a sense of their vibe.
Matthew Rose is one of the world’s best basses, and has sung in most of the world’s biggest opera houses and concert halls.
the price:
£20