Tag Archives: Sally Beamish

“Glass Harmonicas and Devil Automatons in Cardiff” – new review

17th century Devil Automaton by Manfredo SettalaA review of our concert in Cardiff last month takes it’s title from our eclectic programme of Berio, Woolrich, Mozart (arranged by Sally Beamish) and Philip Cashian: “Glass Harmonicas and Devil Automatons in Cardiff“.

It was the premiere of our newly commissioned Dectet “Settala’s Machine” by Philip Cashian, performed alongside five students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The work is inspired by Manfredo Settala’s seventeenth-century devilish automaton.

We also performed one of our favourite Mozart-arrangements – a commission by Sally Beamish for our “Mozart, Mechanical Marvels and More…” programme at the Wigmore Hall last year. Our audience clearly enjoyed it too!

“For me the undoubted musical highlight of the programme was Sally Beamish’s version of Mozart’s Adagio for Glass Harmonica (K.356)…The subtlety and clarity of Beamish’s writing here is a joy, and the interpretation we heard was utterly compelling.”

We’re looking forward to performing our Mozart-inspired programme again in the new year – and plans are afoot for a series of performances of Cashian’s “Settala’s Machine”.

NLCE live on BBC radio 3′s In Tune

The NLCE featured on BBC Radio 3′s In Tune programme with Sean Rafferty, joined by composer Sally Beamish and music historian Dr Fiona Elliott.

We were previewing our “Mozart, Mechanical Marvels and More…” programme which took place last night, 27th July, to a packed house at Wigmore Hall.   With a fascination for the latest technology in Mozart’s Vienna in 1790, we commissioned new realisations of four of his miniatures written for mechanical instruments.  Composers Sally Beamish, Julian Philips, Philip Cashian and Martin Butler all made new arrangements of these pieces, and Sally also wrote a set of variations upon her theme.   Sitting alongside that in the Wigmore concert were Ligeti’s Bagatelles for quintet, and John Woolrich’s Book of Studies I, including miniatures such as “Clockwork Chorale”. The links are clear!

Lastly, we were joined by piano superstar Angela Hewitt for the sublime Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds in E flat.

Listen to us on BBC, talking about the projects, the historical background, and performing realisations by Sally Beamish and Martin Butler.

NLCE at Wigmore Hall with Angela Hewitt

Angela HewittOn 27th July the NLCE teams up with Angela Hewitt to perform the famous Mozart Piano and Wind Quintet in E flat K452, plus four new realisations of Mozart miniatures for mechanical instruments, by some of the UK’s best composers: Julian Philips, Sally Beamish, Philip Cashian and Martin Butler.  This takes a fresh look at the age-old question of linking old music with new – something that the NLCE has pioneered for the last ten years.

Programme

Mozart – Adagio & Allegro in F minor for mechanical organ K594 (realised for wind quintet by Martin Butler)
Mozart – Adagio in C for glass harmonica K356 (realised for wind quintet by Sally Beamish)
Mozart – Fantasia in F minor for mechanical organ K608 (realised for wind quintet by Julian Philips)
Ligeti – Six Bagatelles for wind quintet
Woolrich – A Book of Studies Set I for wind quintet
Mozart –Andante in F for mechanical organ K616 (realised for wind quintet by Philip Cashian)
Mozart – Quintet in Eb for piano and winds K452

Get your tickets now!  Call Wigmore Hall Box Office on 020 7935 2141.