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A Symphony of Events: Exploring London’s Orchestral Delights
Discover the vibrant tapestry of orchestral masterpieces awaiting you at the Barbican Centre in London. From the playful narratives of Janáček to the cosmic explorations in Manu Martin’s compositions, each event promises a unique journey into the world of classical music. With performances spread across various dates and featuring renowned conductors and soloists, these events offer an engaging experience for both seasoned aficionados and newcomers to the orchestral scene. Dive into this article as we explore the highlights and artistic brilliance of these spectacular musical gatherings.
Apr 22, 2025
Share1. London Symphony Orchestra: Family Concert
LSO Family Concerts are a fun, informative way for families to experience live music together and learn more about the instruments of the orchestra. Each concert is based on a theme, with free workshops before the performance, and the opportunity for everyone to get involved by playing or singing along with the audience participation piece during the concert.
Dec 1, 2024 - Jun 21, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
2. Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 4
Composed in the ruins of war-devastated Dresden in just three days, Shostakovich’s Quartet No 8 (here in the upscaled version by Rudolf Barshai), is one of the most harrowing testaments in all 20th century music. Deploying his musical monogram DSCH at every turn, the composer wrote himself into it. The single-movement Quartet No 13, dedicated to violist Vadim Borovsky, gives eloquent voice to his instrument. Bartók’s music, heard in New York, fuels the 4th, written in memory of artist and set designer Pyotr Williams. Inspired by William Blake, Elena Firsova’s own 4th quartet proves ‘Amoroso’ by name and nature.
Apr 29, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Milton Court Concert Hall
3. London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle
The ‘hero’ of Janáček’s 1920 satire is the sausage- and beer-guzzling Brouček, a complacent, commitment-averse landlord. Over two acts he travels to both the moon and the fifteenth century. Thinking the grass will be greener both times, Brouček finds himself out of step with the communities he encounters, almost fatally so at one point. He ends up learning nothing, yet manages to claim he saved his homeland from disaster. Janáček’s colourful score and vividly-drawn characters are perfect for this uproarious, off-beat story.
4 - 6 May, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
4. Holst, Gershwin and Martin with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Before Holst’s classic portrayal of the solar system, we will hear Manu Martin’s Cosmic Rhapsody, based on a narrative created by Susan Lim and Christina Teenz Tan. In the piece, the quest for solutions to Earth's environmental crisis intertwines with elements of suspense, drama, romance, intrigue, and scientific exploration.
May 5, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
5. London Symphony Orchestra/Gustavo Dudamel
In two nocturnal, billowing portraits, Ravel imagines distant lands: a longing that conjures them before our very eyes. And in a suite drawn from the opera Der Rosenkavalier, Richard Strauss invites us to dance among the colour and movement of Vienna’s bygone golden age.
May 14, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
6. London Symphony Orchestra/Susanna Mälkki
When Stravinsky met Dushkin, the first soloist of his Violin Concerto, he showed him a chord written on a napkin. This chord became what Stravinsky called the ‘passport’ for the work. It opens each movement, but the music that follows is different each time, from the lively opening and the melancholy Arias to the delicate finale.
May 18, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
7. London Symphony Orchestra/ Half Six Fix – Berlioz
Hector Berlioz’s music was steeped in fantasy. Guided by his powerful, sometimes dark imagination, the French composer created bold, inventive music that was seething with drama, inspired as much by his turbulent personal life as the world around him.
May 21, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
8. London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano
Berlioz was always in thrall to one craze or other. His Le corsaire Overture was inspired by a love of Byron, an attraction to piracy, and a failed affair. The result is a suitably colourful experience.
Composed in 1916, Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto is haunting, enigmatic and inspired by an ecstatic poem about a ‘rapturous conflagration’. And Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique is a wild ride through a drug-fuelled hallucination, triggered by thwarted love and full of astonishing orchestral effects.
May 22, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
9. London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano
Richard Strauss’ amazing ability to tell a story in music is on display in this concert. Till Eulenspiegel is a prankster who comes to sticky end (Strauss goes to town when Till’s exploits finally catch up with him). And in Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Strauss appears to be the hero of his own story, with quotations from his other works scattered throughout the score.
May 25, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Barbican Centre
10. Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 5
Empowered by the great adagios of late Beethoven, Shostakovich’s quartet farewell is music for which isolation holds no terrors: five sombre Adagios (the composer’s instruction was to play so slowly ‘flies drop dead in mid-air’) plus a Funeral March. The Quartet No 7 remembers Shostakovich’s beloved first wife Nina, finally retreating into affectionate reminiscence, then grateful repose. First, though, comes the Quartet No 10 composed in 1963 when, creatively restored, Shostakovich gleefully dedicated it to his fellow composer Mieczysław Weinberg, who had only notched up 9!
May 29, 2025
Barbican Centre
London · Milton Court Concert Hall
Conclusion
With such an array of musical treasures, the events at the Barbican Centre promise to leave an indelible mark on all who attend. Each performance, whether it be a family-friendly concert or a deep dive into the works of Shostakovich and Berlioz, offers a distinct blend of education, entertainment, and artistry. These concerts not only celebrate the rich history of orchestral music but also continue to inspire future generations. We invite you to immerse yourself in this symphony of events, witness the magic of live performances, and experience the profound impact of classical music.
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