Our side-by-side series continues with a series of chamber collaborations between Southbank Sinfonia and the Berkeley Ensemble. These two pieces - Hindemith's Kammermusik and Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks - represent two sides of a monumental coin: the approach of early 20th century composers to classical music. Hindemith is cautious and tactful, following the rules and doctrines laid out in the Baroque period: ordered, reserved, yet beautiful (a bit like the British countryside). Stravinsky, while paying homage to his elders, is sly, brash, and witty. Not to be missed.

Southbank Sinfonia Side-by-side With Berkeley Ensemble

St. John's Smith Square

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition may have inspired more arrangements than any other piece in the classical canon, but this performance eschews the most famous by Ravel for a more intimate version for String Quartet. Mussorgsky’s aren’t the only images in this programme – Crawford-Seeger’s Wind Quintet paints a compelling image of the ailing composer returning to the thing she most loves, while Arnold’s Guitar Concerto is a tacit portrait of the great jazz guitarists – Django Reinhardt’s influence on the piece is unmistakable.

Berkeley Ensemble

Jun 20, 2025

Pictures At An Exhibition With The Berkeley Ensemble

Jun 20, 2024

Southbank Sinfonia Side-by-side With Berkeley Ensemble

Berkeley Ensemble