Coffee Concerts

Coffee Concert 14th March 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Strings Attached Review by John Hawkins

These two works (symphonic in scale, complexity and concentration) demand a huge range of feeling and technical grasp which make it an achievement to include both in one concert. Joanna MacGregor and the Philharmonic’s strings, despite the necessary physical distancing, rose to the task with performances of sustained beauty and power.

The opening movements of both pieces demand great drive and forward movement. Chris Darwin’s Continue reading Coffee Concert 14th March 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Strings Attached Review by John Hawkins

Newsletter #58

We are delighted to announce the first Coffee Concert of 2021. Obviously it can’t be live, but it will be livestreamed from the Brighton Dome Concert Hall. Even streamed concerts are not easy to arrange in the present circumstances and we apologise for the short notice.

Brighton Dome and Festival in association with Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and Strings Attached present Joanna MacGregor with the Brighton Philharmonic Principal Players.

Sunday 14 March at 11.30am Continue reading Newsletter #58

14th March 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Programme notes by Chris Darwin

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Piano Quartet in E♭ Op 47 (1842)Print/PDF

Sostenuto assai — Allegro ma non troppo
Scherzo. Molto vivace
Andante cantabile
Finale. Vivace

Coming after his ‘Liederjahre’ of 1840 and the subsequent ‘Symphonic Year’ of 1841, 1842 was Schumann’s ‘Chamber Music Year’: three string quartets, the particularly successful piano quintet and today’s piano quartet. Such creativity may have been initiated by Schumann at last winning, in July 1840, the protracted legal case in which his ex-teacher Friedrich Wieck, attempted to forbid him from marrying Wieck’s daughter, the piano virtuoso Clara. They were married on 12 September 1840, the day before Clara’s 21st birthday. Continue reading 14th March 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Programme notes by Chris Darwin