Berlioz and Sir Mark Elder

Sir Mark Elder recently spoke to our programme note writer, Jo Kirkbride about his forthcoming performances of Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ. Despite a career dedicated to Berlioz’s music the tour with Britten Sinfonia will be the first time he has conducted L’enfance du Christ, so it is a wonderful opportunity for him to embrace this unique work, as he remarks;

‘I can’t even remember ever hearing it live – since it is very rarely done. Of course I’ve studied it, and thought about it, and I think I have an old recording of it... I’ve been thinking about L’enfance du Christ for many months and letting it marinate inside me.’

Berlioz had been criticized by the French press for his style of composition. At a concert in 1850 Berlioz presented a short choral work entitled L’adieu des bergiers (The Shepherds Farwell) under the name of a ficitional composer – the critics adored it and this confirmed to Berlioz that it was his name and not his music that the critics were biased against. Emboldened with this knowledge he continued the work and it was finally completed in 1854.

Sir Mark says “Everyone thought that this was Berlioz finally learning how to write music but that is so short-sighted of them. What’s fascinating for me is that he conceived the work as a series of pictures, and that he then went about finding a sound-world for them. There is a deliberately judged archaic quality to the music that needs a great sensitivity and yet it must never be sentimental, it must never be filled with a false emotion. Everyone must trust the intimate, honest, direct quality in it.”

When talking about the drama and colour of L’enfance du Christ Sir Mark commented; ‘I am always reminded of those Renaissance painters who painted a series of smaller pictures which would be adjoined by their colours – I see this piece very much like that. Each particular scene has its own timbre. It is not a rich, twentieth-century sound but rather more restrained with little vibrato in the voices and instruments. One has to make the drama of the words live without being too respectful – you need to give it full blood. Thinking about this and getting to grips with this is something that I adore.’
Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ will be performed in London at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Thursday 8 December, West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge (sold out) on Friday 9 December and Brighton Dome on Saturday 10 December.


This blog post uses extracts from the programme note for L'enfance du Christ by Jo Kirkbride which will be available online from Thursday 1 December.

Two Virtuoso Violinists

Virtuoso violinists throughout the centuries have arguably, more than any other instrumentalists, achieved a ‘god-like’ status with the public. From the Italian Paganini in the 1800’s described as the first Romantic virtuoso, to Nigel Kennedy, who today is not only famed for his interpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons but his work with musicians from other genres - violinists have both enthralled and entranced audiences with their brilliant technique and golden tone.

This October we will be exploring the artistry of not one but two violinists. We will be touring with Norwegian violinist, Henning Kraggerud who will performa specially commissioned work by British composer Piers Tattersall which explores the style of Fritz Kreisler – an Austrian violinist and composer of the early 20th century..

Henning is an artist of exquisite musicianship, who combines an unusually sweet tone and beauty of expression with impressive virtuosity, drawing audiences and critics alike towards the genuine quality of his playing. This summer, on tour in Mexico, Henning and Britten Sinfonia players established a great rapport with Henning and are looking forward to performing with him for our regular audiences in Norwich, Cambridge and London.

Part of the programme is a new work by the young composer Piers Tattersall. In the process of writing this new piece Piers and Henning discussed in great detail how the new work would develop and what the inspirations behind it were. Entitled Kreisler, l’entre deux guerres the work is informed by elements of the life and music of Kreisler. Perhaps the most popular violinist of the early 20th century Kreisler was known for his expressive sweet tone and brilliant technique. He played in what has often been described as a ‘cosy’ style and had a taste for ‘pastiche’. In the 1930’s Kreisler caused controversy when he admitted that a number of pieces he’d published which he’d ascribed to other composers (e.g. Vivaldi, Couperin and others) were in fact his own compositions. Kreisler answered complaints by declaring that critics had already deemed the compositions worthy and he explained his motive was to build well-rounded programmes for his concerts that would contain virtuoso pieces by established composers, rather than a series of pieces under his own unknown name.

Piers Tattersall’s Kreisler l’entre deux guerres is commissioned by Britten Sinfonia with support from the William Alwyn Foundation and additional funding from the RVW Trust. For more information about the concerts click here. The première will take place at Norwich Theatre Royal on Sunday 2 October and then tours to Cambridge’s West Road Concert Hall on Wednesday 5 October and London’s Southbank Centre on Friday 7 October.

Meet Henning Kraggerud

For the opening concert's of Britten Sinfonia's 2011-12 season the orchestra will be joined by violinist Henning Kraggerud. In this edition of our occasional series of Q and A's with soloists, musicians and staff, Henning answers a few questions.


What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Hard to single out, but probably Beethoven with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, but I also loved Tchaikovsky at the Proms in 2010.

When are you happiest?
With my family at Christmas.

What is your greatest fear?
You think I will tell?

What is your earliest musical memory?
Listening to Beethoven symphonies as a toddler.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Haruki Murakami, because he is like Beethoven in the way that he didn’t give up before he became a genius through hard work, rather than born a genius like Mozart.

What is your most treasured possession?
My violin.

What would your super power be?
Controlling the flow of time.

If you were an animal what would you be?
Pan-dimensional being, partly mouse, as described by Douglas Adams.

What is your favourite book?
At the moment 1Q84 (Haruki Murakami), but is has been Lord of the Rings, Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, Never Let Me Go, The Corrections…

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Peshawari naan and Madras curry with Cobra beer.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?
To listen to Chopin play maybe?

How do you relax away from the concert platform?
Reading lots of books.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having 2 children

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Not believing in easy answers you can write in one sentence.

In a nutshell, what is your philosophy?
Those who have both legs firmly planted to the ground go nowhere.

Henning will be directing and performing with Britten Sinfonia in Mozart's 4th Violin Concerto, Mahler's arrangement of Schubert's Death and the Maiden and a new work by Piers Tattersall. Concerts take place at Norwich Theatre Royal on Sunday 2 October, Cambridge's West Road Concert Hall on Wednesday 5 October and in London at the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday 7 October. For more info click here

Meet Richard Watkins

In the first of an occasional series of Q and A's with Britten Sinfonia players, staff and soloists Richard Watkins answers a few questions.


What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Performing a work written for you has always given me a huge thrill.

Any low points?
Trying to play at less than 100%,for whatever reason and thinking it’s going to work... it doesn’t


When are you happiest?
Playing with friends

What is your greatest fear?
Low notes

What is your earliest musical memory?
Jumping up and down to the Rite of Spring ,aged 5 or 6 with my father,one of his favourite pieces.

What is your most treasured possession?
My family

If you were an animal what would you be?
I do envy, Charlie our cat who seems to live a life of luxury.

What is your most unappealing habit?
Leaving all the radios at home tuned to the cricket channel.

What is your favourite book?
The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Fine French Wine

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Winston Churchill and Benjamin Britten

How do you relax away from the concert platform?
Spending time at home ,cooking

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I think of achievements too much as sporting analogies - I really enjoy playing and hope it gives other people pleasure.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Look forward

In a nutshell, what is your philosophy?
Try to be positive as much as possible.

Richard Watkins will be performing Weber's Concertino for Horn and Orchestra with Britten Sinfonia on Sunday 28 November at Norwich Theatre Royal, Monday 29 November at Cambridge's West Road Concert Hall and on Tuesday 30 November at Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. More Info

Birtwistle's Bach Measures

Sir Harrison Birtwistle's Bach Measures opens our concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall tonight. Described by Andrew Clements in the programme book as 'More Bach than Birtwistle', it's an intriguingly textured treatment. Jacqueline Shave directs. Prokofiev's Classical Symphony follows, before Imogen Cooper joins us for Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 4.
Tickets for tonight can be booked online.
Tonight's concert is the end of a tour which has taken in the Wiltshire Music Centre, Dartington, Norwich and Cambridge.
Britten Sinfonia's next project starts in Krakow next weekend on the 16th at noon, with a new work by Richard Causton, who will be contributing to our blog later in the week.

Imogen Cooper

Imogen Cooper is one the UK's most distinguished pianists, and our players love working with her. Following last year’s acclaimed performances of Beethoven’s first two keyboard concerti, we are now mid-tour with performances of the tranquil and serene fourth, coupled with works by Prokoviev and Birtwistle.

In the words of Prokofiev, his Classical Symphony offers us an intriguing vision of a symphony ‘as Haydn might have written it, had he lived in our day’. Using 18th-century orchestral forces and borrowing Haydn’s formal structures (as well as his clarity and wit), Prokofiev produces a gem of a work that both charms and entertains. Completing this programme is Harrison Birtwistle’s tribute to the great J.S. Bach, Bach Measures.

The first concert at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon last Friday was sold out. There are further performances in Dartington on Wednesday 5th, Norwich on Friday 7th, Cambridge on Saturday 8th, and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on Monday 10th December.