Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra

Thu 19 May 2011 8pm

Butterworth Hall £35 (£33), £32 (£30), £28 (£27), £24 (£23), £18, (£17), £11

Conductor: Alexei Stepanov

Musicians: Chorus - Principals from the Bolshoi Opera, Piano - Alexei Grynyuk

Rimsky-Korsakov – The Tale of Tsar Saltan -Suite from the opera, Op.57
Introduction to Act I: The Tsar’s Departure & Farewell
Introduction to Act II: The Tsaritsa and Her Son
Afloat in the Barrel
Introduction to Act IV: The Three Wonders
Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 1
Interval
Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin – Extracts
Polonaise
Tatiana’s Letter Scene
Onegin’s Aria (Act I Sc.3)
Final Duet

The Bolshoi: the name says it all. The spiritual home of Russian ballet and opera, for over two centuries, it’s performed the classics of Russian music and dance with dazzling flare and unquenchable passion.

So we’re thrilled to welcome the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra for a whole evening of the music they play better than anyone else. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan is the ultimate musical fairy tale; a glittering musical jewel-box filled with deliciously hummable tunes, and this concert suite gives you all the best bits! Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, meanwhile, is arguably the very greatest of all Russian operas, as Tchaikovsky takes a tale of Regency rakes and Jane Austen-esque heroines and pumps it full of Slavic heartbreak.

You’ll never hear a more authentic performance than by tonight’s team of Bolshoi singers – and Midlands audiences have already fallen in love with magnificent young Ukrainian pianist Alexei Grynyuk, and his fabulously poetic way with Rachmaninov. The Bolshoi Opera and Orchestra have been at the centre of Russian musical life for over two centuries. For the finale of our season, they will present a selection of music from three of the greatest composers of their country.

This evening will truly honour the greatness of Russian music, and provides a spectacular conclusion to our concert series.

Pre-Concert Talk
Conference Room 6.45pm
Tickets £2, Subscribers £1
Brian Midgley, lecturer in Music at the University of Warwick, talks about the works in tonight’s programme.

Butterworth Hall

With a maximum capacity of 2000 standing or 1500 seated this concert hall has an outstanding natural acoustic and is the home of our International Concert Series, as well as the majority of our music gigs and big name comedians. Butterworth Hall has recently had a £6.9 million redevelopment and reopened in autumn 2009 .