Classical Curiosities | Instante Ensemble conducted by Joel Sandelson
Joel Sandelson + Istante Ensemble + Susan Jiwey
Entry Requirements: -
Mozart operas and symphonies are as well-known as Boccherini symphonies and Haydn operas are forgotten.
On the title page of Boccherini's Symphony in A Major, he wrote A piu strumenti obbligati which means every member of the ensemble will have a solo role at some point in the piece. This piece was most likely written for the magnificent orchestra of Duchess Benevente Ossuna in 1787. (Yes, she had her own private orchestra like all good aristocrats in those days.) Two years later on the other side of Europe, Haydn was about to put on a production of Cimarosa's I due supposti Conti at the Esterhazy Opera Theatre. He was not totally convinced of this work or perhaps his beloved soprano wanted a better aria to sing so he composed Infelice sventurata, a rare gem, hardly performed nowadays. (Our friend, Alexis, went to the British Library to photocopy the only score available!)
Ten years earlier after a trip to Vienna the 18-year-old Mozart wrote his Symphony No. 29.
Mozart's exceptional opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, is so complete and perfect, Haydn would not have wanted to change a thing and his beloved soprano would have very much liked to sing the aria, Dove sono i bei momenti.
Boccherini Sinfonia op.37 n.4
Haydn "infelice Sventurata" HOBXXIV
Mozart "E susanna non vien..Dove sono i bei momenti" Countess recit and aria from Nozze di figaro
Mozart Symphony n.29
Line Up
Joel Sandelson
"A pro of the first order"#
The Daily Telegraph
Joel Sandelson is a conductor equally at home directing exciting performances of symphonic repertoire and insightful work with period instruments. Having graduated from Clare College, Cambridge in 2016 with a triple-starred first in music he recently began studying conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. In Cambridge he directed many orchestral, choral and operatic projects and was the Conducting Scholar of the Cambridge University Music Society for two years after winning the university’s conducting competition twice. He conducted concerts with the university’s flagship symphony orchestra in Cambridge and on tours in Europe in repertoire including Mahler, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.
In 2013 he founded the Barbican Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble of elite conservatoire students, and has directed them in concerts across London, including successful return engagements at St John’s Smith Square. He is especially committed to historical performance both as director and cellist and in 2017 will launch a new period-instrument orchestra focusing on late eighteenth-century music. He has assisted notable conductors including John Wilson, Richard Farnes, Carlos Izcaray, David Hill and Rory Macdonald, and will in the coming months prepare projects for Edward Gardner, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Sir Mark Elder. Upcoming concerts include Pierrot Lunaire and new music with the Perseus Ensemble, Mozart and Haydn symphonies at the Royal Academy and Schumann and Mendelssohn with BCO.
As a cellist, he has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician, including several recitals at Wigmore Hall and concertos with orchestras in the UK and Europe. Other highlights include appearances at festivals in Europe, Israel and Canada; premieres of solo and chamber works by Lowell Liebermann, Sir Nicholas Jackson and Kamran Ince; a performance of Steve Reich’s cello music in the presence of the composer; chamber collaborations with the Endellion and Celan Quartets; and success in several national competitions, including reaching the strings final of BBC Young Musician. He remains active as a chamber musician on both modern and historical cellos.
Istante Ensemble
Istante is a European chamber ensemble formed by a new generation of period-instrument professionals drawn together by a common spirit of inquisitiveness and historical awareness. Its individual members perform internationally with prestigious period-instrument ensembles such as the English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of Ancient Music, Europa Galante, Concerto Italiano, La Chambre Philharmonique.
Owing to its diverse cultural background, as well as its sensitivity to the specific musical idioms of each age,Istante is able to accompany audiences on a sweeping musical journey, with repertoire ranging from the late Renaissance to the present day. Its flexible formation allows for interesting and diverse programme combinations, balancing well-known classics with more original and often neglected works.
Susan Jiwey
Susan Jiwey is of Portuguese-Iraqi heritage and London born and bred. She graduated with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and also holds first class honours degrees from both the University of Bristol and King’s College, London. She is winner of the Prix Bernac for Best Singer at the Ravel International Academy and has specialised in singing lead roles with small professional companies in the UK, France and Spain.
Her busy professional stage career includes Mimi La Bohème in the Olivier award-winning production for OperaUpClose where she has performed the role in successful runs at the Ravenna Festival, Soho Theatre and Charing Cross Theatre. She has also sung Fiordiligi Cosi Fan Tutte, Contessa Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni with Opera Vera and Westminster Opera, Rosalinde Die Fledermaus for Opera de Bauge, Violetta La Traviata for Iford Festival Opera and Cio-Cio San Madam Butterfly for New Devon Opera. She is an experienced oratorio soloist and has recently sung The Messiah, Teatro Calderon, Valladolid and Dvorak Mass in D with Wimbledon Choral Society.
Please see www.susanjiwey.com for more information.