Manchester’s Legacy: Revealing the Forgotten Beauty

17 May

Manchester Cathedral, M3 1SX

Friday 17 May 19 7:30 pm

Come join the Michael Haydn Orchestra for their first concert dedicated to the memory of Maria Malibran – the legendary singer, actress and composer, who met her untimely death at the early age of 28 after a performance in Manchester Cathedral in 1836.

Programme

The Programme includes three songs for soprano and harp which were composed by Maria Malibran herself including ‘Away o’er the blue waves of the Ocean.’ Soprano Alexandra Lowe, well known to Manchester audience for interpreting major roles at the RNCM Opera productions and winner of many competitions will interpret the role of Maria Malibran during this concert.

Included Performances

Michael Haydn’s ‘Concertino per il Corno’ in D major, this piece has won over time a special place in the hearts of many distinguished horn players all around the world. Played by international star French Horn soloist Ben Goldscheider.

J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg concerto no 1, to be performed on unique historical instruments from the RNCM historic instruments collection, featuring a Piccolo Stradivari violin. Conducted by Marco Bellasi former Junior-Fellow conductor from the Royal Northern College of Music.

‘Mendelssohn’s concert-aria ‘Infelice’ for soprano, violin concertante played by Sophie Rosa and orchestra, unpublished first version of 1834.

Maria Malibran

Tragically Maria met her untimely death at the early age of 28 after a performance at Manchester Cathedral in September 1836. The shocking news of her death from Manchester struck the entire musical world of that time. Mendelssohn was particularly shocked by the news according to Robert Schumann and expressed the intention of writing a requiem in memory of her.

A few years later he wrote the famous violin concerto in E minor which arguably contains a quotation from the finale of the first version of ‘Infelice’.

The last piece in the programme will be Mendelssohn’s violin concerto in E minor which he started composing in 1838.

The drama as well as the lyrical character that permeate this beautiful concerto could have been inspired to the art, the fiery temperament and the tragic death of the legendary Spanish singer Maria Malibran.