The RNCM showcases the thrilling scope of symphony with two unmissable concerts this November

This November, the RNCM present a pair of wondrously unconventional live concerts which each offer a captivating departure from orchestral tradition, ushering in a bold new age of classical music featuring reimagined ballet forms, sonic experimentation and more.

To mark the commencement of the RNCM’s 2024 winter schedule, the RNCM Symphony Orchestra ventures into the murky, cavernous shadow side of Viennese waltz conventions to stage a masterful rendition of Ravel’s dark and subversive commentary on post-World War I Europe and the collapsing decadence of empire, La valse, on Fri 1 Nov.

Billed as an evening of surprises and riveting unpredictability, the concert also features Satie’s revelatory subversion of delicate escapist ballet in Parade, where traditional instruments give way to jarring, distinctly unmelodious sounds from typewriters, sirens, and even airplane propellers to create a thrillingly unfamiliar soundscape.

On Fri 15 Nov, Paraorchestra‘s breathtakingly skilled ensemble of disabled and non-disabled professional musicians, conducted by Charles Hazlewood, traverse the full spectrum of human experience with a haunting and gorgeously rendered interpretation of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, sung by soprano Victoria Oruwari.

Equal parts heartrending and hopeful, Górecki’s soaring sonic odyssey offers a profound meditation on loss and grief, comfort and redemption, inviting audiences on a musical journey which emerges from the depths of anguish with a renewed, fortified spirit.

Alongside the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Paraorchestra also deliver a spellbinding performance of Schubert’s Death of the Maiden, arranged by Mahler, as the ensemble continues to break new ground in classical music and challenge ideas of what an orchestra can and should be.

Photo credit: EljayBriss