Manchester Collective: Arcadiana

This music is forever young.

Journeying from the irreverent spirit of the early 90s all the way back to heady 19th century Romanticism, the music you’ll hear in this intimate show feels as fresh today as it did on the day it was written. Each of these pieces was penned by a composer in the blazing springtime of their artistic life, and the combined youthful spirit is infectious.

Jörg Widmann was just 20 years old when he stormed onto the international stage with a blistering new piece called ‘180 Beats Per Minute’. It’s full of sound and fury – the work of a young man full of ideas, confidence and vigour.

‘Arcadiana’ by Thomas Adès is considered to be one of the greatest British musical works of all time. It’s all the more astounding that the composer was just 23 when he wrote the piece – an exquisitely detailed and challenging meditation on change, loss and vanishing paradises. Alongside the performance, the Collective will present a deep-dive exploration of ‘Arcadiana’, revealing some of its musical secrets.

Johannes Brahms is the elder statesman of this programme. His swooning and romantic String Sextet in G Major is breathtakingly beautiful, the passionate work of a mature composer at the peak of his power. He finished the piece before his 32nd birthday.

This is music of incredible magnetism, charisma and energy. It won’t make you any younger. But it might just make you feel it.

Presented in partnership with Leeds International Concert Season.