The White Hat guide to Olivier Messiaen

Trout Quintet & Quartet for the End of Time

A rare treat. Two of what White Hat regards as the finest works in the chamber music repetoire presented in the one concert. The Schubert Trout Quintet is full of sunshine and youthful optimism while Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time is, in White Hat's opinion, one of the great works of the 20th century. A prisoner of war, Messiaen wrote the Quartet for the End of Time for the musicians he found in the camp, premiering it to an audience of inmates and guards. “Never” he said, "was I listened to with such rapt attention and comprehension."

Australian Chamber Orchestra Principals are joined by clarinettist Paul Dean and dynamic young pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar, making his Australian debut.The performers are Helena Rathbone (violin), Christopher Moore (viola), Timo-Veikko Valve (cello), Maxime Bibeau (double bass), Paul Dean (clarinet) and Saleem Abboud Ashkar (piano).

• Schubert Piano Quintet, “Trout” (one of White Hat's Top 100 Chamber Works)
• Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time (one of White Hat's Top 100 Chamber Works)

8pm, Wednesday 11th July 2012, QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
7.30pm, Thursday 12th July 2012, Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle
7pm 14 July; 8pm, 17 July; 7pm, 18 July 2012 City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
2pm, Sunday 15th July 2012, Sydney Opera House, Sydney
8pm, 16 July; 2.30pm, 22 July; 8pm, 23 July 2012 Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank, Melbourne
7.30pm, Thursday 19th July 2012, Wollongong Town Hall, Wollongong
8pm, Saturday 21st July 2012, Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Canberra
8pm, Tuesday 24th July 2012, Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide

Our rating: Five Hats

Beethoven 9 - Ode to Joy

The Australian Chamber Orchestra with Richard Tognetti (Artistic Director and Lead Violin), Choir of Clare College, Cambridge (Graham Ross Director), Lucy Crowe (soprano), Fiona Campbell (mezzo soprano), Allan Clayton (tenor) Matthew Brook (bass)

White Hat has long believed that many modern performance of Beethoven symphonies by large symphony orchestras lack the vitality and drive of a performance by a first rate chamber orchestra - supplemented where necessary - of the proportions that Beethoven was writing for For those who share this view we suggest you look no further. Critics called the ACO's recent Beethoven concert in London “the finest concert of the summer” and spoke of “thrilling playing”, “vibrant drive” and “total involvement”, concluding, “this compact chamber orchestra matches anything Europe can offer in energy, precision and interpretative rigour.”

Joined by one of the finest British choirs this concert promises to be something special where every note Beethoven wrote can be heard rather than lost in a sea of overblown orchestral 'atmosphere'.

• Messiaen Prayer of Christ ascending towards his Father, from L’Ascension
• Brahms Geistliches Lied
• Beethoven Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage
• Beethoven Symphony No.9 (one of White Hat's Top 100 Symphonies)

8pm, Saturday 4th August 2012, Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Canberra
2pm, 5th Aug; 8pm, 9th Aug 2012, Sydney Opera House, Sydney
8pm, Monday 6th August 2012, QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
8pm, 7 Aug; 7pm, 8 Aug; 7pm 11 Aug 2012, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
2.30pm 12 Aug; 8pm, 13 Aug 2012, The Arts Centre, Hamer Hall, Melbourne
8pm, Tuesday 14th August 2012, Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide
7.30pm, Wednesday 15th August 2012, Perth Concert Hall, Perth