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Wynton Marsalis Quartet
The legendary jazz trumpeter makes a rare trip across the pond for this intimate quartet gig. Headspace Quartet open the concert, whose name comes from the custom-built instrument controlled by the breath of Clarence Adoo, a virtuoso musician whose career as a trumpeter was terminated by a car accident.
19 June, Barbican Centre, London
Sea Wall
Andrew Scott performs this monologue written for him by Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). Despite a running time of just 30 minutes, the story of seemingly-content Alex packs a devastating punch.
18 – 30 June, The Old Vic, London
Glasgow Jazz Festival
This annual celebration of international jazz marks its 32nd iteration with the likes of Geno Washington, Yazmin Lacey, and George Benson.
20 – 24 June, various locations, Glasgow
Bach Mass in B Minor
Perhaps the greatest Bach scholar of our time, John Butt directs Scotland’s premiere baroque band, Dunedin Concert in this monumental work by Johann Sebastian Bach. But, performing it in the intimate setting of Wigmore Hall, with just one singer per part, expect a far more intense, detailed performance fizzing with excitement and spontaneity.
Shostakovich/LSO/Noseda/Benedetti
The London Symphony Orchestra with conductor Gianandrea Noseda survey Shostakovich’s musical reactions to the Stalin’s reign over Soviet Russia. Violin Concerto No. 1, with Nicola Benedetti as soloist, was not published until after Stalin’s death, whilst Symphony No. 10 is a reaction to the horror and oppression imposed by the dictator.
24 June, Barbican Centre, London
I, Claude Monet
Based on the artist’s personal letters, this documentary paints a new picture of Monet’s professional and personal life. Henry Goodman plays the artist whose life was plagued by depression yet evoked such joy through his artistry.
Until 28 June, Institut Français, London
Agrippina
After receiving a raft of five star reviews, it seems The Grange Festival’s Agrippina is the Handel opera to go for amongst the country house opera festivals this summer. Robert Howarth conducts a stellar cast accompanied by the Academy of Ancient Music.
Until 6 July, The Grange Festival, Hampshire
Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire
Born in Bolton in 1801, Cole became the greatest American landscape artist of his time, yet was entirely self-taught. His most powerful, ambitious works are shown here next to paintings by Turner and Constable. Running alongside this is a free exhibition of works by LA-based Ed Ruscha, ‘Course of Empire’.
Until 7 October, The National Gallery, London
Bonus event: Labour Live
If none of the above takes your fancy, then there’s always JezFest, featuring some huge artists including Potent Whisper, Hookworms, and the Magic Numbers. Yep, me neither. No need to book ahead, they’re looking to do quite a lot of business on the door…
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Iain Martin and the team make sense of the news, providing commentary and analysis on the stories that matter in politics, geopolitics, economics and culture.