1 Martin Suckling
Suckling has been the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s composer-in-association for two years. The latest product of that partnership is a new piano concerto, created for the soloist Tom Poster; it’s a piece, says the composer, in which the piano sets “the musical world in motion”.
St Andrews, 12 October; Edinburgh, 13 October; Glasgow, 14 October
2 Immagina Il Deserto
A new work by the most important living Italian composer, Salvatore Sciarrino, is the centrepiece of the London Sinfonietta’s concert. Immagina Il Deserto, for mezzo-soprano and ensemble, will arrive in the capital just days after the Sinfonietta give its world premiere at the Venice Biennale.
St John’s Smith Square, SW1, 13 October
3 The Schumann Project
After its hugely successful 2014 survey of Schubert, Oxford lieder festival turns its attention to Schumann. An impressive roster of singers work through his solo vocal output, with baritone Christian Gerhaher’s evening concert setting the benchmark.
Various venues, Oxford, 14 to 29 October
4 La Calisto English Touring Opera is taking new productions of two celebrated masterpieces of early Italian baroque on the road. Cavalli’s comic romp comes first; Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse In Patria (Ulysses’s Homecoming) follows from 15 October to 26 November. Hackney Empire, E8, Fri; touring to 23 November
5 Madama Butterfly
The novelty in Glyndebourne touring opera’s autumn season is a new production of Puccini’s tragic culture clash: extraordinarily it’s the first time this work has ever been staged at Glyndebourne.
Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes, 14 October to 3 November; touring to 10 December
