CBSO concert of Beethoven's Serenade played by flutist Marie-Christine Zupancic, Richard Thomas and Adam Römer.
Marie-Christine Zupancic takes the stage at the CBSO Centre on Thursday 21 January 2027, for a lunchtime concert that looks at the lighter side of Beethoven. It's part of the Centre Stage series, and this one is built around the composer's Serenade, a piece that doesn't quite fit the heavy, brooding image most of us have of him.
Written in 1801, the Serenade is a six-movement work for flute and two violas. It's a tuneful, quirky thing, and the CBSO describes it as being full of musical jokes. It's the kind of music that's meant to put a smile on your face rather than leave you in a state of existential crisis, which makes it a good entry point if you've never really gone for the classics.
Zupancic is on flute, and she's joined by two of her CBSO colleagues, Richard Thomas and Adam Römer, both on viola. The Serenade takes up about 25 minutes of the set, and before that, they'll play Reger's Serenade, which runs for 10. The whole thing lasts around an hour and goes straight through without an interval, so it's a proper lunchtime listen that doesn't overstay its welcome.
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There's a bit of a wider context to it, too. The CBSO is framing this as a delightfully unexpected overture to Beethoven's 200th anniversary year, and they've put three of the orchestra's brightest stars on it. It's a small-scale, chamber-music afternoon rather than a full orchestral affair, so you'll be hearing the individual lines of the flute and the two violas working together.
Tickets are £12, and there are reduced prices for students, under-18s and benefit recipients. It starts at 1:00pm on Thursday 21 January at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham.
