Baroque Fancies: Mahan Esfahani
BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert
Thursday 9 November 2023 • 1pm
This event has passed.
The Concert
Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Fantasia in E minor
Viktor Kalabis Six Canonic Inventions
Johann Sebastian Bach Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue in D minor
William Byrd Fantasia in A Minor MB 13
Jiří Antonín Benda Keyboard Sonata No 3 in D minor
Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
The concert will finish at approximately 2.05pm
Tickets
£16 (£14 concessions, £6 under-18s)
+ £1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction
Save on Your Booking
Multibuy Discounts – £12 tickets for 3+ events
Under-18s – £6 tickets
Groups of 10+ – save at least 20%
Barbican Access Members – free companion tickets
Full details below
Genre-bending harpsichord virtuoso Mahan Esfahani crosses centuries – from the Bach family to postwar Czechoslovakia, via Tudor England.
The Programme
The harpsichord is an instrument of the 17th century, and this performance celebrates the rich tapestry of music written for it. Hear the music of English Renaissance composer William Byrd, and explore the minds of both Johann Sebastian Bach and his forgotten son Wilhelm Friedemann, in pieces that still ignite the imagination, just as they did 400 years ago.
The Performers
For Mahan Esfahani, that’s the whole point. Everything he plays buzzes with the same irrepressible energy and intelligence; whether the music of the English Renaissance (an Esfahani passion), or the brilliantly-imagined miniatures of the postwar Czech master Viktor Kalabis. The Guardian hailed the ‘piercing insight’ of Esfahani’s Bach: this should be a very special encounter with a truly eye-opening artist.
‘A glimpse of something sacred, showing itself to us through an old box with some strings stretched across it’ – Mahan Esfahani
Read the concert programme
Programme Update
In a change to original listings, Brett Dean’s Byrdsong Studies will no longer be performed, and will be replaced by Jiří Antonín Benda’s Keyboard Sonata No 3 in D minor.
Posted Friday 3 November 4pm
Recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Header Image © Kaja Smith
£6 Tickets for Students
Full-time students can book £6 tickets for this concert through Student Pulse London.
Booking and Discounts
Booking Your Tickets
Online at lso.co.uk
By phone on +44 20 7870 2500 (Monday to Friday 12–5.30pm)
In person at the Barbican Centre
£1.50 booking fee per transaction when booking online or by phone
Refunds and Exchanges
If you can no longer user your tickets, you can exchange them for another LSO St Luke’s concert or Barbican credit voucher (valid for six months). Please ensure that you inform the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings). A per-ticket administration fee applies for all exchange services.
Questions About Your Booking?
Contact the Box Office at tickets@barbican.org.uk.
Visit the Barbican website for conditions of sale and further information.
The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. If the event is cancelled, all bookers will receive a refund. All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined. Box office calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance or training purposes
Multibuy Discount
£12 tickets when you book three or more BBC Radio 3 concerts in the 2023/24 season within one transaction.
Concessions
£14 tickets for over-60s, full-time students and unwaged/unemployed people.
Under-18s
£6 tickets for under-18s. BBC Radio 3 Concerts are recommended for ages 12+. For younger children, we have a range of other events at LSO St Luke’s, including Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts which are suitable for everyone over the age of 5.
Groups of 10+
Save 20%, or 30% when booking two or more concerts in the same season, plus additional benefits. Find out more about group booking.
Access Members
Members of the Barbican’s Access Scheme can book wheelchair places priced at the lowest price for that event and book a free companion seat. Join the Barbican Access Scheme.
Your Visit and Access
Getting to LSO St Luke's
The main entrance to LSO St Luke’s is through the gates from Old Street. Please check the doors open time for your chosen concert.
What to Expect
From the concert experience to venue facilities and The Crypt café and bar, find out what to expect at LSO St Luke’s.
Accessibility
LSO St Luke’s is a fully accessible venue. Barbican Access Scheme members can book free companion tickets.
