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Transcript of 30 October programme notes
MAHLER ANNIVERSARY
SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALLSaturday 30 October 2010 | 7.30pm
VLADIMIR JUROWSKIconductor
LEIF OVE ANDSNESpiano
BRAHMSPiano Concerto No. 2 in B flat (50’)
INTERVAL
BEETHOVEN (ARR. MAHLER)Symphony No. 3 in E flat (Eroica) (47’)
PROGRAMME £3
CONTENTS
2 List of Players3 Orchestra History4 Leader5 Vladimir Jurowski6 Leif Ove Andsnes7 Programme Notes11 Recordings12 BBC Radio 3 /
Southbank Centre13 Supporters14 Philharmonic News15 Administration16 Future Concerts
The timings shown are not preciseand are given only as a guide.
Principal Conductor VLADIMIR JUROWSKIPrincipal Guest Conductor YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUINLeader PIETER SCHOEMANComposer in Residence JULIAN ANDERSONPatron HRH THE DUKE OF KENT KGChief Executive and Artistic Director TIMOTHY WALKER AM†
† supported by Macquarie Group
CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
This concert is being recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast on 3 November.
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2 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
FIRST VIOLINSPieter Schoeman* LeaderVesselin Gellev Sub-LeaderChair supported byJohn and Angela Kessler
Julia RumleyHeather BadkeKatalin VarnagyCatherine CraigThomas EisnerTina GruenbergMartin HöhmannChair supported byRichard Karl Goeltz
Geoffrey LynnRobert PoolSarah StreatfeildYang ZhangRebecca ShorrockPeter NallGalina Tanney
SECOND VIOLINSClare Duckworth PrincipalChair supported by Richard and Victoria Sharp
Jeongmin KimJoseph MaherKate BirchallChair supported by David and Victoria Graham Fuller
Nancy ElanFiona HighamMarie-Anne MairesseAshley StevensDean WilliamsonSioni WilliamsPeter GrahamMila MustakovaStephen StewartJoanne ChenSheila LawElizabeth Baldey
VIOLASAlexander Zemtsov* PrincipalChair supported byThe Tsukanov Family
Robert DuncanKatharine LeekSusanne MartensBenedetto PollaniEmmanuella Reiter-BootimanAlistair ScahillIsabel PereiraDaniel CornfordMiranda DavisSarah MalcolmMartin FennNaomi HoltKarin Norlen
CELLOSKristina Blaumane PrincipalChair supported bySimon Yates and Kevin Roon
Francis BucknallLaura DonoghueSantiago Sabino Carvalho+
Jonathan AylingChair supported by Caroline,Jamie and Zander Sharp
Gregory WalmsleySue SutherleySusanna RiddellTom RoffDavid BucknallHelen RathbonePavlos Carvalho
DOUBLE BASSESKevin Rundell* PrincipalTim Gibbs Co-PrincipalLaurence LovelleGeorge PenistonJoe MelvinTom WalleyHelen RowlandsLouis GarsonDamian Rubido GonzalezLowri Morgan
FLUTESRobert Winn Guest PrincipalJane SpiersNicolas BrichtStewart McIlwham*
PICCOLOStewart McIlwham* Principal
OBOESIan Hardwick PrincipalAngela TennickMichael O’DonnellSue BohlingChair supported byJulian and Gill Simmonds
CLARINETSNicholas Carpenter PrincipalEmily MeredithPaul RichardsJames Burke
E FLAT CLARINETKatie Lockhart Guest Principal
BASSOONSGareth Newman* PrincipalStuart RussellSimon EstellClaire Webster
HORNSAbel Pereira Guest PrincipalMartin HobbsTimothy BallGareth MollisonJeffrey BryantMarcus Bates
TRUMPETSPaul Beniston* PrincipalAnne McAneney*Chair supported byGeoff and Meg Mann
Nicholas Betts Co-PrincipalRobin Totterdell
TIMPANIAntoine Bedewi GuestPrincipal
ASSISTANT CONDUCTORThomas Blunt
* Holds a professorialappointment in London
+ Chevalier of the Brazilian Order of Rio Branco
Chair SupportersThe London Philharmonic Orchestra also acknowledges the following chair supporter whose player is not presentat this concert:
Andrew Davenport
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | 3
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Patrick Harrison
Seventy-eight years after Sir Thomas Beecham foundedthe London Philharmonic Orchestra, it is recognisedtoday as one of the finest orchestras on the internationalstage. Following Beecham’s influential founding tenurethe Orchestra’s Principal Conductorship has been passedfrom one illustrious musician to another, amongst themSir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, KlausTennstedt and Kurt Masur. This impressive traditioncontinued in September 2007 when Vladimir Jurowskibecame the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor and, in afurther exciting move, the Orchestra appointed YannickNézet-Séguin its new Principal Guest Conductor fromSeptember 2008.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra has been performingat Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall since it openedin 1951, becoming Resident Orchestra in 1992. It playsthere around 40 times each season with many of theworld’s most sought after conductors and soloists.Concert highlights in 2010/11 include an exploration ofMahler’s symphonies and complete song cycles duringthe composer’s anniversary season; the premières ofworks by Matteo D’Amico, Magnus Lindberg and BrettDean; a rare opportunity to hear Rossini’s opera Aurelianoin Palmira in collaboration with long term partner OperaRara; and works by the Orchestra’s new Composer inResidence, Julian Anderson.
In addition to its London season and a series of concertsat Wigmore Hall, the Orchestra has flourishing
residencies in Brighton and Eastbourne, and performsregularly around the UK. It is unique in combining theseconcert activities with esteemed opera performanceseach summer at Glyndebourne Festival Opera where ithas been the Resident Symphony Orchestra since 1964.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra performs toenthusiastic audiences all round the world. In 1956 itbecame the first British orchestra to appear in SovietRussia and in 1973 made the first ever visit to China by aWestern orchestra. Touring continues to form asignificant part of the Orchestra’s schedule and issupported by Aviva, the International Touring Partner ofthe London Philharmonic Orchestra. Tours in 2010/11include visits to Finland, Germany, South Korea, Spain,France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Having long been embraced by the recording,broadcasting and film industries, the LondonPhilharmonic Orchestra broadcasts regularly on domesticand international television and radio. It also works withthe Hollywood and UK film industries, recordingsoundtracks for blockbuster motion pictures includingthe Oscar-winning score for The Lord of the Rings trilogyand scores for Lawrence of Arabia, The Mission,Philadelphia and East is East.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra made its firstrecordings on 10 October 1932, just three days after itsfirst public performance. It has recorded and broadcast
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LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
regularly ever since, and in 2005 established its ownrecord label. The recordings on its own label are takenmainly from live concerts given with distinguishedconductors over the years including the Orchestra’sPrincipal Conductors from Beecham and Boult, throughHaitink, Solti and Tennstedt, to Masur and Jurowski.
Recent additions to the catalogue have includedacclaimed releases of Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 and SeaPictures with Vernon Handley and Janet Baker; Mahler’sSymphony No. 2 conducted by Klaus Tennstedt; Brahms’sSymphonies Nos 1 and 2 conducted by Vladimir Jurowski;and Dvořák’s Requiem under the baton of Neeme Järvi.The Orchestra’s own-label CDs are also widely availableto download. Visit www.lpo.org.uk/shop for the latestreleases.
The Orchestra reaches thousands of Londoners throughits rich programme of community and school-basedactivity in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, whichincludes the offshoot ensembles Renga and The Band, itsFoyle Future Firsts apprenticeship scheme foroutstanding young instrumentalists, and regular familyand schools concerts.
To help maintain its high standards and diverse workload,the Orchestra is committed to the welfare of itsmusicians and in December 2007 received theAssociation of British Orchestras/Musicians BenevolentFund Healthy Orchestra Bronze Charter Mark.
There are many ways to experience and stay in touchwith the Orchestra’s activities: visit www.lpo.org.uk,subscribe to our podcast series, download our iPhoneapplication and join us on Facebook and Twitter.
‘ … a simply tremendous performance ofMahler’s 3rd Symphony … Jurowski and hisplayers plunged us into a winter ofdiscontent so profoundly expectant thateven the inveterate coughers were silenced.’EDWARD SECKERSON, THE INDEPENDENT, 23 SEPTEMBER 2010
PIETERSCHOEMANLEADER
Patr
ick
Har
riso
n
In 2002, Pieter Schoemanjoined the LondonPhilharmonic Orchestra asCo-Leader. He was appointed Leader in 2008.
Born in South Africa, he made his solo debut with theCape Town Symphony Orchestra at the age of ten. Hestudied with Jack de Wet in South Africa, winningnumerous competitions, including the 1984 World YouthConcerto Competition in America. In 1987 he was offeredthe Heifetz Chair of Music scholarship to study withEduard Schmieder in Los Angeles and in 1991 his talentwas spotted by Pinchas Zukerman who recommendedthat he move to New York to study with SylviaRosenberg. In 1994 he became her teaching assistant atIndiana University, Bloomington.
Pieter Schoeman has performed as a soloist and recitalistthroughout the world in such famous halls as theConcertgebouw in Amsterdam, Moscow’s RachmaninovHall, Capella Hall in St Petersburg, Staatsbibliothek inBerlin, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and QueenElizabeth Hall in London. As a chamber musician heregularly performs at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall.
As a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, hehas performed Arvo Pärt’s Double Concerto with BorisGarlitsky and Benjamin Britten’s Double Concerto withAlexander Zemtsov, which was recorded and releasedon the Orchestra’s own record label to great criticalacclaim. Earlier this month he performed the BrahmsDouble Concerto with Kristina Blaumane.
In 1995 Pieter Schoeman became Co-Leader of theOrchestre Philharmonique de Nice. Since then he hasperformed frequently as Guest Leader with thesymphony orchestras of Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon andBaltimore as well as the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Thisseason he has been invited to lead the RotterdamPhilharmonic Orchestra on several occasions.
Pieter Schoeman has recorded numerous violin soloswith the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos,Opera Rara, Naxos, X5, the BBC and for American filmand television. He led the Orchestra in its soundtrackrecordings for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He teaches atTrinity College of Music in London.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | 5
VLADIMIR JUROWSKICONDUCTOR
Born in Moscow, the son of conductor Mikhail Jurowski,Vladimir Jurowski completed the first part of hismusical studies at the Music College of the MoscowConservatory. In 1990 he relocated with his family toGermany where he continued his studies in Dresdenand Berlin, studying conducting with Rolf Reuter andvocal coaching with Semion Skigin. In 1995 he made hisinternational debut at the Wexford Festival, where heconducted Rimsky-Korsakov’s May Night. The same yearsaw his brilliant debut at the Royal Opera House CoventGarden in Nabucco. In 1996 he joined the ensemble ofKomische Oper Berlin, becoming First Kapellmeister in1997 and continuing to work at the Komische Oper ona permanent basis until 2001.
Since 1997 Vladimir Jurowski has been a guest at someof the world’s leading musical institutions including theRoyal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro La Fenice diVenezia, Opéra Bastille de Paris, Théâtre de la MonnaieBruxelles, Maggio Musicale Festival Florence, RossiniOpera Festival Pesaro, Edinburgh Festival, SemperoperDresden and Teatro Comunale di Bologna (where heserved as Principal Guest Conductor between 2000 and2003). In 1999 he made his debut at the MetropolitanOpera New York with Rigoletto.
In January 2001 Vladimir Jurowski took up the positionof Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera andin 2003 was appointed Principal Guest Conductor ofthe London Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming theOrchestra’s Principal Conductor in September 2007. Healso holds the title of Principal Artist of the Orchestraof the Age of Enlightenment, and from 2005 to 2009served as Principal Guest Conductor of the RussianNational Orchestra with whom he will continue to workin the years ahead.
Vladimir Jurowski is a regular guest with many of theworld’s leading orchestras including the BerlinPhilharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw,Bavarian Radio Symphony, Dresden Staatskapelle, LosAngeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestras aswell as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Highlights ofthe 2010/11 season and beyond include his debutswith the Vienna Philharmonic, Cleveland, San FranciscoSymphony and Mahler Chamber Orchestras, and returnvisits to the Chicago Symphony, Chamber Orchestra ofEurope, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, StPetersburg Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestras.
His operatic engagements have included Jenůfa, TheQueen of Spades and Hänsel und Gretel at theMetropolitan Opera, Parsifal and Wozzeck at WelshNational Opera, War and Peace at the Opéra Nationalde Paris, Eugene Onegin at La Scala Milan, as well as DieZauberflöte, La Cenerentola, Otello, Macbeth, Falstaff,Tristan und Isolde, Don Giovanni, The Rake’s Progress andPeter Eötvös’ Love and Other Demons at GlyndebourneOpera. Future engagements include new productions ofDie Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen atGlyndebourne, Die Frau ohne Schatten at theMetropolitan Opera, Russlan and Ludmila at the BolshoiTheatre, and Iolanta at the Dresden Semperoper.
Jurowski’s discography includes the first ever recordingof Giya Kancheli’s cantata Exil for ECM (1994), L’Étoiledu Nord by Meyerbeer for Naxos-Marco Polo (1996) andWerther for BMG (1999) as well as live recordings ofworks by Rachmaninov, Turnage, Tchaikovsky, Britten,Brahms and Shostakovich on the London PhilharmonicOrchestra’s own label, and Prokofiev’s Betrothal in aMonastery on Glyndebourne Opera’s own label. He alsorecords for PentaTone with the Russian NationalOrchestra, with releases to date including Tchaikovsky’sSuite No. 3 and Stravinsky’s Divertimento from Le Baiserde la fée, Shostakovich’s Symphonies Nos 1 and 6,Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s HamletIncidental Music. Glyndebourne have released DVDrecordings of his performances of La Cenerentola,Gianni Schicchi, Die Fledermaus and Rachmaninov’s TheMiserly Knight. Other recent DVD releases includeHänsel und Gretel from the Metropolitan Opera NewYork, and his first concert as the London PhilharmonicOrchestra’s Principal Conductor featuring works byWagner, Berg and Mahler (released by Medici Arts).
Kare
n Ro
bins
on
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LEIF OVE ANDSNESPIANO
Described by the New York Times as ‘a pianist ofmagisterial elegance, power, and insight’, Leif OveAndsnes has won international renown. Besides recitaland concerto appearances in the world’s leadingconcert halls and with its foremost orchestras, he is anavid chamber musician and an active recording artist.
Highlights of his 2010/11 season include tworesidencies. As Pianist-in-Residence with the BerlinPhilharmonic, he takes part in five programmesincluding a performance of Brahms’s Second PianoConcerto under Bernard Haitink, chamber music and asolo recital. He also serves as Artist-in-Residence withhis hometown orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic.With an autumn tour taking in Brussels, London andNew York’s Carnegie Hall, he brings his tenure as co-artistic director of Norway’s Risør Festival of ChamberMusic to a festive conclusion.
Other season highlights include a European tour withthe London Philharmonic Orchestra and VladimirJurowski; a February tour with the ConcertgebouwOrchestra under Mariss Jansons; Brahms’s SecondConcerto with the Chicago Symphony and RiccardoMuti, in his first season as Music Director; and recitalsin the USA and Europe throughout the spring.
Andsnes has recorded more than 30 albums for EMIClassics, spanning repertoire from Bach to the presentday. Nominated for seven Grammy Awards, he has wonfour Gramophone Awards. This autumn EMI issues hisrecording of Rachmaninov’s Third and Fourth PianoConcertos with Antonio Pappano and the LondonSymphony Orchestra and an album of Schumann’scomplete Piano Trios with Christian and Tonja Tetzlaffwill follow in early 2011.
Central to the pianist’s 2009/10 season was ‘PicturesReframed’, a major multi-media project with SouthAfrican artist Robin Rhode. The culmination of years ofplanning, the project was toured extensivelythroughout Europe and North America to greatacclaim. In the 2004/05 season, Andsnes curated andperformed seven Carnegie Hall ‘Perspectives’ concerts,becoming the youngest artist to be so honoured.
Leif Ove Andsnes was born in Karmøy, Norway in 1970,and studied at the Bergen Music Conservatory underthe renowned Czech professor Jiri Hlinka. He hasreceived his country’s most distinguished honour,Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav,as well as the Royal Philharmonic Society’sInstrumentalist Award and the Gilmore Artist Award.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | 7
Brahms had a very personal brand of humour –sometimes gruff, sometimes self-deprecating, usuallyironic. ‘I have written a tiny, tiny piano concerto with atiny, tiny wisp of a scherzo’, he announced to hisconfidante, Elisabet von Herzogenberg, on July 7th1881. Von Herzogenberg knew her friend well enoughto take that kind of remark with a large dose of salt. Itwas the same with another friend, the surgeon TheodorBillroth, to whom Brahms wrote at around the sametime: ‘I am sending you a few small piano pieces’.Billroth would only have had to glance at the enclosedscore to realise that what Brahms had sent him was farfrom small: this was nothing less than a colossal fusionof concerto and symphony, laid out in four bigmovements instead of the conventional three. Not onlywas the writing hugely challenging for the soloist, theorchestra was clearly conceived as an equal, playing itsown part in a continuously unfolding musical drama.
The idea of creating a four-movement concerto, owingjust as much to the example of Beethoven’s symphoniesas to his grander concertos, had haunted Brahms atleast since his early twenties. His First Piano Concerto
(1854-8) actually began life as a symphony, with anextra slow Scherzo movement – its themes were laterreworked in the movement ‘All flesh is as grass’ from theGerman Requiem. The Violin Concerto (1878) was alsooriginally intended to have a Scherzo; that idea wassoon dropped, but the material was clearly too good tobe thrown away, and before long it resurfaced in theAllegro appassionato second movement of the SecondPiano Concerto. Interestingly this stormy movement iscloser in style and spirit to Beethoven’s powerfullysymphonic scherzos than anything in Brahms’s foursymphonies. Brahms repeatedly grumbled at thedifficulty of composing in Beethoven’s shadow: ‘You’veno idea how hard it is with such a giant marchingbehind you!’ So it was crucial for Brahms to find asolution on his own terms – not by simply trying tomarch ahead of Beethoven, but by extendingBeethoven’s triumphs into new territory.
And yet for all its symphonic character, there arepassages in Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto where thelistener is just as likely to be reminded of the spirit ofchamber music. Not least at the very beginning, where
PROGRAMME NOTES
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 IN B FLAT, OP. 83
LEIF OVE ANDSNES piano
Allegro non troppo | Allegro appassionato | Andante |Allegretto grazioso
SPEEDREAD
Together, Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto andBeethoven’s Eroica Symphony make a splendidprogramme. Not only are they both towering peaks ofthe 19th century classical-romantic mountain range, butthe Brahms represents perhaps his most importantbreakthrough in relation to Beethoven, a composer hefound both inspiring and intimidating. Brahms was sooverawed by Beethoven’s example that he took twodecades to finish his own first symphony: ‘You’ve no ideahow hard it is with such a giant marching behind you!’ he
complained. But in the Second Piano Concerto he wasable to rise to the challenge posed by Beethoven’s heroicstyle and work his way through to something verydifferent – lighter, with more than a touch of ironic wit.Beethoven puts his own concept of heroism to the test inhis Eroica Symphony: the great slow Funeral Marchcontains some of the most desolate music in theorchestral repertoire, yet life returns with redoubledforce in the finale. In this performance we hear thesymphony in an arrangement by another great heir ofBeethoven, Gustav Mahler.
JohannesBRAHMS
1833-1897
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8 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
the soloist quietly replies to and echoes the themepresented by a solo horn. But then the piano begins along forceful solo, building up tension before handingthe baton over to the orchestra for an extendedsymphonic passage. From this grows a first movementthat is not only rich in contrast and imagination butcompellingly organic. Many composers would havebeen happy to go on from that to a meditative, lyricalslow movement. But Brahms intensifies the drama withhis stirring Allegro appassionato Scherzo – the dark,impassioned minor-key outer sections framing a blazingmajor-key Trio.
In complete contrast, the slow movement opens with along, exquisite melody for solo cello, to which thesoloist eventually adds his own reflective commentary.
Stormier music follows, but the true heart of themovement comes in a still slower pianissimo passagejust before the return of the cello theme, in which thepiano seems to float dreamily through languid clarinetand string figures. It is about as far removed from theturbulence of the Scherzo as could be imagined – asuperb dramatic foil. It’s hard to imagine conventionalconcerto triumphalism after a movement like this, soinstead Brahms crowns his symphony-concerto with anunusually light-footed, playful finale: even in the gypsy-ish melancholy of the second theme (woodwindalternating with strings) there are glimpses of an ironicsmile. At last the tempo quickens and the concerto endswith a display of relaxed, witty brilliance rare in Brahms.The intimidating shadow of the giant Beethoven has, itseems, been faced, and finally exorcized.
PROGRAMME NOTES
INTERVAL 20 minutes
An announcement will be made five minutes before the end of the interval.
Exactly when Beethoven first decided to dedicate his‘heroic’ symphony to the revolutionary French generalNapoleon Bonaparte, isn’t clear. It seems that, for all hisrepublican sympathies, Beethoven had doubts aboutNapoleon from the first. Then in 1804 came the newsthat Napoleon had proclaimed himself Emperor.According to an eye witness, Beethoven tore up the titlepage in fury, shouting, ‘So he’s just an ordinary being!Now he will trample the rights of men under foot andpander to his own ambition; he will place himself high
above his fellow creatures and become a tyrant!’ Whenthe Symphony appeared in print two years later, thetitle page stated simply that this was a ‘Sinfonia eroica,composed in memory of a great man’.
Beethoven may ultimately have felt that his ideals hadbeen betrayed by Napoleon, but his belief in heroismand the possibility of human beings transforming theirpolitical destiny proved more robust. It is that belief,rather than its relation to one historical figure, that
SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN E FLAT, OP. 55 (EROICA)ARRANGED BY GUSTAV MAHLER (1860-1911)
Allegro con brio | Marcia funebre. Adagio assai | Scherzo. Allegro vivace | Finale. Allegro molto
Ludwig vanBEETHOVEN
1770-1827
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | 9
PROGRAMME NOTES
remains relevant to the Eroica Symphony. True, themusic abounds in triumphal military imagery: thetrumpet and drum triplet-taps in the first movement’sfinal crescendo; the eruptive major-key fanfares at thefirst big climax of the Marcia funebre (‘Funeral March’);the celebratory horn calls in the trio section of theScherzo; or the exultant timpani tattoos in the finalmoments of the Finale. But as a whole the symphonypoints more towards notions of spiritual heroism andliberation. The first movement is one of Beethoven’smost truly heroic creations, brilliantly conveying theeffect of epic conflict. When Gustav Mahler heightenedBeethoven’s orchestration in keeping with the audiencedemands of his own time, a century later, he ‘corrected’a detail in the first movement’s final climax. InBeethoven’s original, when the trumpets take over themain theme, they ‘fail’ to reach the top note – wasBeethoven suggesting that, ultimately, all idealisticheroism is doomed to failure? Mahler allows thetrumpets to soar all the way up – in his versiontriumphalism is unclouded by ambiguity.
Which only makes the contrast with the sombre FuneralMarch that follows all the more extreme. Beethovenmay have intended a commentary on heroism in moreuniversal, classical terms. In many of the world’s greatmyths a hero strives, fails, dies and is then reborn – apattern some anthropologists have connected with theseasonal life-death-rebirth cycle of the Sun. Whateverthe case, the slow movement’s emotional range – fromcontained, dignified mourning, to frenzied hope, todepictions of grief in which the music almost literally‘breaks down’ – is extreme (one can see why it appealedso strongly to Mahler!); and yet the formal control is as
impressive as the power of the feelings expressed.Beethoven’s sketchbooks reveal how long he struggledto bring the main theme to its final form: in the wordsof the old saying, in this case genius truly was ‘ninety-nine per cent perspiration’.
The Scherzo that follows is one of Beethoven’s mostexhilarating symphonic dance movements – this doesindeed sound like a return to life. The writing for thethree horns in the central trio section suggestsbattlefield celebrations to some, the exuberance of thehunt to others. Either way the image of life exulting inthe face of death holds. Then the finale begins with aterrific orchestral flourish, followed by a skeletalpizzicato figure for strings. Gradually the textures fillout, until the skeletal string figure turns out to be thebass for a joyous theme on high woodwind, thenstrings. Beethoven took this music from his ballet scoreDie Geschöpfe des Prometheus (‘The Creatures ofPrometheus’). The legendary Titan Prometheus, whodefied the orders of the gods and gave fire to men, wasan important symbolic figure for romanticrevolutionaries. This Finale is also the most formally‘free’ of the four movements, blending elements ofclassical variation, sonata form and fugue into a newkind of symphonic super-structure. It makes a brilliantlyaudacious ending to a work that changed the nature ofthe symphonic form irrevocably. Beethoven knew hehad achieved something special here. Years later, in1817, when asked which was his favourite amongst hissymphonies, he replied without hesitation, ‘The Eroica’.
Programme notes © 2010 by Stephen Johnson
Hearevery noteHard of hearing? Visit the cloakroom for equipment to improve your concert experience.
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10 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Mozart QuestionSunday 5 December 2010 | 3.30pmRoyal Festival HallAn afternoon of music and storytelling,suitable for children aged 8 and over,based on Michael Morpurgo’s well-lovedbook which tells of one family’s experienceof the holocaust and the incrediblehealing power of music.
Vladimir Jurowski conductorDaniel Pioro violinMichael Morpurgo narratorAlison Reid narratorSimon Reade director
Excerpts from:Beethoven Violin ConcertoVivaldi The Four SeasonsStrauss The Blue DanubeBach Violin Sonata No. 1Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Running time 75 minutes. No interval.
TicketsUnder 16: £7 £9 Adult: £14 £18For booking details see page 16.
Dedicated by the Dorset Foundation in memory of the lateHarry M. Weinrebe and supported by a syndicate ofindividual donors.
Hélène G
rimaud ©
Karen R
obinson
international piano series 2010/11
CHOPIN Piano COMPETITION WINNERWednesday 3 November 2010
HÉLÈNE GRIMAUDTuesday 23 November 2010
LEON MCCAWLEYWednesday 1 December 2010
RAFAL BLECHACZTuesday 7 December 2010
NIKOLAI LUGANSKYTuesday 11 January 2011
SERGIO TIEMPOTuesday 15 March 2011
ANGELA HEWITTTuesday 29 March 2011
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELINWednesday 13 April 2011
CHARLES ROSENTalk: Saturday 14 May 2011Concert: Sunday 15 May 2011
LANG LANGTuesday 17 May 2011
INGRID FLITERTuesday 7 June 2011
THE POLLINI PROJECTMaurizio Pollini’s pilgrimage through seminal piano music from Bach to Modernism.
Friday 28 January 2011Bach
Tuesday 15 February 2011Beethoven
Saturday 26 February 2011Schubert
Friday 29 April 2011Chopin, Debussy and Boulez
Wednesday 25 May 2011Schumann, Stockhausen and Liszt
Series discounts available if you book for more than one concert.
Tickets £9 – £550844 847 9929SOUTHBANKCENTRE.CO.uk
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RECORDINGS ON THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA’S OWN RECORD LABEL
The recordings may be downloaded in high quality MP3 format from www.lpo.org.uk/shop. CDs may alsobe purchased from all good retail outlets or through the London Philharmonic Orchestra: telephone 0207840 4242 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm) or visit the website www.lpo.org.uk
LPO-0043 Vladimir Jurowski conducts Brahms’s Symphonies Nos 1 and 2
‘This pair of budget-priced CDs on the LPO’s own label demonstrate how, inthe right hands, the first two symphonies can thrill and delight … exquisitewind playing …genuinely exciting …’GRAHAM RICKSON, THE ARTS DESK, 22 FEBRUARY 2010
LPO-0045 Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Brahms’s German Requiem
‘A German Requiem that doesn’t rush and achieves a remarkable inwardness ...I found so many things to enjoy about this recording that I didn’t begrudge asingle minute of the time spent to savour them.’PETER QUANTRILL, GRAMOPHONE, AUGUST 2010
LPO-0026 Klaus Tennstedt conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Choral)as part of Volume 3 of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75thAnniversary Box Sets. Soloists Lucia Popp, Ann Murray, Anthony RolfeJohnson and René Pape join the London Philharmonic Choir for thisperformance.
‘ The other jewel is Tennstedt’s Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, crackling withnervous energy from the start and showcasing the LPO’s intuitive relationshipwith its late lamented German chief.’ ANDREW CLARK, FINANCIAL TIMES, 27 OCTOBER 2007
This volume features four CDs by the Orchestra’s most recent PrincipalConductors: Klaus Tennstedt (Beethoven Symphony No. 9), Franz Welser-Möst (Strauss, Mozart, Schubert and Bruckner), Kurt Masur (ShostakovichSymphonies Nos 1 and 5) and Vladimir Jurowski (Shostakovich SymphonyNo. 14).
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12 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
WELCOME TO SOUTHBANK CENTRE
We hope you enjoy your visit. We have a Duty Manageravailable at all times. If you have any queries please askany member of staff for assistance.
Eating, drinking and shopping? Southbank Centre shopsand restaurants include: Foyles, EAT, Giraffe, Strada, YO!Sushi, wagamama, Le Pain Quotidien, Las Iguanas, pingpong, Canteen, Caffè Vergnano 1882, Skylon, Concreteand Feng Sushi, as well as cafes, restaurants and shopsinside Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall andHayward Gallery.
If you wish to get in touch with us following your visitplease contact Kenelm Roberts, our Head of CustomerRelations, at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, LondonSE1 8XX or email [email protected] orphone 020 7960 4250.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.
A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment:
PHOTOGRAPHY is not allowed in the auditorium
LATECOMERS will only be admitted to the auditorium ifthere is a suitable break in the performance
RECORDING is not permitted in the auditorium withoutthe prior consent of Southbank Centre. Southbank Centrereserves the right to confiscate video or sound equipmentand hold it in safekeeping until the performance hasended
MOBILES, PAGERS AND WATCHES should be switchedoff before the performance begins
SOUTHBANK CENTRE
Live orchestral concerts specially recorded
by BBC Radio 3 are a vital part of the
station’s output and I’m delighted that we
will continue our long association with the
London Philharmonic Orchestra by
bringing performances from this season to
the widest possible audience, including
those listening at home, on air and online.
Roger Wright
Controller, BBC Radio 3
Tonight’s concert will be broadcast in
Performance on 3 on Wednesday
3 November at 7pm, and is available
online for 7 days after broadcast at
bbc.co.uk/radio3
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | 13
Corporate MembersAppleyard & Trew llpAREVA UKBritish American BusinessBrown Brothers HarrimanCharles RussellDestination Québec – UKDiagonal ConsultingLazardLeventis OverseasMan Group plcQuébec Government Office in London
Corporate DonorLombard Street Research
In-kind SponsorsGoogle IncHeinekenThe Langham LondonLindt & Sprüngli LtdSela / Tilley’s SweetsVilla Maria
Trusts and FoundationsAllianz Cultural FoundationThe Andor Charitable TrustRuth Berkowitz Charitable TrustThe Boltini TrustBorletti-Buitoni TrustThe Candide Charitable TrustThe John S Cohen FoundationThe Coutts Charitable TrustThe Dorset FoundationThe D’Oyly Carte Charitable TrustDunard FundThe Equitable Charitable TrustThe Eranda FoundationThe Ernest Cook TrustThe Fenton Arts TrustThe Foyle FoundationThe Jonathan & Jeniffer Harris TrustThe Idlewild TrustThe Emmanuel Kaye FoundationMaurice Marks Charitable TrustThe Michael Marks Charitable TrustMarsh Christian TrustUK Friends of the Felix-
Mendelssohn-BartholdyFoundation
The Mercers’ CompanyAdam Mickiewicz InstitutePaul Morgan Charitable TrustMaxwell Morrison Charitable TrustMusicians Benevolent FundThe R K Charitable TrustSerge Rachmaninoff FoundationThe Rubin FoundationThe Samuel Sebba Charitable TrustSound ConnectionsThe Steel Charitable TrustThe Bernard Sunley Charitable
FoundationThe Swan TrustJohn Thaw FoundationThe Underwood TrustGarfield Weston FoundationYouth Music
and others who wish to remainanonymous.
The generosity of our Sponsors, Corporate Members, supporters and donors is gratefully acknowledged.
Thomas Beecham GroupMr & Mrs Richard & Victoria SharpJulian & Gill SimmondsThe Tsukanov FamilySimon Yates & Kevin Roon
Garf & Gill CollinsAndrew DavenportDavid & Victoria Graham FullerRichard Karl GoeltzJohn & Angela KesslerMr & Mrs MakharinskyGeoff & Meg MannCaroline, Jamie & Zander SharpEric Tomsett
Guy & Utti Whittaker
Principal BenefactorsMark & Elizabeth AdamsJane AttiasLady Jane BerrillDesmond & Ruth CecilMr John H CookMrs Sonja DrexlerMr Charles DumasDavid Ellen
Commander Vincent EvansMr Daniel GoldsteinMrs Barbara GreenOliver HeatonPeter MacDonald EggersMr & Mrs David MalpasAndrew T MillsMr Maxwell MorrisonMr Michael PosenMr & Mrs Thierry Sciard
Mr John Soderquist & Mr CostasMichaelides
Mr & Mrs G SteinMr & Mrs John C TuckerHoward & Sheelagh WatsonMr Laurie WattMr Anthony Yolland
BenefactorsMrs A BeareDr & Mrs Alan Carrington
CBE FRSMarika Cobbold & Michael
Patchett-JoyceMr & Mrs Stewart CohenMr Alistair CorbettMr David Edgecombe
Mr Richard FernyhoughKen FollettMichael & Christine HenryMr Glenn HurstfieldMr R K JehaMr & Mrs Maurice LambertMr Gerald LevinSheila Ashley LewisWg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard
OBE JP RAFMr Frank LimPaul & Brigitta LockMr Brian MarshJohn MontgomeryMr & Mrs Egil OldeideEdmund PirouetMr Peter TausigMrs Kazue TurnerLady Marina VaizeyMr D Whitelock
Hon. BenefactorElliott Bernerd
Hon. Life MembersKenneth GoodeMrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE
We would like to acknowledge the generous support of the following Thomas Beecham Group Patrons, PrincipalBenefactors and Benefactors:
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14 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
PHILHARMONIC NEWS
2010 GalaThe ornate surroundings ofGoldsmiths’ Hall provided astunning setting for the LondonPhilharmonic Orchestra’s 2010Fundraising Gala held on 15 June.The evening started with a pre-performance ChampagneTaittinger reception in theDrawing Room. Guests thenproceeded to the magnificentLivery Hall, where the Orchestra’sPrincipal Conductor, VladimirJurowski, provided the pianoaccompaniment for soprano SallyMatthews and bass MatthewRose in a selection of songs byMozart, Strauss andShostakovich. This was followedby an exquisite meal in thepresence of Royal Patron HRH TheDuke of Kent KG, musicians,supporters and pillars of the music and businesscommunities.
Lord Dalmeny, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s UK,auctioned some magnificent prizes including a trip toMontreal to hear the Orchestra’s Principal GuestConductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conduct on his hometurf. The evening culminated in the Grand Prize Drawwhen the lucky winner won a VIP trip to Glyndebourne.
Thanks to the wonderful contributions made by allthose who donated, attended and performed on theevening, the Gala was a great success and we arepleased to announce that we raised £79,000, which willgo directly towards supporting the Orchestra’sCommunity Programme. The total includes £29,300raised on the night itself through the auction and raffleticket sales. Visit www.lpo.org.uk/theband to view thefilm about one of our community projects, The Band,that was shown on the night.
Matthew Rose, Sally Matthews and Vladimir Jurowski take a bow after theirperformance at the 2010 Gala in Goldsmiths’ Hall
FREE Pre-Concert Event | Royal Festival Hall | 1 December 2010 | 6 pm
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Foyle Future Firsts orchestral apprenticeship programme
Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (with Njabulo Madlala baritone)
Kancheli Exil (with Allison Bell soprano)
The Foyle Future Firsts programme is generously funded by the Foyle Foundation with additionalsupport from The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Eranda Foundation, The Fenton Arts Trust andthe Musicians Benevolent Fund.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | 15
ADMINISTRATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Martin HöhmannChairmanStewart McIlwhamVice-ChairmanSue BohlingSimon CarringtonLord Currie*Jonathan Dawson*Anne McAneneyGeorge PenistonSir Bernard Rix*Kevin RundellSir Philip Thomas*Sir John Tooley*The Rt Hon. Lord Wakeham DL*Timothy Walker AM †*Non-Executive Directors
THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC TRUST
Pehr Gyllenhammar ChairmanDesmond Cecil CMGRichard Karl GoeltzJonathan Harris CBE FRICSDr Catherine C. HøgelMartin HöhmannAngela KesslerClive Marks OBE FCAVictoria SharpJulian SimmondsTimothy Walker AM †Laurence Watt
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THELONDON PHILHARMONICORCHESTRA, INC.
We are very grateful to theBoard of the American Friendsof the London PhilharmonicOrchestra for its support ofthe Orchestra’s activities inthe USA.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Charles RussellSolicitors
Crowe Clark Whitehill LLPAuditors
Dr Louise MillerHonorary Doctor
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
Timothy Walker AM †Chief Executive and Artistic Director
Alison AtkinsonDigital Projects Manager
FINANCE
David BurkeGeneral Manager andFinance Director
David GreensladeFinance and IT Manager
CONCERT MANAGEMENT
Roanna ChandlerConcerts Director
Ruth SansomArtistic Administrator
Graham WoodConcerts, Recordings andGlyndebourne Manager
Alison JonesConcerts Co-ordinator
Jenny ChadwickTours and EngagementsManager
Jo OrrPA to the Executive / Concerts Assistant
Matthew FreemanRecordings Consultant
EDUCATION ANDCOMMUNITY PROGRAMME
Matthew ToddEducation and Community Director
Anne FindlayEducation Officer
Isobel TimmsCommunity Officer
Alec HaylorEducation and Community Assistant
Richard MallettEducation and Community Producer
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL
Andrew CheneryOrchestra Personnel Manager
Sarah ThomasLibrarian
Michael PattisonStage Manager
Camilla BeggAssistant Orchestra PersonnelManager
Ken Graham TruckingInstrument Transportation(Tel: 01737 373305)
DEVELOPMENT
Nick JackmanDevelopment Director
Phoebe RouseCorporate Relations Manager
Sarah TattersallCorporate Relations and Events Manager
Melissa Van EmdenCorporate Relations and Events Officer
Elisenda AyatsDevelopment and FinanceOfficer
MARKETING
Kath TroutMarketing Director
Ellie DragonettiMarketing Manager
Frances CookPublications Manager
Samantha KendallBox Office Administrator(Tel: 020 7840 4242)
Charly Fraser-AnnandIntern
Valerie BarberPress Consultant(Tel: 020 7586 8560)
ARCHIVES
Edmund PirouetConsultant
Philip StuartDiscographer
Gillian PoleRecordings Archive
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TPTel: 020 7840 4200Fax: 020 7840 4201Box Office: 020 7840 4242
www.lpo.org.ukVisit the website for fulldetails of LondonPhilharmonic Orchestraactivities.
The London PhilharmonicOrchestra Limited is aregistered charity No. 238045.
Photographs of Brahms andBeethoven courtesy of theRoyal College of Music,London.
Photograph on the front cover by Karen Robinson.
Programmes printed by Cantate.
†Supported by Macquarie Group
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16 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
FUTURE CONCERTSAT SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
MAHLER ANNIVERSARYWednesday 17 November 2010 | 7.30pm
R Strauss Death and TransfigurationMahler Rückert-LiederRavel Suites Nos 1 and 2, Daphnis et Chloé
Kazushi Ono conductorNathalie Stutzmann contralto
Wednesday 24 November 2010 | 7.30pm
Stravinsky Scherzo fantastiqueProkofiev Piano Concerto No. 3Shostakovich Symphony No. 11
Vasily Petrenko conductorOleg Marshev piano
6.15pm–6.45pm | FREE Pre-Concert EventRoyal Festival HallWriter and broadcaster David Nice explores ‘ASymphony of revolutionary songs: Shostakovich’sindividuality versus the spirit of 1905’.
JTI FRIDAY SERIESFriday 26 November 2010 | 7.30pm
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K503Bruckner Symphony No. 9
Günther Herbig conductorAndreas Haefliger piano
MAHLER ANNIVERSARYWednesday 1 December 2010 | 7.30pm
Debussy (orch. Colin Matthews) Préludes: Des Pas sur laneige; La Cathédrale engloutie; Feux d’artificeBritten Les IlluminationsMahler Symphony No. 4
Vladimir Jurowski conductorChristine Schäfer soprano
6.00pm–7.00pm | FREE Pre-Concert EventRoyal Festival HallA performance of chamber music including GiyaKancheli’s Exil by the Orchestra’s outstanding youngapprentice musicians conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.
MAHLER ANNIVERSARYSaturday 4 December 2010 | 7.30pm
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4Mahler Symphony No. 1 (original version includingBlumine)
Vladimir Jurowski conductorHélène Grimaud piano
Barlines – FREE Post-Concert EventLevel 2 Foyer at Royal Festival HallAn informal discussion with Vladimir Jurowski followingthe evening’s performance.
TO BOOKTickets £9-£38 | Premium seats £55
London Philharmonic Orchestra Ticket Office020 7840 4242 | www.lpo.org.ukMon-Fri 10am-5pm; no booking fee
Southbank Centre Ticket Office | 0844 847 9920www.southbankcentre.co.uk/lpoDaily, 9am-8pm. £2.50 telephone / £1.45 online bookingfees; no fee for Southbank Centre members
Vasily Petrenko andOleg Marshev
Vladimir Jurowskiand ChristineSchäfer
Kazushi Ono andNathalie Stutzmann
56239 LPO 30 October 10_56239 LPO 30 October 10 25/10/2010 09:22 Page 16