‘The LSO at full tilt is a terrifying, glamorous beast.’ Season Guide 15-16...London Symphony Orchestra lso.co.uk London’s Symphony Orchestra LSO Season 2015/16 Concert Guide
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London Symphony Orchestra
lso.co.uk
London’s Symphony Orchestra
LSO Season 2015/16Concert Guide
‘The LSO at full tilt is a terrifying, glamorous beast.’The Times on the LSO in concert at the Barbican
From the concert hall …
Remembering World War I November 2014 was a poignant moment for people
across Britain as the poppies at the Tower of London
became a symbol for nations remembering those whose
lives were so changed by the outbreak of World War I.
The LSO is the only London orchestra still in existence
today that was in existence then, being ten years old
in 1914; we therefore mark centenary moments until 2018,
a century after the war ended. Sally Beamish’s Equal
Voices launched our four-year tribute with a work for
full orchestra and chorus based on Sir Andrew Motion’s
intense poetry that uses extracts from the memoirs of
soldiers who fought. Our commemorations this season
mark the Battle of the Somme, featuring works by English
composers with World War I connections and Ravel’s
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, written for pianist
Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm in battle.
On Tour – Australia, United States, Japan and beyondThe LSO visited the four corners of the world in the 2014/15 season,
including its first visit to Australia in 30 years with Principal Conductor
Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev. Also, in celebration of
LSO Principal Guest Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas’ 70th birthday,
the Orchestra embarked on an extensive tour of the United States,
alongside visits to many European cities and more. This season
will see the Orchestra tour to Japan, with return visits to residencies
in New York and Paris, among extensive concerts across Europe.
An unrivalled family of artistsThe LSO is fortunate not only to be made up
of the finest orchestral musicians – many of whom
are solo artists in their own right – but to also
work regularly with a renowned group of visiting
international artists whose affection and respect
for the LSO is completely mutual.
This season Valery Gergiev explores pivotal ballet
scores close to his heart, Bernard Haitink returns
alongside pianists Murray Perahia and Imogen Cooper,
Sir John Eliot Gardiner continues his exploration
of Mendelssohn’s orchestral works, Daniel Harding celebrates his 20th anniversary working with the LSO,
John Adams and Thomas Adès conduct their
own works, and there will be new programmes from
Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Antonio Pappano and Sir Mark Elder.
Opera in concert with Sir Simon RattleJanuary 2015 saw two landmark performances by Sir Simon Rattle
with the LSO, including a work he champions – Schumann’s
Das Paradies und die Peri – which has paved the way for an exciting
annual opera focus for the LSO’s Music Director designate in the next
three years. In January 2016, Sir Simon unites with visionary director
Peter Sellars for two semi-staged performances of Debussy’s
Pelléas et Melisande. The two have crafted momentous and truly
memorable performances over the years – including Pelléas previously
at the BBC Proms, in Berlin and elsewhere – and this collaboration
with the Barbican will be a highlight of the LSO’s 2015/16 season.
2014/15 to 2015/16The LSO continues its pioneering concert series in London at the Barbican and around the world.
LSO IN SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS
BERNARD HAITINK
ANTONIO PAPPANO
SIR SIMON RATTLE
SALLY BEAMISH & SIR ANDREW MOTION
2 LSO.CO.UK 3
BRASS
Horns
Trumpets
Trombones
Bass Trombone
Tuba
WOODWIND
Flutes
Piccolo
Oboes
Cor Anglais
Clarinets
E-flat Clarinet
Bassoons
PERCUSSION
Timpani
Percussion
Harps
Piano
CAMERA ANGLE CONDUCTOR
STRINGS
Violins
Violas
Cellos
Double Basses
LSO PLAY On 1 October 2013 the LSO launched an innovative online platform which
enables the viewer to get inside the orchestra. Using high definition footage
of LSO concerts recorded at the Barbican, users can choose from a variety
of camera angles across the stage, seeing what it’s like to follow a conductor
or zoom in on what a single section is playing, and dig deep into finding out
more about the orchestra’s instruments and make-up. LSO Play won a
Webby Award and a Lovie Award in 2014 for its unique take on exploring
the orchestra, and is generously supported by Reignwood Group.
DIGITAL THEATRE People across the globe can now access the full LSO concert experience
in their living rooms on digitaltheatre.com. All performances are in HD
and are available through some SmartTVs, through the Digital Theatre
app on the Apple App Store, and through the Digital Theatre website.
LSO LIVE LSO Live has reached over a hundred releases in its fifteen-year history
and many of them are available across multiple platforms including SACD,
Mastered for iTunes, in ultra high-quality formats through specialist
Bowers & Wilkins’ Society of Sound, on online MP3 stores such as
Amazon, and on streaming services such as Spotify. You can also
explore the whole catalogue on the LSO Live App for iPad.
LSO Live lsolive.lso.co.uk
LSO Play play.lso.co.uk
Digital Theatre lso.co.uk/digitaltheatre
Mastered for iTunes lso.co.uk/masteredforitunes
Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound lso.co.uk/societyofsound
Figures correct at time of going to press in June 2015
… to your home
To watch on TVRecent concerts available online
and on SmartTV (Digital Theatre)
or to watch via MezzoHD in Europe
20Hours
Social Network LikesSay Hello! on Facebook,
Twitter and Google Plus
692,885
iPadExplore the entire LSO Live catalogue,
read sleeve notes, and read
interviews with conductors
11,000App
Downloads
LSO LiveOver one million downloads annually
and over a hundred albums of Live
classical music in high definition sound
1m
YouTube ViewsWatch interviews, concert excerpts,
season overviews, talks,
and much more
11,475,807
Visits to LSO PlayDive into the orchestra and
choose your seat
554,873
THE DIGITAL ORCHESTRA
LSO PLAY: DISCOVER THE ORCHESTRA
BRINGING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THROUGH DIGITAL INNOVATION
Hundreds of people have donated to our Moving Music fundraising
campaign over the past three years. We are deeply grateful
for their generous support, which will enable us to share the
LSO’s music in high definition digital formats with millions of
people across the world for years to come.
Thank you to all our supporters for helping to secure the brightest possible future for the LSO.
MOVING MUSIC THANK YOU
Explore the Orchestra from the inside
and view the conductor as LSO players
do whilst learning more about the music
of Berlioz and Ravel.
54 LSO.CO.UK
NOVEMBER 2015 Thu 5 Nov 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
CHOPIN, LISZT & BARTÓK III Chopin Ballade No 1 in G minor; Fantasie in F minor Bartók Suite Liszt Après une lecture du Dante
Ashley Wass piano
Fri 6 Nov 2015 7.30pm
Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto (world premiere) Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Bernstein Chichester Psalms
James Gaffigan conductor Nicola Benedetti violin London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
2015/16 LISTINGS
SEPTEMBER 2015
Tue 15 Sep 2015 7.30pm
Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 Bruckner Symphony No 7
Bernard Haitink conductor Murray Perahia piano
Sun 20 Sep 2015 7pm
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Mahler Symphony No 4
Bernard Haitink conductor Murray Perahia piano Anna Lucia Richter soprano
Wed 23 Sep 2015 7.30pm
Purcell arr Stucky Funeral Music for Queen Mary Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1 Brahms Symphony No 1
Bernard Haitink conductor Imogen Cooper piano
IMOGEN COOPER (23 SEP)
YEFIM BRONFMAN (9 & 11 OCT)
LEILA JOSEFOWICZ (29 OCT)
NICOLA BENEDETTI (6 NOV) MARIA JOÃO PIRES (26 NOV, 6 & 16 DEC)
SOILE ISOKOSKI (12 NOV)
HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD (19 NOV)
Sun 8 Nov 2015 2.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
FAMILY CONCERT: WONDERLANDBen Gernon conductor Paul Rissmann presenter LSO Discovery ChoirsLSO commission generously supported by Queen Mary University of London
Thu 12 Nov 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
LONDON RESOUNDING III A celebration of the life of Tobias Hume, redoubtable 17th-century soldier and viol-player, who died in 1645 in the Charterhouse in Smithfield.
Fretwork
Thu 12 Nov 2015 7.30pm
Beethoven Symphony No 5 Strauss Death and Transfiguration Strauss Closing Scene from ‘Capriccio’
Nikolaj Znaider conductor Soile Isokoski soprano
6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Songs by StraussMURRAY PERAHIA (15 & 20 SEP)
OCTOBER 2015 Sun 4 Oct 2015 10.30am–4.30pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO COMMUNITY SINGING DAY
A TASTE OF AMERICADavid Lawrence conductor Ghislaine Morgan vocal coach
Includes choral works by some of America’s greatest composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and George Gershwin, accompanied by piano.
Thu 8 Oct 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
CHOPIN, LISZT & BARTÓK I Bartók Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs Chopin Nocturne in E-flat major; Nocturne in B major Liszt Mephisto Waltz No 1; Petrarch Sonnet No 104; Hexaméron
Ingolf Wunder piano
Thu 15 Oct 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
LONDON RESOUNDING I Baroque chamber ensemble Florilegium celebrates the life of concert-promoter extraordinaire Thomas Britton in works by Handel, Pepusch, Banister and others.
Ashley Solomon director Florilegium
Sun 18 Oct 2015 7pm
Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin (complete ballet) Stravinsky Chant du rossignol Bartók Concerto for Orchestra
Valery Gergiev conductor
Thu 22 Oct 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
LONDON RESOUNDING IICramer Piano Sonata in E-flat major Op 43 No 3 Clementi Piano Sonata in D major Op 25 No 6 Field Piano Sonata in E-flat major Op 1 No 1 Haydn Piano Sonata in E-flat major Hob XVI/52
Ronald Brautigam fortepiano
Thu 29 Oct 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
CHOPIN, LISZT & BARTÓK II Bartók Romanian Folk Dances Chopin Three Waltzes; Scherzo No 2 in B-flat minor Liszt Six Consolations; Concert paraphrase on Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’
Alice Sara Ott piano
Thu 29 Oct 2015 7.30pm
Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte Ravel Mother Goose – Ballet John Adams Scheherazade.2 (UK premiere)
John Adams conductor Leila Josefowicz violin
6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Instrumental and chamber works by John Adams
Fri 30 Oct 2015 6.30pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO RUSH HOUR CONCERT
LSO PERCUSSION: STEVE REICHSteve Reich Clapping Music; Music for Pieces of Wood; Sextet
Join the LSO Percussion Ensemble for a 45-minute rush hour concert featuring marimbas, vibraphone, bass drums, crotales, tam-tam, piano, synth and more.
Fri 9 Oct 2015 7.30pm
Bartók Dance Suite Bartók Piano Concerto No 2 Stravinsky The Firebird (original ballet)
Valery Gergiev conductor Yefim Bronfman piano
Sun 11 Oct 2015 10am–5.30pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
STRAVINSKY AND DANCEWitness the LSO rehearse scores by Stravinsky in the morning, followed by chamber music and discussion in the afternoon.
Sun 11 Oct 2015 7pm
Stravinsky Symphony in C major Bartók Piano Concerto No 3 Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
Valery Gergiev conductor Yefim Bronfman piano
Sat 14 Nov 2015 11am–4.30pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO CHORAL SINGING DAY
THE SEASONSHaydn The Seasons accompanied by piano
Simon Halsey conductor
Thu 19 Nov 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
LONDON RESOUNDING IV Haydn Trio in G major Hob XV/15 Clementi Sonata in C major Op 21 No 1 (‘La chasse’) J C Bach Sonata in C minor Op 17 No 2 Graf Grand Sonata in G major
Musica ad Rhenum
Thu 19 Nov 2015 7.30pm
Janácek Jenufa – Suite Ravel Piano Concerto in G major Dvorák Symphony No 9 (‘From the New World’)
Manfred Honeck conductor Hélène Grimaud piano
Thu 26 Nov 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
CHOPIN, LISZT & BARTÓK IV Liszt Vallée d’Obermann; Gnomenreigen * Chopin Three Nocturnes Op 9; Two Nocturnes Op 27 † Bartók Piano duet *†
Maria João Pires†, Ashot Khachatourian* pianoIn partnership with Maria João Pires’ Partitura Project supported by Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Belgium
Thu 26 Nov 2015 7.30pm
LSO BRASS ENSEMBLEOriginal music and specially arranged works for ten-piece brass, including a new commission by former LSO Soundhub composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson.
DECEMBER 2015
Sun 6 Dec 2015 7pm
Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 Bruckner Symphony No 4
Daniel Harding conductor Maria João Pires piano
Sun 13 Dec 2015 7pm
LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS
A CHORAL CHRISTMAS
Simon Halsey conductor London Symphony Chorus LSO Community Choir LSO Discovery Choirs
Join Simon Halsey and all of the LSO’s singing ensembles in this festive choral celebration of Christmas.
Wed 16 Dec 2015 7.30pm
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3 Bruckner Symphony No 9 (four movement version)
Daniel Harding conductor Maria João Pires pianoSupported by LSO Friends
Main Season Concert in the Barbican Hall | Please note, Sunday evening concerts start at 7pm throughout the 2015/16 season
8 2015/16 LISTINGS ~ LSO.CO.UK EVENTS TAKE PLACE IN BARBICAN HALL UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 9
FEBRUARY 2016 Wed 3 Feb 2016 7.30pm
LSO STRING ENSEMBLEElgar Introduction and Allegro Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis Britten Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge
Roman Simovic director LSO String Ensemble
Thu 4 Feb 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
PAVEL HAAS RESIDENCY I Smetana String Quartet No 2 in D minor; String Quartet No 1 in E minor (‘From my life’)
Pavel Haas Quartet
Sun 7 Feb 2016 2.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
FAMILY CONCERT
Thu 11 Feb 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
PAVEL HAAS RESIDENCY II Shostakovich String Quartet No 10 in A-flat major; Piano Quintet in G minor
Denis Kozhukin piano Pavel Haas Quartet
JANUARY 2016 Sun 3 Jan 2016 7pm
NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAINTchaikovsky Overture: Hamlet Korngold Violin Concerto Prokofiev Symphony No 5
Nicholas Collon conductor Tai Murray violin National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
Thu 7 Jan 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
SHAKESPEARE 400 I Schumann Excerpts from ‘Novelletten’ Korngold Much Ado About Nothing – Suite Beethoven Piano Trio in D major (‘Ghost’)
Gould Piano Trio
Sat 9 & Sun 10 Jan 2016 7pm
Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande (semi-staged performance)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Peter Sellars director Magdalena Kožená Mélisande Christian Gerhaher Pelléas Gerald Finley Golaud Bernarda Fink Genevieve Franz-Josef Selig Arkel London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus directorProduced by the LSO and Barbican Part of LSO 2015/16 Season and Barbican Presents Multi-buy and group discounts do not apply to these concerts
Wed 13 Jan 2016 7.30pm
Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin Dutilleux L’arbre des songes Delage Four Hindu Poems Dutilleux Métaboles Ravel Daphnis and Chloe – Suite No 2
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Leonidas Kavakos violin Susan Gritton soprano
2015/16 LISTINGS
Sun 17 Jan 2016 7pm
Tchaikovsky Overture: The Tempest Elgar Cello Concerto Dvorák Symphony No 7
Pablo Heras-Casado conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Chamber music by Dvorák
Thu 21 Jan 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
SHAKESPEARE 400 III Arne Where the Bee sucks; When daisies pied Haydn She never told her love Schubert An Silvia; Ständchen Wolf Bottom’s dream Vaughan Williams Orpheus with his lute Quilter Fear no more the heat of the sun; Under the Greenwood tree Warlock Take, O take, those lips away Tippett Three songs for Ariel Dring The Cuckoo; Take, O take, those lips away; It was a lover and his lass
James Gilchrist tenor Anna Tilbrook piano
Thu 21 Jan 2016 7.30pm
Wagner Prelude to Act I from ‘Parsifal’ Berg Seven Early Songs Mahler Symphony No 5
François-Xavier Roth conductor Camilla Tilling soprano
Sat 23 Jan 2016 11am–4.30pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO CHORAL SINGING DAY
THE DREAM OF GERONTIUSElgar The Dream of Gerontius accompanied by piano
Simon Halsey conductor
Sun 24 Jan 2016 10am–5.30pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
AFTER ROMANTICISMJoin conductor François-Xavier Roth in a morning Barbican rehearsal, followed by an afternoon at LSO St Luke’s exploring the post-Romantic idea of the hero, with chamber music and talks.
Sun 24 Jan 2016 7pm
Webern Im Sommerwind Berg Violin Concerto Strauss Ein Heldenleben
François-Xavier Roth conductor Renaud Capuçon violin
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Berg songs and chamber music
Thu 28 Jan 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
SHAKESPEARE 400 IV Kodály An Ode for Music Giles Swayne Three Shakespeare Songs Wood Full fathom five; It was a lover and his lass Jaakko Mäntyjärvi Four Shakespeare Songs Cecilia McDowall When time is broke (world premiere) Paul Mealor Let Fall the Windows of Mine Eyes Vaughan Williams Three Shakespeare Songs
David Hill director BBC Singers
Sun 31 Jan 2016 7pm
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Respighi Roman Trilogy (Fountains of Rome – Pines of Rome – Roman Festivals)
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor Alice Sara Ott piano
Thu 14 Jan 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
SHAKESPEARE 400 II 17th-century songs by Morley, Robert Jones, Banister and Purcell to texts by or inspired by Shakespeare, plus music by various composers for The Tempest.
Iestyn Davies counter-tenor Elizabeth Kenny lute
LEONIDAS KAVAKOS (13 JAN)
ALICE SARA OTT (31 JAN)
RENAUD CAPUÇON (24 JAN) SIMON TRPCESKI (25 FEB)
SIR JOHN ELIOT GARDINER (16 FEB)
JANINE JANSEN (28 FEB)
ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER (9 MAR)
ALISA WEILERSTEIN (17 JAN)
Tue 16 Feb 2016 7.30pm
Mendelssohn Symphony No 1 Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Sir John Eliot Gardiner conductor Monteverdi Choir
Thu 18 Feb 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
PAVEL HAAS RESIDENCY III Prokofiev String Quartet No 1 in B minor Bartók String Quartet No 5
Pavel Haas Quartet
Thu 25 Feb 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
PAVEL HAAS RESIDENCY IV Schubert String Quartet in C major D956
Danjulo Ishizaka cello Pavel Haas Quartet
Thu 25 Feb 2016 7.30pm
Smetana Richard III Liszt Piano Concerto No 2 Tchaikovsky Overture: Romeo and Juliet Strauss Macbeth
Gianandrea Noseda conductor Simon Trpceski piano
MARCH 2016 Sun 6 Mar 2016 11am–4.30pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO CHORAL SINGING DAY
BEETHOVEN’S CHORAL SYMPHONYBeethoven Symphony No 9 (‘Choral’) accompanied by piano
Simon Halsey conductor
Wed 9 Mar 2016 10am–6pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO FUTURES / GUILDHALL
GETTING IT RIGHT? NEW MUSIC AND DANCE CONFERENCEJulian Anderson curator
This one-day conference, the third in a series of Guildhall ResearchWorks/LSO Getting it right? conferences, brings together leading figures and emerging artists from the worlds of new music and dance to explore the dynamic relationship between the two disciplines.
Wed 9 Mar 2016 7.30pm
LSO COMPOSER FOCUS
THOMAS ADÈSThomas Adès Polaris Brahms Violin Concerto Thomas Adès Brahms Thomas Adès Tevot
Thomas Adès conductor Anne-Sophie Mutter violin
Sun 28 Feb 2016 10am–5pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
BERLIOZ AND SHAKESPEAREA morning watching Gianandrea Noseda guiding the LSO through Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet suite at the Barbican, with afternoon chamber music and more at LSO St Luke’s.
Sun 28 Feb 2016 7pm
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 2 Berlioz Romeo and Juliet – Suite
Gianandrea Noseda conductor Janine Jansen violin
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Songs based on Shakespeare texts
Fri 11 Mar 2016 10am–1pm & 2–6pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO FUTURES
PANUFNIK COMPOSERS WORKSHOPFrançois-Xavier Roth conductor
Featuring new works for orchestra by Patrick Giguere, Bethan Morgan-Williams, Deborah Pritchard, Daniel Lewis Fardon, Daniel Moreira and Ewan Campbell.The Panufnik Composers Scheme is supported by the Helen Hamlyn Trust
Sun 13 Mar 2016 4pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO FUTURES
AFTERNOON CONCERTDarren Bloom Dr Glaser’s Experiment (world premiere, LSO commission) Thomas Adès Chamber Symphony Schoenberg Chamber Symphony No 1
François-Xavier Roth conductor LSO Chamber OrchestraLSO commission generously supported by the PRS for Music Foundation and The Britten-Pears Foundation. Only LSO Futures multibuy discount applies to this concert
10 2015/16 LISTINGS ~ LSO.CO.UK EVENTS TAKE PLACE IN BARBICAN HALL UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 11
Thu 14 Apr 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
ELGAR UP CLOSE I Elgar Violin Sonata Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending for violin and piano Elgar Sospiri
Jennifer Pike violin Peter Limonov piano
Thu 14 Apr 2016 7.30pm
Messiaen Couleurs de la cité céleste Bruckner Symphony No 8
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano
Sun 17 Apr 2016 10am–5.30pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
THE SEASONSOne of Haydn’s best-loved choral works is rehearsed in the morning with Sir Simon Rattle, the LSO and the London Symphony Chorus, followed by an afternoon’s exploration of the seasons in art and music.
MAY 2016 Thu 5 May 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
ELGAR UP CLOSE IV Purcell Three Fantasias Elgar String Quartet in E minor
Elias String Quartet
Sun 13 Mar 2016 7pm, Barbican
LSO FUTURES
EVENING CONCERTLigeti Atmosphères Elizabeth Ogonek Sleep & Unremembrance (world premiere, Panufnik commission) Berio Sinfonia
François-Xavier Roth conductor Synergy VocalsThe Panufnik Composers Scheme is supported by the Helen Hamlyn Trust Only LSO Futures multibuy discount applies to this concert
Wed 16 Mar 2016 7.30pm
LSO COMPOSER FOCUS
THOMAS ADÈSThomas Adès Asyla Sibelius Violin Concerto Franck Symphony in D minor
Thomas Adès conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin
Sun 20 Mar 2016 7pm
Schumann Scenes from Goethe’s ‘Faust’
Daniel Harding conductor Christian Gerhaher Faust Christiane Karg Gretchen Christianne Stotijn Noth Alastair Miles Mephistopheles Andrew Staples Ariel London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director Choir of Eltham College
2015/16 LISTINGS
APRIL 2016
Sun 3 Apr 2016 7pm
Nielsen Overture: Masquerade Sibelius Symphony No 3 Anders Hillborg Exquisite Corpse Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Alan Gilbert conductor Joshua Bell violin
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Chamber music by Nielsen
Thu 7 Apr 2016 7.30pm
Sibelius En Saga Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 Nielsen Symphony No 4 (‘The Inextinguishable’)
Alan Gilbert conductor Daniil Trifonov piano
Supported by LSO Patrons
Sun 17 Apr 2016 7pm
Haydn The Seasons (sung in German)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Monika Eder soprano John Mark Ainsley tenor Florian Boesch baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Thu 21 Apr 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
ELGAR UP CLOSE II Elgar Introduction and Allegro Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis Britten Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge
Roman Simovic director LSO String Ensemble
Sun 24 Apr 2016 7pm
Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Sir Mark Elder conductor Alice Coote mezzo-soprano Allan Clayton tenor Gerald Finley bass London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists A recital of English songs
Thu 28 Apr 2016 1pm, LSO St Luke’s
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT
ELGAR UP CLOSE III Stravinsky Three Pieces for String Quartet Elgar Piano Quintet in A minor
Huw Watkins piano Elias Quartet
Thu 28 Apr 2016 7.30pm
Butterworth A Shropshire Lad Vaughan Williams A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No 3) * Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand Debussy La mer
Sir Mark Elder conductor Elizabeth Watts soprano * Cédric Tiberghien piano
ELIZABETH OGONEK (13 MAR)
CHRISTIANE KARG (20 MAR)
ANTONIO PAPPANO (19 & 29 MAY)
CÉDRIC TIBERGHIEN (28 APR)
ELIAS STRING QUARTET (5 MAY)
KRYSTIAN ZIMERMAN (30 JUN)
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER ROTH (21 & 24 JAN, 11 & 13 MAR)
Sun 8 May 2016 7pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
LEIF OVE ANDSNES Mozart Piano Concerto No 20 Bruckner Symphony No 3
Daniel Harding conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Thu 12 May 2016 7.30pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
LEIF OVE ANDSNES Schumann Piano Concerto Beethoven Symphony No 9 (‘Choral’)
Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano Christine Rice mezzo-soprano Toby Spence tenor Neal Davies baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus directorSupported by Baker & McKenzie LLP
Sat 14 May 2016 10.30am–4.30pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO COMMUNITY SINGING DAY
JAZZAMATAZZ!David Lawrence conductor
A day of singing great vocal jazz arrangements of songs like Blue Skies, It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing, Just the way you look tonight and others. You’ll be joined in the afternoon by a jazz trio who will lift your spirits even further. The day will culminate in an informal performance.
Thu 19 May 2016 7.30pm
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1 Mahler Symphony No 6
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor Viktoria Mullova violin
6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Chamber music by Shostakovich
Sun 29 May 2016 7pm
Beethoven Violin Concerto Elgar Symphony No 2
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor Nikolaj Znaider violin
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Piano sonatas by Beethoven
JUNE 2016 Sun 5 Jun 2016 7pm
Mahler Symphony No 2 (‘Resurrection’)
Daniel Harding conductor Miah Persson soprano Anna Larsson alto London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Songs by Mahler and Wolf
Fri 10 Jun 2016 7.30pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
LEIF OVE ANDSNES RECITALSibelius Three Pieces (‘Kyllikki’); The Birch; The Spruce; The Forest Lake; Song in the Forest; Spring Vision Beethoven Piano Sonata No 18 in E-flat major (‘The Hunt’) Debussy La soirée dans Grenade from ‘Estampes’; Three Études: ‘Pour les arpèges composés’ – ‘ Pour les huit doigts’ – ‘Pour les octaves’; Étude in A-flat major from ‘Trois nouvelles études’ Chopin Impromptu in A-flat major; Nocturne in F Major; Ballad No 4 in F minor
Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Sun 12 Jun 2016 2.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
FAMILY CONCERT
Thu 16 Jun 2016 7.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
ANNUAL LSO DISCOVERY SHOWCASEWitness the electrifying results when an orchestra founded at the beginning of the 20th century meets young musicians born at the beginning of the 21st.
Sun 26 Jun 2016 7pm
Peter Maxwell Davies The Hogboon (world premiere of a new children’s opera, LSO commission) Berlioz Symphonie fantastique (LSO and Guildhall musicians side by side)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Guildhall School musicians LSO Discovery Choirs London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Thu 30 Jun 2016 7.30pm
Ives The Unanswered Question Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Rachmaninov Symphony No 2
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Krystian Zimerman piano
LISA BATIASHVILI (9 JUN)
Thu 9 Jun 2016 7.30pm
Dvorák Overture: Othello Bartók Violin Concerto No 1 Dvorák Symphony No 8
Daniel Harding conductor Lisa Batiashvili violin
6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Featuring Dvorák’s Wind Serenade
12 2015/16 LISTINGS ~ LSO.CO.UK EVENTS TAKE PLACE IN BARBICAN HALL UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 13
Made up of players from across the globeLondon’s Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan Lipton United States
David Ballesteros Spain
Naoko Keatley Australia
Jani Pensola Finland
Eve-Marie Caravassilis
France
Ginette Decuyper Belgium
Belinda McFarlane Australia
Colin Renwick Australia
Sarah Quinn Ireland
Iwona Muszynska Poland
Carmine Lauri Malta
Antoine Bedewi Australia
Laurent Quenelle France
Jörg Hammann Germany
Julia O’Riordan Ireland
Sylvain Vasseur France
German Clavijo Argentina
Julian Gil Rodriguez Colombia
At the Mariinsky, like a true man of the theatre,
Valery Gergiev controls all of the strings,
juggling orchestra, singers, dancers, directors and even
overseeing the construction of a new hall, Mariinsky II.
But it’s not just that, after all his relationship with the
London Symphony Orchestra doesn’t rely on the
visual aspects of opera or ballet – or does it?
LSO Principal Flute Gareth Davies explains …
Plenty has been written about Gergiev’s often unconventional style
of conducting. Barely a concert review goes by without mention of the
toothpick, fluttering fingers or his seemingly impossible to decipher
gestures. It seems that despite the lack of dancers and lavish sets, the
visual aspect of Gergiev’s style is often centre stage. I remember the very
first time we played Stravinsky’s Petrushka. The piece begins in the hustle
and bustle of the fair – the strings and clarinets whizz around, the flutes
shriek like Whitecross Street market traders. Valery practically ran through
the violins, and in one roundhouse punch of a gesture, shook the Leader’s
hand, bowed and whipped around bringing his right hand crashing in for
the downbeat. The house lights were still up. I wasn’t ready, but somehow
managed to make it just in time. Audience chatter was suddenly silenced,
the players were already on the edge of their seats, everyone in the hall
was instantly transported to the Russian fair. It was breathless, it was
exciting – it was theatre.
Performances of The Rite of Spring are so commonplace these days
that critics often complain that they have become sanitised, they are too
perfect, they no longer sound like a struggle. However, one only has to see
the look of violence in Gergiev’s eyes when he casts the upbeat at the start
of the ‘Dance of the Young Girls’ to understand why his performance sounds
like it does; the jerks and stabs of his shoulders punctuate the texture with
offbeat accents. He said to me once in an interview that there are times when
he is deliberately unclear to the players in his gestures; he likes to create
tension and a sense of reinvention – certainly I don’t recall ever giving the
same performance twice with him in charge. I think what he does is not only
create a theatrical atmosphere of anticipation, danger and unpredictability
for the audience, but also crucially and uniquely, for the Orchestra.
Gareth Davies has been LSO Principal Flute since 2000. Alongside playing with the LSO, Gareth writes regularly for BBC Music Magazine, Classic FM and his own blog, has written a book on a century of LSO touring – The Show Must Go On – and is a professor of flute at the Royal College of Music.
GERGIEV ON LSO LIVE Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
Awarded Disc of the Year and Best Orchestra Recording by BBC Music Magazine in 2011, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is considered to be one of the most exceptional realisations of Shakespeare in music. Buy online at lsolive.lso.co.uk
‘Everyone in the hall was instantly transported to the Russian fair.’writes LSO Principal Flute Gareth Davies on Valery Gergiev
Gergiev:Man of the theatre
Fri 9 Oct 2015 7.30pm
Bartók Dance Suite Bartók Piano Concerto No 2 Stravinsky The Firebird (original ballet)
Valery Gergiev conductor Yefim Bronfman piano
Sun 11 Oct 2015 7pm
Stravinsky Symphony in C major Bartók Piano Concerto No 3 Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
Valery Gergiev conductor Yefim Bronfman piano
Sun 18 Oct 2015 7pm
Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin Stravinsky Chant du rossignol Bartók Concerto for Orchestra
Valery Gergiev conductor
Sun 11 Oct 2015 10am–5.30pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
STRAVINSKY AND DANCEWitness the LSO rehearse scores by Stravinsky in the morning, followed by chamber music and discussion in the afternoon.
THE THEATRE IS IN VALERY GERGIEV’S BLOOD
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 1716 GERGIEV: MAN OF THE THEATRE ~ LSO.CO.UK
Bernard Haitink
Haitink is revered by audiences and critics worldwide,
the recipient of thunderous ovations and rapturous plaudits,
but this mesmerising chemistry is cherished perhaps most of
all by the Orchestra itself. In the words of LSO Percussionist
David Jackson, ‘there’s a palpable fizz in the air’ whenever
Haitink takes to the rostrum for the first rehearsal.
For Sarah Quinn, LSO Sub-Principal Second Violin,
who first worked with the conductor in 1995 as a member
of the European Union Youth Orchestra, Haitink was as
inspiring 20 years ago as he is today. ‘He’s the sort of man
who doesn’t say a huge amount, but what he does makes
a tremendous impact,’ she explains. ‘You always felt like
you had time and space to play everything, no matter
how difficult it was … It was as if he could make time
stand still and everything was possible.’
David, meanwhile, cites the humility and ‘quiet authority’
that Haitink exercises each time he stands on the podium.
‘When he comes onto the stage, he says very little to the
Orchestra, usually starts off with a very subtle joke …
and you just feel safe. He’s very much a conductor who
invites you to play.’ Sarah agrees: ‘He walks onto the
platform and it’s like a switch. He has complete control
and complete authority over what he’s doing at all times’.
Over the last two decades, the relationship between
the Orchestra and conductor has grown steadily stronger,
with David praising the feeling of mutual respect,
‘something that’s earned over a long period of time’,
that permeates each performance. ‘He seems to have a
huge affection for the LSO and we love working with him,’
confirms Sarah. This propensity for forming musical
partnerships extends to soloists too – Maria João Pires,
Mitsuko Uchida and Emanuel Ax, to name just a handful
of recent collaborators. For David, this is at the heart of
Haitink’s approach to music-making: ‘He surrounds himself
with friends and has a good time – he just enjoys it’.
AT THE BARBICAN
Tue 15 Sep 2015 7.30pm
Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 Bruckner Symphony No 7
Bernard Haitink conductor Murray Perahia piano
Sun 20 Sep 2015 7pm
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Mahler Symphony No 4
Bernard Haitink conductor Murray Perahia piano Anna Lucia Richter soprano
Wed 23 Sep 2015 7.30pm
Purcell arr Stucky Funeral Music for Queen Mary Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1 Brahms Symphony No 1
Bernard Haitink conductor Imogen Cooper piano
JAPAN WITH HAITINKMon 28 Sep to Mon 5 Oct 2015
Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 Mahler Symphony No 4 Bruckner Symphony No 7 Purcell arr Stucky Funeral Music for Queen Mary Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Brahms Symphony No 1
Bernard Haitink conductor
28 Sep Suntory Hall, Tokyo 30 Sep Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Tokyo 1 Oct NHK Hall, Tokyo 3 Oct Concert Hall, Kyoto 5 Oct Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo
OTHER CONCERTS ON TOURSun 27 Sep to Sun 4 Oct 2015
FINAL SYMPHONY IIAlongside concerts with Haitink during the LSO tour of Japan, the Orchestra also gives audiences an opportunity to hear music recorded for the Final Fantasy video games and from the Final Symphony album.
Eckehard Stier conductor Mischa Cheung piano
27 Sep Osaka 4 Oct Yokohama
For more information on the LSO’s worldwide tours, see page 54
In 2015/16, it’s the great pianist Murray Perahia who
teams up with Haitink, opening the LSO’s season together
with one of Mozart’s most striking piano concertos.
The core of the symphonic repertoire – Brahms, Bruckner
and Mahler – is explored in the three opening concerts,
before Haitink leads the LSO on a tour of Japan.
Remembering the Orchestra’s last tour to East Asia
with Haitink in 2013, David recalls, ‘I’ve never seen him
smile so much. It was such a lovely trip. He said, ‘This is
going to be the last time I go to the Far East with a big
orchestra’, but lo and behold, we get back to London
and the reports come back that he’s had such a good time
that he’d quite like to do it again – which we are this year!
When that kind of information filters back to the players,
that speaks volumes of how much he enjoys working
with us, and how we love working with him.’
Fiona Dinsdale, LSO Marketing Manager
The LSO is grateful to Moore Group for its generous support of concerts in Japan this year. The Orchestra’s concerts around the world offer further valuable opportunities for tour partnerships. Contact development@lso.co.uk for more information. HAITINK ON LSO LIVE Bruckner Symphonies Nos 4 & 9
‘It’s absolutely sensational … a really mature reading, by a very mature and a highly experienced and a completely relaxed conductor’ BBC Radio 3 CD Review
Audiophile Audition (US) Pizzicato (Luxembourg)
‘This performance from last year with the London Symphony Orchestra on stupendous form seems to mark a pitch of understanding and communication which it wouldn’t be possible to surpass.’
BBC Music Magazine
Whenever the LSO and conductor Bernard Haitink
come together for a performance, the result
is always a true musical partnership.
DAVID JACKSON (LSO PERCUSSION)
BERNARD HAITINK CONDUCTING THE LSO IN JAPAN
SARAH QUINN (LSO VIOLIN)
AT HOME & ABROAD
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 1918 BERNARD HAITINK ~ LSO.CO.UK
When two artists that are as sought after
as Rattle and Sellars join forces, there can be
no doubt as to the combined creative genius
that player and public alike are about to witness.
Their landmark staged performances around
the world – including the Bach St Matthew
and St John Passions and previous productions
of Debussy’s dramatic Pelléas et Mélisande
in the mid-1990s – have reached ‘legendary’
status as described by New York critic Alex Ross.
In January 2016, the pair once again re-visit
Debussy’s masterpiece at the Barbican along
with the combined forces of the London
Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and a
star-studded cast of soloists.
THE WORK
Debussy completed only one opera, but it was
quickly recognised as a masterpiece and indeed
one of the great 20th-century works in the form.
He took a long time, however, both to discover
the right subject and to compose the piece.
Between 1890–93 Debussy worked on his
first substantial attempt at an opera to a libretto
on the Spanish medieval warlord El Cid, but he
lost interest in its plot and grand operatic manner,
eventually abandoning it. By this time he had
discovered the plays of Maurice Maeterlinck,
though before that he had a clear idea of the
kind of opera he would rather: ‘The ideal would
be two associated dreams. No time, no place.
No big scene. Music in opera is far too predominant.
My idea is of a short libretto with mobile scenes.
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE
Opera in concertSir Simon Rattle and Peter Sellars, who have worked together for over three decades, bring their
joint dramatic chemistry to the Barbican. George Hall introduces Debussy’s only completed opera.
No discussion or arguments between characters
whom I see at the mercy of life or destiny.’
It is almost as if Debussy imagined Pelléas et
Mélisande before he actually encountered it.
He read Maeterlinck’s Pelléas around 1892 and
years later acknowledged, ‘The drama of Pelléas …
contains far more humanity than those so-called
‘real-life documents’ [and] suits my intentions
admirably … there is an evocative language whose
sensitivity could be extended into music and into
the orchestral backcloth’. Maeterlinck agreed to
Debussy making a musical setting. It was complete
by 1895, but the Opéra-Comique in Paris took
three years to accept it. Its eventual premiere in
1902 proved to be a landmark in French music.
Pelléas is one of the most original and
influential operas of its period. Its atmosphere is
distinctive and indeed unique, a self-enclosed
world where the characters often say one thing
when they mean quite another. This sense of
ambiguity is highlighted by Debussy’s complex
and subtle harmony and his delicate use of
orchestral colour throughout. Ironically,
Maeterlinck’s play has largely disappeared from
view – as if Debussy, in providing its precise
musical equivalent, had left no need for it to
continue to be performed. While we may regret
that Debussy’s later operatic projects failed
to reach completion, the one masterpiece
we have has proved to be one of opera’s
greatest achievements.
George Hall writes widely on classical music, including
for The Guardian, BBC Music Magazine and Opera.
THE STORY
The tale is set in the mythical land of
Allemonde and begins as Prince Golaud, a
widower and the grandson of the king, discovers
a young woman weeping in the forest while he
is out hunting. Although her identity and story
remain shrouded in mystery, she reveals that her
name is Mélisande and agrees to accompany
Golaud away from the forest.
Word is soon received that Mélisande and
Golaud have been married and the couple arrive
at the castle, where they encounter Golaud’s
half-brother, Pelléas. Golaud is angered when
Mélisande loses her wedding ring in a well,
and he sends her and Pelléas out to find it.
His bitterness grows as he begins to suspect that
the couple, who are visibly drawn to each other,
are falling in love. Golaud encourages his son,
Yniold, to spy on them, while warning Pelléas
that Mélisande is expecting a child.
As Pelléas decides to leave the castle,
Golaud’s jealousy descends into violence: he
questions Mélisande, accusing her of infidelity,
then seizes her by the hair and throws her to the
floor. She goes to meet Pelléas for the final time
and the couple declare their love for each other.
However, Golaud has been spying on them.
The story ends in tragedy, with the deaths
of both Pelléas, killed by his half-brother,
and Mélisande, who gives birth prematurely
and dies maintaining her innocence.
FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 2120 PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE ~ LSO.CO.UK
Sat 9 & Sun 10 Jan 2016 7pm
Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande (semi-staged performance)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Peter Sellars director Magdalena Kožená Mélisande Christian Gerhaher Pelléas Gerald Finley Golaud Bernarda Fink Genevieve Franz-Josef Selig Arkel London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Produced by the LSO and Barbican Part of LSO 2015/16 Season and Barbican Presents Multi-buy and group discounts do not apply to these concerts
Wed 13 Jan 2016 7.30pm
Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin Dutilleux L’arbre des songes Delage Four Hindu Poems Dutilleux Métaboles Ravel Daphnis and Chloe – Suite No 2
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Leonidas Kavakos violin Susan Gritton soprano
Thu 14 Apr 2016 7.30pm
Messiaen Couleurs de la cité céleste Bruckner Symphony No 8
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano
Sun 17 Apr 2016 10am–5.30pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
THE SEASONSOne of Haydn’s best-loved choral works is rehearsed in the morning with Sir Simon Rattle, the LSO and the London Symphony Chorus, followed by an afternoon’s exploration of the seasons in art and music.
Sun 17 Apr 2016 7pm
Haydn The Seasons (sung in German)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Monika Eder soprano John Mark Ainsley tenor Florian Boesch baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Sun 26 Jun 2016 7pm
Peter Maxwell Davies The Hogboon (world premiere, LSO commission) Berlioz Symphonie fantastique (LSO and Guildhall musicians side by side)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor London Symphony Chorus LSO Discovery Choirs Guildhall School musicians
Thu 30 Jun 2016 7.30pm
Ives The Unanswered Question Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Rachmaninov Symphony No 2
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Krystian Zimerman piano
Sir Simon Rattle, who appears with the LSO seven times this season,
talks about what it’s like working with visionary director Peter Sellars,
and to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra.
as Debussy wanted, not in this block with the
woodwinds all together but with them spread
around the strings – will be a different feeling
and we’ll have to get used to the sounds coming
from other places and blending in other ways.
It will be fascinating.
The LSO is an extraordinary thing and I’ve
been listening to it all my life. I remember it as
being a rather unpredictable orchestra. We tend
to forget, now that it’s such an incredibly civilised
and open orchestra, how much it’s changed,
but it was always very good. Because of its history
Perfect PartnersPeter Sellars is someone I’ve known all my life
and is an astonishing force of nature: incredibly
bright, extraordinarily eloquent, quite maddeningly
certain of everything of which he’s certain. Our first
big project wasn’t until my mid-30s when we first
did Pelléas et Mélisande. On the first day, Peter
arrived off a plane, met an entire company of
people who told him their names – he didn’t write
them down but remembered them – and he could
still remember them three years later. He then
did a two-hour talk on Pelléas without any notes
and then rehearsed the first scene from full score,
on which he had written nothing. And that’s Peter!
The amount of knowledge and the amount of musical
understanding staggered all of us immediately.
Peter and I have worked on various projects
over the years, the most moving being the recent
two Bach Passions. Peter has a way of creating an
atmosphere where everybody gives away parts
of themselves that they thought were hidden or
private, and he creates an atmosphere where egos
are left outside the door – just simply working on
‘what does the music mean’. I remember at one
point – an aria which is about death and loss – I
couldn’t get what I needed from the players. Peter
just wandered up to them quietly: ‘these notes –
you’re giving me a healthy heartbeat. I don’t want
a healthy heartbeat, I want a heartbeat that’s nearly
extinct and that could stop at any moment’, and
immediately the players brought something else
to it. It was a total collaboration in every possible
way and we decided that this is something we
simply needed to do year after year. So, the LSO
and I have three projects coming up with Peter,
starting with us revisiting Pelléas et Mélisande.
I don’t think the LSO will quite know what’s hit
them in Pelléas because Peter will be involved
with everything and they will find themselves
doing things that they never imagined they would –
or at least in an atmosphere that they’ve never
had – these wonderful open musicians will love it!
There’s such a mystery in Pelléas. The idea
that the singers can be wandering through the
orchestra – and that we will try to seat the orchestra
it has always had a bit of the ‘pirate ship’ about it,
always going for broke. The point is that you
have to go for it! What’s so interesting is that it’s
reinvented itself yet I don’t think it’s lost all of that,
it’s an orchestra that can do just about anything.
There’s an extraordinary quality of freshness,
which is very unusual, with an amazing ability
to just turn on the moment – working with an
improvisatory conductor such as Valery Gergiev
has only made that more so. So you feel that the
LSO can go anywhere with you. And you do feel
they’re a family. They look after each other.
Sir Simon Rattle has been Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002, and prior to that was Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for 18 years. He was awarded the Order of Merit by Her Majesty the Queen in 2014 for his commitment to music and the arts. From September 2017 he will be Music Director of the LSO.
CONDUCTING WITH THE LSO
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 2322 SIR SIMON RATTLE ~ LSO.CO.UK
In his preface to the first publication of William Shakespeare’s
First Folio in 1623, poet Ben Jonson made a prediction on the
enduring legacy of Shakespeare’s works, proclaiming them as
‘… not of an age, but for all time’.
This turned out to be an accurate prediction – in our time William
Shakespeare has elevated in popularity and reputation, becoming a
monumental figure in British literature. His dramatic writing is considered to be
amongst the greatest ever conceived in the English language, and his works
are continually performed, studied, re-interpreted and adapted the world over.
His iconic comedies, romances and tragedies manage to distil the very
essence of the human condition – from the dizzying heights of passion, to the
lowliest depths of despair – into profoundly lyrical and eloquent language.
Shakespeare’s words have provided inspiration for generations of artists in
every conceivable medium reaching far beyond its literary roots. From theatre
and film to painting, sculpture and music, his influence has affected all facets
of modern culture. This enduring appeal can be put down to the universal
nature of the subject matters that Shakespeare confronts – love, loss, power,
ambition and greed are all timeless, and instantly accessible to anyone.
This unique quality makes his stories inherently relatable and incredibly
adaptable; they hold just as much relevance now as they did 400 years ago,
transposing seamlessly from period settings to modern-day adaptations.
In music, Shakespeare’s influence has been profound, inspiring many
great composers to write their finest works. Hector Berlioz, a particularly ardent
and committed admirer of Shakespeare, once described his influence as
‘a sublime thunderclap, illuminating the most distant depths. I recognised true
grandeur, true beauty, and dramatic truth’. In the world of opera Shakespeare’s
plays have proven particularly important, inspiring the creation of well over
400 separate works. It is easy to see why – the vividly drawn characters,
lyrical, pulse-driven language and bold, dramatic narrative trajectories
translate perfectly from the theatre to the opera-house.
In a special series of concerts marking the quatercentenary of
Shakespeare’s death in April 1616, the LSO will explore some of the
greatest music inspired by his words. The series opens with Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducting Mendelssohn’s incidental music to A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Gianandrea Noseda will conduct two separate programmes;
the first features Tchaikovsky’s iconic Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
alongside Strauss’ Macbeth and Smetana’s Richard III. The season comes
to a climactic close with Berlioz’s monumental Romeo and Juliet Suite.
Plus, throughout January 2016 our series of BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime
Concerts at LSO St Luke’s focuses on great chamber works inspired
by Shakespeare, with ensembles including the Gould Piano Trio and
the BBC Singers.
Benjamin Picard, LSO Marketing Co-ordinator
Shakespeare 400 is a cultural initiative across London in 2016. To celebrate, cultural institutions based in and around Greater London have come together in partnership with the London Shakespeare Centre at King’s College London. From January to September a special season of connected performances, broadcasts, exhibitions and educational outreach events will underline London’s pivotal role in the performance and public understanding of the works of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare 400
BARBICAN CONCERTS
Tue 16 Feb 2016 7.30pm
SHAKESPEARE 400Mendelssohn Symphony No 1 Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Sir John Eliot Gardiner conductor Monteverdi Choir
Thu 25 Feb 2016 7.30pm
SHAKESPEARE 400Smetana Richard III Liszt Piano Concerto No 2 Tchaikovsky Overture: Romeo and Juliet Strauss Macbeth
Gianandrea Noseda conductor Simon Trpceski piano
Sun 28 Feb 2016 7pm
SHAKESPEARE 400Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 2 Berlioz Romeo and Juliet – Suite
Gianandrea Noseda conductor Janine Jansen violin
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Songs based on Shakespeare texts
LSO ST LUKE’S EVENTS
Every Thursday from 7 Jan 2016 to 28 Jan 2016 1pm
BBC RADIO 3
SHAKESPEARE 400 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS7 Jan Gould Piano Trio 14 Jan Iestyn Davies (baritone) and Elizabeth Kenny (lute) 21 Jan James Gilchrist (tenor) and Anna Tilbrook (piano) 28 Jan BBC Singers
Sun 28 Feb 2016 10am–5pm, Barbican and LSO St Luke’s
LSO DISCOVERY DAY
BERLIOZ AND SHAKESPEAREA morning watching Gianandrea Noseda guiding the LSO through Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet Suite at the Barbican, with afternoon chamber music and a talk at LSO St Luke’s.
Fri 26 Feb 2016 12.30–1.15pm, LSO St Luke’s
FREE FRIDAY LUNCHTIME CONCERT
SHAKESPEARE 400 SPECIALRachel Leach presenter
Music and words to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
GIANANDREA NOSEDA ON THE LITERARY MASTER
‘Shakespeare is one of history’s greatest story tellers.
He produced masterpieces in which human emotions
and contradictions are depicted with merciless
precision and direct emotional involvement.
The power and drama of his stories couldn’t be more
engaging for composers who try to express these
emotions through their music. That’s why for example
Macbeth’s obsession with power, the impossible love
of Romeo and Juliet and the madness of Richard III have
inspired composers over the centuries and nurtured
their imagination. As performers, our responsibility is
to create the same sense of wonder in our audience
when they hear these works, as the master storyteller
does when we read them.’
Gianandrea Noseda conducts Smetana’s Richard III and Strauss’ Macbeth on Thursday 25 February 2016; and Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet – Suite on Sunday 28 February 2016
NOSEDA ON LSO LIVE Britten War Requiem
Financial Times Rondo (Germany)
(3 max) Point de Vue (France) Best International Album of the Year 2012 Musical Toronto (Canada) CD of the Week Sunday Times
GIANANDREA NOSEDA AND SIR JOHN ELIOT GARDINER PRESENT …
FOUR CENTURIES OF INSPIRING THE ARTS
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 2524 SHAKESPEARE 400 ~ LSO.CO.UK
This season, LSO Principal Guest Conductor Daniel Harding celebrates his twentieth
anniversary of working with the Orchestra.
Daniel Harding first stepped out to conduct the LSO
on 29 March 1995. He was 19 and charged with a single
piece slipped into the middle of a Mahler concert with
Michael Tilson Thomas – the intricate Éclat by Pierre Boulez.
Within a year he was on his own, and far from easing
himself into it his first full programme featured a pair
of contemporary scores mixed with modern masters
Britten and Bartók, the first of many musical challenges
faced fearlessly throughout his career.
Ten years, two tours and 18 performances later
he joined Michael Tilson Thomas again, but this time
to become LSO Principal Guest Conductor in 2006.
20 years with the LSO
Sun 6 Dec 2015 7pm
Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 Bruckner Symphony No 4
Daniel Harding conductor Maria João Pires piano
Wed 16 Dec 2015 7.30pm
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3 Bruckner Symphony No 9 (four movement version)
Daniel Harding conductor Maria João Pires pianoSupported by LSO Friends
Sun 20 Mar 2016 7pm
Schumann Scenes from Goethe’s ‘Faust’
Daniel Harding conductor Christian Gerhaher Faust Christiane Karg Gretchen Christianne Stotijn Noth Alastair Miles Mephistopheles Andrew Staples Ariel London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Sun 8 May 2016 7pm
Mozart Piano Concerto No 20 Bruckner Symphony No 3
Daniel Harding conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Sun 5 Jun 2016 7pm
Mahler Symphony No 2 (‘Resurrection’)
Daniel Harding conductor Miah Persson soprano Anna Larsson alto London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Songs by Mahler and Wolf
Thu 9 Jun 2016 7.30pm
Dvorák Overture: Othello Bartók Violin Concerto No 1 Dvorák Symphony No 8
Daniel Harding conductor Lisa Batiashvili violin
6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Featuring Dvorák’s Wind Serenade
DANIEL HARDING ON LSO LIVEMark-Anthony Turnage’s Speranza and From the Wreckage
Daniel Harding premiered From the Wreckage in a series devoted to Turnage in 2013. Alongside the
work, trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger performed Speranza, a work written for him by Turnage in 2005.
LSO LiveLondon Symphony Orchestra
Håkan HardenbergerLondon Symphony Orchestra
Mark-Anthony TurnageSperanzaFrom the WreckageDaniel Harding
2014
2006
2009
2010
DANIEL HARDINGIn the years since, Harding has taken the Orchestra
through everything from 15th-century Jean-Philippe
Rameau to 21st-century Wolfgang Rihm, and much
beyond. He no longer has to prove the breadth of
his talent, and this season sees him focus on core
works from the symphonic repertoire.
He begins in December with Bruckner, the Fourth and
the Ninth Symphonies, before the Third follows later in May.
And how do you prepare an audience for the solemn
expanse of these monumental works? With a display
of dazzling technique from two of the world’s leading
pianists, Maria João Pires and Leif Ove Andsnes, who will
play concertos by Chopin, Beethoven and Mozart to set
these programmes in motion.
Harding held a full audience rapt and silent for over
a minute as the final sounds of Mahler Symphony No 9
expired into the back of the Barbican Hall in October 2014.
In June 2016 he returns to Mahler again with the
Second Symphony (‘The Resurrection’) for the second
of two concerts with the London Symphony Chorus.
Though he performs Schumann’s Scenes from
Goethe’s Faust in March 2016, Harding doesn’t need
to sell his soul to the devil to get what he wants – he
has twenty years of experience here to draw on instead.
So as this creative partnership enters its third decade,
we invite you to join us and hear Daniel Harding continue
to grow with the LSO in 2015/16.
Mark Parker, LSO Marketing Co-ordinator2012
‘Daniel Harding is very much a thinking conductor. He takes a considered view of a piece and he doesn’t do routine, both of which are all to the good.’Martin Kettle, The Guardian on Daniel Harding
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 2726 DANIEL HARDING ~ LSO.CO.UK
LSO Artist Portrait
Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes returns
for his second featured series with
the LSO since his debut nearly two
decades ago.
In 2001, the Norwegian pianist, then aged 30,
joined the Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas
for a successful series of concertos, recitals and
pre-concert talks. Andsnes’ relationship with the
Orchestra goes back further, to his debut in 1997,
when he performed Rachmaninov’s Third Piano
Concerto under Tadaaki Otaka. He has made steady
returns to the Orchestra with Sir John Eliot Gardiner
(in 2006) and Sir Antonio Pappano (2009 and 2010),
securing his place as a loyal LSO collaborator.
What is it that keeps drawing the LSO and
Andsnes back together, almost 20 years on from
their first encounter?
The answer may lie in The New Yorker’s
assertion that Andsnes is ‘one of the few who
possess power and personality in equal measure’.
The LSO is fortunate to perform with outstanding
soloists as a matter of course but it is only when
the quality of music-making is matched by an
equally strong human bond that a long-term
relationship can flourish.
‘I have no choice but to make music. I love
music so much, it is so much a part of me, that I
just have to do it. I am driven by music from the
inside, and need the connection with it. And I want
to share it with others.’
Andsnes has gone on record eschewing
the cult of celebrity musicians and inflated pay,
noting that some of his happiest moments
have been at festivals such as Risør (which he
co-founded in 1991 and was Artistic Director of
until 2010) where ‘we can only pay very small fees
[but] all participants return happily every time …
the atmosphere is intimate and personal –
for example, we all come together for meals’.
The pianist’s most recent demonstration of
putting the music first is his Beethoven Journey
which he started in 2012. This was Andsnes’
personal challenge to play-conduct and record all
Beethoven’s five piano concertos with the Mahler
Chamber Orchestra, in all corners of the globe.
It has amounted to over 60 concerts across more
than ten countries. Andsnes returns to Beethoven
in his recital (10 June), with the Piano Sonata in E-flat.
Andsnes has also taken a lead role in the
accompanying education project, Feel the Music,
which takes Beethoven’s deafness as its jumping
off point and invites children with hearing disabilities
to experience music using all of the senses.
On his commitment to bringing access to music
ever wider, he comments:
‘One can no longer take for granted that people
sing in church, in a choir, or with their children,
or that music is an integral part of everyone’s life
in some form. It’s a shame when music is relegated
to background noise trickling from speakers …
Sun 8 May 2016 7pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
LEIF OVE ANDSNESMozart Piano Concerto No 20 Bruckner Symphony No 3
Daniel Harding conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Thu 12 May 2016 7.30pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
LEIF OVE ANDSNESSchumann Piano Concerto Beethoven Symphony No 9 (‘Choral’)
Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano Christine Rice mezzo-soprano Tony Spence tenor Neal Davies baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Supported by Baker & McKenzie LLP
Fri 10 Jun 2016 7.30pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
LEIF OVE ANDSNESSibelius Three Pieces (‘Kyllikki’); The Birch; The Spruce The Forest Lake; Song in the Forest; Spring Vision Beethoven Piano Sonata No 18 in E-flat major (‘The Hunt’) Debussy La soirée dans Grenade; Three Études: ‘Pour les arpèges composés’ – ‘Pour les huit doigts’ – ‘Pour les octaves’; Étude in A-flat major Chopin Impromptu in A-flat major; Nocturne in F Major Ballad No 4 in F minor
Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Sat 28 May 2016 7pm, Milton Court
BARBICAN PRESENTS
LEIF OVE ANDSNES & FRIENDS – BRAHMS QUARTETSBrahms Piano Quartet No 1 in G major Piano Quartet No 2 in A major Piano Quartet No 3 in C minor
Leif Ove Andsnes piano Christian Tetzlaff violin Tabea Zimmerman viola Clemens Hagen celloProduced by Barbican, not part of the LSO Season Visit barbican.org.uk for details
‘I have no choice but to make music. I love music so much, it is so much a part of me, that I just have to do it.’Leif Ove Andsnes
meaningful connection with music is something
that has to be learned.’
Andsnes is generally deeply thoughtful
about the next generation of musicians, regularly
engaging with community and outreach activities,
and in this sense he is an excellent fit for the LSO,
especially as LSO Discovery celebrated its 25th
birthday in 2015.
Devoted to music itself whilst revelling in
its capacity to forge meaningful relationships,
and develop the minds of people of all ages;
it seems Leif Ove Andsnes and the LSO have
a lot in common.
Fabienne Morris, LSO Communications Manager
LEIF OVE ANDSNES LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT
Bringing the London Symphony Orchestra’s
music to as wide an audience as possible is
at the heart of the partnership, and for both
Mezzo and the LSO it’s as much about providing
an experience as close to that of being in a
concert hall as possible. Mezzo work with the best
European producers and directors in their field.
Over the past four seasons, Mezzo has broadcast
concerts of Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky,
LSO CONCERTS ON MEZZO
Szymanowski and Brahms with Valery Gergiev,
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Simon Rattle and
Michael Tilson Thomas with pianist Yuja Wang.
In 2016, they will broadcast Leif Ove Andsnes’
performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto,
alongside other concerts throughout the year.
On satellite and on cable in central EuropeVisit mezzo.tv/en for details
European broadcaster Mezzo films LSO concerts live
at the Barbican and relays them to the Continent.
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 2928 LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT: LEIF OVE ANDSNES ~ LSO.CO.UK
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER ROTH
LSO Futures
In March, framed by a Composer Focus with
Thomas Adès (see overleaf), the LSO Futures series throws open the door to music of 2016.
You can hear music almost as it is being
written, get involved in discussion of new
music and dance, and enjoy commissions
from newly established composers beside
extraordinary inventive masterpieces of
the 20th century.
On Wednesday 9 March composers and choreo-
graphers discuss the challenges and excitements of
collaboration. How do composers write for dance and
how do choreographers and dancers work with music?
Composer Julian Anderson curates this fascinating
cross-artform conference.
The LSO Discovery Panufnik Composers Scheme enables emerging composers to experiment and
write for full orchestra, guided by eminent composer
Colin Matthews. Visit the public workshops on Friday
11 March to witness the dialogue between charismatic
LSO Futures conductor François-Xavier Roth, LSO
musicians and the composers as eight specially composed
pieces are performed and put under the microscope.
François-Xavier Roth conducts two gripping concerts
on Sunday 13 March, both featuring experiments with
symphonic form. The afternoon at LSO St Luke’s includes
Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No 1, a single
movement landmark of early 20th-century Western music.
Thomas Adès’ Chamber Symphony, also in one movement,
began as a concerto for basset-horn: jazz and tango
emerge, with instruments including an accordion and
two percussionists.
Darren Bloom, alumnus of the LSO Soundhub
composers programme, has been inspired by Dr Donald
Glaser, who won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Physics for
inventing the bubble chamber used in subatomic particle
physics. Filled with superheated transparent liquid the
bubble chamber detected electrically charged particles
moving through it. In this immersive piece, sound will
travel around the ensemble encircling the audience,
while new animations by Ignatz Johnson Higham
subtly interpret the music.
The Barbican evening concert showcases the full
LSO in a new commission by Elizabeth Ogonek.
A former Panufnik Composer, she is known for her vivid and energetic writing and is a newly appointed
Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra. Ligeti’s Atmosphères evokes a sense of
timelessness through its dense clouds of sound.
Finally the Orchestra is joined by Synergy Vocals to
perform Berio’s spectacular and multi-faceted Sinfonia
which harnesses the scale and drive of a traditional
symphony, contemporary musical techniques, and voices
ancient and new, to speak to the modern world.
Judith Ackrill, Head of LSO Discovery
The LSO thanks those who generously support new commissions by leading and emerging composers. There are more opportunities this year to become involved and support the next generation of talented young musicians. Contact development@lso.co.uk for more information.
LSO composition schemes are generously supported by The Helen Hamlyn Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Hinrichsen Foundation and Susie Thomson.
LSO FUTURES
Wed 9 Mar 2016 10am–6pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO FUTURES / GUILDHALL
GETTING IT RIGHT? NEW MUSIC AND DANCEA conference in collaboration with Guildhall ResearchWorks
Julian Anderson curator
This one-day conference, the third in a series of Guildhall ResearchWorks/LSO Getting it right? conferences, brings together leading figures and emerging artists from the worlds of new music and dance to explore the dynamic relationship between the two disciplines.
Fri 11 Mar 2016 10am–1pm & 2–6pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO FUTURES
PANUFNIK COMPOSERS WORKSHOPFrançois-Xavier Roth conductor London Symphony Orchestra
Featuring new works for orchestra by Patrick Giguere, Bethan Morgan-Williams, Deborah Pritchard, Daniel Lewis Fardon, Daniel Moreira and Ewan Campbell.The Panufnik Composers Scheme is supported by the Helen Hamlyn Trust
Sun 13 Mar 2016 4pm, LSO St Luke’s
LSO FUTURES
AFTERNOON CONCERTDarren Bloom Dr Glaser’s Experiment (world premiere, LSO commission) Thomas Adès Chamber Symphony Schoenberg Chamber Symphony
François-Xavier Roth conductor LSO Chamber OrchestraLSO commission generously supported by the PRS for Music Foundation and the Britten Pears Foundation
Sun 13 Mar 2016 7pm, Barbican
LSO FUTURES
EVENING CONCERTLigeti Atmosphères Elizabeth Ogonek Sleep & Unremembrance (world premiere, Panufnik commission) Berio Sinfonia
François-Xavier Roth conductor Synergy VocalsThe Panufnik Composers Scheme is supported by the Helen Hamlyn Trust
Described in The Times as ‘almost mystical … a genuine frisson’,
Darren Bloom’s music is noted for its combination of ‘evocative
harmony’ and ‘raw power’. His works have been performed across
Europe and the US by many of today’s leading performers.
Darren studied with Edwin Roxburgh, Brian Elias and Sir Peter
Maxwell Davies and is starting an AHRC funded PhD at the
University of Cambridge supervised by Richard Causton.
Elizabeth Ogonek is a composer who strives to create music that is
dramatic and colourful. Often inspired by text, her work explores
the transference of poetic imagery to music. She completed her
doctoral studies in July 2015 at the Guildhall School where she
studied with Julian Anderson. In the 2015/16 season she is
Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
1,067 minutes of new
mu
sic
pe
rfo
rmed
Since 2005 … LSO Discovery has commissioned 167 composers
42 LSO Discovery commissions performed
by the LSO in Barbican concerts
SPIRIT OF TODAY: NEW COMPOSERS
DARREN BLOOM
ELIZABETH OGONEK
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 3130 LSO FUTURES ~ LSO.CO.UK
THOMAS ADÈS COMPOSER FOCUS
Wed 9 Mar 2016 7.30pm
LSO COMPOSER FOCUS
THOMAS ADÈSThomas Adès Polaris Brahms Violin Concerto Thomas Adès Brahms Thomas Adès Tevot
Thomas Adès conductor Anne-Sophie Mutter violin
Wed 16 Mar 2016 7.30pm
LSO COMPOSER FOCUS
THOMAS ADÈSThomas Adès Asyla Sibelius Violin Concerto Franck Symphony in D minor
Thomas Adès conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin
SPIRIT OF TODAY: SEASON PREMIERES
Thu 29 Oct 2015 7.30pm
Ravel Pavane pour une infante defunte Ravel Mother Goose – Ballet John Adams Scheherazade.2 (UK premiere)
John Adams conductor Leila Josefowicz violin
6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Instrumental and chamber works by John Adams
Fri 6 Nov 2015 7.30pm
Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto (world premiere) Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Bernstein Chichester Psalms
James Gaffigan conductor Nicola Benedetti violin London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Thomas AdèsIn 2015/16 the LSO welcomes back
Thomas Adès, one of Britain’s most
innovative composers and conductors.
On hearing Adès’ music, one is always struck by its
ability to occupy two seemingly disparate worlds, sounding
at once completely new, yet possessing a sense of
familiarity. On one hand his compositional voice is the
ne plus ultra of modernity, complex and entirely distinctive:
chiming batteries of resonant percussion, stratospheric
virtuoso filigree, hypnotic cycling rhythms and prismic,
geometrical harmonies are all typical Adèsian features.
Beneath the fantastical surface-level activity though, there
is always a distinct sense that we are already acquainted
with the sounds we are hearing, whether it is a brief
snatch of a Brahms symphony, a distorted tango rhythm or
simply a basic sequence of intervals. In Adès’ hands these
simple musical materials become masses of potential that
project outwards into elusive, abstract structures with an
almost magnetic momentum.
Adès’ ability to seamlessly elide the new and the
familiar is encapsulated perfectly in the concise, yet
sonically expansive four movement orchestral work
Asyla. Right from the ritualistic tolling of the opening bars
the composer breaks new ground – tuned cowbells and
a quarter-tone piano instantly transport the listener to
a sparse, alien musical landscape. Suddenly though we
are bought back to earth. Horns, in unison, intone a
remarkably conventional sounding, almost Mahlerian
theme possessing a sense of classical majesty and
restraint. This dynamic continues over the course of
Asyla’s four movements. Movement two takes the central
movement of Franck’s Symphony in D minor as its starting
point, reducing the music to a skeletal outline. Movement
three ‘Ecstasio’ evokes the hypnotic, throbbing techno
rhythms of a London nightclub, whilst the final movement
provides a typical Adèsian aerial-view summation,
intertwining the music of the previous three movements.
In other works Adès explores similarly captivating
ideas. Polaris, the so-called ‘voyage for orchestra’, is
inspired by the magnetic pole-star used by seafarers for
navigation. Its repetitive, meditative cycles possess an
almost minimalist clarity, and explore the inherent
magnetic pull Adès perceives between notes.
Brahms for baritone and orchestra is an ‘anti-homage’
to the composer – it focuses on Brahms’ distinctive
compositional compulsions, often taking them to
extreme and sometimes absurd logical conclusions.
Finally there is Tevot, a towering work of symphonic
magnitude compressed into a continuous 25-minute span.
Tevot guides the listener on a turbulent musical journey
contrasting moments of extreme chaos and density with
sudden stasis and calm. The work comes to rest on what
is in essence a simple A-major chord, no different to
one you might find in a symphony by Mozart or Haydn.
But this simple chord is approached in such a way that it
is made to resonate and glimmer with an unprecedented
clarity and power, all the richer and more vivid for the
monolithic symphonic journey Adès has led us through.
Benjamin Picard, LSO Marketing Co-ordinator
‘Adès makes you hear things with which you thought you were familiar as if they were completely new.’Tom Service, The Guardian
SPIRIT OF TODAY: COMPOSER FOCUS
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 3332 SPIRIT OF TODAY ~ LSO.CO.UK
An introduction to the LSO’s singing projects
and their major contribution to the work of the
London Symphony Orchestra.
LSO Community Choir
LSO Discovery Choirs
London Symphony Chorus
150
65 Juniors
45 Seniors
110
LSO SING INVOLVES 370 REGULAR SINGERS. Combined, they sing for over 300 hours every season,
not including rehearsals with the LSO and concerts.
LSO SingLSO SING AT THE BARBICAN
Fri 6 Nov 2015 7.30pm
Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto (world premiere) Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Bernstein Chichester Psalms
James Gaffigan conductor Nicola Benedetti violin London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Sun 13 Dec 2015 7pm
LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS A CHORAL CHRISTMASSimon Halsey conductor London Symphony Chorus LSO Community Choir LSO Discovery Choirs
Join Simon Halsey and all three of the LSO’s singing ensembles in this festive choral celebration of Christmas.
Sun 20 Mar 2016 7pm
Schumann Scenes from Goethe’s ‘Faust’
Daniel Harding conductor Christian Gerhaher Faust Christiane Karg Gretchen Christianne Stotijn Noth Alastair Miles Mephistopheles Andrew Staples Ariel London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director Choir of Eltham College
Sun 17 Apr 2016 7pm
Haydn The Seasons (sung in German)
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Monika Eder soprano John Mark Ainsley tenor Florian Boesch baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Sun 24 Apr 2016 7pm
Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Sir Mark Elder conductor Alice Coote mezzo-soprano Allan Clayton tenor Gerald Finley bass London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists English songs recital
Thu 12 May 2016 7.30pm
LSO ARTIST PORTRAIT LEIF OVE ANDSNESSchumann Piano Concerto Beethoven Symphony No 9 (‘Choral’)
Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
Supported by Baker & McKenzie LLP
Sun 26 Jun 2016 7pm
Peter Maxwell Davies The Hogboon (world premiere) Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Guildhall School musicians LSO Discovery Choirs London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
LSO SING AT LSO ST LUKE’S CHORAL SINGING DAYSSat 14 Nov 2015 11am–4.30pm
THE SEASONSHaydn The Seasons accompanied by piano
Simon Halsey conductor
Sat 23 Jan 2016 11am–4.30pm
THE DREAM OF GERONTIUSElgar The Dream of Gerontius accompanied by piano
Simon Halsey conductor
Sun 6 Mar 2016 11am–4.30pm
BEETHOVEN’S CHORAL SYMPHONYBeethoven Symphony No 9 (‘Choral’) accompanied by piano
Simon Halsey conductor
COMMUNITY SINGING DAYSSun 4 Oct 2015 10.30am–4.30pm
A TASTE OF AMERICADavid Lawrence conductor Ghislaine Morgan vocal coach
Includes vocal works by some of America’s greatest composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and George Gershwin.
Sat 14 May 2016 10.30am–4.30pm
JAZZAMATAZZ!David Lawrence conductor
A day of singing great vocal jazz arrangements of songs like Blue Skies, It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing and others. You’ll be joined in the afternoon by a jazz trio who will lift your spirits even further. The day will culminate in an informal performance.
Fotini Vergotis joined the LSO Community Choir in 2002 and has since also become a Community Ambassador for the LSO …
It’s very friendly and not intimidating, and the repertoire
is enticing, from folk to classical and everything in
between. I feel at home here. It’s an important fixture in
my week and has offered amazing singing experiences.
Singing is catching and therapeutic for many of us.
I find it challenging, fulfilling and it’s enjoyable. The LSO
Community Choir plays a pivotal role in the community
around here and is a wonderful addition to people’s lives:
we sing for elderly people at the day centre and in our
local church at Christmas. Being an LSO Community
Ambassador too, I like to spread the word. I’m passionate
about LSO St Luke’s and have recruited new singers
from my Citizen’s Advice Bureau, my tennis club,
my neighbours and people on Whitecross Street.
It has connected me to my community.
David Lawrence and Lucy Griffiths, conductors of the LSO Community and Discovery Choirs, rehearse every Monday at LSO St Luke’s …
There’s a lot of soul in our choirs and a lot of energy.
What makes the LSO’s community and children’s choirs
special is that you have to live or work locally to be in
them. It really challenges people’s preconceptions
about music being elitist because this is all about
embracing everyone, whoever you are, whatever your
standard. We specifically encourage people to come and
sing, not read music. This is about bringing people to us.
Our singers are participants in the LSO, through belonging
and being a part of the LSO family. And this is a family of
musicians with very high expectations. Next year will be
extraordinary. We both know that it’s the quality of the
repertoire a choir sings that drives the standards up, and
we are preparing our choirs for the Barbican stage and
Sir Simon Rattle. It doesn’t get any better than that!
LSO Sing is the London Symphony Orchestra’s singing programme
led by visionary Choral Director Simon Halsey. He leads a team of five
conductors and three accompanists putting four choirs through their paces,
whilst behind the scenes a full-time Choral Projects Manager and the
14 committed volunteers of the London Symphony Chorus Council are
the energetic organisers for 370 singers rehearsing every week.
LSO Sing links naturally with what the London Symphony Orchestra itself
is doing, and is one of the strongest ways the Orchestra can make connections
with the people living on our doorstep. It gives singers their very first access to
the LSO from the age of seven, and for some includes a life-time of singing up to
the age of 90. There are two age ranges in the LSO Discovery Choir for children
from the City, Hackney and Islington; the adult LSO Community Choir is specifically
for our neighbours living in EC1, while the large London Symphony Chorus is
for experienced choral singers from all over London and the home counties.
All the choirs perform on stage with the LSO at the Barbican, and with
important musicians from Hugh Masakela to Bobby McFerrin to Bernard
Haitink, creating high musical expectations and once-in-a-lifetime memories.
Once a year all the singers squeeze on to the stage for a Christmas Choral
Celebration in which the audience joins in with traditional carols, raising the
roof of the Barbican this year with trumpet, harp and drum (13 December 2015).
At the end of this season the LSO Discovery Choirs will perform a new opera
commissioned for them by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (26 June 2016).
This year the London Symphony Chorus celebrates its 50th anniversary
season in style performing five major choral works, ranging from Bernstein’s
Chichester Psalms to Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, culminating in a trip to
New York to sing the Verdi Requiem under Gianandrea Noseda in October 2016.
And if you want to join in yourself, there are five Singing Days for all levels.
You could be singing in a choir of 300 at LSO St Luke’s getting first-hand
experience and tips from the LSO Sing Choral team yourself. Imagine that!
Karen Cardy, LSO Marketing Director and LSO St Luke’s Centre Director
ADD YOUR VOICE LSO Sing goes to the heart of communities. For supporting companies, it can build teamwork, enhance communications and develop leadership. LSO Sing helps transform lives and delivers inspirational experiences for partners. To find out more about supporting LSO Sing, contact development@lso.co.uk.
lso.co.uk/lsosing
LSO Sing is generously supported by Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement. LSO Discovery Choirs are generously supported by the Slaughter and May Charitable Trust and the Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement.
BRAIN. HEART. LUNGS. Singing releases endorphins and oxytocin whilst
offering a cognitive brain workout, it promotes healthy
hearts with energising aerobic exercise and it develops
the lungs with synchronised breathing.
Not only is music one of the fundamental ways we bond with each other, it literally shapes our brains.Dr Oliver Sacks, author of Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
370 SINGERS
RELEASE YOUR MIND THROUGH SONG
CELEBRATING SINGING FOR EVERYONE
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 3534 LSO SING ~ LSO.CO.UK
LSC at 50
The London Symphony Chorus was formed in 1966 to complement
the work of the London Symphony Orchestra, though the LSC also partners
other major orchestras and has worked internationally. The Chorus tours
extensively throughout Europe and has visited North America, Israel,
Australia and South East Asia.
There are many CDs featuring the Chorus both on LSO Live and many
other labels. Recent LSO concert highlights have included Schumann’s
Das Paradies und die Peri, Verdi’s Rigoletto, the world premiere of Sir Peter
Maxwell Davies’ Tenth Symphony, and Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust
and Romeo and Juliet.
Here, long-standing members of the Chorus provide a brief insight
into 50 years of memorable choral music-making.
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS
1966 1983 1997
2006
2012
2012
1976 1989
1968
BEGINNINGS
THE EARLY YEARS
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE THE PRINCESS OF WALES
LSC 40TH ANNIVERSARY
SIR COLIN’S FINAL CONCERTS
HALCYON DAYS WITH HALSEY
INDEPENDENCE DAY BERNSTEIN
In February 1966 the London Symphony Chorus
was formed by LSO General Manager Ernest Fleischmann
and Guildhall School Professor of Music John Alldis.
John Marks, current LSC tenor, remembers:
‘In the beginning there was an upper age of 30 for
women and 40 for men. Concert dress was black mini-skirts
for the ladies and dinner jackets for the men! Some of the early members have
become famous in their fields of music: Alan Opie, Peter Skellern and Brian Wright.’
The Chorus quickly established a good reputation. During its first year it
took part in major concerts and recordings conducted by Sir Colin Davis,
István Kertész, Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa and Sir Georg Solti.
International touring became a regular part of the
LSC schedule. Tenor Peter Sedgewick enjoyed an early
visit behind the Iron Curtain with the USSR State Symphony:
‘When we arrived in Moscow I was taken aside by one
of our allocated Russian guides and told that the Chorus
must stay together as a group at all times. I replied this
was beyond my powers to achieve! There was a lot of rehearsal, partly because
the USSR State Symphony Orchestra was playing Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius
and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast for the first time. I gave my Belshazzar score
to a Russian enthusiast in the audience who was desperate for a copy.’
The LSC has toured extensively, visiting Europe, North America, Australia,
Israel and South East Asia among other places.
From 1988–96, the LSC was honoured to have Diana,
Princess of Wales, as its Patron. Members of the Chorus
were invited to attend her funeral at Westminster Abbey
in September 1997. Tenor David Leonard recalls of her:
‘Her private visits to rehearsals were always happy
and relaxed occasions when every member of the
Chorus who wanted to had a chance to meet her. The Verdi Requiem was
one of her favourite pieces, and an excerpt from it was sung at her funeral.’
Six days after the funeral the LSC performed the Verdi Requiem at the
BBC Proms with the LSO. The performance was scheduled to be conducted
by Sir Georg Solti, but he died a few days after the Princess, so it was
conducted by Sir Colin Davis, and given as a memorial to both of them.
In 2006 the LSC celebrated 40 years of singing with
the LSO, and Sir Colin Davis wrote to them:
‘Choral pieces are the highlight of what we do with
the LSO, and we have such wonderful memories. Our first
collaboration back in 1966 was Berlioz’s The Trojans, and
our recent work too has been wonderful. I’m very grateful.
Over the years I think I may have upset some of your chorus directors and
even some of you, but I think you forgive me!’
2006 was a year of exceptional activity for the LSC, during which it
toured the US, Italy, France and Germany, and performed throughout the
UK with many distinguished conductors. The occasion was also marked
by specially commissioned works.
Sir Colin Davis conducted for over forty years
from 1968–2012, and his final concerts with the LSO
at St Paul’s Cathedral will linger long in the memory.
Current chairman and alto Lydia Frankenburg says:
‘For this extraordinary performance of Berlioz’s
Requiem it seemed that every timpanist in London
had been recruited. Sir Colin measured the acoustic with skill and precision,
clearing the famous St Paul’s echo between each phrase. During the break
some young singers gathered around him for photographs. Sir Colin’s eyes
twinkled with delight.’
Sir Colin had also conducted Berlioz’s Requiem for the LSO’s very first
concert in St Paul’s Cathedral as part of the City of London Festival in 1964.
A new joint Choral Director of the London Symphony
Orchestra and Chorus Director of the London Symphony
Chorus is appointed. Simon Halsey confesses to
harbouring a soft spot for the LSC:
‘It’s a group that I hold dear as they were encouraging
to me as a student assistant to Richard Hickox in the
early 1980s. To return as their Director and take a new post created to bring
choral work into the heart of the LSO and the LSO Discovery programme was
a dream come true.’
LSO Sing is the Orchestra’s singing programme devised by Simon Halsey
to encourage everyone in the City of London to sing. This year he was awarded
The Queen’s Medal for Music, for services to choral singing.
The Chorus split from the LSO and, to this day,
it remains a separate organisation run by a voluntary
Council of singing members. Richard Hickox was
appointed its Chorus Director and later recalled:
‘When I first heard the Chorus the sound had
an almost animal quality and I set about refining it.
One of my other key tasks was to find work for the Chorus. Independence
allowed us to work with many other orchestras both from the UK and abroad,
including the orchestras of the BBC, Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic,
Philharmonia and Vienna Philharmonic.’
Richard Hickox’s reign lasted from 1976–91 and in that time the Chorus
performed in 366 concerts, 89 recordings, and learnt 176 choral works,
an achievement unmatched by any other of its chorus directors.
Leonard Bernstein was a regular with the LSO at
the Barbican and was its President from 1987–90.
Alto Dee Home took part in a memorable performance
and recording of his musical Candide:
‘How privileged we were to record Candide and
attend rehearsals where changes were still being made
to the score. We witnessed the arguments between Lennie and Adolph Green
who had difficulty singing the words at the maestro’s speeds. Bernstein was
in poor health and wouldn’t stop smoking, even on the Barbican stage.’
Over the past 50 seasons the Chorus has worked with 158 living
composers, and continues to sing music by the top rank of international
choral composers, the latest being Eric Whitacre and David Lang.
Bass Peter Avis remembers an early case of
choral role-playing with André Previn:
‘At one rehearsal, Previn took us through the music
for our famous carol concert with Julie Andrews.
He himself had composed some of the arrangements,
and one of them particularly amused us. It was Joy to
the World and was set for men’s voices only. Arthur Oldham, Chorus Director
at the time, told us that we ought to sing it as if we were Canadian Mounties,
with our arms linked together. When we had sung it through, Previn exclaimed,
‘Did I really write that?’.’
André Previn was Principal Conductor of the LSO from 1968–79, and is a
Vice-President of the LSC. His classic choral recordings with the LSC include Orff’s
Carmina Burana, Britten’s ‘Spring’ Symphony and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast.
FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 3736 LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS ~ LSO.CO.UK
Elgar, Elder & England
Sir Mark Elder has been a lifelong champion of English music, with a special affinity
reserved for Elgar. His season with the LSO this year includes a performance of one
of Elgar’s most enduring works, the monumental oratorio The Dream of Gerontius.
BARBICAN CONCERTSWed 3 Feb 2016 7.30pm
LSO STRING ENSEMBLEElgar Introduction and Allegro Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis Britten Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge
Roman Simovic director LSO String Ensemble
Sun 24 Apr 2016 7pm
Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Sir Mark Elder conductor Alice Coote mezzo-soprano Allan Clayton tenor Gerald Finley bass London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director
5.30pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists A recital of English songs
Thu 28 Apr 2016 7.30pm
Butterworth A Shropshire Lad Vaughan Williams A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No 3) * Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand Debussy La mer
Sir Mark Elder conductor Elizabeth Watts soprano * Cedric Tiberghien piano
LSO ST LUKE’S LUNCHTIME EVENTSEvery Thu from 14 Apr 2016 to 5 May 2016 1pm
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTSFour concerts focusing on some of Elgar’s best loved chamber works.
14 Apr Jennifer Pike (violin) and Peter Limonov (piano) 21 Apr LSO String Ensemble 28 Apr Elias String Quartet with Huw Watkins (piano) 5 May Elias String Quartet
Fri 13 May; 3, 24 Jun; 1 Jul 2016 12.30–1.15pm
FREE FRIDAY LUNCHTIME CONCERTS BETWEEN EARTH AND SKYMusic inspired by the English countryside before and during World War I.
LSO IN WARTIME: A MUSICAL COMMEMORATION
‘Performing The Kingdom with the LSO in 2011 was a great joy. I look forward to The Dream of Gerontius with great anticipation.’Sir Mark Elder
Elgar’s oratorio The Dream of Gerontius can
be considered a pivotal work in a number of ways.
For the composer it marked an important milestone
in his career, reinforcing the previous success of
his first major breakthrough, the Enigma Variations.
Despite a disastrously under-prepared first
performance at the 1900 Birmingham Festival,
Gerontius was generally very well received by critics,
many of whom recognised the genius and potential
of Elgar’s score beyond its imperfect realisation.
Importantly, the work was greatly admired by a
number of German critics, marking the important
first step towards the acceptance of English
repertoire in mainland Europe, and the beginnings
of an international voice for English composers.
For the British choral tradition, Gerontius proved
to be a significant new contribution. For many years
the tradition centred around a handful of imported
choral masterworks: Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s
The Creation and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Elgar’s
Gerontius was the first truly British piece to be
accepted into the repertoire, marking the start of a
new era for English music-making. Elgar is now
considered to be the first of a distinguished line of
British composers to contribute to this tradition,
a line that includes Vaughan Williams, Britten,
Tavener and Tippett, and that continues through
to the composers of today.
In his own words, Sir Mark Elder has been
‘living with’ Elgar’s Gerontius his entire life, first
encountering the piece as a set work during his
early musical studies. Indeed, it would not be
hyperbole to say that Elder has ‘lived’ British
music his entire career – more than any other
conductor of his generation he has done his
utmost to champion English music of the early
20th century, in both the concert hall and on record.
A lifelong affinity with Elgar’s music, coupled
with substantial operatic experience with the
English National Opera and at Bayreuth, has
given Sir Mark an instinctive understanding of the
intricacies of Elgar’s oratorios. His interpretations
of Gerontius benefit from a spontaneous sense
of pacing and drama, a keen ear for long-term
narrative, and an ability to pay homage to the
works’ undeniably Wagnerian roots whilst retaining
the distinctive English ‘accent’ of the music.
The Dream of Gerontius is performed by the
LSO and Sir Mark Elder in 2016 as part of a wider
celebration of British music of the early 20th
century, and the commemoration of World War I.
Highlights include performances of Butterworth’s
stirring Shropshire Lad and Vaughan Williams’
evocative A Pastoral Symphony, an LSO String
Ensemble concert featuring the works of Elgar,
Britten and Vaughan Williams, a series of BBC
Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts at LSO St Luke’s
called Elgar up Close exploring the composer’s
chamber works, and Between Earth and Sky,
a series of free Friday lunchtime concerts exploring
music inspired by the English countryside before
and after World War I.
Benjamin Picard, LSO Marketing Co-ordinator
38 ELGAR, ELDER & ENGLAND ~ LSO.CO.UK Main Season Concert 39
8 TO 13 MAY 1916 The LSO takes part in Festival Gerontius,
conceived by Dame Clara Butt in aid
of the Red Cross. Six performances
of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius
were conducted by the composer –
a remarkable achievement at a time
when large-scale music-making had
largely ceased.
27 SEPTEMBER 1916 The Pall Mall Gazette
launches an attack
on the LSO for the
over-representation
of German music
in their concerts –
‘nothing less than
a German Festival’ –
and demands
their cancellation.
The Board,
incensed,
explores the
option of
suing for
malicious libel.
27 JULY 1917 Minutes (below) from the AGM
record the names of 33 Members
absent on active service, as well
as officially recording the death
of trumpeter Sydney Moxon.
World War ITHE LSO IN WORLD WAR I: A MOMENT IN TIME
THE LSO IN WORLD WAR I: PLAYER PROFILES MEMBERS AT WAR
In August 1914 the face of the nation was changed forever
as a generation of young men went off to fight in World War I –
over one million from the UK alone did not return.
No family was unaffected and no profession was exempt from losing
vast swathes of men to military service, and the London Symphony Orchestra
was no exception. In 1914 the LSO had just reached its tenth birthday.
Over the next four years the Orchestra underwent one of its toughest periods,
during which its survival was seriously in doubt.
But culture will always find a way: new works were created in response
to the horror; new ways of working were adopted to cope with the
shortage of available musicians; and the LSO emerged from the war with
a determination to carry on where they nearly had to leave off.
During the recruitment drive for Kitchener’s Army in the latter half of 1915 and 1916 alone the LSO lost nearly 20% of its Members to active service. The below list contains the names of those whose recruitment during those years we have managed to trace. In total around half of the LSO’s Members served during the four years of the war.
Arthur Maney cello ARMY SERVICE CORPS, NOV 1915
George Bennett horn ARTISTS RIFLES, DEC 1915
Reginald Garnet viola LONDON REGIMENT, DEC 1915
Charles Woodhouse violin ARMY SERVICE CORPS, DEC 1915
Sidney Freedman violin KING’S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY, DEC 1915
Charles Blackford cello ARMY SERVICE CORPS, DEC 1915
Frederick Hawkins violin ROYAL HORSE AND FIELD ARTILLERY, DEC 1915
W H Reed Leader GRENADIER GUARDS, JAN 1916
Edgar Wilby violin ROYAL MARINE AIR SERVICE, JAN 1916
Edward Augarde clarinet HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY, MAR 1916
Horace Ralph violin ARTISTS RIFLES, MAR 1916
Robert Murchie flute CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, MAY 1916
Harry Jackson horn ROYAL ENGINEERS RAILWAY TROOPS, JUN 1916
Alexander Penn horn SOUTH WALES BORDERERS, JUL 1916
Ernest Yonge viola ROYAL FLYING CORPS, JUL 1916
Robert Carrodus violin WEST RIDING REGIMENT, OCT 1916
Roy Robertson violin SCOTS GUARDS, OCT 1916
Charles Crabb cello MIDDLESEX REGIMENT, DEC 1916
If you recognise any of the above names or know of any ancestors who were LSO past players or were involved with the Orchestra during World War I, we would love to hear from you.
Contact LSO archivist Libby Rice by email libby.rice@lso.co.uk or by phone 020 7588 1116
SYDNEY HARVEY MOXON was born in Soho on 2 May 1878.
He joined the LSO as a trumpeter
in February 1907 and signed on in
to the army in September 1914.
A Sergeant Bugler in the London
Regiment, 15th (County of London)
Battalion (Prince of Wales’ Own
Civil Service Rifles) he arrived in
France in March 1915, where they
held ground in the Ypres Salient.
Sydney died there on 25 October 1916,
the only LSO member to die in
service. He was killed by a German
mine whilst helping a wounded
colleague to safety. He is buried at
Woods Cemetery, West Flanders.
GEORGE BENNETT was born in
Birmingham on 27 August 1886.
He joined the LSO as a horn player
for the Orchestra’s first tour to
the United States in March 1912
and signed on in to the army in
September 1915. He arrived in
France on 21 May 1916, and took
part in various battles, including
The Battle of Albert, The Battle of
Bazentin, The Battle of Delville
Wood, The Battle of Guillemont,
and Operations on the Ancre.
Lieutenant Bennett was killed on
3 December 1917 by a shell whilst
leaving a dugout during a German
counter-attack. His remains were
never found, so he is remembered
on the Cambrai Memorial
at Louverval, France.
4 AUGUST 1914 War breaks out. The LSO is on tour
in Bray in Ireland at the time.
7 AUGUST 1914 The Board receives a letter signed by
a significant number of Members,
asking them to consider the position
of Principal Horn Adolf Borsdorf,
a German. The Board agrees to
demote him down the ranks.
SEPTEMBER 1914 Trumpeters Sydney Moxon (see right)
and Ernest Hall join the Army. The Board
commends the ‘patriotic action’ of
Sydney and Ernest, passing a resolution
that ‘Members who have joined the
army for the duration of the War shall
be exempt from paying deputies’
fees and their positions kept open’.
7 DECEMBER 1914 The LSO performs the world premiere
of Elgar’s Carillon, written in aid of war
charities assisting Belgian refugees.
19 TO 24 APRIL 1915 The first Three Bs (Bach, Beethoven,
Brahms) Festival is held at the Queen’s
Hall, a bold move in a time when
anti-German feeling was on the rise.
MID-OCTOBER 2015 The first signs of financial trouble
appear when news is received that
there has been a huge decline in
sales of subscriptions for the 1915/16
season. The Board applies to the
bank for an overdraft.
20 OCTOBER 1915 ‘In view of the pressure brought
about by Members in consequence of
the exigencies of the war’, a letter is
sent to Adolf Borsdorf officially
requesting his resignation from the LSO.
JANUARY 1916 Conscription was introduced,
meaning all men between 18 and 41
were obliged to join up. At least 18 men
from the LSO joined up within a year.
25 FEBRUARY 1916 An Extraordinary General Meeting
is convened to discuss the motion,
‘Owing to the losses sustained by
the company … this meeting is of
the opinion that the own-promoted
series of Symphony Concerts
should be curtailed’. Sir Thomas
Beecham agrees to accept financial
responsibility for the remaining
concerts that season as a gift
to the Orchestra.
26 SEPTEMBER 1917 An Extraordinary General Meeting is
called. ‘It was unanimously resolved
that no further symphony concerts be
given until the termination of the war’.
A scheme for subsidising a new
season of concerts had failed.
3 DECEMBER 1917 Two musicians who had played with
the pre-war LSO, horn player George
Bennett and violinist Harold
Grimson, are killed in action
during the Battle of Cambrai.
27 OCTOBER 1919 The opening concert of the first
post-war own-promoted season
takes place under Albert Coates,
who offered to conduct without
fee to help the Orchestra to
regain a stable financial position.
The concert included the world
premiere of Elgar’s Cello Concerto,
conducted by the composer
with the solo cello part performed
by Felix Salmond.
Jo Johnson, LSO Senior Marketing Manager (Digital)
40 LSO IN WORLD WAR I ~ LSO.CO.UK FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 41
FAMILY FRIENDLY LSO CONCERTS AT THE BARBICANSun 8 Nov 2015 2.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
FAMILY CONCERT: WONDERLANDBen Gernon conductor Paul Rissmann presenter LSO Discovery Choirs
Sun 7 Feb 2016 2.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
FAMILY CONCERT
Sun 12 Jun 2016 2.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
FAMILY CONCERT
Thu 16 Jun 2016 7.30pm
LSO DISCOVERY
ANNUAL SHOWCASEWitness the electrifying results when an orchestra founded at the beginning of the 20th century meets young musicians born at the beginning of the 21st.
Sun 26 Jun 2016 7pm
Peter Maxwell Davies The Hogboon (world premiere of a new children’s opera, LSO commisson) Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Sir Simon Rattle conductor LSO Discovery Choirs | London Symphony Chorus Guildhall School musicians
OTHER FAMILY ACTIVITIESFri 9 Oct 2015; 5 Feb; 10 Jun 2016 12.30–1.15pm, LSO St Luke’s
STORYTELLING FOR UNDER-5sInteractive concerts for mini music-makers!9 Oct supported by The Rothschild Charities Committee
Sun 25 Oct 2015, LSO St Luke’s
ALICE IN WONDERLAND OPEN DAYA themed open day as part of Family Arts Festival.
FREE FRIDAY LUNCHTIME CONCERTS AT LSO ST LUKE’SFri 4 Sep; 2, 16 Oct; 13 Nov 2015 12.30–1.15pm
RHYTHM AND DANCEMusic inspired by the rhythms and melodies of traditional song and dance from Europe and Russia.
Fri 29 Jan; 12 Feb; 4 Mar 2016 12.30–1.15pm
TEXTURE AND LIGHTHow composers reflected the French Impressionist art movement.
Fri 26 Feb 2016 12.30–1.15pm
SHAKESPEARE 400 SPECIALMusic and words to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Fri 13 May; 3, 24 Jun; 1 Jul 2016 12.30–1.15pm
BETWEEN EARTH AND SKYMusic inspired by the English countryside before and during World War I.
The LSO’s education and outreach
programme, LSO Discovery, turned 25
in 2015. For the last quarter of a century
the Orchestra has made it a central part
of its mission to include members of
the public in its music-making and
foster a greater love and understanding
of classical music.
While events for children have long existed at
the LSO, it’s only in recent years that the Orchestra
has consciously sought to address the needs of
different generations within the family unit and
encourage meaningful intergenerational engagement
with music. It’s no small task to find an activity
which simultaneously pleases a toddler, their Dad
and his 75-year-old mother, but we believe that the
effect of discovering music alongside relatives is
particularly powerful. Talents exhibited by children
are more likely come to fruition in a family
which respects music-making. Shared musical
experiences as a family can ignite passion and
love for music for all the generations and enable it
to continue at home, away from the concert hall.
And parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and
godparents can appreciate and re-discover music
and new interests by experiencing it through
their children’s eyes.
The LSO’s Family Concerts, running for some
20 years, are well-known and popular with multiple
generations. Now, buoyed by the nationwide
Family Arts Campaign, we’re widening the net to
encourage families to try appropriate LSO evening
concerts, Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts and
BBC Radio 3 recitals taking place in the school
holidays; these events are perfect for older children
who have outgrown the Family Concerts or may be
learning an instrument themselves. For the last few
years we’ve created family-friendly give-aways
such as badges and stickers for our annual
springtime concert in Trafalgar Square (BMW LSO
Open Air Classics) and each summer we encourage
families based near LSO St Luke’s to bring a picnic
and enjoy our al fresco cross-genre series, Inside Out.
Provision for babies and toddlers exists in
Musical Storytelling concerts, Shake, Rattle and Roll weekly workshops, and in children’s
centres and nurseries in the community.
This season we’re inviting families with children
aged twelve or over to try our LSO Community Singing Days – a spin-off from LSO Choral Singing Days, these opportunities to sing with the
LSO’s professional choral team are geared specifically
for those with little musical experience, or who
don’t read music. During October we’re proud
to take part in the national Family Arts Festival
and present an Alice in Wonderland Family Open Day at LSO St Luke’s and a Reveal Ravel pre-concert creative session ahead of an LSO concert
conducted by John Adams, amongst other events.
Every event the LSO promotes to families is
either free or under £10, delivering on our promise
of accessibility. Most include a presenter, whose job
it is to guide all ages through the music. For those
families who want to continue exploring the Orchestra
in their own time, LSO Play is an award-winning
online resource which imaginatively allows users
to feel what it’s like to play in an orchestra.
Moving families up the agenda at the LSO has
also meant coming together with local arts partners
to share best practice and promote each other’s
events. The City Family Arts Network, an
alliance between the LSO, Barbican, BBC Symphony
Orchestra, Museum of London, Guildhall School and
City Library Services, now produces regular print
designed to help parents streamline their research.
The calendar displays at a glance the wealth of
family activity on offer in the Barbican area from
mum and baby film screenings to half-term
hands-on workshops at the museum.
Fabienne Morris, LSO Communications Manager
For more information on family-friendly events, including age guidance, visit lso.co.uk/families
Family Arts
Classic FM is the nation’s classical station,
broadcasting to 5.6 million listeners every week.
It is the only UK radio station dedicated to playing classical music 24
hours a day, and works with orchestras around the UK to support live music.
The LSO is Classic FM’s Orchestra in the City of London and we share the
station’s commitment to bringing classical music to the widest possible
audience, through ground-breaking new initiatives and partnerships.
For over twelve years the LSO has been proud of this association with
Classic FM, which this season sees the station supporting the LSO’s
family-friendly concerts and activities.
Tune in100–102 FM, classicfm.com, Sky 0106, Virgin 922, Freeview 731 and Digital Radio
6,000 family members enjoy music-making with the LSO every year
Over 100 events for families through the City Family Arts network every year
‘Amazing … a really special afternoon out and definitely a great way to introduce classical music to children.’Mumsnet user on an LSO Family Concert
FAMILY ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE ACROSS THE CITY
RECOMMENDED BY CLASSIC FM
Main Season Concert FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 4342 FAMILIES ~ LSO.CO.UK
BBC Radio 3’s partnership with LSO St Luke’s has been going
for 13 years now, and what a pleasure it is to mount concerts
in such an inspiring venue. It’s not just us who think that,
by the way: time and again the performers we have welcomed
over the years have said so too.
This season we have divided our 20 concerts into five themed series.
Chopin, Liszt and Bartók feature in the LSO’s autumn concerts in the
Barbican Hall, so we’ve decided to reflect that by making this trio of great
pianist-composers the subject of four far-reaching recitals (given by five
pianists!). Interleaved with those is a series inspired by music in London in the 17th and 18th centuries, from Tobias Hume to Purcell, Handel
to Haydn, J C Bach to Clementi; it’s the first time we’ve programmed an
early music series at LSO St Luke’s, and we are confident that it will be
an ideal match for the building’s unique architectural sense of the old
mixed with the new.
After Christmas we join in the LSO’s Shakespeare 400 celebrations
with four Bard-related concerts featuring the BBC Singers, the Gould Piano Trio,
and two of this country’s finest song recitalists in Iestyn Davies and James Gilchrist.
February brings a much-anticipated return by the outstanding, multi-award-
winning ensemble that is the Pavel Haas Quartet, whose previous residency
here in 2010 was a real high-point in the history of these concerts. And we
finish in April with Elgar Up Close – three concerts exploring the composer’s
major chamber works, plus a rare visit from the LSO String Ensemble.
With their matchless combination of light, space and immaculate acoustics,
the BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts at LSO St Luke’s have always had a special
atmosphere – I hope you will want to join us.
Emma Bloxham
BBC Radio 3 Editor of Live Music
BBC Radio 3 & the LSO
BBC Radio 3 invests in high-quality,
distinctive classical music and cultural
programming, presented by experts.
The station is the biggest commissioner of classical
music in the UK and broadcasts over 600 full concerts a year;
over half are live. The long-standing relationship with the LSO
plays a vital role in delivering audiences world-class classical
music experiences, whether that’s through live broadcasts
from the Barbican (at least six with the LSO each season) or
recorded lunchtime concerts at LSO St Luke’s. BBC Radio 3
is the only radio station to broadcast live classical music
concerts every day of the week, alongside 90 full-length
operas a year and over 25 original drama commissions
alongside regular jazz, world, arts and ideas programming.
Tune in 91–93 FM, Sky 0103, Freeview 703, Virgin 903 and Digital Radio
bbc.co.uk/radio3
CHOPIN, LISZT & BARTÓKThu 8 & 29 Oct; 5 & 26 Nov 2015 LSO St Luke’s
Features music by piano giants, and stars pianists Maria João Pires, Ashot Khachatourian, Alice Sara Ott, Ingolf Wunder and Ashley Wass.
LONDON RESOUNDINGThu 15 & 22 Oct; 12 & 19 Nov 2015 LSO St Luke’s
Celebrating the wealth of chamber music in the capital composed between 1600 and 1800.
SHAKESPEARE 400Thu 7, 14, 21 & 28 Jan 2016 LSO St Luke’s
2016 marks the quatercentenary of the death of one of Britain’s greatest playwrights. Join us as we mark this occasion with four special programmes inspired by the literary master alongside celebratory concerts at the Barbican.
PAVEL HAAS QUARTETThu 4, 11, 18 & 25 Feb 2016 LSO St Luke’s
The multi-award winning Czech quartet returns with guests to LSO St Luke’s for a residency.
ELGAR UP CLOSEThu 14, 21, 28 Apr; 5 May 2016 LSO St Luke’s
Four concerts of chamber and string orchestra works to complement the LSO’s spring Elgar concerts.
‘I regularly travel down from Oxford for this wonderful concert series.’Christiane Morris, BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert attender
2,000,000 BBC Radio 3’s weekly reach
5 hours 30 minutes Weekly average listening time
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS 2015/16
DISCOVER CLASSICAL MUSIC IN BBC RADIO 3 DIMENSIONS
FULL CONCERT LISTINGS PAGES 8 TO 13 ~ BOOKING DETAILS PAGE 55 4544 BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS ~ LSO.CO.UK
The LSO is proud to be the Resident Orchestra at the Barbican, the Orchestra’s home since
the Centre opened 33 years ago.
The area around the Barbican is fast changing
and attracting cutting-edge and exciting organisations,
from the tech start-ups of the Silicon Roundabout on
Old Street to the creative professionals of Clerkenwell
and the businesses of the City.
The LSO is working with the City of London and
our artistic partners nearby to develop the area into a
world-class arts and learning hub. With fresh venues
such as the Barbican’s new cinemas on Beech Street,
and the Guildhall School’s Milton Court, alongside
LSO St Luke’s and the Museum of London, the
cultural destinations on offer in the area are unrivalled.
And with Crossrail set to arrive in 2018, we will witness
a further significant boost to the development of the
Barbican area as a major cultural hub.
THE BARBICAN
Joint artistic highlights at the Barbican in 2015/16 includes innovation and collaboration across the Centre. Examples of this include a semi-staged performance of Debussy’s opera Pelléas et Melisande in the Barbican Hall, further igniting the artistic partnership between Sir Simon Rattle and Peter Sellars; and the world’s first ‘mindfulness opera’ featuring music by Rolf Hind at LSO St Luke’s. Performances are spread across a number of venues, including the Barbican Hall, Milton Court, LSO St Luke’s and the Barbican Theatre and cinemas, and are completed by a range of learning programmes and digital opportunities that take audiences closer to the music.
GUILDHALL SCHOOL
In autumn 2013, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Guildhall School launched Orchestral Artistry, an exciting new postgraduate specialism for instrumentalists seeking a career in orchestral playing. Part of the Guildhall Artists Masters programme, this highly distinctive and ground-breaking course enables students to work alongside the LSO and its roster of visiting artists in a context akin to a professional environment. The aim is to produce fully rounded, excellent professional musicians who have assimilated the ‘LSO characteristics’ of craft, brilliance, speed, curiosity and flexibility. Guildhall students also have the opportunity to perform in LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists – recitals that preceed LSO evening concerts at the Barbican – and in an annual concert conducted by Sir Simon Rattle playing side-by-side with LSO musicians, this season’s being Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique on 26 June.
MILTON COURT
The Guildhall School’s Milton Court includes a state-of-the-art concert hall and two theatres alongside rehearsal rooms and studio spaces. In addition to the School’s own programme of public events, the Barbican programmes 40 classical and contemporary music concerts in the venue each season, including regular performances from two Barbican associate ensembles – the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia – plus concerts in the ECHO Rising Stars series.
HUB HIGHLIGHTS
ROLF HINDFri 25 to Sun 27 Sep 2015, LSO St Luke’s Lost in Thought: A Mindfulness Opera receives its world premiere
FAMILY ARTS FESTIVALFri 9 Oct to Sun 1 Nov 2015
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDESat 9 & Sun 10 Jan 2016 A Barbican/LSO co-promotion directed and conducted by a tour-de-force team in opera in concert – Sir Simon Rattle and Peter Sellars.
BENJAMIN AT THE BARBICANA celebration of British composer George Benjamin:
Sat 18 Mar 2016 Dream of the Song (UK premiere)
Sun 19 Mar 2016, LSO St Luke’s Lunchtime recital with George
Sun 19 Mar 2016 Written on Skin
SHAKESPEARE 400 Spring 2016
26 partner organisations from across London join in a year-long celebration of the English playwright.
For details of more contemporary music, early music, recitals with international artists and visiting international orchestras at the Barbican visit barbican.org.uk
FOOD & DRINKFor information on restaurants in the Barbican visit
barbican.org.uk/food
FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL
The London Symphony Orchestra has joined forces with the Museum of London, Barbican Children’s Library, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Guildhall School and Barbican in order to improve what’s on offer for families in the City and to take part in the annual UK Family Arts Festival. Supported by Arts Council England, the Festival unites music, theatre, circus, dance and visual arts, enabling generations of families across the country to get involved.
The cultural hub in the City
WHITECROSS STREET LEADING TO LSO ST LUKE’S
The new Barbican cinema building has transformed the Whitecross Street corner of Beech Street, including the welcoming and attractive Cinema Café and Côte Restaurant. Along Whitecross Street there are lunchtime food stalls encompassing every type of cuisine and street food, all the way up to the LSO St Luke’s crossing on Old Street. There you will find 90 public events each year, including LSO Discovery masterclasses and workshops, BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts and a diverse evening concert programme.
THE ORCHESTRA’S HOME
4746 THE CITY’S CULTURAL HUB ~ LSO.CO.UK
Securing the future together
Now more than ever, our supporters play an integral role in the LSO’s work and success. Together we share a mutual commitment to bring the joy of music to millions.
As we look ahead to an exciting future, the LSO invites you to join our family of supporters. There has never been a better time to be involved.
Our supporters share their passions
with the LSO and enrich our culture
through their thoughtful generosity.
Thanks to them, the Orchestra’s work extends
from the Barbican concerts into local communities
and classrooms, and wider afield through international
tours and pioneering digital platforms and recordings.
We thank and celebrate our supporters for the
critical difference they make. Their confidence in the
LSO underpins everything we do and helps us to
secure the brightest possible future.
The enlightened support from charitable
trusts and foundations, statutory funders and
community partners enables LSO Discovery
to reach more than 60,000 people in
diverse neighbourhoods each year.
The LSO is at the forefront of community engagement.
In tandem with our Trust and Foundation partners we are
able to encourage all ages and abilities to engage with
and participate in transformative music programmes.
With a love of great music, our Patrons
and Friends share each new step in
the LSO’s history.
We bring our supporters closer to the music
through special invitations and events, connecting
them with the Orchestra and its celebrated family
of artists. Patrons and Friends enjoy rewarding
friendships and unique insights, forming a thriving
community at the centre of the LSO.
Sponsorship of the LSO makes a measurable
difference to business success.
Sponsors enjoy memorable experiences for guests
and valuable links with the LSO’s award-winning
community programmes. The LSO is a truly global
orchestra, connecting its partners in key international
locations with a range of initiatives. Alignment with the
LSO is one of the most effective investments a company
can make.
TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS
PATRONS & FRIENDS
CORPORATE PARTNERS
THANK YOU
The Helen Hamlyn Trust is delighted to support the important and highly original Panufnik Scheme for emerging composers.
Lady Hamlyn, The Helen Hamlyn Trust, supporter of the Panufnik Composers Scheme
A concert by the LSO is a remarkably emotional experience. You come away feeling exhilarated, astounded, humbled but never indifferent. As a Patron, the reward of knowing one has contributed to such an orchestra is palpable.
Susie Thomson, LSO Patron
We are proud to contribute to the diverse cultural landscape of this extraordinary city.
Dr Ian Robertson HonDSc, Member of the Board of Management BMW AG, LSO Principal Partner
YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLETo learn more about ways to
support and share the work
of the LSO, please contact:
lso.co.uk/supportus 020 7588 1116
development@lso.co.uk
4948 SUPPORT US ~ LSO.CO.UK
The gap between leaving music college and becoming
a professional musician can be a dauntingly big leap,
and often one that only experience, extra knowledge
and entrepreneurial skill can bridge.
The Orchestral Artistry specialism is part of the Guildhall Artist
Masters programme. It offers a highly-distinctive and ground-breaking
course of study for instrumentalists seeking a career in orchestral playing.
Students are mentored by LSO musicians, play side-by-side with them in
rehearsal and performance, take part in masterclasses, work on the aspects
of orchestral music not normally seen by an audience and learn essential
self-management and promotional skills.
gsmd.ac.uk/orchestralartistry
Now in its 23rd year, the LSO String Experience
Scheme is one of the most established
programmes of its kind, linking 15 string
playing students selected from the Royal
Academy of Music, Royal College of Music,
Guildhall School and Trinity Laban College to the
LSO every year. Taking part in full orchestral
rehearsals and occasional Barbican concerts,
participants audition as though they were
professional ‘extra’ players and are treated
as such with the benefit of receiving fees.
LSO violinist Sarah Quinn explains …
The Orchestra has led the way in commissioning
arrangements of often virtuosic repertoire which can be
played by a mixed ability ensemble supported by LSO
musicians, and sound remarkably like a professional orchestra.
LSO On Track started in the three-year run up to the London 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games, and taking the games’ ethic of ‘Inspiring a Generation’
the Orchestra developed a programme engaging young musicians from across
the ten East London Olympic Boroughs of varying experience from beginners to
exceptionally talented players, and from all backgrounds and ages. The programme
reached a summit when many of these young performers appeared in
the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, performing Elgar’s Nimrod
side-by-side with LSO Members. The legacy has extended far beyond
that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the Orchestra has been able to
continue this programme in partnership with East London Music Hubs, with
LSO On Track Young Musicians performing in the Barbican, at LSO St Luke’s,
and as part of the Orchestra’s annual concert in Trafalgar Square – BMW LSO
Open Air Classics. And what’s more, the Orchestra now take this way of
working on tour so that young players as far away as Australia and Japan have
the opportunity to play side-by-side with the London Symphony Orchestra.
What can be more inspiring than that?
Discovering side-by-side
‘If you’re lucky enough to get a place on the String
Experience Scheme it involves coming and working with
the Orchestra, sitting next to a member. When I auditioned
for the scheme I didn’t really know what to expect, and
once I was on it, I performed three concerts with the
Orchestra with fantastic conductors which was an
amazing experience. A year later, I auditioned and got a
permanent position. That was 15 years ago and now I help
run the Scheme. We try to look after students as well as
I was looked after by everybody – I find that an incredibly
rewarding thing to do. We currently have 15 members
in the string section who have come up through the
String Experience Scheme.’
Sitting side-by-side with an orchestral musician on stage is one of the most immersive and memorable experiences the LSO can offer; an experience that inspires young musicians from complete beginners to post graduate students working towards becoming professionals.
LSO STRING EXPERIENCE SCHEME
LSO ON TRACK AND MIXED-ABILITY PROJECTS
THE GUILDHALL SCHOOL AND LSO ORCHESTRAL ARTISTRY SPECIALISM
5150 LSO DISCOVERY ~ LSO.CO.UK
If you know someone who has never been
to a concert before, or is just a beginner in
exploring the world of concert-going, then
Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts are for them.
They offer a chance to hear a short informal
recital by LSO or postgraduate Guildhall School
musicians and learn more about what’s behind
the music. There’s an introduction and
enlightening exploration by regular presenter
Rachel Leach and also the opportunity to ask
questions. On occasion there’s no need even
to step into the venue – people around the
world can witness some of these concerts
broadcast live on YouTube.
For those keen to learn more, the LSO provides
in-depth explorations of composers and
key works at LSO Discovery Days. Divided
between the Barbican, where attenders
immerse themselves in an LSO rehearsal,
and LSO St Luke’s, where discussion, talks,
chamber music, film screenings and more take
place, what better way to deepen your concert
experience and understanding of some
of classical music’s most inspiring repertoire.
Join in with LSO Discovery at LSO St Luke’s
Many of the 60,000 participants that LSO Discovery engage with every year have come through the doors at LSO St Luke’s and are members of the public who want to get involved with music-making.
I think these concerts are really brilliant. The music is fantastic and the venue is superb, and for the first time my six-year-old son can hear live classical music.
Pauline Johnson, Free Friday Lunchtime Concert Attender
I’m truly grateful for the experience I’ve had through the LSO Panufnik scheme because I recognise how rare an opportunity it is for a young composer to write for one of the world’s greatest orchestras. I feel very fortunate!
Elizabeth Ogonek, LSO Panufnik Composer Scheme Alumna
Whether you’re a seasoned choral singer or
just starting out, there’s an option for everyone
here and Singing Days to suit all tastes.
LSO Community Singing Days are just as much
fun for beginners as they are for singers who
have been poring over vocal scores for years.
They are focussed on wide-ranging repertoire
from spirituals and jazz, to some of the most
famous choruses by composers such as
Handel and Verdi. And LSO Choral Singing
Days, designed with experienced singers in
mind (who may or may not also be taking part
in a local amateur choir or chorus), take works
being performed by the Orchestra and London
Symphony Chorus and unpack them with
diligent care led by LSO Choral Director Simon
Halsey, accompanied by piano. All LSO Singing
Days end with a performance that family
members can come and watch.
How do you compose a piece of music for 96
musicians? What are the subtle technicalities
of balance, timbre and passing phrases and
emphasis around the orchestra? How do
you form deeper colour and resonances?
What makes music work on a page, and what
makes music work in reality? The fascinating
process that goes on behind an orchestral
piece gets uncovered and brought to the
fore in Panufnik Composers Workshops.
Six composers every year get the chance
to develop a work with the London Symphony
Orchestra and to have the benefit of
hundreds of years of combined professional
experience gathered in one room to give
advice and to try out ideas. Witness them
lift the lid on the works of tomorrow.
Singing together in a choir can bring people together, and it is something that anybody can do. You don’t need to play an instrument, it doesn’t have prior requirements.
Katy Barnato LSO Singing Day Participant
The LSO Discovery projects listed across these pages would not be possible without the following generous support: for the LSO String Experience Scheme – Help Musicians UK, The Lefever Award, The Polonsky Foundation; LSO On Track – Clore Duffield Foundation, Hedley Foundation, Candide Charitable Trust, Marsh Corporation, The Saddlers’ Company, Youth Music, The Ernest Cook Trust, Sound Connections; Friday Lunchtime Concerts – The Rothschild Charties Committee; LSO Sing – Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement; LSO Discovery Choirs – Slaughter and May, Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement; and for LSO composition schemes – The Helen Hamlyn Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Hinrichsen Foundation and Susie Thomson.
FREE FRIDAY LUNCHTIME CONCERTS
LSO DISCOVERY DAYS
LSO SINGING DAYS
PANUFNIK COMPOSER WORKSHOPS
5352 LSO DISCOVERY ~ LSO.CO.UK
LSO TOURS IN SEASON 2015/16 TICKETS, INFORMATION & BOOKING
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LSO ST LUKE’S
BUS 153
BUS 21, 43, 76, 141
BUS 205
BUS 55, 243
BUS 214
BOOKING & FIND USLSO.CO.UK/YOURVISIT
BOX OFFICE lso.co.uk | 020 7638 8891 or in person at the Barbican
BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
LSO ST LUKE’S UBS and LSO Music Education Centre 161 Old Street, EC1V 9NG
The Barbican is in the heart of the City of London with LSO St Luke’s just a short walk away.
Underground/Train stations The Barbican is closest to Moorgate and Barbican, with Liverpool Street, Bank and Farringdon nearby. For LSO St Luke’s use Old Street.
Bus routes 4, 56, 153 Barbican; 21, 43, 76, 141, 214 Moorgate/City Road; 55, 243 Old Street.
Parking The Barbican’s on-site car parks, also convenient for LSO St Luke’s, cost £8 from 5pm on weekdays and £8 per day at weekends (both £7.50 if pre-booked).
EXTRASBARBICAN.ORG.UK
RELAXING WITH FOOD, DRINK AND FRIENDS For the 2015/16 season there are three new restaurants at the Barbican, giving you a great choice of places to eat, drink, meet and catch up ahead of, or after, a concert. Visit barbican.org.uk/food
BARBICAN BARS APP Enjoy a queue-free drink at the interval by pre-ordering before you even reach the Hall with the free Barbican Bars app. Book your drinks right up to the start of the performance – once you’ve placed your order, you’ll receive confirmation and your drinks will be ready for you to collect at the interval, leaving you free to enjoy the evening and relax with your friends. Available for Android and iOS at barbican.org.uk/apps
KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE We’ll send you an email a day before your selected concert with the latest travel details and links to other useful information.
BARBICAN CONCERT TICKETS £10 £16 £22 £29 £40 + booking fee per transaction of £3 online or £4 by phone
A Choral Christmas (Sun 13 Dec) National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (Sun 3 Jan) Leif Ove Andsnes Recital (Fri 10 Jun) Rattle/LSO Discovery (Sun 26 Jun) £10 £16 £22 £29 + fees as above
LSO Brass Ensemble (Thu 26 Nov) LSO String Ensemble (Wed 3 Feb) LSO Discovery Showcase (Thu 16 Jun) £10 £16 £22 + fees as above
Multibuy Discounts Book 3+ concerts save 15% Book 5+ concerts save 20%, plus 20% on any later bookings (initial 5+ booking must be made by 31 Jul 2015)
SPECIAL BARBICAN CONCERTS
Pelléas et Mélisande (Sat 9 & Sun 10 Jan) £25 £35 £55 £75 + fees as above Multibuy, group and under-18s discounts do not apply
LSO Futures (Sun 13 Mar 7pm) £10 £16 £22 + fees as above Multibuy discount – book with afternoon concert and save 25% (see right)
LSO DISCOVERY FAMILY CONCERTS £5 under-18s, £10 adults + fees as above Suitable for families with 7- to 12-year-olds
LSO SINGING DAYS Full day tickets £20 Includes music hire (£15 concessions) + booking fee per transaction of £0.60 online or £0.70 by phone
Tue 8 to Wed 9 Sep 2015
ROMANIA
MARIN / CAPUÇON BROTHERS / VOGTBrahms Double Concerto Enescu Suite No 2 for Orchestra Grieg Piano Concerto Mahler Symphony No 5 Stravinsky The Firebird (original ballet)
Ion Marin conductor Lars Vogt piano Renaud Capuçon violin Gautier Capuçon cello
8 & 9 Sep Sala Palatului, Bucharest
Sun 27 & Sun 4 Oct 2015
JAPAN
FINAL SYMPHONY IIFeaturing scores from the Final Fantasy series
Eckehard Stier conductor Mischa Cheung piano
27 Sep Osaka Festival Hall, Osaka 4 Oct Minato Mirai Hall, Yokohama
Mon 28 Sep to Mon 5 Oct 2015
JAPAN
BERNARD HAITINKBeethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Brahms Symphony No 1 Bruckner Symphony No 7 Mahler Symphony No 4 Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 Purcell arr Stucky Funeral Music for Queen Mary
Bernard Haitink conductor Anna Lucia Richter soprano Murray Perahia piano
28 Sep Suntory Hall, Tokyo 30 Sep Symphony Hall, Kawasaki 1 Oct NHK Hall, Tokyo 3 Oct Concert Hall, Kyoto 5 Oct Bunka Kaikan, TokyoSupported by Moore Group
LSO DISCOVERY DAYS Full day tickets £20 (£15 concessions) £14 afternoon only (from 2.30pm) + fees as LSO Singing Days
BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS £12 (£10 concessions) + fees as LSO Singing Days Multibuy discount – book any four concerts for £9 each
SPECIAL LSO ST LUKE’S EVENTS Family Open Day: Alice in Wonderland (Sun 25 Oct) £5 children, £7 adults + fees as LSO Singing Days Suitable for families with 8- to 11-year-olds
LSO Percussion: Steve Reich (Fri 30 Oct) £12 (£10 concessions) + fees as LSO Singing Days
New Music & Dance Conference (Wed 9 Mar) Full day tickets £20 (£15 concessions) + fees as LSO Singing Days
LSO Futures (Sun 13 Mar 4pm) £10 £16 £22 + fees as LSO Singing Days Multibuy discount – book with evening concert and save 25% (see left)
UNDER-18s & STUDENTS OVER 18 All concerts £5 for under-18s Student discounts available on selected concerts via Student Pulse – visit lso.co.uk/students
GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE Receive a 20% discount Call 020 7382 7211 (10am–5pm Mon-Fri) or visit lso.co.uk/groups
DISABLED VISITORS Join the Barbican Access Membership scheme to inform us of your access requirements. Members may be eligible for reductions on tickets, limited in number and subject to availability. Full details are available online at barbican.org.uk/access and at the Box Office.
Mon 12 to Sun 25 Oct 2015
EUROPE / US EAST COAST
GERGIEV’S BARTÓK & STRAVINSKYBartók Dance Suite; Piano Concerto No 2; Piano Concerto No 3; Concerto for Orchestra; The Miraculous Mandarin (complete ballet) Stravinsky The Firebird (original ballet); Symphony in C major; Chant du rossignol; The Rite of Spring
Valery Gergiev conductor Yefim Bronfman piano
12 & 13 Oct Konzerthaus, Vienna 14 Oct Philharmonie, Luxembourg 16 & 17 Oct Philharmonie de Paris 23 & 25 Oct Lincoln Center, New York 24 Oct Prudential Hall, Newark
Sun 15 Nov 2015
SWITZERLAND
MARTINU FESTIVALBrahms Overture: Academic Festival Martinu Symphony No 2; Symphony No 5
Tomáš Hanus conductor
15 Nov Musiksaal Stadtcasino, Basel
Sun 22 Nov 2015
FRANCE
THE FILM MUSIC OF ALEXANDRE DESPLATFeaturing film scores composed by Alexandre Desplat including Twilight – New Moon, The Imitation Game, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King’s Speech and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Alexandre Desplat conductor
22 Nov Philharmonie de Paris
Tue 1 to Sun 13 Dec 2015
EUROPE
DANIEL HARDINGBeethoven Piano Concerto No 3 Brahms Variation on a Theme of Haydn Bruckner Symphony No 4; Symphony No 9 Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 Schumann Overture: Manfred
Daniel Harding conductor Maria João Pires, Emanuel Ax piano
1 Dec Auditorium G Agnelli, Turin 2 Dec Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine, Udine 10 Dec Konzerthaus, Dortmund 11 Dec Philharmonic Hall, Cologne 12 Dec Graf Zeppelin Haus, Friedrichshafen 13 Dec Festspeilhaus, Baden Baden
Wed 10 & Thu 11 Feb 2016
GERMANY
SIR JOHN ELIOT GARDINERMendelssohn Symphony No 1; A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Sir John Eliot Gardiner conductor
10 Feb Alte Oper, Frankfurt 11 Feb Stadthalle, Hannover
Mon 11 & Tue 12 Apr 2016
EUROPE
SIR SIMON RATTLEMessiaen Couleurs de la cité céleste Bruckner Symphony No 8
Sir Simon Rattle conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano
11 Apr Philharmonie, Luxembourg 12 Apr Philharmonie de Paris
Wed 25 to Fri 27 May 2016
EUROPE
SIR ANTONIO PAPPANOBeethoven Violin Concerto Elgar Symphony No 2
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor Nikolaj Znaider violin
25 May Wrocław 26 May Lithuanian National Opera & Ballet Theatre, Vilnius 27 May Riga
Wed 24 to Sun 28 Aug 2016
SUMMER FESTIVALS
GIANANDREA NOSEDAShostakovich Symphony No 5
24 Aug Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana 25 Aug Josef Resch Hall, Villach 26 Aug Schloss Grafenegg, Grafenegg Festival 28 Aug Menuhin Festival, Gstaad Tickets can be exchanged for another LSO concert or credit
vouchers valid for six months, provided that you return them to the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings). Administration fee applies. Calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance or training purposes. All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined.
Information correct at time of going to print. The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. Refunds will only be given in the event of a concert being cancelled.
5554 LSO TOURS ~ LSO.CO.UK
The LSO is funded by Arts Council England in partnership with the City of London Corporation, which also provides the Orchestra’s permanent home at the Barbican.
LSO is a Registered Charity in England No 232391
London Symphony Orchestra Barbican, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
lso.co.uk
Feature photography Ranald Mackechnie Pelléas et Mélisande Illustration Aaron Groves
Other photographs Chris Aadland, Dario Acosta, Marco Borggreve, Felix Broede, Chris Christodoulou, Gautier Deblonde, Benjamin Ealovega, Igor Emmerich, Henry Fair, Simon Fowler, Maurice Foxall, Steven Haberland, Mat Henneck, Harald Hoffmann, Tristram Kenton, Kevin Leighton, Musacchio / Ianniello, Alexander Newton, Jim Rakete, Bill Robinson, Keith Saunders, Matt Stuart, Hannah J Taylor, Gerardo Antonio Sánchez Torres, Mausiko Tsusuki, Heikki Tuuli, Prudence Upton, Alberto Venzago, Ruth Walz
You can get this guide in large print, audio and electronic formats. Contact 020 7588 1116 or email access@lso.co.uk
Print Tradewinds | Concept Kerry White (PIN Creative) Editor Edward Appleyard
THE MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATION STAFF OF THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, 2015
Judith Ackrill, David Alberman, Sarah Anstead, Edward Appleyard, Mariann Babecz, David Ballesteros, Angela Barnes, Anne Basley, Anna Bastow, Antoine Bedewi, Isabel Bedford, Regina Beukes, Jessica Blackstone, Alastair Blayden, Richard Blayden, Jemma Bogan, Joost Bosdijk, Noel Bradshaw, Dudley Bright, Nigel Broadbent, Jennifer Brown, Stephen Buck, Nathan Budden, Eve-Marie Caravassilis, Karen Cardy, Chris Cashman, Natalie Chivers, German Clavijo, Charlotte Clemson, Philip Cobb, Stuart Connery, Gareth Davies, Tim Davy, Ginette Decuyper, Fiona Dinsdale, Claire Duckworth, Andra East, Lander Echevarria, Christopher Edis, Alexander Edmundson, Daniel Gardner, Matthew Gardner, Jeremy Garside, Hanna Ghariani, Matthew Gibson, Julian Gil Rodriguez, Rebecca Gilliver, Dan Gobey, Alan Goode, Iryna Goode, Thomas Goodman, Rachel Gough, Helen Greer, Gerald Gregory, Emma Grimsey, Gillianne Haddow, Jörg Hammann, Alix Harper, Patrick Harrild, Robert Harston, Yasmin Hemmings, Felicity Hindle, Elspeth Holmes, Timothy Hugh, Frankie Hutchinson, Rinat Ibragimov, Helen Innes, Lorenzo Iosco, David Jackson, Alex Jakeman, Daniel Jemison, Jo Johnson, Malcolm Johnston, Guy Jones, Hilary Jones, Samantha Jones, Timothy Jones, Naoko Keatley, Bethan Kershaw, Maxine Kwok-Adams, Patrick Laurence, Carmine Lauri, Wallis Leahy, Becky Lees, Bryn Lewis, Dvora Lewis, Jonathan Lipton, Miriam Loeben, Minat Lyons, Steve Mace, Lennox Mackenzie, Sue Mallet, James Malpus, Andrew Marriner, Claire Mattison, James Maynard, Zak McClelland, Carina McCourt, Kathryn McDowell, Belinda McFarlane, Joe Melvin, William Melvin, David Millinger, Paul Milner, Chi-Yu Mo, Peter Moore, Vicky Moran, Dominic Morgan, Fabienne Morris, Kenny Morrison, Iwona Muszynska, Amy Nelson, Daniel Newell, Lydia Nickalls, Gordan Nikolitch, Philip Nolte, Thomas Norris, David Nunn, Gráinne O’Hogan, Julia O’Riordan, Tim Oldershaw, Claire Parfitt, Colin Paris, Mark Parker, Ellen Parkes, Christine Pendrill, Jani Pensola, Neil Percy, Benjamin Picard, Elizabeth Pigram, Andrew Pollock, Esther Poole, Laurent Quenelle, Daniele Quilleri, Sarah Quinn, Steve Ramsden, Harriet Rayfield, Colin Renwick, Ian Rhodes, Libby Rice, Chris Richards, Liana Richards, Joe Richomme, Paul Robson, Chris Rogers, Thomas Rozwadowski, Gerald Ruddock, Mario de Sa, Diana Salthouse, Nicholas Selman, Louise Shackelton, Rikesh Shah, Abbey Shaw, Paul Silverthorne, Roman Simovic, Andrew Softley, Sean Suthagaran, Nigel Thomas, Alison Thompson, Ella Thomsen, Amanda Truelove, James Turner, Robert Turner, Miya Väisänen, Edward Vanderspar, Sylvain Vasseur, Adam Walker, Heather Wallington, Sam Walton, Rhys Watkins, Jonathan Welch, Sarah Whitaker, Jane Williams, Sharon Williams, Tim Wong, David Worswick and Nicholas Worters.
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