BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Afternoon Performances

Afternoon Performances City Halls, Glasgow October 2014–April 2015

Advance Tickets £8 Box Office: 0141-353 8000 bbc.co.uk/bbcsso

Welcome to the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s 2014/2015 series of afternoon concerts in the glorious acoustic of City Halls.

There’s a rich mix of repertoire – some of it familiar (Beethoven, Grieg, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Sibelius), and some of it less so (Francisco Coll, Rota, Stenhammar, Telemann and Pēteris Vasks). And, in two Discovering Music concerts, we feature music by Hans Gál, a composer whose beautifully crafted works have experienced something of a mini-revival in recent years.

Join us in the afternoons!

Tea and Symphony Join us for a light lunch of soup and sandwiches at City Halls before the concert. These are served before Afternoon Performance and Discovering Music concerts from 12.30pm in the Recital Room. For more details please see page 6.

All performances will be recorded for future broadcast, or broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 bbc.co.uk/radio3

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Leonard Elschenbroich photo by Felix Broede

Simon Johnson photo by John Wood

Thursday 30 October 2014, 2.00pm Afternoon Performance

Thursday 29 January 2015, 2.00pm Afternoon Performance

Sibelius 5

Beethoven 7

Pēteris Vasks Credo Nino Rota Cello Concerto No.2 (c.25’) Sibelius Symphony No.5 (c.31’) (c.20’)

Leonard Elschenbroich cello Ainars Rubikis conductor Making his BBC SSO debut, Ainars Rubikis opens the new Afternoon Performance season with Credo from Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, and closes it with arguably Sibelius’s most popular symphony. In between, BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Leonard Elschenbroich is the soloist in the melodic and rarely performed Second Cello Concerto

by Nino Rota, a composer celebrated for his film scores for ‘The Godfather’ Trilogy – which surely makes this concert ‘an offer you can’t refuse’!

Mendelssohn Symphony No.1 (c.32’) Francisco Coll Trombone Concerto (Tapias) (c.16’) Beethoven Symphony No.7 (c.38’) Simon Johnson trombone Otto Tausk conductor Composed when he was just 15, Mendelssohn’s First Symphony, already preceded by 12 symphonies for strings alone, clearly shows his assured handling of orchestral writing, even if there is more than just a nod to other composers, notably Mozart and Weber. Simon Johnson, the BBC SSO’s principal trombone, gives the UK Premiere of Tapias, Spanish-born Francisco Coll’s fascinating concerto for trombone. Otto Tausk follows this with Beethoven’s eternally fresh Seventh Symphony, famously dubbed by Wagner as ‘the apotheosis of the dance’.

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Stefan Jackiw photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco

Laura Samuel

Thursday 12 March, 2.00pm Afternoon Performance

Thursday 23 April, 2.00pm Afternoon Performance

Grieg, Sibelius and Stenhammar

From Baroque to Classical

Grieg Peer Gynt: excerpts (c.15’) Sibelius Six Humoresques for violin and orchestra, Op.87 and Op.89 (c.20’) Stenhammar Symphony No.2 (c.45’)

Telemann Overture in C Major (c.13’) Haydn Sinfonia concertante in B flat major (c.22’) Mozart Divertimento for strings, K.138 (c.11’) Beethoven Symphony No.1 (c.27’)

Stefan Jackiw violin Hannu Lintu conductor Hannu Lintu, Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, brings an appropriately Scandinavian programme to City Halls. Born in Stockholm, Wilhelm Stenhammar composed his Second Symphony between 1911 and 1915. It is full of lush Brahmsian melodies and an ideal companion to a selection from the incidental music which Grieg wrote for Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt. Here making his BBC SSO debut, Stefan Jackiw performs the technically challenging but enchanting Six Humoresques for violin and orchestra by Sibelius.

[The BBC SSO/Andrew Manze will give a performance of Stenhammar’s First Symphony at City Halls on Thursday evening 19 March]

Stella McCracken oboe Julian Roberts bassoon Martin Storey cello Laura Samuel violin/director Laura Samuel, leader of the BBC SSO, directs the strings in a short overture from the prolific German Baroque composer Telemann, before three of the orchestra’s principal players join her for a performance of Haydn’s delightful Sinfonia Concertante. Beethoven’s First Symphony, premiered in 1800, shows the influence of Haydn and Mozart but also has some of the characteristics of a new compositional style; it makes for a perfect end to the afternoon and to the series.

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Discovering Music Hans Gál Hans Gál was born near Vienna in 1890.

Following considerable success in the 1920s, he was appointed Director of the Conservatory in Mainz in 1929. Hitler’s accession to power in 1933 led to his instant dismissal and the banning of all his works. He returned to Vienna, but was again forced to flee by Hitler’s annexation of Austria in 1938. He emigrated to Britain and settled in Edinburgh, where he taught at the University until his retirement in 1960. He died in 1987 at the age of 97. Over the years the BBC SSO has performed a number of Gál’s works, including the Cello Concerto, Cello Concertino, Concertino for violin and strings, Idyllikon, Meanders, Symphony No.1 and Triptych. In these two afternoon events, there’s a chance to find out more about Gál and the wide influences on his musical style.

Hans Gál photo by Dora Horovitz, courtesy The Hans Gál Society

Wednesday 14 January 2015, 2.00pm*

Monday 26 January, 2.00pm

Cello Concerto

Symphony No.2, Op.53

Andrew McGregor presenter Raphael Wallfisch cello Grant Llewellyn conductor

Stephen Johnson presenter Otto Tausk conductor

Gál’s Cello Concerto was first performed in Sweden in 1950. Here, BBC Radio 3 presenter Andrew McGregor, together with cellist Raphael Wallfisch, outlines the composer’s life and some of the many influences which came to bear on his creative style. The BBC SSO conducted by Grant Llewellyn plays some specially selected examples of Gál’s music and then Raphael Wallfisch performs the Concerto complete.

*please note change to originally advertised date for this event

Though composed in 1943, Gál had to wait until 1948 before the Second Symphony received its first complete performance – in Wiesbaden; UK performances by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra followed in 1950 and 1951, conducted

by Gál’s pupil Rudolf Schwarz. The symphony then remained more or less unheard until being performed and recorded recently by the Orchestra of the Swan (Stratford-upon-Avon), conducted by Kenneth Woods.

Writer and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Stephen Johnson will examine the score in detail, before the BBC SSO and Otto Tausk give a complete performance of this rarely heard work.

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How to Book Box Office: 0141-353 8000 bbc.co.uk/bbcsso

Tickets for Afternoon Performance concerts: £8.00 if bought before the day of the concert £10.00 if bought on the day of performance No Concessions Available from: Monday 1 September 2014 Tickets for the two Discovering Music concerts are FREE (limited to 2 tickets per application) Available from: Monday 24 November 2014 Seating for all daytime events with the BBC SSO at City Halls is unreserved.

City Halls Box Office Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NQ also available from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Box Office

Please note that the Box Office charges a fee of £1.50 on all telephone bookings, £1.00 on all online bookings and an additional £1.00 if tickets are to be posted out.

Tea and Symphony Available

Join us at City Halls for a light lunch of soup and sandwiches followed by a selection of cakes, as well as unlimited tea or coffee for just £7.25 from 12.30pm at any of our Afternoon Performance or Discovering Music events. Tea and Symphony is served in the Candleriggs Bar/Recital Room at City Halls and spaces are always in high demand, so be sure to pre-book when you reserve your tickets at the City Halls Box Office.

The information in this brochure was correct at the time of publishing.

If necessary the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra reserves the right to amend artists and programmes for any of the listed concerts.

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Plan Your Visit

Box Office: 0141-353 8000 bbc.co.uk/bbcsso

Public Transport: City Halls is situated at the heart of the Merchant City at the north end of Candleriggs between Trongate and Ingram Street. It is within easy walking distance of Argyle Street, Queen Street, High Street and Central railway stations as well as St. Enoch and Buchanan Street subway stations.

Buchanan Bus Station is a 15 minute walk away. Nearby bus routes include 2, 6, 18, 21, 43, 60, 61, 64, 240, 255, 263.

Access Information: All entrances at City Halls are fully accessible with lifts to every level of the auditorium. Wheelchairs are available on request and can be pre-booked via the box office. Guide dogs are welcome at City Halls.

Please note there is no induction loop in the City Halls auditorium. Glasgow’s Concert Halls has an assisted hearing system which can be used as both a stand alone hearing aid or as an enhancement to an existing hearing aid. Headsets are available from the cloakroom for a £5 refundable deposit. Headsets can be pre-booked via the box office.

Parking: Convenient car parking, including parking for disabled patrons is available at the multi-storey facilities at Q-Park on Candleriggs and Albion Street. Other car parking facilities close to City Halls include the NCP Glasshouse on Glassford Street and car parks on the east side of High Street, in addition to metered on-street parking throughout the area.

WILSON STREET

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra BBC Scotland City Halls, Candlriggs Glasgow G1 1NQ Email: bbcsso@bbc.co.uk

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