2014  /15 Esa-Pekka Salonen Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Concerts September 2014 – Spring 2015 Royal Festival Hall
A revelatory evening of fierce energies and hallowed spaces. Hilary Finch, The Times, October 2013
AT A GLANCE SEPTEMBER 2014 Thu 25 / 7.30pm Esa-Pekka Salonen / Sébastien Droy / Gloucester Choral Society / Philharmonia Voices BERLIOZ Requiem
OCTOBER 2014 Thu 2 / 7.30pm Christoph von Dohnányi / Frank Peter Zimmermann BEETHOVEN Overture, Leonore No. 3 / MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto / BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 Sun 12/3.00pm Nicholas Collon / Alisa Weilerstein / Lucy Crowe RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin / ELGAR Cello Concerto / VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 3, Pastoral M
Thu 23/7.30pm Krzysztof Urbanski / Jan Lisiecki SMETANA Vltava, from Ma Vlast / CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 / DVORÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World Thu 30/7.30pm Tugan Sokhiev / Khatia Buniatishvili BEETHOVEN Overture, Coriolan/ LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 / BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
NOVEMBER 2014 M 5 Sun 2/3.00pm Jakub Hrůša / Julia Fischer GLINKA Overture, Ruslan and Ludmilla /
GLAZUNOV Violin Concerto in A minor / TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Little Russian Thu 6/7.30pm Lionel Bringuier / Simon Trpceski DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune / PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 / BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra N Thu 13/7.30pm Paavo Järvi / Viktoria Mullova HAYDN Symphony No. 82, The Bear / BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto / NIELSEN Symphony No. 1
Thu 27/7.00pm Esa-Pekka Salonen / Monica Bacelli / Stéphane Degout / Philharmonia Voices DEBUSSY Pelléas et Mélisande CL
DECEMBER 2013 Thu 4/7.30pm Juraj Valcuha / Jonathan Biss Olena Tokar / Tara Erraught STRAUSS Don Juan / MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9, K271 Jeunehomme / HUMPERDINCK Suite, Hänsel und Gretel STRAUSS Suite, Der Rosenkavalier Thu 11/7.30pm Santtu-Matias Rouvali / Colin Currie KODALY Dances of Galanta / MACMILLAN Percussion Concerto No. 2 (UK première) / PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet (excerpts)
M Sun 14/3.00pm Santtu-Matias Rouvali / Vilde Frang SMETANA Šárka from Ma Vlast / BRAHMS Violin Concerto / TCHAIKOVSKY Nutcracker (excerpts)
JANUARY 2015 M Sun 25/3.00pm John Wilson / Steven Isserlis BAX Tintagel / WALTON Cello Concerto / VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 5
FEBRUARY 2015 Thu 5/7.30pm Daniele Gatti / Markus Werba MENDELSSOHN Overture, A Midsummer Night’s Dream/ MAHLER Des Knaben Wunderhorn / BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, Pastoral Sun 8/7.30pm Andris Nelsons /Paul Lewis MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25, K503 / BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3 CL Thu 12/7.30pm Esa-Pekka Salonen / Mitsuko Uchida / Barbara Hannigan et al / Philharmonia Voices DUTILLEUX Correspondances/ RAVEL Piano Concerto in G / RAVEL L’Enfant et les Sortilèges CL Thu 19/ 7.30pm Esa-Pekka Salonen / PierreLaurent Aimard / Camilla Nylund RAVEL Pavane pour une infante défunte; Shéhérazade; Piano Concerto for the Left Hand/ STRAVINSKY The Firebird
M CL AS
Sunday Matinee Series concert City of Light Series concert Ashkenazy Sibelius Series concert
! Sun 22/7.30pm Andris Nelsons / Håkan Hardenberger GRUBER Aerial / MAHLER Symphony No. 5
MARCH 2015 Thu 12/7.30pm Tugan Sokhiev / Katy Woolley BEETHOVEN Overture, Egmont / STRAUSS Horn Concerto No. 2/ BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 !
! Sun 15/7.30pm Edward Gardner / Sunwook Kim MENDELSSOHN Overture, The Hebrides/ MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24, K.491 / MAHLER Symphony No. 1
Thu 19/7.30pm Vladimir Ashkenazy/Vadim Repin SIBELIUS Finlandia; Violin Concerto; Lemminkäinen AS
APRIL 2015 ! N Sun 12 / 3.00pm Paavo Järvi / Martin Helmchen HAYDN Symphony No. 88 / BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor / NIELSEN Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable ! Thu 16/7.30pm Lorin Maazel / Ingrid Fliter RESPIGHI Fontane di Roma / DE FALLA Nights in the Gardens of Spain / RESPIGHI Feste romane; Pini di Roma ! Sun 19/7.30pm Lorin Maazel /Eric Silberger MOZART Overture, The Marriage of Figaro; Violin Concerto No. 5, K.219/
N 5 !
Nielsen Series The Mighty Five On sale from September 2014
TCHAIKOVSKY Manfred Symphony ! Fri 24/7.30pm Carl Davis Buster Keaton’s One Week; The General (Live with Film) ! Sun 26/7.30pm Yuri Temirkanov/Daniil Trifonov BERLIOZ Overture, Benvenuto Cellini / RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 1 / DVORÁK Symphony No. 8 in G ! 5 Thu 30/7.30pm Jakub Hrůša/Philharmonia Voices BORODIN Overture, Prince Igor / CUI Overture, Le flibustier / RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Overture on Three Russian Themes / MUSSORGSKY Boris Godunov (excerpts)
MAY 2015 ! Thu 7/7.30pm Vasily Petrenko / Till Fellner MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27, K595/ MAHLER Symphony No. 10 ! Sun 10/7.30pm Vasily Petrenko /Mark Padmore SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8, Unfinished / BRITTEN Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings / SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 ! Thu 14/7.30pm Jérémie Rhorer / Francesco Piemontesi DUKAS Overture, Polyeucte/ SCHUMANN Piano Concerto / MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, Italian
M AS Sun 17/3.00pm Vladimir Ashkenazy/ Daniil Trifonov SIBELIUS Nightride and Sunrise/ RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 / SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5 CL Thu 28/7.30pm Esa-Pekka Salonen / PierreLaurent Aimard /Samuel Coles / Sophie Bevan /Anna Stéphany/ Philharmonia Voices (Ladies) DEBUSSY Syrinx; La damoiselle élue / MESSIAEN Turangalîla-Symphonie
JUNE 2015 AS Thu 11 7.30pm Vladimir Ashkenazy/ Helena Juntonen SIBELIUS Suite, Pelléas et Mélisande; Luonnotar & Songs; Symphony No. 2
! Thu 25/7.30pm Yuri Temirkanov / Nikolai Lugansky WEBER Overture, Der Freischütz / BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 ! Sun 28/7.30pm Christoph von Dohnányi/ Arabella Steinbacher / Lawrence Power Programme to include MOZART Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, K364
Š Benjamin Ealovega
2014/15 SEASON OPENING CONCERT Thursday 25 September 2014 7.30pm Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Sébastien Droy tenor Gloucester Choral Society Philharmonia Voices
Esa-Pekka Salonen opens the new season with Berlioz’s vast Requiem (Grande Messe des Morts). ‘If I were threatened with the burning of all of my works except one,’ Berlioz once confessed, ‘it is for the Requiem that I would beg for mercy.’ The great Frenchman unleashes an awesome range of expression, from the merest vocal and instrumental whispers to the all-engulfing Tuba mirum’s eight pairs of rumbling timpani and four additional brass ensembles.
…played with unflinching precision by the Philharmonia. Andrew Clements, The Guardian, May 2013
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Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
© Clive Barda
BERLIOZ Requiem (Grande Messe des Morts)
CHRISTOPH VON DOHNÁNYI 85TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT Thursday 2 October 2014 7.30pm Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Frank Peter Zimmermann violin BEETHOVEN Overture, Leonore No. 3 MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
Christoph von Dohnányi’s 85th Birthday Concert is supported by Vincent Meyer and the Philharmonia Orchestra
© Fotostudio Heinrich
Beethoven changed the face of music forever. From his Fifth Symphony’s obsession with its famous opening rhythm to his epic Leonore Overture No.3,
audiences had never heard anything like it before. By comparison, Mendelssohn’s greatest innovation was a sleightof-hand brilliance that creates the impression of elfin dreamworlds floating free of gravity. This concert celebrates the 85th birthday of the Orchestra’s Honorary Conductor for Life, Christoph von Dohnányi.
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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FIRST WORLD WAR COMMEMORATION CONCERT: NICHOLAS COLLON Sunday 12 October 2014 3.00pm (please note start time) M
Nicholas Collon conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Lucy Crowe soprano RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin ELGAR Cello Concerto VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 3, Pastoral
This afternoon’s programme features three masterworks composed within just a few years of each other that meditate upon the appalling carnage of the First World War in strikingly different ways, ranging from Ravel’s tantalising neoclassical restraint and the impassioned nostalgia of Elgar to Vaughan Williams’s haunting eloquence that Holst considered ‘his very essence.’ This concert is supported by The Meyer Foundation
KRZYSZTOF URBANSKI Thursday 23 October 2014 7.30pm Krzysztof Urbanski conductor Jan Lisiecki piano SMETANA Vltava, from Ma Vlast CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 DVORÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World When it comes to contributions to the classical music world, Poland has always punched well above its weight, and continues to do so. This concert showcases two of Poland’s most gifted
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young artists, performing a piano concerto with proud roots in that country’s folk tradition. Its finale is inspired by the lively krakowiak dance, and creates one of the liveliest finales to a concerto in all music. This is bookended by two masterpieces from neighbouring Bohemia.
6pm, Pre-concert recital, Royal Festival Hall. Recital by a winner of the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. FREE Admission
Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
TUGAN SOKHIEV Thursday 30 October 2014 7.30pm
THE MIGHTY FIVE: JAKUB HRUŠA
Tugan Sokhiev conductor Khatia Buniatishvili piano
The Mighty Five series is supported by an anonymous donor
BEETHOVEN Overture, Coriolan LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
M 5 Sunday 2 November 2014 3.00pm (please note start time)
A captivating fantasy programme that contrasts Berlioz’s groundbreaking Symphonie fantastique, climaxing in an orgiastic, opium-fuelled witches’ Sabbath, with Beethoven’s overture Coriolan, written for Heinrich von Collins’ play of the same name, telling the story of the gallant Roman general, Coriolanus, destroyed by his overweening pride. Separating these pieces is a work by Berlioz’s long-time admirer, Liszt, who once transcribed the Symphonie fantastique for piano in an effort to have it heard by more people. This concert is supported by an anonymous donor
6pm, Pre-concert recital, Royal Festival Hall. Recital by a winner of the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. FREE Admission
Jakub Hrůša conductor Julia Fischer violin GLINKA Overture, Ruslan and Ludmilla GLAZUNOV Violin Concerto in A minor TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Little Russian ‘The Mighty Five’ explores the resurgence in Russian nationalism that took place toward the end of the 19th century. The first in a pair of concerts explores the music of the founders of the Russian National movement, led by Glinka. The opening work is his whirlwind overture to Ruslan und Ludmilla, followed by Glazunov’s captivating Violin Concerto, combining winning melodies with sparkling virtuosity. Tchaikovsky’s Little Russian Symphony, which incorporates folk melodies of the Ukraine (‘Little Russia’), was applauded enthusiastically by the members of the ‘Mighty Handful’: ‘The whole company almost tore me to pieces with delight’, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother.
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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LIONEL BRINGUIER Thursday 6 November 2014 7.30pm Lionel Bringuier conductor Simon Trpceski piano DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra Debussy and Bartók discovered strikingly different solutions to the problem of composing contemporary music that captivated general audiences. In his Prélude, Debussy gently suspended time by loosening the bonds of musical convention. Bartók’s Concerto is an intense virtuoso orchestral showpiece in which every department has a chance to shine. Supported by The Meyer Foundation 6pm, Music of Today, Royal Festival Hall. More information: www.philharmonia.co.uk/mot FREE admission
NIELSEN CYCLE: PAAVO JÄRVI N
Thursday 13 November 2014 7.30pm
Paavo Järvi conductor Viktoria Mullova violin HAYDN Symphony No. 82, The Bear BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto NIELSEN Symphony No. 1 Tonight’s concert celebrates the work of three great symphonists at the height of their creative powers. Nielsen’s First was memorably described by one critic as ‘a child playing with dynamite,’ and if Haydn’s The Bear finds the old Master composing with a youthful pizzazz and energy, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto possesses a radiant lyrical expansiveness. This concert is part of a complete Nielsen symphony cycle conducted by Paavo Järvi, which is presented this season and next.
6pm, Pre-concert talk, Royal Festival Hall. FREE admission
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Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
CITY OF LIGHT: PARIS 1900-1950 Esa-Pekka Salonen Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE Esa-Pekka Salonen leads a major series of events exploring the cultural history of Paris between 1900 and 1950, the follow-up to his acclaimed Vienna series, City of Dreams. The series opens with a rare opportunity to hear Debussy’s ground-breaking 1902 opera Pelléas et Mélisande, and continues with performances in February and May (see pages 12-13). City of Light: Paris 1900-1950 conceived and supported by Vincent Meyer, President, Philharmonia Orchestra Thursday 27 November 2014 7.00pm (please note start time) CL
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Stéphane Degout Pelléas Monica Bacelli Mélisande Laurent Naori Golaud Felicity Palmer Geneviève Darren Jeffery A Physician Philharmonia Voices DEBUSSY Pelléas et Mélisande
Debussy’s only completed opera is a landmark in 20th century music. It is widely considered to be a perfect fusion of the French language and music, fulfilling the composer’s wish to ‘graft his dream’ on a text. Maeterlinck’s symbolist drama, focusing on a claustrophobic love triangle in the imaginary city of Allemonde, is made unforgettably poignant by Debussy’s music. This concert performance is sure to be a highlight of the City of Light series.
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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JURAJ VALCUHA Thursday 4 December 2014 7.30pm Juraj Valcuha conductor Jonathan Biss piano Olena Tokar soprano Tara Erraught mezzo-soprano STRAUSS Don Juan MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9, K271 Jeunehomme HUMPERDINCK Suite, Hänsel und Gretel STRAUSS Suite, Der Rosenkavalier The festive season begins with tonight’s concert, coupling the suite from Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel
with Strauss’s good-humoured high farce about two young lovers, Der Rosenkavalier. The opening work, also by Strauss, set the musical world on fire in 1888. In less than 20 minutes of music, Strauss stretches the limits of what a symphony orchestra is capable of with a finale that will, quite simply, knock your socks off. Supported by The Meyer Foundation. 6pm, Music of Today, Royal Festival Hall. More information: www.philharmonia.co.uk/mot FREE admission
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© Benjamin Ealovega
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Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
SANTTU-MATIAS ROUVALI Thursday 11 December 2014 7.30pm Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor Colin Currie percussion KODÁLY Dances of Galanta MACMILLAN Percussion Concerto No. 2 (UK première) PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet (excerpts) The Philharmonia Orchestra is delighted to present the UK première of James MacMillan’s Second Percussion Concerto, the highly-anticipated successor to the acclaimed ‘Veni, Veni, Emmanuel’. It is played by its dedicatee Colin Currie, recently described by The Spectator as ‘the world’s finest and most daring percussionist’. This is alongside two popular choreographic classics that distill the bracing dance rhythms of Hungary and Russia into musical gold. This concert marks the Royal Festival Hall début of Santtu-Matias Rouvali, a leading light in the younger generation of Finnish conductors.
Sunday 14 December 2014 3.00pm (please note start time) M
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor Vilde Frang violin SMETANA Šárka, from Ma Vlast BRAHMS Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Nutcracker (excerpts) Celebrated virtuoso Bronislav Huberman characterised Brahms’s symphonic masterpiece as ‘a concerto for violin against orchestra – and the violin wins!’. Tonight’s soloist is the multi-award winning, critically acclaimed Norwegian violinist, Vilde Frang. Tchaikovsky’s Christmas ballet favourite embraces some of his most ravishing miniature gems, including the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Arabian Dance, Dance of the Reed Flutes and Waltz of the Flowers. This concert is supported by the Friends of the Philharmonia Orchestra
MacMillan Percussion Concerto No. 2 was commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra with Southbank Centre.
© Sussie Ahlburg
Part of Southbank Centre’s Colin Currie Festival
6pm, Pre-concert talk, Royal Festival Hall. FREE admission
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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ENGLISH IDYLLS: JOHN WILSON Sunday 25 January 2015 3.00pm (please note start time) M
John Wilson conductor Steven Isserlis cello BAX Tintagel WALTON Cello Concerto VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 5
Three British classics of hypnotic poetic intensity open with Bax’s magical distillation of the Cornish landscape, inspired by the imposing presence of Tintagel Castle. The improvisatory musings of Walton’s favourite concerto are perfectly matched by the heartfelt meditations of Vaughan Williams’s Fifth Symphony, dedicated in appreciation to Sibelius.
DANIELE GATTI Thursday 5 February 2015 7.30pm Daniele Gatti conductor Markus Werba baritone
Daniele Gatti makes a very welcome return to Royal Festival Hall, conducting two exultant gems inspired by the wonders of the natural world. If the Pastoral Symphony is Beethoven’s personal musical response to Nature, his most cherished and dependable companion in life, Mahler’s delight in rusticity and musical folklore is captured in a stunning collection of songs that was to have a far10
© Abramowitz
MENDELSSOHN Overture, A Midsummer Night’s Dream MAHLER Des Knaben Wunderhorn (selections) BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, Pastoral
reaching impact on the remainder of his output. Supported by The Meyer Foundation 6pm, Music of Today, Royal Festival Hall. More information: www.philharmonia.co.uk/mot FREE admission
Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
ANDRIS NELSONS Sunday 8 February 2015 7.30pm Andris Nelsons conductor Paul Lewis piano
© Marco Borggreve
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25, K503 BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3
Bruckner’s mighty symphonies unfold gradually with an awesome sense of inevitability, unleashing an all-engulfing emotional power unlike anything else in music. His Third, nicknamed the ‘Wagner Symphony’, has a smattering of quotations from Wagner’s operas, operating in the same otherworldly universe as Wagner, and is dedicated to him. It is paired with Mozart’s K503 performed by Paul Lewis, whose recent performances of this piece have become legendary.
PHILHARMONIA AT THE MOVIES BBC FROZEN PLANET IN CONCERT Sunday 4 May 2014 7.30pm
SCI-FI Wednesday 15 October 2014 7.30pm
A special event for all the family combining live orchestral music with stunning HD footage from the BBC series Frozen Planet George Fenton conductor/composer
Music from Sci-Fi Movies (including Star Wars, Blade Runner, and E.T.) James Shearman conductor
This concert is supported by For more information and to book, visit www.philharmonia.co.uk
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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CITY OF LIGHT: PARIS 1900-1950 Esa-Pekka Salonen Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor
From La Belle Époque and Les Années Folles to the aftermath of World War II, Paris was a melting pot for new music and new artistic ideas. Leading writers, artists and dancers of the age were drawn to the City of Light, collaborating with some of the best-loved composers to create sumptuous orchestral music in a celebration of sheer luxuriance of sound. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads a major series of events exploring the cultural history of Paris between 1900 and 1950, the follow-up to his acclaimed Vienna series, City of Dreams. City of Light: Paris 1900-1950 conceived and supported by Vincent Meyer, President, Philharmonia Orchestra CL
Thursday 12 February 2015 7.30pm
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Mitsuko Uchida piano Barbara Hannigan soprano Philharmonia Voices Cast to be announced DUTILLEUX Correspondances RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major RAVEL L’Enfant et les Sortilèges The City of Light series continues with Ravel’s beguiling fantasy opera of magic and enchantment in which animals and
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household objects come to life to teach a rebellious child the errors of his ways. Setting Colette’s text, Ravel’s luxuriant music is both witty and profound. His exuberantly jazzy G major Piano Concerto explores a rich palette of orchestral colours that juxtapose with the darker warmth of Dutilleux’s powerfully expressive song-cycle.
6pm, Pre-concert talk, Royal Festival Hall. FREE admission
Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
© Benjamin Ealovega CL
Thursday 19 February 2015 7.30pm
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano Camilla Nylund soprano RAVEL Pavane pour une infante défunte RAVEL Shéhérazade RAVEL Piano Concerto for the Left Hand STRAVINSKY The Firebird The Franco-Russian connection in the early 1900s, epitomised by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, produced orchestral music of unmatched luxuriant colour. The ballet music Stravinsky composed for Diaghilev, inspired by an exotic Russian legend, is paired with Ravel’s lush song cycle and the dark colours of his Piano Concerto for the Left Hand.
6pm, Pre-concert performance, Royal Festival Hall. FREE admission
CL
Thursday 28 May 2015 7.30pm
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano Samuel Coles flute Sophie Bevan soprano Anna Stéphany mezzo-soprano Philharmonia Voices (Ladies) DEBUSSY Syrinx DEBUSSY La Damoiselle élue MESSIAEN Turangalîla-symphonie An exploration of nostalgic yearning and the triumphant fulfilment of love climaxes the City of Light series. Lamentation at lost love in the solo flute’s magical evocation of the amorous God Pan introduces Debussy’s early Wagner-inspired cantata based on Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s mystic poem of love dreams. Fulfilment comes with Messiaen’s gargantuan Song of Love, a celebration of the Tristanesque love-death here expressing superhuman joy that is overflowing, dazzling and abandoned.
6pm, Pre-concert talk, Royal Festival Hall. FREE admission Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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ASHKENAZY: SIBELIUS Sibelius once described his music as “pure, cold water”, in contrast to the “manufactured cocktails” that other composers produced. His glorious music was loved around the world, whilst giving an entire nation its identity. In this series marking the composer’s 150th Anniversary, Vladimir Ashkenazy – whose legendary Sibelius recordings of the 1990s with the Philharmonia have become definitive – conducts a selection of the most powerful and sustaining works for Orchestra. AS
Thursday 19 March 2015 7.30pm
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Vadim Repin violin SIBELIUS Finlandia SIBELIUS Violin Concerto SIBELIUS Lemminkäinen
© Keith Saunders
Sibelius was initially determined to become a world-class violinist and even got as far as an audition with the Vienna Philharmonic. Had he succeeded, some of the finest orchestral music of the 20th century might never have been written. The most immediate outcome was the glorious Violin Concerto, composed for the virtuoso which Sibelius never became. The Lemminkäinen suite – a set of four tone poems, including the haunting Swan of Tuonela – depicts scenes from the life of the legendary warrior Lemminkäinen, the hero of the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala.
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Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
Sunday 17 May 2015 3.00pm (please note start time) M AS
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Daniil Trifonov piano SIBELIUS Nightride and Sunrise RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5 Vladimir Ashkenazy’s landmark Sibelius series continues with the tone poem Nightride and Sunrise as experienced from a speeding horse-drawn sleigh, and his Fifth Symphony, completed just in time for his fiftieth birthday celebrations and climaxing in the finale’s indelible horn calls, likened by one musicologist to Thor smashing down his hammer.
AS
Thursday 11 June 2015 7.30pm
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Helena Juntunen soprano SIBELIUS Suite, Pelléas et Mélisande SIBELIUS Luonnotar & Songs with orchestral accompaniment SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 A Sibelius spectacular, opening with his enchanting Pelléas et Mélisande suite and Luonnotar, an arresting tone poem for soprano and orchestra based on Norse legend, whose title refers to the Mother of the Seas. When working on his Second Symphony, Sibelius found inspiration in going on long walks, communing with nature and immersing himself in the rugged landscapes of northern Finland.
6pm, Pre-concert event, Royal Festival Hall. FREE admission
…met with razor-sharp playing from the Philharmonia Richard Fairman, Financial Times, September 2013
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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£8.40 £10.50
£6.30 £7.70
PHONE: Call the FREEPHONE Philharmonia Orchestra Box Office on 0800 652 6717 to book your tickets (Mon–Fri 9.30am–5.30pm call back answerphone service out of hours). POST: Fill in the booking form and post to Philharmonia Orchestra Box Office, FREEPOST RRGTAHSU-GXRE, London, SE1 7NX ONLINE: www.philharmonia.co.uk (NB this facility is not available for group bookings) E-MAIL: boxoffice@philharmonia.co.uk FAX: Complete the booking form and fax it to 020 7921 3950 Tickets may also be purchased from Southbank Centre PHONE: 0844 847 9921 (9am-8pm daily) * ONLINE: www.southbankcentre.co.uk * FAX: 0871 663 2594 * IN PERSON: Ticket Office, Royal Festival Hall 10am–8pm daily *Transaction fees apply. No fee for Southbank Centre Members or Supporters’ Circles.
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GROUP BOOKINGS Book 10 or more tickets for any concert and qualify for the Philharmonia Orchestra Group rate: 25% discount. Other benefits include 1 free ticket for every 20 purchased, flexible reservations and exclusive ticket offers. School parties: 50% discount and 1 free teacher’s ticket for every 10 purchased. FAMILY TICKETS – SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR CHILDREN Each adult attending a concert can purchase up to 2 tickets for under-16s at half-price. Philharmonia Orchestra concerts are usually suitable for children aged 7 upwards. Children under 6 may not be admitted at the discretion of the orchestra and hall management. Please contact us to discuss your requirements if you need additional guidance. CONCESSIONS A limited allocation of half-price tickets is available for recipients of Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Under-16s and full-time students. Appropriate cards to be shown. Please note that discounts / concessions cannot be combined.
PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES Southbank Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. Visitors with a disability should join Southbank Centre’s free Access List. You may be eligible for tickets at concessionary prices; a free ticket for a companion who can assist you during your visit; and receive information in alternative formats. To join please call 0844 847 9910, email accesslist@ southbankcentre.co.uk or visit www. southbankcentre.co.uk / access The auditorium is fitted with Sennheiser infra-red systems. Receivers can be collected from cloakroom in Royal Festival Hall. LEVEL ACCESS There is level access throughout Royal Festival Hall from the internal lifts (some of the lifts have a limited weight capacity; please call 0844 847 9910 to confirm), and there are wheelchair spaces in the boxes, choir seats, side and rear stalls of the auditorium. Tickets for wheelchair spaces can be booked online or by phone on 0800 652 6717 or 0844 847 9910. This brochure is available in alternative formats Call 0800 652 6717
Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
BOOKING FORM Cut out and post this booking form to: Philharmonia Orchestra Box Office, FREEPOST RRGT-AHSU-GXRE, London, SE1 7NX Or scan and email to: boxoffice@philharmonia.co.uk Or fax to: 020 7921 3950
Date Example
1. Select the concerts you wish to attend 2. Select where you would like to sit in the concert hall from the plan overleaf (NB you do not have to sit in the same area for all of your concerts – please indicate your requirements on the booking form) Please note that choir seats are not available for the concerts marked ‘Choir n /a’ 3. If you require additional tickets for Preferred Pricing & Area Code 1st choice FS / P1
2nd choice RS / P1
any concerts please indicate the number you require in the ‘additional tickets’ box If you would like help completing your booking form, please call us on FREEPHONE 0800 652 6717. If you would prefer us to calculate the total costs of your tickets, please feel free to leave the payment totals blank: we will advise you of the costs when we send your tickets. No of subscription tickets
No of additional tickets (charged at full price)
2
25 Sep 2014 Salonen et al. (Choir n/a) 2 Oct 2014 Dohnányi/Zimmermann 12 Oct 2014 Collon et al. 23 Oct 2014 Urbanski/Lisiecki 30 Oct 2014 Sokhiev/Buniatishvili 2 Nov 2014 Hrůša/Fischer 6 Nov 2014 Bringuier/Trpceski 13 Nov 2014 Järvi/Mullova 27 Nov 2014 Salonen et al. (Choir n/a) 4 Dec 2014 Valcuha et al. 11 Dec 2014 Rouvali/Currie 14 Dec 2014 Rouvali/Frang 25 Jan 2015 Wilson/Isserlis 5 Feb 2015 Gatti / Werba 8 Feb 2015 Nelsons/Lewis 12 Feb 2015 Salonen et al. (Choir n/a) 19 Feb 2015 Salonen/Aimard 19 Mar 2015 Ashkenazy/Repin 17 May 2015 Ashkenazy/Trifonov 28 May 2015 Salonen et al. (Choir n/a) 11 Jun 2015 Ashkenazy/Juntunen Sub-total: cost of subscription tickets Add together the discounted prices of your tickets – see p.16 for details Sub-total: cost of additional tickets Add a £2.75 fee per transaction Total
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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Please fill in your name and address and payment details below (BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE)
Title
Forename / Initial
Surname
Friend / Customer Number (if known) Contact phone numbers (in case we have a query with your booking) Day
Evening
Address Postcode E-mail address
Please tick as many of the boxes below EVEN IF you received this brochure from the Philharmonia Orchestra and have ticked similar boxes before. I would like to join / remain on the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Marketing List, and give my permission to the Orchestra to send me information about future Philharmonia Orchestra events. I am happy to receive information from other carefully selected arts organisations. PAYMENT DETAILS I enclose a cheque / postal order stating an upper limit and made payable to Philharmonia Ltd (this is in case your first choice of seats is not available). I enclose three cheques stating an upper limit made payable to Philharmonia Ltd, one with today’s date, two post-dated with dates in the next two months. Cheque 1: date:
/
/
£:
Cheque 2: date:
/
/
£:
Cheque 3: date:
/
/
£:
I wish to pay by credit card (Mastercard, Visa Credit, Visa Debit, Amex, Maestro) Card number Issue number & start date (Maestro only)
Expiry date
/
CSC number* Signature Today’s date
*For most credit / debit cards the CSC number is the last 3 digits of the number printed on the signature band on the REVERSE of your card. For AMEX cards the CSC number is 4 digits and is printed on the FRONT of the card after and above the main number. This is an additional security measure to help prevent credit card fraud and is required before your transaction can be completed. Please ensure you have written your postcode on the booking form, as this is also required. Send your booking form to: Philharmonia Orchestra Box Office, FREEPOST RRGT-AHSU-GXRE, London, SE1 7NX or Email boxoffice@philharmonia.co.uk | Fax 020 7921 3950 Your tickets will be posted to you within 28 days of receipt of your booking form.
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Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717 or select your own seats at www.philharmonia.co.uk
BOOKING INFORMATION / TICKET PRICES ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
Balcony
P7 P6 P5 P4 P2
Rear Stalls P7 P6 P4 P3 P2
P7 P6 P5 P4 P3 P2 P1
P2 Side Stalls
Side Stalls
Front Stalls P6
P2 P3
P2 Boxes
P6
P1
P7
P2
P4
P4
Boxes
P7
Performance Area P2
P1
P1 Choir P7
P2
SINGLE TICKET PRICES Transaction fees apply, phone and post £2.75, online £1.75 on all bookings through the Philharmonia box office Signature seats *
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
Standard priced concert
£48
£40
£31
£25
£20
£15
£12
£9
P Premium priced concert
£60
£45
£36
£29
£24
£18
£15
£11
Front Stalls (FS) Rear Stalls (RS) Balcony (BY) Boxes (BX) Side Stalls (SS)
Front Stalls (FS) Rear Stalls (RS)
Rear Stalls (RS) Balcony (BY) Side Stalls (SS) Wheelchair (WH)
Rear Stalls (RS) Balcony (BY) Wheelchair (WH)
Rear Stalls (RS) Balcony (BY) Side Stalls (SS) Wheelchair (WH)
Rear Stalls (RS) Balcony (BY) Side Stalls (SS) Choir (CH) Wheelchair (WH)
Prices codes
Location (Royal Selected Front Stalls Festival Hall) Front (FS) Stalls Rear Stalls (RS) Boxes (BX)
PREMIUM CONCERTS P All of our concerts are eligible for substantial discounts if you book for more than 3 concerts in one transaction. Concerts that are premium priced but eligible for subscription discounts are marked on the booking form with the P symbol. * SIGNATURE SEATS We have selected the front stalls seats in the auditorium with the best acoustic and view (concerts with a piano soloist will have keyboard side premium seats) and will sell these on a first come first served basis at £48 each and £60 for concerts where premium pricing applies. Subscription discounts do not apply although these events can be included in the total number of concerts when applying the subscription discount. Please call FREEPHONE 0800 652 6717 for more information.
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE: Great discounts if you book for 3 or more concerts! Book for 3 or more concerts and receive the following discounts on your tickets: 3-5 concerts 10% discount 6-8 concerts 15% discount 9-11 concerts 20% discount 12-14 concerts 25% discount 15 + concerts 30% discount For discounted ticket prices see page 16 Philharmonia Orchestra subscribers also receive other special benefits, including: - Free ticket exchange scheme (up to 2 working days before concert) - Flexible payment: spread the costs of your tickets over 3 months
Read more, watch films, buy CDs and listen to audio samples at www.philharmonia.co.uk
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Š Benjamin Ealovega
SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS The Philharmonia Orchestra is grateful to its sponsors and supporters who make possible the quality and diversity of its work. The Philharmonia Orchestra’s 2014 / 15 Royal Festival Hall season would not be possible without the particular support of Mr Vincent Meyer and The Meyer Foundation. The Philharmonia Orchestra would also like to thank the following major donors and Trusts and Foundations: •Mr Baha and Mrs Gabriella Bassatne •Mrs Joscelyn Fox •Mercedes and Michael Hoffman •Sir Sydney & Lady Lipworth •The Zvi & Ofra Meitar Family Fund •Mr & Mrs G Modiano •Dr David Potter CBE •Mr Geoff Richards •The Edith Murphy Foundation •Dunard Fund •Eranda Foundation •Esmée Fairbairn Foundation •The Embassy of Finland •The Amaryllis Fleming Foundation
•Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity •The Hugh Fraser Foundation •Foundation for Sport and the Arts •Edwin Fox Foundation •J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust •Paul Hamlyn Foundation •The Meyer Foundation •Adam Mickiewicz Institute •The Monument Trust •Paul Morgan Charitable Trust •David and Elaine Potter Foundation •The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation •Royal Philharmonic Society •Rubin Foundation Charitable Trust •Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung •The Embassy of Sweden •The Wixamtree Trust
SUPPORT US The income that the Philharmonia Orchestra receives through our public funding and sales at the Box Office covers only 60% of our annual expenditure. This means that, even with consistently soldout concert halls, our artistic ambitions can only be realised with contributions from generous individuals, corporate support and Trusts and Foundations. There are many different ways you can support the Philharmonia. You may wish to make a personal contribution to support our work by becoming a Friend or a member of our Conductors’ Circle, entitling you to a number of benefits that grant you exclusive access to the Orchestra and its players. Your company may also benefit from a relationship with the Orchestra as part of our Members’ Club or as a Corporate Partner, taking advantage of a range of bespoke corporate entertaining and marketing opportunities that we can offer. For more information on how you can support the Philharmonia: Tel 020 7921 3903 Email development@philharmonia.co.uk Web philharmonia.co.uk/support
Shop & Eat at Southbank Centre With sweeping views across the River Thames from the London Eye to St Paul’s Cathedral, Festival Riverside and Festival Terrace are lined with shops and a range of restaurants, linking the constantly evolving creative spaces in Southbank Centre.
WELCOME TO SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL Southbank Centre is located on the Thames riverside between Golden Jubilee and Waterloo Bridges. Getting to Southbank Centre Southbank Centre. Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX By underground: To Waterloo or cross the river from Temple, Embankment or Charing Cross By rail: To Waterloo or Waterloo East or cross the river from Charing Cross By bus: To Waterloo: 1, RV1, 4, 26, 59, 68, X68, 76, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341, 521 stop on Waterloo Bridge; 77, 211, 381, 507 stop in York Rd and Stamford St. 24-hour bus information 020 7222 1234 Southbank Centre has 2 car parks, both open 24 hours: Southbank Centre Car Park – Hayward Gallery Southbank Centre Car Park – Hungerford Bridge Evening discounted rates apply after 5pm. southbankcentre.co.uk/visitor-info/parking Access Southbank Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. Access line 0844 847 9910 www.southbankcentre.co.uk / access
What is certain is that the Philharmonia was on top form in depth of sonority and sinew. Geoffrey Norris, The Telegraph August 2013
Philharmonia Orchestra 6th Floor, The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX Tel 020 7921 3900, Fax 020 7921 3950 Freephone box office 0800 652 6717 Email boxoffice@philharmonia.co.uk www.philharmonia.co.uk @philharmonia Philharmonia Orchestra /philharmonialondon /philharmonia Philharmonia Orchestra and Southbank Centre are both registered charities. All the information in this brochure was correct at the time of going to press, but changes may be unavoidable. Concerts copy Julian Haylock Design HarrimanSteel Print cantate.biz Official Paper Supplier Sappi Fine Paper Europe