Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra September 2013June 2014 Vasily Petrenko Chief Conductor – Box Office 0151 709 3789 www.liverpoolphil.com
Liverpool Philharmonic is grateful to the following supporters Principal Funders
In-Kind Sponsors
Thanks to the City of Liverpool for its financial support Principal Partners
In Harmony Liverpool
Media Partner
Other Public Funders
The Kinder Trust Award | The Granada Foundation | Faith Primary School | The Rayne Foundation West Lancashire Freemasons Charity | anonymous donors Travel Partner
Hotel Partner
Higher Education Partner
Sponsors
Trusts and Foundations Corporate Members
19-EIGHTY-2 | Alec Finch Group Ltd | Andrew Collinge | Essar Oil (UK) | O 2 Liverpool John Lennon Airport | MgMaStudio/architecture | Pierhead Housing Association | Profile Education | R S Clare & Co. Ltd | Stack IT Group
The Amelia Chadwick Trust | Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation | The Claude Ballard Southall Memorial Charity | The Coutts Charitable Trust | Sir Donald and Lady Edna Wilson Charitable Trust | Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund | The Earl of Derby’s Charitable Trust | The Eric and Dorothy Leach Charitable Trust | The Kinder Trust Award | The Foundation for Sport and the Arts | The Granada Foundation | The Guido Charitable Trust | The Hemby Charitable Trust | The Hetherington Fund | The Hilda Black Charitable Trust | The J A Shone Memorial Trust | John Fairclough Charitable Trust | The John Thaw Foundation | Joseph Rowntree Foundation | The Leslie Bibby Fund | The Molly Forster Charitable Trust | Pilkington General Charity | PRS for Music Foundation | The Ravensdale Trust | The Robert and Evelyn Maud Hall Charitable Trust | The RVW Trust | Sir Alastair Pilkington’s Trust | The Skelton Bounty | The Solomon and Isabel Blankstone Charitable Trust | The Standfield Charitable Trust | The Steel Charitable Trust | The Tavener Charitable Trust | The Wethered Bequest | Youth Music Liverpool Philharmonic is particularly grateful for the support of The Kenneth Stern Trust.
And thank you to everyone who supports Liverpool Philharmonic through membership, patronage or donations, or by donating their time.
Welcome from Vasily Petrenko Chief Conductor It’s a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to stay in Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Philharmonic family. I am looking forward very much to continuing my relationship with our great Orchestra, and with our wonderful audiences.
The 2013/14 season sees some of our musical ideas of recent seasons evolving, and we are introducing new ones too. Four great international musicians, Bryn Terfel, Simon Trpčeski, Christian Lindberg and Andrew Manze are our Artists in Residence and they will be involved in all aspects of our music-making with the Orchestra, and through our learning programme. Their concert performances will feature repertoire for which they have achieved world-wide acclaim and which also reflects their personal musical influences and interests. We look forward to enjoying and learning from their love and knowledge of music. We are continuing our contribution to the national celebrations marking the centenary in 2013 of the birth of Benjamin Britten. Our concerts will showcase his astonishing range and we
are including, in an all-Britten programme in November, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which was given its world premiere concert performance by this Orchestra on 15 October 1946. We are also performing works by composers who influenced Britten, including Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, and Mahler, whose music we have explored through our Mahler Edition. 2014 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Richard Strauss. The prolific German composer wrote his first composition aged six! Strauss Edition will reflect the music of a composer whose career spanned more than eight decades. We will perform music by some of the great Russian composers including Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Rimsky-Korsakov; alongside composers whose music is also amongst the cornerstones of music Brahms, Bach, Haydn, Elgar and Sibelius; and there is music that you may not yet have discovered, some enjoyable surprises!
Continuing our commitment to new music, we will give the world premiere performance of Percussion Concerto by Stewart Copeland, the former drummer of The Police and there are Liverpool debuts by soloists and conductors, as well as the return of familiar friends. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and some of our great principal players are in the spotlight in a season that also includes our popular Pops and Coffee Concerts, festive season and Family concerts, Chamber Music, new music with Ensemble 10/10 and opportunities to hear our youth ensembles.
Find out more about the music through our learning programme which includes pre and post-concert, lunchtime and Saturday morning talks with guest speakers, and opportunities to sit in on rehearsals and watch the Orchestra prepare for a concert performance.
I hope you will join us to enjoy more great music in Liverpool.
Contents Critical Acclaim
Page 2
Support Us
Page 4
Subscriber Benefits
Page 6
Artists in Residence
Page 7
Guest Artists
Page 8
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Page 10
Coffee Concerts
Page 53
Behind the Music
Page 54
Family Concerts
Page 58
Ensemble 10/10 Concerts Page 60 Chamber Music Concerts
Page 62
Lunchtime Concerts
Page 69
Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Concerts Page 71 Information and Booking
Page 72
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Critical Acclaim For the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Concerts and Recordings
Kimon Daltas reviews the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko at the BBC Proms, August 2012 ‘One of the unique values of the Proms is the opportunity to measure up so many different orchestras in the same venue, and on this evening’s showing it would be hard to name a single reason that Liverpudlian concertgoers should feel envious of the capital’s riches.’
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Hugh Canning reviews Shostakovich Symphony No.10 at the BBC Proms, August 2012
Richard Morrison reviews Shostakovich Symphony No.4 February 2013
★★★★★ Tim Ashley reviews
‘This was a world-class performance of one of Shostakovich’s most personal and disturbing symphonies ... a cry of rage and pain against totalitarianism, and Petrenko and his players left us in no doubt of this, the strings tearing into their lower strings, the woodwinds squealing, the brass blaring in anguish. I have rarely been more moved … The inexorable allegro of the finale crowned a sensational performance that brought the seated audience to their feet.’
‘…Under Vasily Petrenko, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is in such punchy form that even its forays into gloom and doom quicken the pulse ... it was Petrenko’s steel-edged, hairraising drive through the Shostakovich that will stay in my memory. ... the cumulative effect was like surveying the debris of a catastrophe: shocking, tragic, numbing. Good news that these performers are now recording the work.’
‘Petrenko’s performance of Shostakovich's most controversial symphony, meanwhile, ranks among his finest and most uncompromising achievements. Refusing to find so much as a hint of consolation in the work, his brutal interpretation, less overtly Mahlerian than most, swivelled between unspeakable violence and sullen despair. The RLPO played as if their lives depended on it, and the sheer sonic weight of it all was at times overwhelming. Outstanding.’
Shostakovich Symphony No.4 February 2013
Catherine Jones reviews the performance of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, September 2012 ‘There was a vividness and a shimmering intensity to the orchestra’s reading of Stravinsky’s inaugural work for the Ballet Russes; a rumbling, sotto voce opening with the basses playing grandmother’s footsteps, and a weightlessness to the swooping flight of massed strings – replicated by Petrenko’s balletic movements on the box.’
The Sunday Times 100 Best Records of the Year; Rachmaninov Symphony No.2 et al; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko conductor (EMI Classics)
Classic FM ★★★★★ reviews Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances, The Rock et al; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko conductor (AVIE)
‘A wonderful cycle of Rachmaninov’s orchestral works is emerging from Liverpool under the evangelical aegis of the charismatic young Russian.’
‘A richly intelligent performance of Rachmaninov works in an emotional, intense and fantastic recording. Put on the headphones, shut out the world and reward yourself with an hour of terrific musical intensity.’
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Thank you! ‘Every year I am humbled by the amazing generosity of those people who feel as passionately as I do that Liverpool Philharmonic is a very special place in which to make music. The whole Orchestra and I are very grateful for their belief in what we are trying to achieve.’ Vasily Petrenko, Chief Conductor
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of hundreds of music lovers, Liverpool Philharmonic raised more than £300,000 in donations from our supporters last year. Along with the investment we receive from corporate partners and grant-making trusts, this has helped to bridge the gap between diminishing levels of public funding and the running costs of a world-class symphony orchestra and concert hall.
Your support this season will be vital to our efforts to build on the current success of the Orchestra and to protect the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for the future.
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This year, as we ask you once again to give as much as you can afford, we have been successful in securing a major grant from Arts Council England that will allow us to match, pound for pound, every gift from a new donor, or any additional gift from an existing donor. This means that if you are a new donor, a £100 donation will be worth £200 to us. If, as an existing donor, you are able to increase your annual donation from £100 to £200, it will be worth a total of £300 to us. As we move ever closer to our 175th anniversary in 2015, you can help us to cherish this wonderful organisation and secure its future at the heart of Liverpool’s cultural life. We won’t be able to do it without you. Thank You.
To make a gift, become a member, or to find out more, contact our fundraising team on 0151 210 2921 or visit www.liverpoolphil.com.
If you love music, the easiest way to make a donation is to become a member of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. To support the work of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, whether on stage at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall or in our communities, working with thousands of people of all ages including more than 22,000 local children and young people annually, simply choose your level of support from the page opposite.
We are grateful for your support at any level and are delighted to offer you the following benefits in recognition of your gift:
Bronze £32.50
from
Priority booking privileges + Subscription to Encore magazine + Invitations to the Annual General Meeting
Silver £100+
Gold £350+
Gold+ £700+
Platinum £1000+
Bronze Membership benefits + Invitations to Open Rehearsals + Membership of the Private Patrons Bar + Invitations to exclusive events + No booking fees and free ticket exchange*
Silver Membership benefits + Invitations to exclusive VIP events and launches + Invitation to annual Christmas Supporters’ event + Opportunity to adopt a Principal Player in the Orchestra
Silver Membership benefits + Invitation to our annual dinner with the Chief Conductor, musicians and senior management of Liverpool Philharmonic + Opportunities to attend learning workshops and schools’ concerts + Advance notification via email when nonorchestral events go on sale and priority booking + Opportunity to adopt a Section Leader in the Orchestra
Gold+ Membership benefits + A dedicated member of the fundraising team to manage your ticket requests + Highest priority booking + Ability to book a space in our Caledonia Street car park on concert nights + Opportunity to adopt a guest conductor of the Orchestra
£120 opportunity to dedicate a seat in the auditorium £200 opportunity to adopt a Player in the Orchestra *fees will apply to online orders and groups (10 people +)
All donations are recognised using these levels – for example a gift of £100 to our Bright Futures Through Music campaign would automatically give you the same benefits as Silver Membership.
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Subscriber Benefits Buy tickets for 4 or more concerts and save money! If you purchase tickets for 4 or more concerts, you become a Royal Liverpool Philharmonic subscriber.
Benefits include: Better Seats As a subscriber you can order tickets prior to them going on sale to the general public. The earlier you book, the wider selection of seats you’ll have.
If you want the same seats for each concert, book a fixed series (Henry E Rensburg, Liverpool John Moores University, Classic FM, Chamber Music, Family or Marathon).
Discounted Tickets Save 10-30% depending on the number of concerts you book. (See page 76 for details).
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Discounted Booking Fees Subscribers pay a flat charge of £5 per order compared with £1.50 per ticket otherwise (credit/debit card sales). Exchange Privileges Find you can’t make a concert? No problem. Just return your tickets to us at least 24 hours in advance of the concert and we’ll give you a credit for another performance within the same season.
FREE Tickets Book tickets to 7 or more concerts and you’ll receive a free ticket to a Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Concert (page 71) or a Discover the Classics session (page 54). Please note there is limited availability on Discover the Classics.
Liverpool Philharmonic
ARTISTS in RESIDENCE
New for the 2013/14 season, we have invited four internationally acclaimed artists – the multi-award-winning Welsh superstar Bryn Terfel; Swedish composer, conductor and trombone legend Christian Lindberg (dubbed the ‘Paganini of the trombone’); Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski, a Liverpool favourite whose recording of the Rachmaninov Piano Concertos Nos.2 and 3 with the Orchestra won the coveted Diapason d’Or de l’Année in France; and Andrew Manze, one of the most stimulating and inspirational conductors of his generation – to become our Artists in Residence. These artists will each be resident in Liverpool for a set period, and will be involved in multiple concerts, talks, masterclasses and special events. They will also be participating in our learning projects, working with young musicians from our Youth Orchestra and In Harmony Liverpool programme. We hope that each residency will allow our musicians and audiences to build stronger and deeper relationships with these artists.
Photography Top: Bryn Terfel © Brian Tarr / Bottom L to R: Christian Lindberg © Mats Bäcker, Simon Trpc˘eski © Simon Fowler, Andrew Manze © Felix Broede
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Guest Artists Find out more about some of the fantastic Guest Artists joining us in 2013-14.
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Lise de la Salle piano
Xavier de Maistre harp
Vilde Frang violin
Lise de la Salle is pursuing an impressive international career and is performing in the major concert halls of the world. Her first disc dedicated to Ravel and Rachmaninov was unanimously acclaimed by critics. Four more CDs followed all receiving great reviews. Her 2011 recording of the music of Liszt was awarded the Diapason d’Or de l’Année, the ARTE CD of the month and was Gramophone Editor’s Choice.
Xavier de Maistre was appointed solo harpist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1995, and in 1998 he won the USA International Harp Competition. The year after, at the age of only 25, he became solo harp of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, a position which he gave up in the summer of 2010 to concentrate fully on his solo career. His album Notte Veneziana has won great critical acclaim.
Noted for her superb musical expression, Vilde Frang makes her Liverpool debut. She has established herself as one of the leading young violinists of her generation since she was engaged by Mariss Jansons at the age of twelve to debut with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
‘De la Salle played so well that, for much of the concert, the audience had to remember to breathe ... the exhilaration didn’t let up for a second until her hands came off the keyboard and everyone could finally
‘Xavier de Maistre is a virtuoso of the highest order, profoundly musical and capable of realizing a remarkable range of nuance.’ Gramophone
23 & 24 October
13 & 14 November
21 & 24 November
‘The revelation of the evening, though, was the 24 year old violinist Vilde Frang...Frang is clearly a new star in the violin firmament.’ The Guardian
Mari & Håkon Samuelsen violin/cello 17, 19, 21, 22 & 23 December
The remarkable rise of Norwegian siblings Mari (violin) and Håkon (cello) Samuelsen is the result of their artistry and enterprise. ‘A Christmas Concert’ from Norway showcases their musicianship alongside the five-time Grammy-nominated Trondheim Soloists and a host of international talent. Ten years on, this event is broadcast to over 116 million households in the United States alone on the PBS network. ‘Dazzling in their intelligence, the two played together as a mirror, with perfection, with great brilliance and virtuosity - a joyful and optimistic performance of the Brahms concerto.’ Grazia Italia
Michel Camilo piano
Miloš Karadagli´c guitar
Vadim Repin violin
Grammy, Latin Grammy and Emmy award-winner Michel Camilo is a composer and pianist extraordinaire. A native of Dominican Republic, he bridges the genres of Jazz, Classical, Popular and Roots music and has performed with most of the world’s great orchestras. A pianist with a brilliant technique, his compositions are often flavored with Caribbean rhythms and jazz harmonies.
One of the most sought-after guitarists in classical music makes his debut in Liverpool. Miloš Karadaglic´ is Gramophone Young Artist of the Year, ECHO Klassik Newcomer of the Year and Classic BRIT Breakthough Artist of the Year. In 2012 his recitals at London’s Royal Albert Hall, attended by 30,000 people were described by The Guardian as a ‘hypnotic and quite extraordinary evening’.
Having worked with Vasily Petrenko on a number of occasions, Vadim Repin makes his long-awaited Liverpool debut. At 16 he was the youngest ever winner of the most prestigious and demanding violin competition in the world, the Concous Reine Elisabeth. In 2010 he was awarded the Victoire d’Honneur, France’s most prestigious musical award, and he also became Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres.
1 February
‘Michel Camilo is one of the top allaround musicians. Every time I see him play, I feel like I'm witnessing a miracle.’ Academy Award-winning filmmaker Fernando Trueba, who featured Camilo
13 & 14 February
27 February & 2 March
‘Mr. Repin was ferocious, fierce, never once taking his bow off the strings. It was not a robotic cadenza, but a work of personal energy, emotion, vying with the large orchestra, exploding with rhythmic sforzandi. We were breathless, Mr. Repin seemed perfectly cool.’ Concertonet.com
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Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Bryn Terfel bass-baritone ‘A born communicator who loves words as much as music, he has reached out to audiences way beyond the rarefied temples of opera house and recital hall . . .’ The Times
Liverpool Philharmonic
ARTISTS in RESIDENCE
12 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Bryn Terfel returns to Liverpool Philharmonic as one of this year’s Artists in Residence following his soldout recital in 2009 and concert performance with Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra in 2008.
He first performed with the Orchestra in 1991 for their recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Sir Charles Mackerras. The combination of a great voice, immaculate diction, commanding stage presence and compelling acting has made Bryn Terfel the hottest property in opera throughout the world.
He is a Grammy, Classical Brit and Gramophone Award winner. He was awarded the Queen's Medal for Music in 2006, an honour given to musicians who make a major impact on the musical life of Britain. Master of the Queen's Music, composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, described him as an ‘inspiring figure’, not only for his performances in the great opera houses of the world but also due to his popularisation of music to a wider audience through his concert and television performances.
Special
A Night at the Musicals Monday 9 September 7.30pm
Robert Ziegler conductor Bryn Terfel vocalist John Owen Jones vocalist Special Guest to be confirmed
The Art of Bryn Terfel In this two-week long festival, Bryn Terfel will be performing a wide range of repertoire, from songs from the musicals, to Puccini’s Tosca and Brahms’ A German Requiem.
He’s also invited Welsh performers Catrin Finch (harp) and Llyˆr Williams (piano) to Liverpool to perform recitals in St George’s Hall Concert Room as part of the festival.
We are thrilled to be celebrating one of the biggest stars of the opera world, with a unique opportunity to experience his versatility and incredible artistic generosity in the glorious setting of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Please note that no subscription or group discounts apply to the concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in this series. Concessions are limited.
‘Terfel is unique in being able to perform opera, Broadway songs and folk ballads with total conviction, perhaps because he treats each on its own terms and refuses to overanalyse. As he told me once before, “I don’t understand people who think opera singers shouldn’t sing musicals, because all the same rules apply for every type of singer.” Daily Telegraph
Join the starry duo of Bryn Terfel and John Owen Jones, for a night at the musicals like no other! With songs from Bernstein’s West Side Story (‘I Feel Pretty’), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera (‘Music Of the Night’), Schönberg’s Les Misérables, Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’) and South Pacific (‘Some Enchanted Evening’), and more, this will be an evening to remember. John Owen Jones is an award winning and record-breaking West End and Broadway actor and recording artist - probably best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera. Bryn Terfel, of course, has won plaudits as a singer of 1940s and 1950s Broadway musicals in his recordings of these works and in many live performances.
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Tickets £30, £35, £40, £50, £65
These events are part of the Liverpool International Music Festival, 23 August - 22 September. During the bank holiday weekend the Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko take to a brand new stage in Sefton Park for an evening of live music. For more information visit www.itsliverpool.com/culture.
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 13
Special
Chamber Series
Bach at Lunchtime Wednesday 11 September 1pm
Catrin Finch harp Thursday 12 September 7.30pm
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.3 Bach Concerto for Two Violins Bach Cantata No 82 ‘Ich habe genug’ – Vasily Petrenko conductor Bryn Terfel baritone Thelma Handy and Adi Brett violins
St George’s Hall Concert Room After the show-stopping thrills of the opening concert of The Art of Bryn Terfel, the bass-baritone demonstrates the opposite extreme of his astonishing range. Bach’s Cantata No.82 is sacred music at its most universal; profound emotion distilled into pure serenity and it’s one of Bryn’s very favourite works. For this one-off lunchtime performance, he’s joined by a dedicated ensemble of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra players, and two of the Orchestra’s very own stars get to share the limelight in Bach’s timeless Concerto for Two Violins: music that you’re sure to recognise even if you don’t think you know it! Please note this concert will last about an hour
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Tickets £25
14 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Programme to include solo harp items plus: Debussy Sonata Trio for harp, flute and viola Andre Caplet Conte Fantastique for harp and string quartet Ravel Introduction and Allegro for flute, clarinet, string quartet and harp – Catrin Finch harp Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Principals
They call her the Queen of Harps – and Catrin Finch’s charm, poetry and sheer musicianship made her the natural choice to be the first Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales in over a century. It’s also made her an international star. So it’s no surprise that Bryn Terfel was eager to invite her to feature in his Liverpool residency; or that she’s chosen some of the most enchanting chamber works of the last century, as she teams up with Orchestra principal players in Ravel’s shimmering Introduction and Allegro. French magic – with a Welsh touch!
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Tickets £25
Liverpool John Moores University Series
A German Requiem Saturday 14 September 7.30pm
Brahms A German Requiem – Vasily Petrenko conductor Sophie Bevan soprano Bryn Terfel baritone Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir – Classic Intro 6.15pm
The Royal Philharmonic Society, which is celebrating its two-hundredth birthday this year, gave the UK premiere of Brahms’ A German Requiem. Speakers tonight include social historian Dr. Leanne Langley, Darren Henley, Managing Director of Classic FM and Tom Hutchinson from the RPS. They will explore the concept and role of a ‘Philharmonic Society’. This concert celebrates the Royal Philharmonic Society Bicentenary 1813-2013.
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Sponsored by
Imagine there’s no heaven…when Johannes Brahms wrote his Requiem, he wasn’t thinking of judgment or the Last Trumpet. He wasn’t thinking of the afterlife at all. Instead, overcome by grief at the death of his mother, he set out to console and comfort the living. The result was his A German Requiem, one of the most beautiful, most moving and – yes – most profoundly spiritual choral works of all time. It’s the deep, calm centre to The Art of Bryn Terfel; a chance for him to show yet another side of his artistry, and to share the stage with Vasily Petrenko, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and the magnificent young British soprano Sophie Bevan (recipient of The Times Breakthrough Award at the 2012 South Bank Sky Arts Awards) in a concert to touch your very soul.
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40 Post-concert Discussion
Sophie Bevan Photography © Sussie Ahlburg
Please note there will be no interval at this concert.
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert) Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and soloists from tonight’s concert answer your questions in the Grand Foyer Bar. Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 15
Chamber Series
Llyˆr Williams piano Sunday 15 September 6.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op.14 No.2 Piano Sonata in C, Op.53 in C ‘Waldstein’ Liszt/Verdi Rigoletto paraphrase Il Trovatore: Miserere Liszt/Wagner Tannhäuser paraphrase Lohengrin paraphrase Tristan and Isolde: Liebestod
Llyˆr Williams was born in a village near Wrexham and over the past decade he’s emerged as one of the most commanding, intelligent and consistently inspiring pianists of his generation. As the winner of the 2012 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Classical Music, it’s not hard to see why Bryn Terfel has personally invited Williams to participate in his Liverpool residency, and he’s chosen a truly spectacular programme. Williams opens with Beethoven’s most brilliant piano sonata before tackling the huge, flamboyant piano transcriptions that Liszt wrestled out of the grandest operas of Verdi and Wagner. Great tunes, mountainous grandeur, and piano playing to take the breath away: a piano recital for aficionados and newcomers alike.
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Tickets £25
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Photography © Mark McNulty
16 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Henry E Rensburg Series
Special Sunday Afternoon Classics
Puccini’s Tosca Friday 20 September 7.30pm & Sunday 22 September 2.30pm
Puccini Tosca – Viktoria Yastrebova soprano Tosca Vladimir Galouzine tenor Cavaradossi Bryn Terfel baritone Scarpia and singers from the European Opera Centre
Vasily Petrenko conductor Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir – This concert is linked to: Discover the Classics
See p.54 for more information The European Opera Centre is funded with support from the European Commission.
Rome, 1800: as Revolution stalks the streets, two young artists find themselves fleeing for their lives. What price will they be prepared to pay for freedom – or for love? With its thrilling plot, unforgettable characters and soaring passion, Puccini’s Tosca is the ultimate romantic opera, and melodies like Vissi d’arte, Recondita armonia and E lucevan le stelle have made it one of the world’s best-loved operas for over a century. Bryn Terfel has chosen his own Tosca and Cavaradossi with other roles coming from the Liverpoolbased European Opera Centre. Vasily Petrenko conducts, and Terfel reprises one of his supreme roles – the dangerously charismatic Baron Scarpia – in this dramatic concert performance. An unmissable climax to the The Art of Bryn Terfel. Sung in Italian with English subtitles
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Tickets £30, £35, £40, £50, £65
Petrenko’s Shostakovich Thursday 26 September 7.30pm
Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1947 version) Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings Shostakovich Symphony No.13 ‘Babi Yar’ – Vasily Petrenko conductor Alexander Tsymbalyuk bass
Male voices of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Huddersfield Choral Society – Sponsored by
When Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra play Russian music, something very special happens: something that makes critics around the world sit up and take notice. Stravinsky’s colourful ritual of jazz-age Paris rings up the curtain, before the strings of the orchestra have their say in Tchaikovsky’s gloriously romantic Serenade for Strings. And then the Orchestra join forces with the men of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and the Huddersfield Choral Society to deliver the final instalment in their internationally-acclaimed Shostakovich symphony cycle – the dark and deeply-felt Thirteenth Symphony, a timeless protest against inhumanity and prejudice. Critics have described Petrenko’s Shostakovich recordings as ‘profound and passionate’. Make sure you’re there for this landmark in Liverpool’s musical history.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36 Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 17
Classic FM Series
Beethoven’s Best Wednesday 2 & Thursday 3 October 7.30pm Wagner Prelude to ‘Die Meistersinger’ Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 Verdi Overture, The Sicilian Vespers Beethoven Symphony No.5 – Andrew Gourlay conductor Paul Lewis piano – Post-concert Discussion Thursday 3 October
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert)
Conductor Andrew Gourlay and pianist Paul Lewis answer your questions about tonight’s performance in the Grand Foyer Bar.
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Thursday 3 October sponsored by
Paul Lewis Photography © Josep Molina
18 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
200 years ago, two giants were born. Giuseppe Verdi made Italian opera blaze with an unquenchable fire, and Richard Wagner created whole new universes of sound. Tonight the young British conductor Andrew Gourlay toasts them both – and then unleashes the daddy of them all: Ludwig van Beethoven. Two centuries on, no four notes still sound more electrifying than the opening hammerblows of Beethoven’s stupendous Fifth Symphony – but the rest of the symphony is even more powerful! Hear every note tonight, and hear a real Liverpool favourite, locally-born pianist Paul Lewis, as he explores the light, the shadows and the deep, dark poetry of Beethoven’s most personal piano concerto.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Henry E Rensburg Series Sunday Afternoon Classics
The Great Romantics Thursday 10 October 7.30pm Sunday 13 October 2.30pm
Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 Mahler Symphony No.5 – Thomas Dausgaard conductor Henning Kraggerud violin – Thursday 10 October sponsored by
Mahler’s Fifth Symphony begins in the darkest depths of the human soul. By the end, it’s raising the roof, as a whole orchestra seems to dance and shout for joy. It’s an incredible journey, and along the way you’ll hear delirious waltzes, terrifying storms, and the sweetest, most tender love song any composer ever wrote: the unforgettable Adagietto. Our guest conductor Thomas Dausgaard knows how to set pulses racing – and he’ll do exactly that when he joins the Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud in the sweet and sultry first concerto by adopted Liverpudlian Max Bruch, who was Principal Conductor from 1880 to 1883. Maybe, just maybe, the most romantic violin concerto of all time!
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Henning Kraggerud Photography © Robert Romik
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 19
Pops
What the World Needs Now ... The Music of Burt Bacharach Thursday 17 October 7.30pm Programme includes: Magic Moments, Do You Know The Way to San Jose?, Trains and Boats and Planes, Close to You, What’s New Pussycat, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Casino Royale, Alfie, Arthur’s Theme, and What the World Needs Now – Richard Balcombe conductor Graham Bickley vocalist Alison Jiear vocalist Mary Carewe vocalist Sarah Lark vocalist – Sponsored by
Burt Bacharach wrote the kind of tunes that you know without even realising it. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Do You Know The Way to San Jose?, Alfie, Walk On By … they’re the super-suave soundtrack to an era: the easiest of easy listening, with an irresistible swing. Tonight the Orchestra and an all-star cast enjoy a different kind of classic – and give them the deluxe treatment. Sit back, pour yourself an imaginary martini and let the silky strings of our full symphony orchestra and the showstopping voices of top West End singers smooth your cares away.
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
Burt Bacharach
20 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Classic FM Series
Romantic Rachmaninov Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 October 7.30pm Verdi Overture, Nabucco Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.1 Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Suite – Joshua Weilerstein conductor Lise de la Salle piano
Liverpool prides itself on finding new talent, and today we’re thrilled to welcome two of the most dynamic young artists on the current scene, making their Liverpool debuts in one explosive concert. The award-winning 26-year-old conductor Joshua Weilerstein kicks off with Verdi’s melodramatic overture, before unleashing all his energy and verve on Prokofiev’s heart-rending ballet suite – so much more than just the theme to The Apprentice! And when the stunning French pianist Lise de la Salle joins him in Rachmaninov’s glittering First Piano Concerto; well, expect the sparks to light up the Hope Street sky.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Lise de la Salle Photography © Gallois
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 21
Musicians of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in concert, rehearsal and backstage Photography © Mark McNulty
‘As ever, the magnificence of the orchestra at the Phil outshines anything else. The conductor and musicians are a sight to behold.’ Audience Member 2012
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Britten Centenary Friday 1 November Thursday 14 November Thursday 21 November Sunday 24 November Tuesday 26 November Saturday 30 November Thursday 5 December Friday 6 December The Britten Centenary celebration continues in the 2013-2014 season as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic pays tribute to one of England’s greatest composers.
As part of the Britten 100 celebration, the Orchestra will explore the music of a man who spent his life building musical institutions and promoting outreach to encourage a wider audience, particularly children, to enjoy music. You can hear The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra in an all-Britten programme on Thursday 21 November. The centenary starts with a performance of the Suite from Death in Venice on Friday 1 November, the month of his birth, alongside Symphony No.15 by Shostakovich, a great friend of Britten’s. It will culminate in a performance of his orchestration of the music of Purcell on Friday 6 December as part of Andrew Manze’s Residency.
Come along and enjoy the music of one of the most influential figures in British musical history.
24 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Special
Liverpool John Moores University Series
The Rest is Noise: The 1970s Friday 1 November 7.30pm
Mozart’s Requiem Saturday 9 November 7.30pm
Berio Ritirata notturna di Madrid (after Boccherini) Britten Suite from Death in Venice (arr. Steuart Bedford) Shostakovich Symphony No.15 – Vasily Petrenko conductor This concert is part of The Rest Is Noise festival at Southbank Centre, where the concert will be repeated on 3 November. The Rest is Noise is a series of concerts and events bringing to life Alex Ross’s popular survey of 20th century music, The Rest Is Noise.
The 1970s: the decade of disco, big collars, and the Wallasey Tunnel. But three great composers were looking to the future – and seeing magical new worlds. Britten’s Death in Venice imagines a haunted city in music of eerie beauty. His friend Shostakovich heard the beat of time itself amidst the jokes and puzzles of his extraordinary last symphony. And Luciano Berio went back to the future and customised an 18th-century classic into a technicolor orchestral mystery-tour which was premiered by the Orchestra in 1971. If you’ve heard Vasily Petrenko’s performances of Shostakovich and Britten, you’ll already know to expect something very special. If you haven’t, join us in Britten’s centenary year for a different kind of 70s nostalgia.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Mozart Kyrie in D minor Mozart Symphony No.41 ‘Jupiter’ Mozart Requiem – Alexander Shelley conductor Lydia Teuscher soprano Jennifer Johnston mezzo-soprano Benjamin Hulett tenor Alexander Knop bass Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir – Sponsored by
The mysterious commission, the masked stranger, the deathbed struggle to complete the score…if you’ve seen the stage play or the film Amadeus, you’ll know the stories behind Mozart’s Requiem. But the reality is even more extraordinary. Hear for yourself, because our brilliant young guest conductor Alexander Shelley has assembled some of the most vibrant new voices on the concert scene to join him, the Orchestra and the acclaimed Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir for this performance of Mozart’s last masterpiece. First, though, we see two more of Mozart’s many faces: the majestic choral drama of his rarely heard Kyrie in D minor, and the glorious sunburst of his last and greatest symphony. Sunlight, shadow, and melodies to die for.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 25
Classic FM Series
Colours of the South Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 November 7.30pm Debussy La Mer Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez (transcription for harp) Ravel Alborado del gracioso Debussy Deux danses for harp and strings Ravel La Valse – Alexandre Bloch conductor Xavier de Maistre harp ‘Bloch belongs to those conductors who show great dynamism...a magnificent technique, always connected to the musicians, always full of energy.’ De Volkskrant (Amsterdam)
Xavier de Maistre Photography © Felix Broede/Sony Classical
26 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
So you thought the harp was just for angels? Then prepare for a rethink, as we welcome the charismatic Xavier de Maistre – the world-famous French harpist who plays like the very devil. Once you’ve heard his interpretation of Rodrigo’s hugely popular Concierto de Aranjuez, you’ll never think of Brassed Off again! He’s the perfect partner for the inspirational French conductor Alexandre Bloch – making his Liverpool debut in the wake of his spectacular triumph in the 2012 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition – and it’s the perfect centrepiece to an evening of French music at its most sumptuous, sweeping from Debussy’s gorgeous impressionistic seascape to Ravel’s delirious salute to old Vienna.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Henry E Rensburg Series
Sunday Afternoon Classics
Great Britten Thursday 21 November 7.30pm
Britten and Mahler Sunday 24 November 2.30pm
Britten Hymn to St Cecilia
(Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir unaccompanied)
Four Sea Interludes Violin Concerto Sinfonia da Requiem The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra – Vasily Petrenko conductor Vilde Frang violin Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir – Sponsored by
Fresh, bold, and pulsing with emotion, Benjamin Britten’s music swept through post-war Britain like a blast of sea air. On the eve of his centenary, Vasily Petrenko, the Orchestra and the Choir present an anniversary tribute ranging from the volcanic Sinfonia da Requiem, through the atmospheric Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, to the joyous Hymn to St Cecilia. Making her Liverpool debut, Vilde Frang joins the salute in the brooding wartime Violin Concerto – and to top it all off, we revel in the energy, colour and sheer joy of Britten’s exuberant The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which was given its concert premiere by the Orchestra in 1946 under Malcolm Sargent. Share the fun as we say “Happy Birthday, Ben!”
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Mahler Totenfeier Korngold Violin Concerto Britten Four Sea Interludes Britten The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra – Vasily Petrenko conductor Vilde Frang violin – Classic Intro 1.15pm
Dr. Philip Reed, editor of Letters from a Life: The Letters of Benjamin Britten talks about the music of Britten. Dr. Reed was Musicologist at the Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh, for more than a decade, and is currently Head of Publications at English National Opera. He has been co-editor of all five previous volumes of Letters from a Life, and is now Editor-in-Chief of the series in succession to Donald Mitchell.
Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra present an anniversary tribute to Britten with a joyous twist. As a young man, Britten hugely admired the music of Mahler. The symphonic poem Totenfeier (funeral rites) later became the opening movement of his Second Symphony. Vilde Frang makes her Liverpool debut in the luscious, deliriously romantic Violin Concerto that Korngold created from his Hollywood film scores. There’s only one way to follow that – with the energy, colour and sheer joy of Britten’s exuberant The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which was given its concert premiere by the Orchestra in 1945 under Malcolm Sargent.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 27
Andrew Manze conductor Saturday 30 November to Friday 6 December –
‘Manze’s rapport with the orchestra is a pleasure to witness and draws some of the most concerted orchestral playing you’re likely to hear anywhere.’ The Guardian
Liverpool Philharmonic
ARTISTS in RESIDENCE Photography © Felix Broede
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Andrew Manze has rapidly emerged as one of the most stimulating and inspirational conductors of his generation, this year returning to Liverpool Philharmonic as part of our new Artist in Residence programme. His extensive and scholarly knowledge of the repertoire together with his rare skill as a communicator and his boundless energy mark him out. Manze has recently been appointed the new Principal Conductor of the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in Hannover and is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music. He also teaches, edits and writes about music, as well as broadcasting regularly on radio and television.
Liverpool John Moores University Series
Classic FM Series
Britten’s Inspirations Saturday 30 November 7.30pm
Britten and Mozart Thursday 5 & Friday 6 December 7.30pm
Schumann Faust Overture Britten Les Illuminations* Mahler Symphony No.4* – Andrew Manze conductor Lisa Larsson soprano* – Classic Intro 6.15pm
Conductor Andrew Manze in conversation with Angela Heslop from BBC Radio Merseyside.
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This concert is linked to: Discover the Classics
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See p.54 for more information Sponsored by
Few British conductors can match Andrew Manze for musicianship and charisma, and Liverpool audiences have already taken him to their hearts. So we’re delighted to welcome him back as part of our Artist in Residence programme – as he brings all his imagination and verve to a very special Britten tribute concert. Britten’s rapturous musical dreamscape Les Illuminations is at the heart of this evening, sung by Lisa Larsson, a soprano with a voice as pure and as enchanting as Britten’s vision itself. First, though, comes Schumann’s impetuous Faust Overture – one of Britten’s favourite works – followed by another of Britten’s inspirations: Mahler’s extraordinary Fourth Symphony. It begins with sleigh bells and ends in the soloist singing about heaven.
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Schubert Symphony No.3 Schumann Piano Concerto Purcell orchestrated/edited by Britten and Manze Two pieces: Funeral March for Queen Mary, Chacony in G minor Mozart Symphony No.40 – Andrew Manze conductor Ronald Brautigam piano –
This concert is linked to: Discover the Classics
See p.54 for more information
The whole musical world is toasting Benjamin Britten’s 100th birthday – so trust Andrew Manze to come up with a completely original tribute! In the second concert during his Residency, he takes his cue from the composers that influenced Britten. Schubert’s delicious little Third Symphony raises the curtain, and Mozart’s heartbreaking 40th brings it down; music that’s as vibrant now as on the day it was written. And in between, he shares two very different moments of pure poetry: Schumann’s tender Piano Concerto, played by Ronald Brautigam, and a joint tribute to the genius of Purcell, brought up to date by both Britten and Manze himself.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 29
Christmas Concerts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choirs Photography © Mark McNulty
‘Tinsel-trimmed violins, falling snow, stained glass illuminations ... a collection of some of the prettiest carols I’ve heard in several years – and a sense of light-hearted fun.’ Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo 2012
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Pops
Special
Winter Wonderland Saturday 14 & Friday 20 December 7.30pm
The Spirit of Christmas Tuesday 17 / Thursday 19 Saturday 21 / Sunday 22 Monday 23 December 7.30pm
Programme includes: Winter Wonderland, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Merry Christmas Everybody, When a Child is Born, Silver Bells, I’ll be Home for Christmas, Little Drummer Boy and Mary’s Boy Child – Carl Davis conductor Heather Shipp vocalist Richard Morris vocalist
When Carl Davis takes the podium, you know to expect one thing: entertainment. Tonight, as we begin the countdown to Christmas, Carl, the Orchestra, and star vocalists Heather Shipp and Richard Morris crack open their musical selection box for a Christmas party like no other. You already know the tunes, and whether it’s all-time family favourites like Winter Wonderland, White Christmas and Santa Claus is Coming to Town or modern classics like I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day, Carl knows exactly how to get your Christmas off to a swinging start!
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
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Ian Tracey conductor John Suchet presenter Mari & Håkon Samuelsen violin & cello Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir
Simon Emery Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir Director –
‘We have attended for many years. This year's must be one of the best. John Suchet was an engaging and enthusiastic presenter ... The Choir and Youth Choir were excellent. As always, the Orchestra and Ian Tracey were superb. The decorations and special lighting effects all added to a lovely Christmas atmosphere. We look forward to next year.’ Audience Member 2012
A Liverpool Christmas tradition, Liverpool Philharmonic’s glorious feast of Yuletide music old and new, with classic carols and seasonal readings all presented by our host – Classic FM’s John Suchet, back by popular demand – with a sledge-full of good cheer from conductor Ian Tracey, our superb choirs, and two very special guests from Santa’s own snow-decked neck of the woods: Norwegian brother-andsister phenomenon Mari and Håkon Samuelsen. Join us as Liverpool Philharmonic Hall becomes a winter wonderland, and of course, be ready for a good old festive singalong!
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
Pops
Special
Mancini Magic & Hollywood Greats Monday 30 December 7.30pm
A Hollywood New Year’s Eve Tuesday 31 December 7.30pm
Richard Kaufman conductor Whitney Claire Kaufman vocalist
Join the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for a night of music by one of America’s greatest film and TV composers, Henry Mancini. Take a trip down Moon River from Breakfast At Tiffany’s, and have Two for the Road. It’s a Crazy World and The Pink Panther with be coming along as well! In a night of pure showbiz glamour with a glittering hit parade of classic tunes from the music of Disney (Mary Poppins and Pinocchio), John Barry’s theme to James Bond, the music of John Williams and Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz, amongst others. Grammy award winner – Richard Kaufman, a Hollywood veteran and Music Coordinator of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios for nearly 20 years will be with us from sunny California with his daughter Whitney.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Richard Kaufman conductor Whitney Claire Kaufman vocalist
Celebrate the last night of 2013 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Audrey Hepburn, Henry Mancini, James Bond, Superman, Mary Poppins, John Williams and more! It will be a night of pure showbiz glamour, a glittering hit parade of classic tunes from the music of Disney (Mary Poppins and Pinocchio), Mancini’s Moon River, Strauss’ Die Fledermaus overture, John Barry’s theme to James Bond, the music of John Williams and Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz , amongst others. Grammy award winner, Richard Kaufman, a Hollywood veteran and Music Coordinator of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios for nearly 20 years, joins us from sunny California with his daughter Whitney. Always a sell out – book early!
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
Whitney Claire Kaufman Photography © Kevin McIntyre
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 33
Pops
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Film with Live Orchestra Friday 3 January 7.30pm Saturday 4 January 2.30pm Richard Kaufman conductor Pirate Voices from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Tenors and Basses Contains moderate horror and action violence
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Shiver me timbers! Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most enjoyable adventure movies of recent years – a fabulous, rip-roaring yarn of daring and devilry on the high seas, starring Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and of course Johnny Depp as the irrepressible Jack Sparrow. But we’ll bet you’ve never seen it like this, as Cap’n Jack and the crew of the Black Pearl set sail to the sound of Hans Zimmer’s and Klaus Badelt’s swashbuckling score, played live by a full symphony orchestra. All the action, all the fun…and all accompanied live by the 80 musicians of the Orchestra. No cinema sound-system in the world comes close to the thrill of live music – so climb aboard. You won’t believe your ears!
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40 (£7 children)
Pirates of the Caribbean Photography © Walt Disney Pictures
34 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Special
Henry E Rensburg Series
Messiah Saturday 11 January 7pm
Beethoven’s Emperor Thursday 16 January 7.30pm
(please note start time)
Handel Messiah – Ottavio Dantone conductor Lucy Crowe soprano Patrick Van Goethem countertenor Daniel Johannsen tenor Matthew Rose bass Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir
‘I did see all of heaven open before me and the great God Himself’. Handel wasn’t exactly modest about his Messiah – but since he’d just written the best-loved choral masterpiece in all western music, you can’t really blame him! Messiah is one of those pieces that belongs to us all; it simply never gets any less fresh, less beautiful, or less stirring. And no-one knows how to make it dance like conductor Ottavio Dantone, the charismatic Italian baroque music expert who caused such a stir in Liverpool last season. Add the Choir, plus some of the liveliest soloists on the current scene, and this supreme classic should spring to life like never before. Hallelujah!
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
Hindemith Concert Music for Strings and Brass Op.50 Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 ‘Emperor’ Brahms Symphony No.3 – Vasily Petrenko conductor Federico Colli piano – Classic Intro 6.15pm
Stephen Johnson talks about tonight’s programme. Stephen broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3, 4 and World Service and is the author of Bruckner Remembered and studies of Mahler and Wagner. He also presents BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music and is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine.
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Sponsored by
‘Free but happy’ is the motto of Brahms’s Third Symphony, and it begins with all the exhilaration of a summer downpour. What comes next is one of the loveliest journeys in Romantic music, a world of rolling clouds, tender lullabies, and – at the end – a radiant sunset. Vasily Petrenko adores this music, and the Orchestra has been playing it since Brahms’s own lifetime. Let them weave its spell again, and enjoy a real Petrenko rediscovery: Hindemith’s bold and brassy Concert Music, is a real showstopper from the Art Deco era. And the connection? A masterpiece that both Hindemith and Brahms knew and loved, Beethoven’s stirring ‘Emperor’ Concerto played by the spirited winner of the 2012 Leeds Piano Competition, Federico Colli. ‘Federico Colli, flamboyant in a scarlet cravat and cummerbund, aspired to high drama, launching the concerto with a thrilling majesty that never let up…’ The Guardian
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36 Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 35
Sunday Afternoon Classics
Concert Music Sunday 19 January 2.30pm
Hindemith Concert Music for Strings and Brass Op.50 Mozart Piano Concerto No.22 in E Flat, K482 Brahms Symphony No.3 – Vasily Petrenko conductor Nelly Akopian-Tamarina piano
‘Free but happy’ is the motto of Johannes Brahms’ Third Symphony, and it begins with all the exhilaration of a summer downpour. What comes next is one of the loveliest journeys in Romantic music, a world of rolling clouds, tender lullabies, and – at the end – a radiant sunset. Vasily Petrenko adores this music, and the Orchestra has been playing it since Brahms’ own lifetime. Let them weave its spell again, and enjoy a real Petrenko rediscovery: Hindemith’s bold ‘n’ brassy Concert Music, a real showstopper from the Art Deco era. And the connection? A masterpiece that both Hindemith and Brahms knew and loved, Mozart’s majestic 22nd piano concerto, played tonight by a pianist with a lifetime of experience.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
36 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
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Wednesday 22 January Thursday 23 January Thursday 27 February Sunday 2 March Wednesday 5 March Thursday 6 March Thursday 1 May During 2014 the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of the most important and prolific German composers, Richard Strauss. Having written his first composition aged just six, his career spanned over eight decades and produced works in almost every musical genre from opera to lieder and concertos to symphonies.
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No orchestral repertoire would be complete without his magnificent tone poems and our Strauss Edition series starting on Wednesday 22 January will include Ein Heldenleben, moving on to the Horn Concerto No.2 and also including another two tone poems Don Quixote and Don Juan. These concerts will be completed with works by other composers who either inspired his music, or were influenced by him.
Classic FM Series
A Hero’s Life Wednesday 22 & Thursday 23 January 7.30pm Mozart Overture, Don Giovanni Elgar Enigma Variations Strauss Ein Heldenleben – Vasily Petrenko conductor James Clark violin –
Post-concert Discussion Thursday 23 January
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert)
Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra’s Joint Leader James Clark answer your questions about tonight’s performance in the Grand Foyer Bar.
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This concert is linked to: Discover the Classics
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See p.54 for more information Sponsored by
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What’s your idea of a hero? A great artist, vanquishing his critics and reaching for the stars? A bad boy heartthrob with a dangerous glint in his eye? Or just next-door’s pet bulldog? We’ve got them all in tonight’s concert, from Mozart’s dashing seducer to Elgar’s “friends pictured within” (including the fourlegged variety). Vasily Petrenko brings a wonderful new energy to the Enigma Variations, before a super-sized Orchestra launches itself headfirst at Richard Strauss’s barnstorming Ein Heldenleben – in which the hero is (you guessed it) the composer himself. And he didn’t hold back: titanic battles, roof-raising triumphs and a steamy love-scene mean that this should be one of the undisputed climaxes of our Strauss Edition.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 37
Liverpool John Moores University Series
Rhapsody in Blue Saturday 1 February 7.30pm
Copland El Salón México Camilo Piano Concerto No.2 ‘Tenerife’ UK premiere
Ginastera Four Dance Episodes from Estancia Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue – Clark Rundell conductor Michel Camilo piano – Sponsored by
Tonight meet Michel Camilo in a rare UK appearance. Dominican-born composer, pianist and all-round genrecrossing phenomenon, equally entertaining in jazz, classical or Latin music, Camilo gives the first UK performance of his riotously tuneful Tenerife concerto – before showing all his sensational keyboard skills in the work that won him a Latin Grammy, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Clark Rundell gets the party started with a shot of neat musical tequila: Copland’s El Salón México.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Michel Camilo
38 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Henry E Rensburg Series
Pops
Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto Thursday 6 February 7.30pm
Great Movie Themes Saturday 8 February 7.30pm
Stravinsky The Song of the Nightingale Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 Brahms Symphony No.2 – Eivind Gullberg Jensen conductor Denis Kozhukhin piano – ‘Ideally buoyant, rhythmically alert, liberated conducting...a sensational house debut for the young Norwegian’ Financial Times on Eivind Gullberg Jensen
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Sponsored by
There’s a good reason why Rachmaninov’s Second is Britain’s favourite piano concerto – and you’ll get far more than a brief encounter tonight! Pianist Denis Kozhukhin, who wowed audiences last season, comes from the same Russian tradition as Rachmaninov himself, and there’s no-one right now who’s better equipped to unleash the concerto’s fire – and feeling. He’ll be an inspirational partner for the Norwegian conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen, who makes his Liverpool debut with Stravinsky’s flamboyant oriental fairytale before showing his own romantic credentials in Brahms’ expansive Second Symphony. Brahms never wrote anything lovelier than his Second: big, tuneful, and glowing with summer sunshine, it’s the perfect escape from a February night in Liverpool.
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Nicholas Dodd conductor Margherita Taylor presenter
The name’s Barry… John Barry. But this legendary British film composer was much more than just the man who gave a generation of James Bond themes style, swing and sex-appeal. From the wide open spaces of Out of Africa to the soaring emotions of Born Free and Dances with Wolves, tonight we celebrate some of the greatest movie music ever written – and savour again the sheer thrill of Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, Diamonds Are Forever, You Only Live Twice and many more. Expect silken strings, sassy brass and tunes that sound like a million dollars. With Classic FM’s Margherita Taylor as presenter, relax and enjoy ... we have all the time in the world!
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 39
Classic FM Series
Valentines Classics Thursday 13 & Friday 14 February 7.3opm Chabrier España Bizet Carmen Suite Rodrigo Fantasía para un Gentilhombre* Falla The Three Cornered Hat, Suite No.1 Chabrier Habanera Ravel Boléro – Jaime Martin conductor Miloš Karadaglic´ guitar* – 14 February sponsored by
Milos˘ Karadaglic´ Photography © Margaret Malandruccolo
40 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
This Valentine’s Day, give your special someone a treat they’ll never forget: a romantic break for two, as maestro Jaime Martin and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra sweep you to Spain. Eyes flash and passions rise; you can almost feel the warmth of the sun and smell the scent of orange blossom in Chabrier’s España and Bizet’s Carmen Suite. Guitarist Miloš Karadaglic´ – making his first Liverpool appearance – whispers sweet nothings in Rodrigo’s tender Fantasía para un Gentilhombre. And then we turn the temperature right up with Falla’s sultry Three Cornered Hat and classical music’s last word in slow-burn seduction: Ravel’s Boléro. It should be a spectacular climax to an unforgettable day in the sun – and all without leaving Hope Street!
‘Karadaglic´ found a daring simplicity of delivery… a sleight of hand that makes Karadaglic´ not only a magician, but a serious and accomplished musician.’ The Independent
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Liverpool John Moores University Series
Henry E Rensburg Series
The Creation Saturday 22 February 7.30pm
Don Quixote Thursday 27 February 7.30pm
Haydn The Creation (sung in German) – Roland Böer conductor Jacquelyn Wagner soprano Ben Johnson tenor Florian Plock bass Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir – Sponsored by
‘When I think of God, I can only write joyful music’ said Joseph Haydn. And music simply doesn’t get any more joyful than Haydn’s Creation. Inspired by Handel’s Messiah and written specially for British audiences, it’s two hours of sparkling wit, stirring choruses and bright-as-a-button melodies: complete with tigers, earthworms, hailstorms…and even the Big Bang itself! Operatic maestro Roland Böer makes a welcome return to Liverpool; he’ll bring out all the drama and fun, as the Orchestra, the Choir and a spirited team of soloists perform the only religious masterpiece guaranteed to send you home whistling the tunes!
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol Panufnik Violin Concerto Strauss Don Quixote* – Vasily Petrenko conductor Vadim Repin violin Jonathan Aasgaard cello* – Classic Intro 6.15pm
Stephen Johnson talks about tonight’s programme. Stephen broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3, 4 and World Service and is the author of Bruckner Remembered and studies of Mahler and Wagner. He also presents BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music and is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine.
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Sponsored by
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Richard Strauss claimed that he could depict even a knife and fork in music. So when he turned his imagination to the tale of Don Quixote, the results were… well, hear for yourself, as Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra summon up sorcerers, knights, windmills and a whole flock of bleating sheep! It’s a musical shaggy-dog story with the warmest of hearts, and a great showcase for the Orchestra’s principal cello, Jonathan Aasgaard. First, though, Rimsky-Korsakov pops open the musical Cava, before we welcome a true living legend of the violin, as Vadim Repin makes his Liverpool debut in the sparky, songful concerto by the great Polish-turned-British composer, Andrzej Panufnik, whose centenary we celebrate. Serious fun – and real passion.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 41
Sunday Afternoon Classics
Fire and Ice Sunday 2 March 2.30pm
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture Sibelius Violin Concerto Strauss Don Quixote* – Vasily Petrenko conductor Vadim Repin violin Jonathan Aasgaard cello* – Post-concert Discussion
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert) Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko, violinist Vadim Repin, and Principal Cello Jonathan Aasgaard, answer your questions about this afternoon’s performance in the Grand Foyer Bar.
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Richard Strauss claimed that he could depict even a knife and fork in music. So when he turned his imagination to the tale of Don Quixote, the results were…well, hear for yourself, as Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra summon up sorcerers, knights, windmills and a whole flock of bleating sheep! It’s a musical shaggy-dog story with the warmest of hearts, and a great showcase for the Orchestra’s superb Principal Cello, Jonathan Aasgaard. First, though, the star-crossed lovers of Tchaikovsky’s ballet open the concert, before we welcome a true living legend of the violin, as Vadim Repin makes his Liverpool debut in the ice and fire of Sibelius’ atmospheric concerto. Serious fun – and real passion.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Vadim Repin Photography © Gela Megrelidze
42 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Classic FM Series
Petrenko’s Elgar Wednesday 5 & Thursday 6 March 7.30pm Mahler Blumine Strauss Horn Concerto No.2 Elgar Symphony No.2 – Vasily Petrenko conductor Timothy Jackson horn – Sponsored by
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‘Rarely, rarely, comest thou, Spirit of Delight!’ Edward Elgar headed his Second Symphony with a line from Shelley – and then launched it in a mighty surge of golden sound. So begins one of the richest, darkest, and most heartbreakingly beautiful journeys in all romantic music. Is this the greatest symphony ever written by an Englishman? Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra will make a passionate case, and they set the mood with rarely-heard gems by two of Elgar’s greatest European admirers – the lovely little interlude that Mahler dropped from his own First Symphony, and Richard Strauss’s bubbly mock -Mozart tongue-twister of a Second Horn Concerto. It’s a fabulous showcase for the Orchestra’s very own Principal Horn player Timothy Jackson.
Henry E Rensburg Series
From the New World Thursday 13 March 7.30pm
Lindberg Peking Twilight Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Dvořák Symphony No.9 ‘New World’ – Christian Lindberg conductor /trombone – Post-concert Discussion
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert) Conductor and Artist in Residence Christian Lindberg answers your questions about tonight’s performance in the Grand Foyer Bar.
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Sponsored by
You might have heard that Christian Lindberg is the world’s most sensational trombonist. But he’s also a brilliantly original composer, an inspiring conductor, and quite simply one of the most entertaining figures in classical music today. He’s always exploring new worlds. So what better way to launch his Residency with the Orchestra than with his gloriously refreshing take on a real Liverpool favourite – Dvořák’s New World Symphony? First, though, he sends up a volley of musical fireworks in Leonard Bernstein’s thrillingly physical West Side Story dances and the riotous fun of his own Peking Twilight. Hold onto your hats: Lindberg’s in town!
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 43
Musicians of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in concert, rehearsal and backstage Photography © Mark McNulty
‘I just wanted to say what a STUNNING way to start the season!! Tonight's concert was fabulous, the choir were on top form and orchestra were as always amazing! I left the building feeling I had experienced something very special, thank you to all who took part!’ Audience Member 2012
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Christian Lindberg conductor/trombone Thursday 13 March to Friday 21 March –
‘Lindberg provided a thrilling conclusion to Nielsen’s Helios Overture. Only a Scandinavian could be so determined to make the most out of the daylight while it lasts.’ The Guardian
Christian Lindberg has worked with practically every major orchestra and conductor in the world today. For a trombonist to achieve all this before turning 50 is, to say the least, remarkable.
He now combines his position as Chief Conductor of the Arctic Symphony Orchestra with guest conducting the foremost international orchestras and working on composition commissions from international orchestras, ensembles and instrumentalists. Following his previous exhilarating performances in Liverpool, he returns this year as an Artist in Residence.
Liverpool Philharmonic
ARTISTS in RESIDENCE Photography © Mats Bäcker
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Sunday Afternoon Classics
Special
Classical Symphony Sunday 16 March 2.30pm
All Points North Friday 21 March 7.30pm
Prokofiev Symphony No.1 ‘Classical’ Falla El Amor Brujo
Dvor˘ák Symphony No.9 ‘New World’ – Christian Lindberg conductor /trombone – This concert is linked to: Discover the Classics
See p.54 for more information
Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony goes off like a rocket. And that’s exactly what you’d expect from Christian Lindberg – Sweden’s most flamboyant conductor, composer, trombone virtuoso and all-round musical show -stopper. It’s a dazzling start to a concert that ends with Dvořák’s muchloved New World Symphony. And even though we all know that it’s so much more than the Hovis ad, just wait and see what happens when Lindberg’s electrical energy meets Dvořák’s glorious tunes. First, though – can a trombone really sing flamenco? When the trombonist is Christian Lindberg and the music is Falla’s El Amor Brujo, the answer is a resounding ‘¡Sí!’
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Wilhelm Stenhammar Excelsior! Op.13 Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Sibelius The Swan of Tuonela Sibelius Symphony N0.3 – Christian Lindberg conductor Roland Pöntinen piano –
This concert is linked to: Discover the Classics
See p.54 for more information
When the piano whispers the opening of the 18th Variation of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, it might just be the most romantic moment in any piano concerto, ever. In this grand finale to his Liverpool Residency, Christian Lindberg teams up with fellow-Swede Roland Pöntinen to offer an unmistakably personal take on this true romantic classic – but that’s not even the half of it in a concert that opens with Stenhammar’s riproaring Excelsior! and finishes with the symphony that Sibelius conceived on a sea voyage to England – and dedicated to New Brighton’s very own Granville Bantock. We heard last season how Lindberg can make Sibelius catch fire; expect some serious voltage tonight as these two Scandinavian legends wave farewell – for now…
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 47
Classic FM Series
All Points South Wednesday 2 & Thursday 3 April 7.30pm Ravel Rapsodie Espagnole Ravel Piano Concerto in G Puccini Capriccio Sinfonico Respighi Pines of Rome – Vasily Petrenko conductor Kirill Gerstein piano – Thursday 3 April sponsored by
Ravel sang the blues – and dreamt of the hot-blooded rhythms of his native Basque Country. Respighi took an enchanted musical tour of his adopted home city of Rome, where even the pine trees have a song to sing. And Puccini imagined what it might be like to write a symphony rather than an opera – but couldn’t help breaking out into exactly the sort of tunes you’d expect from the composer of La Bohème. Vasily Petrenko whisks us southwards – and after creating such a stir on his last visit, pianist Kirill Gerstein should make Ravel’s concerto sparkle and dance like never before.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Kirill Gerstein Photography © Sasha Gusov
48 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Henry E Rensburg Series
Special
Song of the Earth Thursday 10 April 7.30pm
Bach’s St John Passion Wednesday 16 April 7pm
Mahler Adagio from Symphony No.10 Mahler Das Lied von der Erde – Vasily Petrenko conductor Helena Rasker alto Toby Spence tenor – Classic Intro 6.15pm
Norman Lebrecht, one of the most widelyread commentators on music, culture and politics, regular presenter on BBC Radio 3 and author of Why Mahler? returns to Liverpool after his enthralling talk last year, to discuss Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.
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Sponsored by
(please note start time) Mahler knew that his end was near when he wrote Das Lied von der Erde, and he was savouring every minute that remained to him. The result was beyond beautiful. Das Lied is all about the sweetness and wonder of life, distilled into some of the most rapturous music Mahler ever wrote. Tragic, yes – depressing, never. Liverpool audiences already know what an incredible kinship Vasily Petrenko has with the music of Mahler, and this will be his very first Liverpool performance of Das Lied. Add a rare performance of the devastating first movement from the symphony Mahler never lived to complete, and this should be one of the unquestioned highlights of our season. Early booking recommended.
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Bach St John Passion – Paul Agnew conductor Rachel Redmond soprano Callum Thorpe bass Reinoud Van Mecheleu evangelist Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir
Filled with emotion, a survivor of great and terrible events tells his tale. As he sings of his friend’s betrayal and killing, a great chorus becomes a surging crowd, and even the listeners are drawn into a drama of overwhelming emotional power. For many listeners, Bach’s St John Passion is more like a Shakespearean tragedy than anything you’ll find in a hymn book. This is music that demands to be heard – and as a great baroque singer in his own right, conductor Paul Agnew understands it from the inside. He’s assembled a team of singers who share his insights, and together with the Choir, they’ll bring to life one of the most spiritual experiences in all music.
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Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40
Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 49
Classic FM Series
Classical Music Goes to the Movies! Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 April 7.30pm Strauss’ the opening of Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001: A Space Odyssey), Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet in A Major K622, second movement (Out of Africa), excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen (Babe, Flashdance, Meet the Parents), Hanson’s Symphony No.2, second movement (Alien), Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from Sleeping Beauty (Sleeping Beauty, A.I.), and Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance No.1, Op.39 (Austin Powers, A Clockwork Orange) – Richard Kaufman conductor – Post-concert Discussion Wednesday 23 April
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert)
You know that moment at the cinema when you realise that you’ve heard that tune before – but you can’t quite put your finger on it? Well, tonight, legendary Hollywood maestro Richard Kaufman reveals all, in the sensational 3D sound of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. You might think of the music of Elgar, Mozart, Strauss and Howard Hanson as the soundtracks to Austin Powers, Out of Africa, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien – but it all sounds just as fabulous when you hear it for real! Featuring music from A.I., Flashdance and Meet the Parents, and live visuals, this is a night at the pictures with a spectacular difference.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Conductor Richard Kaufman answers your questions about tonight’s performance in the Grand Foyer Bar.
Ray Chen Photography © Chris Dunlop
50 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Henry E Rensburg Series
Don Juan Thursday 1 May 7.30pm
Strauss Don Juan Prokofiev Violin Concerto No.2 Górecki Three Pieces in Old Style for String Orchestra Lutosławski Concerto for Orchestra – Michał Nesterowicz conductor Ray Chen violin –
‘Ray Chen can do pretty much anything he wants on the violin. Chen makes a beautiful sound but doesn’t get lost in tone for its own sake; he knows how to make a sound that feels exactly right for the piece in question.’ The Washington Post
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Sponsored by
STRAUSS E
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Richard Strauss’s Don Juan goes off like a rocket, and you can almost smell the Fabergé Brut in this swashbuckling musical portrait of a great seducer in action. It’s a breathtaking opener to a concert that climaxes with Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra shooting joyful fireworks into the grey skies of post-war Poland. First, though, comes an even more brilliant celebration – as the 25-year-old violin star Ray Chen makes his Liverpool debut with the bittersweet songs and zingy dances of Prokofiev’s everpopular Second Violin Concerto. Three beautiful miniatures from Lutosławski’s friend Górecki complete what should be a memorable return visit for conductor Michał Nesterowicz – who had such a warm welcome last season.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Henry E Rensburg Series
Dream Team Thursday 15 May 7.30pm
Scriabin Reverie, Op.24 Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 Prokofiev Symphony No.6 – Vasily Petrenko conductor Simon Trpc ˘eski piano – Post-concert Discussion
(Starts 15 minutes after the concert) Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and Artist in Residence Simon Trpc˘eski answer your questions about tonight’s performance in the Grand Foyer Bar.
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Sponsored by
The Orchestra throws down the challenge. The piano takes centre stage – and Tchaikovsky begins the grandest of all Romantic piano concertos in the grandest possible style. “Both musicians are bursting with fire, and seem joined at the hip” said one critic of the Petrenko / Trpc˘eski partnership – so imagine the electricity when they perform live, in a concert that opens with Scriabin’s dreamy Reverie and ends with the epic grandeur of Prokofiev’s shattering Sixth Symphony. If, like so many, you’ve been thrilled by Petrenko’s Shostakovich symphonies with the Orchestra, we think you’ll be knocked backwards by this tragic masterpiece from the darkest years of the Stalin era: music whose message never gets any less powerful.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 51
Simon Trpčeski piano Thursday 15 May and early June –
‘Trpc˘eski is honest, direct and fully committed to every note, bringing a sharp clarity to his performance. He can dance and dream, cry and console to the demands of the music with subtlety and style.’ Jane Jones, Classic FM
Liverpool Philharmonic
ARTISTS in RESIDENCE
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Simon Trpc˘eski returns to Liverpool Philharmonic as an Artist in Residence (with the Orchestra and in recital) following his performance in 2012 with Vasily Petrenko which prompted The Guardian to refer to them as ‘one of the hottest pianistconductor partnerships on the scene’.
Performing with many of the world’s greatest orchestras and captivating audiences worldwide, Simon Trpčeski has established himself as one of the most remarkable musicians to have emerged in recent years. He is frequently praised not only for his impeccable technique and delicate expression, but also for his warm personality and commitment to strengthening Macedonia’s cultural image.
Sunday Afternoon Classics
Special
Petrenko’s Prokofiev Sunday 18 May 2.30pm
Bringing Down the House! Friday 23 May 7.30pm
Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 Prokofiev Symphony No.6 – Vasily Petrenko conductor Rudolf Buchbinder piano
A horn calls softly in the distance; the piano sighs in response…it’s a magically romantic way to begin a great piano concerto. But Johannes Brahms knows exactly what he’s doing, and the great Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder brings a lifetime of artistry to this loveliest of concertos. From tender opening to exuberant finish, you’ll never take a sunnier journey in the company of a grand piano and a symphony orchestra – or find a more powerful contrast to Prokofiev’s shattering Sixth Symphony. If, like so many, you’ve been thrilled by Petrenko’s Shostakovich symphonies with the Orchestra, we think you’ll be knocked backwards by this tragic masterpiece from the darkest years of the Stalin era: music whose message never gets any less powerful.
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Britten Welcome Ode, Op.95* Elgar In the South Stewart Copeland Percussion Concerto World Premiere
Walton Belshazzar’s Feast!# – Vasily Petrenko conductor Mark Stone baritone# Neil Hitt, Graham Johns, Josephine Frieze, Henry Baldwin percussion Liverpool Phiharmonic Youth Choir* Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir#
In 1931 William Walton took a great northern choir and a massive symphony orchestra, added a couple of brass bands – and blew English choral music sky-high. Big, brassy and shamelessly savage, Belshazzar’s Feast shocked audiences back then, and it still knocks you backwards even today. There’s no more electrifying way to end our season, but Vasily Petrenko has got a few more surprises up his sleeve, from Britten’s joyous showcase for our brilliant Youth Choir, to a very unEnglish overture by Edward Elgar. And of course, a world premiere: the first ever performance of a brand new percussion concerto by Stewart Copeland – yes, the Stewart Copeland, former drummer of The Police. No question, the 13-14 season is going out with a bang!
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Tickets £13, £18, £24, £29, £36
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 53
Special
Trpc˘eski plays Shostakovich Sunday 15 June 2.30pm St George’s Hall Concert Room
Programme to include: Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.1 – Simon Trpc˘eski piano/director
Good things come in small packages. We can’t squeeze the whole Orchestra into the beautiful concert room at St George’s Hall, but with Shostakovich’s brilliant First Piano Concerto we don’t need to! Brisk, irreverent and positively crackling with wit, this is Shostakovich at his irreverent best, played by a small team of Orchestra players under the direction of soloist Simon Trpc˘eski – a pianist who makes everything he plays spring to sparkling life.
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Tickets £25
54 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts 54 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts
Coffee Concerts ‘One orchestra making the right moves is the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. I went to see them perform the other day. Their charismatic Russian conductor, Vasily Petrenko, has inaugurated “coffee concerts” where he and orchestra replay the symphony of the night before at noon, all tickets are £15, coffee and biscuits are included, and the conductor talks to the audience. Hundreds of people came to the last one’. David Lister, The Independent
Join us for a series of informal concerts at midday lasting about an hour, featuring the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Enjoy a delightful combination of inspirational music and good company served with refreshments on three afternoons throughout the year. The Orchestra will be in casual dress and the conductors will chat briefly about the works performed. These concerts will take place from 12pm – 1pm (approx), preceded by complimentary coffee, tea and biscuits in the Grand Foyer Bar from 11am. A free programme is included in the ticket price.
Friday 31 January 12pm
Clark Rundell conducts Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Michel Camilo, piano
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Friday 28 February 12pm
Vasily Petrenko conducts Strauss’ Don Quixote with Jonathan Aasgaard cello
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Thursday 24 April 12pm
Richard Kaufman conducts Strauss’ the opening of Also Sprach Zarathustra, Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from Sleeping Beauty and the second movement from Hanson’s Symphony No.2.
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Tickets £15 (no subscription or other discounts apply) In association with Maestro Travel
Why not visit Rubato, our Café Bar, for lunch afterwards? Rakhvinder Singh, Joint Assistant leader, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Photography © Mark McNulty
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 55
Behind the Music at Liverpool Philharmonic Discover the Classics
Join us to discover the musical, social and historical stories behind some of the superb music, composers and artists from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2013-14 season. Discover the Classics sessions feature commentary by our host presenter, animated with short musical extracts performed by Liverpool Philharmonic musicians, plus opportunities for questions, discussion and fun, lively debate. A great way to spend your Saturday mornings!
New for 2013-14
In addition to our regular, popular presenter, Classic FM Creative Director and Breakfast Show host, Tim Lihoreau, we are delighted to introduce Jane Jones, presenter of Classic FM’s The Full Works Concerts and the Weekend Breakfast Show.
Sessions take place on Saturdays from 11am to 1pm in the Rodewald Suite at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Tea and coffee provided. –
Puccini’s Tosca Saturday 14 September Jane Jones presenter with Bryn Terfel
It’s not your average ‘boy meets girl’ story – and Jane Jones talks to bass baritone Bryn Terfel about his 'tour de force' role as the unscrupulous Scarpia, drawing out the backstage stories from one of the world's best-loved operas. Linked to 20/22 September programme page 15
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Britten’s Got Talent Saturday 30 November
All Points North Saturday 15 March
Tim Lihoreau talks to Andrew Manze about the man of the year, Benjamin Britten. Seeking inspiration from the landscape of Aldeburgh, they look at how Britten looked to both inwards and outwards for his inspiration: everything from poets… to fellow composers.
Two for the price of one, this time, when Tim interviews the composer and the conductor, Christian Lindberg. On the menu today are the stories of the Kalevala, the opera that never was, and the little piece of Norrköping, that will be forever… Peking.
Linked to 30 November & 5/6 December programmes page 27
Linked to 16/21 March programmes page 45
Tim Lihoreau presenter with conductor Andrew Manze
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A Scouser Hero’s Life: Strauss Edition Saturday 18 January Jane Jones presenter with Vasily Petrenko
Does maestro Vasily Petrenko live ‘a hero's life?’ Jane Jones takes the Richard Strauss edition concerts as her starting point inspiration when she grills the honorary Scouse conductor about his love of the 20th century's greatest musical picture painter. Linked to 22/23 January programme page 35
Tim Lihoreau presenter with Christian Lindberg
Tickets £15 per session / £50 per series (4 sessions) Claimants/students £10 per session / £30 per series
Lunchtime Learning Whether you are new to classical music or a regular concert goer, join composer and lecturer Ian Stephens for a daytime series of inspiring music and relaxed learning
Each event includes either a Lunchtime Concert performed by musicians of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra or the opportunity to experience full orchestra rehearsals at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Each event also includes a 45-minute interactive workshop in the Rodewald Suite exploring the music to be featured in the concert/rehearsal. Workshops include discussion, music activities and opportunities to socialise. Tea and coffee provided.
Autumn Series
Winter Series
Lunchtime Concert Thursday 3 October 11.45am
Lunchtime Concert Thursday 23 January 11.45am
Ian Buckle piano
Performed by The Torchwood Ensemble, led by Joint Assistant Leader Rakhvinder Singh
Works by Schubert, Grieg and Timothy Jackson
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Rehearsal Visit Friday 1 November 1.15pm Music by Shostakovich
Vasily Petrenko conductor Vilde Frang violin
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Rehearsal Visit Wednesday 20 November 12.45pm
Music by Britten
Vasily Petrenko conductor
String Sextets by Richard Strauss and Brahms
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Please note that Orchestra rehearsals may not cover all listed repertoire. Tickets £15 per session / £40 per series (3 events) Claimants/Students £10 per session / £30 per series
Rehearsal Visit Wednesday 26 February 12.45pm Music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Panufnik and Richard Strauss
Vasily Petrenko conductor Vadim Repin violin Jonathan Aasgaard cello
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Rehearsal Visit Friday 21 March 1.45pm
Music by Wilhelm Stenhammar, Rachmaninov and Sibelius Christian Lindberg conductor Roland Pöntinen piano
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 57
Classic Intros Our free pre-concert talks and interviews with visiting artists and scholars are a great way to get more from the performance.
The talks are free to all ticket-holders.
Saturday 14 September 6.15pm page 13
The Royal Philharmonic Society, which is celebrating its two-hundredth birthday this year, gave the UK premiere of Brahms’ A German Requiem. Speakers tonight include social historian Dr. Leanne Langley and Tom Hutchinson from the RPS. They will explore the concept and role of a 'Philharmonic Society': What were the founding aims of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1813 and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, founded in 1840, and how have both organisations continued to support classical music through the centuries?
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Sunday 24 November 1.15pm page 25
Dr. Philip Reed, editor of Letters from a Life: The Letters of Benjamin Britten talks about the music of Britten. Dr. Reed was Musicologist at the BrittenPears Library, Aldeburgh, for more than a decade, and is currently Head of
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Publications at English National Opera. He has been co-editor of all five previous volumes of Letters from a Life, and is now Editor-in-Chief of the series in succession to Donald Mitchell.
Thursday 27 February 6.15pm page 39
Conductor and Artist in Residence Andrew Manze in conversation with Angela Heslop from BBC Radio Merseyside.
Stephen Johnson talks about the music of Strauss, Panufnik and Rimsky-Korsakov. Stephen broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3, 4 and World Service and is the author of Bruckner Remembered and studies of Mahler and Wagner. He also presents BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music and is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine.
Thursday 16 January 6.15pm page 33
Thursday 10 April 6.15pm page 47
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Saturday 30 November 6.15pm page 27
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Stephen Johnson talks about the music of Hindemith, Beethoven and Brahms. Stephen broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3, 4 and World Service and is the author of Bruckner Remembered and studies of Mahler and Wagner. He also presents BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music and is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine.
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Norman Lebrecht, one of the most widely-read commentators on music, culture and politics, regular presenter on BBC Radio 3 and author of Why Mahler? returns to Liverpool after his enthralling talk last year, to discuss Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.
Post-concert Discussions We’re delighted to continue our series of very popular post-concert discussions this season. This is your chance to ask questions of worldfamous artists and hear their perspectives on the music. The events are free to all ticketholders and sessions begin 15 minutes after the concert ends in the Grand Foyer Bar. Discussions will last around 45 minutes.
The Liverpool Philharmonic Experience Saturday 14 September page 13 Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and soloists
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Thursday 3 October page 16 Conductor Andrew Gourlay and pianist Paul Lewis
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Thursday 23 January page 35 Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and joint leader James Clark
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Sunday 2 March page 40 Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and violinist Vadim Repin
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Thursday 13 March page 41 Conductor and Artist in Residence Christian Lindberg Wednesday 23 April page 48 Conductor Richard Kaufman
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Thursday 15 May page 49 Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and pianist and Artist in Residence Simon Trpc˘eski
The perfect introduction to Liverpool Philharmonic, The Liverpool Philharmonic Experience comprises of a guided tour of the unique Art Deco Liverpool Philharmonic Hall as well as the chance to watch a rehearsal by the awardwinning Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Refreshments are provided. The experience lasts approximately 3 hours.
Liverpool Philharmonic Experience sponsored by
Tour dates are published on liverpoolphil.com from the following dates: Tours September-December 2013 Booking opens 5 August 2013
Tours January-March 2014 Booking opens 2 December 2013
Tickets are available at a reduced rate of £7 per person for groups or individuals living within the Liverpool City Council district. Tickets for groups and individuals based outside of Liverpool are £15 per person (discounts for groups of 30 or more). Tours are available on selected dates only and must be booked in advance. Special rates for tours and music making workshops are available for educational groups.
Tours can be booked by calling 0151 709 3789 or online at liverpoolphil.com
Due to scheduled backstage refurbishment work at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, there will be no Lunchtime Learning, Discover the Classics, Liverpool Philharmonic Experience, SuperSing! or SuperOrchestra! in summer 2014. Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 59
Family Concerts Liverpool Philharmonic Family Concerts bring children and adults together to experience the thrill of a live orchestra. These one-hour concerts are a great introduction to classical music for children aged 4-10 and their families. Each concert has a theme and you’re invited to join in by wearing fancy dress. Fidgeting is allowed so come along and give it a try! Children are invited to have a go on a variety of instruments from 2pm prior to each concert at our Instrument Petting Zoo!
All Aboard! Sunday 20 October 2.30pm
Rudolph on Hope Street Friday 20 December 4.15pm Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 December 11.30am & 2.30pm
Alasdair Malloy presenter –
Alasdair Malloy presenter Liverpool Philharmonic Training Choir & Melody Makers –
All aboard! Get your tickets for a first class riotous ride with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on boats, bikes, cars, carriages, roads, rails, ships, shoes, hooves and a yellow submarine!
Don’t miss this exciting adventure in music and motion!
Move over Frosty – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is coming to town this year in a one-hour holiday extravaganza for the whole family. It’ll be a high energy event as we invite audiences to singalong with the Orchestra and Choirs to Christmas favourites including When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney, White Christmas, and of course Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Bring those red noses! Always a sell out, so please book early!
Tickets £10, £14 (£6 children)
Tickets £12, £15 (£8 children)
We’ve music from the Titanic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Thunderbirds, and Thomas the Tank Engine as well as a singalong of The Runaway Train and Rob Lea’s exciting piece Pedal Power.
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DON’T MIS REIND S THE LIVE SLEIGH EER WITH OUTSID AND ELVES PHILH E LIVERPOO ARMO L PRIOR NIC HALL TO CONCE THE RTS.
Photography Magic Piano © Breakthru Films
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Film with Live Orchestra 12 Friday 3 January 7.30pm Saturday 4 January 2.30pm
Magic Piano & The Chopin Shorts U Sunday 23 February 2.30pm
Saturday Afternoon at the Movies Saturday 26 April 2.30pm
Richard Kaufman conductor
Dinara Klinton piano –
Richard Kaufman conductor –
Pirate Voices from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Tenors and Basses –
Contains moderate horror and action violence
Shiver me timbers! Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most enjoyable adventure movies of recent years – a fabulous, rip-roaring yarn of daring and devilry on the high seas, starring Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and of course Johnny Depp as the irrepressible Jack Sparrow. But we’ll bet you’ve never seen it like this, as Cap’n Jack and the crew of the Black Pearl set sail to the sound of Hans Zimmer’s and Klaus Badelt’s swashbuckling score, played live by a full symphony orchestra. All the action, all the fun…and all accompanied live by the 80 musicians of Orchestra.
Another production from Breakthru films who produced the Oscar-winning puppet animated film Peter and the Wolf, the delightful Magic Piano film (Shortlisted for Best Short Animation Academy Award) tells the story of young Anna and Chip-Chip, who embark on an adventure of discovery aboard a magic, flying piano. The film is presented alongside The Chopin Shorts, four animated films with cute characters and slapstick humour. The Chopin Etudes that make up the soundtrack to both Magic Piano & The Chopin Shorts are performed live on stage by the wonderful young pianist Dinara Klinton.
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This is a wonderful opportunity for children of all ages to experience Chopin's music alongside stunning animation.
Please note this concert is not included in the Family Series ticket.
Tickets £10, £14 £6 children
Tickets £17, £22, £29, £34, £40 (£7 children)
Star Wars, Babe, Austin Powers, The Mighty Ducks…you’ve seen the movie, now hear the music! And if you enjoyed those great tunes in the cinema, just wait until you hear them played by the 80 live musicians of the incredible Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s the ultimate 3D experience, brought to you by Hollywood maestro Richard Kaufman and packed with hair-raising thrills, catchy melodies, great stories and visuals from the films. So if you’ve bought your popcorn and found your seat… lights, camera, ACTION!
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Tickets £10, £14 £6 children
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Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 61
Ensemble 10/10 Concerts Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s contemporary music group
The New Mersey Sound Wednesday 16 October 7.30pm The Cornerstone, Liverpool Hope University
Stephen Pratt Chant de Printemps World Premiere
Ian Stephens Thea Dances World Premiere
Anthony Gilbert new work World Premiere
Edwin Roxburgh Serenata Benjamin Gait Till night is overgone
World Premiere*
Ben Gaunt new work
World Premiere*
* From composer on the Sound and Music Portfolio scheme
– Clark Rundell director
62 Ensemble 10/10 Concerts
The new Mersey sound: did you realise that we’re living in a quiet golden age for contemporary classical music in the North West? Tonight Ensemble 10/10 salutes some of its freshest and most inventive voices. Edwin Roxburgh’s Serenata dates from 1982, and it’s already a powerful modern classic. As for Stephen Pratt and Anthony Gilbert – well, their music is so new that we can’t tell you what to expect, other than their renowned imagination and vibrant energy. And the same goes for Ian Stephens’ tribute to the late great clarinettist Thea King, who loved telling limericks. Not that here on Merseyside any composer ever needed an excuse for a sly joke or two…
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Tickets £10
Requiem for a Polka Wednesday 6 November 7.30pm
Swedish Smorgasbord Tuesday 18 March 7.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Britten Sinfonietta Op.1 Górecki Kleines Requiem für eine Polka Henze Chamber Concerto 05 Colin Matthews Contraflow Charlotte Harding Stride
World Premiere*
* From composer on the Sound and Music Portfolio scheme
– Clark Rundell director
Epstein Theatre
Don’t go with the flow? Britten’s Sinfonietta is the first step on an extraordinary journey, and his teachers were quick to put out the “diversion” signs. Henryk Górecki found a million -selling formula – but kept a pitchblack humour bubbling away under the surface. Penned in the same year as the Britten, the late, great Hans Werner Henze kept coming back to this early piece (the 05 refers to 2005) even though he had felt the pull of a another musical universe. Three defining works by three twentieth century masters, plus a typically energetic showpiece from Colin Matthews the composer who’s been called “the Isambard Kingdom Brunel of contemporary music” – each of them going somewhere magical, by the road less travelled.
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Tickets £10
Stravinsky Octet Jan Sandström Wahlberg Variations Lars Hollmer arr. Jarle G. Storløkken ‘Eyeliner’ Suite
World Premiere
Christian Lindberg Kundraan’s Karma Patrick Jones Unfurl
World Premiere*
* From composer on the Sound and Music Portfolio scheme
– Christian Lindberg director/trombone
Stravinsky wondered about rewriting Mozart…and then one night he had a dream. The Octet that resulted doesn’t sound much like Mozart, but then, Jan Sandstrom’s Wahlberg Variations don’t sound much like car crashes or apes either. And if Stravinsky was at the back of Christian Lindberg’s mind when he cooked up the devilish delights of his extraordinary Kundraan’s Karma, he’s not telling. After all, inspiration comes in many forms (and Lars Hollmer’s came from Swedish folk and rock music), when the most brilliant minds in modern music are quite simply having the time of their lives – and Lindberg himself is gleefully conducting, tromboning and storytelling? Total anarchy, under total control, breaks out.
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Tickets £10
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 63
Chamber Music Liverpool Philharmonic’s Chamber Music series features performances by some of the world’s finest string quartets, vocalists and recital artists. Concerts take place in the splendid setting of St. George’s Hall Concert Room. Considered by many to be the most beautiful room in the building, this 480-seat venue features elegant decoration in white, honey, and cream and a cast iron ‘wickerwork’ balcony supported by female figures. A superb crystal chandelier hangs in the middle of the room while Ravenhead glass mirrors situated at the back of the stage create stunning reflections.
Catrin Finch Photography © Sven Sindt
64 Chamber Music Concerts
Catrin Finch harp Thursday 12 September 7.30pm
Llyˆr Williams piano Sunday 15 September 6.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Programme to include solo harp items plus: Debussy Sonata Trio for harp, flute and viola Andre Caplet Conte Fantastique for harp and string quartet Ravel Introduction and Allegro for flute, clarinet, string quartet and harp – Catrin Finch harp Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Principals
St George’s Hall Concert Room
They call her the Queen of Harps – and Catrin Finch’s charm, poetry and sheer musicianship made her the natural choice to be the first Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales in over a century. It’s also made her an international star. So it’s no surprise that Bryn Terfel was eager to invite her to feature in his Liverpool residency; or that she’s chosen some of the most enchanting chamber works of the last century, as she teams up with Orchestra principal players in Ravel’s shimmering Introduction and Allegro. French magic – with a Welsh touch!
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op.14 No.2 Piano Sonata in C, Op.53 in C ‘Waldstein’ Liszt/Verdi Rigoletto paraphrase Il Trovatore: Miserere Liszt/Wagner Tannhäuser paraphrase Lohengrin paraphrase Tristan and Isolde: Liebestod
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Tickets £25
Llyˆr Williams was born in a village near Wrexham and over the past decade he’s emerged as one of the most commanding, intelligent and consistently inspiring pianists of his generation. As the winner of the 2012 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Classical Music, it’s not hard to see why Bryn Terfel has personally invited Williams to participate in his Liverpool residency, and he’s chosen a truly spectacular programme. Williams opens with Beethoven’s most brilliant piano sonata before tackling the huge, flamboyant piano transcriptions that Liszt wrestled out of the grandest operas of Verdi and Wagner. Great tunes, mountainous grandeur, and piano playing to take the breath away: a piano recital for aficionados and newcomers alike.
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Tickets £25
Llyˆr Williams Photography © Evy Ottermans
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 65
Dante Quartet with Nicholas Daniel oboe Tuesday 26 November 7.30pm St George’s Hall Concert Room
Haydn Quartet in C major, Op.33 No.3 (Bird) Schubert Quartettsatz in C minor, D703 Britten Phantasy Quartet Britten Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo oboe Schubert Quartet in A minor, D804 (Rosamunde)
With the sound of birds, the awardwinning Dante Quartet make their Liverpool debut. From the beginning of Haydn’s ‘Bird’ quartet (its repeated notes floating from the first violin prompting its fanciful nickname), to the menace of the mystical creature Pan in the Metamorphoses after Ovid for oboe, performed by the renowned Nicholas Daniel, recipient of the Queen’s Medal for Music, this will be an exhilarating concert. Schubert’s intense Quartettsatz and his songlike Quartet in A Minor from which he borrowed the beautiful Andante to his well-known Rosamunde, follow. Finally, the Quartet and Daniels will perform the Phantasy Quartet, a piece reminiscent of the Tudor court, as part of the Britten 100 celebrations. ‘Playing of spellbinding atmosphere’ BBC Music Magazine
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Tickets £25 Dante Quartet Photography © Giorgia Bertazzi
66 Royal Chamber Liverpool Music Philharmonic Concerts Orchestra Concerts
Katona Twins
Katona Twins Tuesday 10 December 7.30pm
Emerson Quartet Sunday 26 January 6.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Mozart (arr. Katona) Overture to La Clemenza di Tito Bach (arr. Katona) English Suite No.3, BWV 808 Vivaldi (arr. Katona) Trio in C major Rossini (arr. Katona) Overture to La Gazza Ladra Handel (arr. Katona) Chaconne in G major, HWV 435 Tchaikovsky (arr. Katona) Nutcracker Suite, Op.71a
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Twin brothers Peter and Zoltán Katona were born in Hungary, trained in Germany and live in Liverpool. But their spectacular brand of guitar playing has made a splash around the world. From orchestral favourites in jaw-dropping arrangements to contemporary classics of the guitar repertoire, there’s no limit to what the Katonas can do with their guitars – and they deliver it all with irresistible flair. Join them in their adopted home town for an evening of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Tchaikovsky, and prepare to re-think what a guitar can do. ‘The guitar heroics at which the Katonas excel paled into insignificance alongside their exquisite account of Oriental by Granados.’ Classical Guitar Magazine
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Mozart String Quartet No.16 in E flat major, K428 Shostakovich String Quartet No.15 Beethoven String Quartet No.9, Op.59 No.3
One of the most respected names on the international scene, the Emerson Quartet is a byword for committed, authoritative artistry, coupled with the kind of ensemble playing that comes from a lifetime of shared music -making. Tonight’s concert finds them deep in the heartland of the quartet repertoire, pairing two of Mozart’s and Beethoven’s most far-reaching quartets with the more recent insights of Shostakovich’s haunted last quartet. Music of timeless power and relevance, played by some of its very greatest living interpreters: this concert is practically self-recommending. ‘…with musicians like this there must be some hope for humanity.’ The Times
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Tickets £25
Tickets £25
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 67
Quartetto di Cremona Tuesday 11 February 7.30pm
Los Bandidos Saturday 15 March 7.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Paganini String Quartet No.1 in E minor Kreisler String Quartet in A minor Schubert String Quartet in D minor D810 ‘Death and the Maiden’
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Cremona is the home of Stradivari, and the birthplace of the violin. So this lively young Italian quartet devotes the first half of their programme to two of the greatest violinists of all time. Kreisler was famous for his Viennese sweetness; Paganini, meanwhile, was supposed to have sold his soul to the devil! But each of them showed a very different side in their chamber music. And then the Quartetto turns to music that needs no introduction, Schubert’s dark and dangerous Death and the Maiden – maybe the most popular string quartet in the entire repertoire. ‘Dynamic contouring was as sleek and elegant as an Armani suit, and it tailored the music to perfection.’ The Strad
Here’s something you don’t hear every day: a trombonist playing chamber music. But then this is Christian Lindberg – conductor, composer, trombonist and self confessed “musical criminal”, joining forces with his compatriot and regular fellow -conspirator, pianist Roland Pöntinen, for a chamber programme that breaks all the rules. You might have heard Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces, Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Mussorgsky’s ever-popular Pictures at an Exhibition before but one thing’s for certain: you’ve never heard them sound quite like this. Spectacular playing, great tunes, and buckets of charisma: it shouldn’t be allowed! No wonder Lindberg and Pöntinen call themselves Los Bandidos.
Tickets £25
Tickets £25
Lindberg Los Bandidos Schumann/Lindberg Fantasiestücke Stravinsky/Lindberg Three movements from The Firebird Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition – Christian Lindberg trombone Roland Pöntinen piano
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Quartetto di Cremona
68 Chamber Music Concerts
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Christian Lindberg Photography © Mats Bäcker
ATOS Trio Saturday 5 April 7.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Josef Suk Piano Trio in C minor, Op.2 Smetana Piano Trio in G minor, Op.15 Dvor˘ák Piano Trio in F minor, Op.65
Grounded in the great German tradition, the ATOS Trio acknowledges no boundaries but the notes on the page. No matter how many international awards they win – and how often they’re compared to the Beaux Arts Trio – they remain true to the music they play and their own mission to communicate. Tonight’s programme finds them in Bohemia’s woods and meadows, with three very different, yet equally emotional, personal confessions from three great Czech masters; music to pierce the heart, delivered with a new urgency. ‘Three voices – one sound: the kind of pitch-perfect unanimity of phrasing, tone, feeling and interpretation that distinguishes the finest chamber ensembles’. Detroit Free Press
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Tickets £25
ATOS Trio Photography © Steven Haberland
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 69
Simon Trpc˘eski piano Saturday 7 June 7.30pm
Simon Trpc˘eski piano James Clark violin Jonathan Aasgaard cello Tuesday 10 June 7.30pm
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Ravel Valses Nobles et Sentimentales Poulenc Morceaux Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op.24 Brahms Intermezzi, Op.117
St George’s Hall Concert Room There isn’t a pianist today quite like Simon Trpc˘eski. Combining a blinding technique with a deep sense of inner poetry, Trpčeski’s irrepressible musical personality shines through in everything he plays. His concerto partnership with Vasily Petrenko and the Orchestra has won global acclaim, but tonight comes a rare opportunity to hear him playing solo in Liverpool, with a programme that revels in the playfulness and sensuality of Poulenc and Ravel, before exploring some of the profoundest pages in all Romantic music: Brahms’ sublime late Intermezzi. Trpčeski will have something fresh and thoughtful to say in each of them. ‘Electrifying virtuosity, but no whiff of show-off. The most delicate feelings, yet nothing precious or lacy. Head plus heart, lots of heart’. The Times
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Tickets £25 Simon Trpceski Photography © Simon Fowler
70 Chamber Music Concerts
All Brahms Programme Cello Sonata No.2, Op.99 Violin Sonata No.2, Op.100 Piano Trio No.3, Op.101
Chamber music has been called “the music of friends” – and Simon Trpc˘eski has struck up a real musical friendship with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Today he teams up with two of their leading string players for a celebration of that relationship. They’ll play two of Brahms’s richest and most songful sonatas, one each for cello and violin – before joining forces in the magnificent and impassioned Third Piano Trio. Great music, played by artists who love it, in the exquisite surroundings of St George’s Hall: this is sure to be a high point of Simon Trpčeski’s Liverpool residency.
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Tickets £25
Lunchtime Concerts A musical interlude to your busy day... These 45 minute concerts feature musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and start at 1.05pm
Ian Buckle piano Thursday 3 October 1.05pm Schubert Six German Dances D.820 Grieg Six Lyric Pieces Op.54 Timothy Jackson Six Lancashire Folk Song Settings
(World Premiere commissioned by The University of Liverpool)
Young Classical Artists Trust Artist
A Celebration of Benjamin Britten Thursday 14 November 1.05pm Programme to include: A Charm of Lullabies Folk Songs Cabaret Songs – Anna Huntley mezzo-soprano Simon Lepper piano
James Clark String Quartet Thursday 24 October 1.05pm Frank Bridge Three Idylls Britten String Quartet No.3 – James Clark violin Rakhivinder Singh violin Jonathan Aasgaard cello
Christmas Singalong Thursday 19 December 1.05pm Ian Tracey organ Brendan Ball trumpet –
Sing traditional carols and songs along with festival favourites. Plus pieces from their new album!
Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 71
Torchwood Ensemble Thursday 23 January 1.05pm
Abramski Trio Thursday 6 March 1.05pm
Piano Duo Thursday 15 May 1.05pm
Strauss String Sextet from Capriccio
Glinka Trio Pathétique
Stravinsky Concerto for Two Pianos
Brahms String Sextet No.2 in G major – Rakhivinder Singh violin Paula Muldoon violin Catherine Marwood viola Robert Shepley viola Jonathan Aasgaard cello Alexander Holladay cello
William Hurlstone Trio in G minor
Mozart Sonata in D for Two Pianos K448 – Ian Buckle piano Richard Uttley piano
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Victoria Sayles & Jack Liebeck violins Thursday 13 February 1.05pm Valentine’s programme from husband and wife team Mozart Duo for Two Violins
Mendelssohn Concert Piece No.2 in D minor – Thomas Verity clarinet Rebekah Abramski bassoon Ron Abramski piano
Adi Brett violin Ian Buckle piano Thursday 10 April 1.05pm Mozart Sonata in E minor Schubert Fantasie in C major
Prokofiev Sonata for Two Violins Schnittke Moz-Art à la Haydn 72 Lunchtime Concerts
Jonathan Aasgaard Photography © Mark McNulty
Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle Patron Dane Lam Principal Conductor Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra provides a platform bringing together the region’s best young musicians to make music, inspire one another and produce exhilarating performances at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Sunday 17 November 7.30pm Beethoven Coriolan Overture Britten Courtly Dances from Gloriana Dvor˘ ák Symphony No.9 ‘New World’ – Dane Lam conductor
Sunday 23 March 2.30pm
(please note start time)
Sunday 11 May 7.30pm Programme includes: Elliott Carter Pocahontas Suite John Adams Chairman Dances Gershwin An American in Paris – Dane Lam conductor LPYO concerto competition winner*
*Members of the Youth Orchestra will audition for the opportunity to perform as soloist in this concert
Tickets £9 adults / £6 under 25s £2 Liverpool Young Musician’s Pass
Humperdinck Overture from Hansel and Gretel Christian Lindberg Helikon Wasp* Sibelius Symphony No.2 – Dane Lam conductor Christian Lindberg trombone/director* Book now at www.liverpoolphil.com 73
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall > Level access is available to the foyer and Box Office from the Hope Street main Liverpool Philharmonic strives to be as entrance and Caledonia Street side accessible as possible to all patrons. entrance. Please let the Box Office know of your > Passenger lift and level access is specific requirements when booking available in the foyer to the stalls and your tickets in order to make best use boxes in the auditorium and to the of our facilities. Grand Foyer Bar, Rubato Café Bar and the Rodewald Suite (the venue for the To ensure that they are available to After 8 Series and other events). those who need them, spaces for
Access
wheelchair users are not available to buy online. Please visit or call the Box Office on 0151 709 3789 to purchase these tickets.
> Spaces for wheelchairs plus companions are available in boxes 7 and 16, in the front and rear stalls, and in the Grand Foyer Bar and Rubato Café Bar. > A Liverpool City Council controlled blue badge parking bay for up to six cars is available in front of the Caledonia Street side entrance on a first-come firstserved basis.
Wheelchair users and other customers who require a companion or carer to assist their visit are entitled to a free ticket for the companion/carer on production of appropriate > Unisex WCs are available in the outer identification. Other disabled patrons corridor of the auditorium close to box may also be eligible for a discount. It is 7, outside the Rodewald Suite and the advisable to book your tickets in rear of the Rubato Café Bar. advance to ensure the seats you require > An infra-red hearing enhancing system are available. is available in the auditorium which can be used with (with a necklace loop and the hearing aide set to the “T” position)
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or without a hearing aid (with a headset). Necklace loops and headsets are available free of charge through a refundable deposit system at the foyer cloakroom (subject to availability).
> The Box Office has a low level counter to improve accessibility for wheelchair users and an Induction Loop hearing enhancement system for hearing aid users.
> Tickets can be booked by telephone via the Text Relay service (www.textrelay.org) during standard Box Office hours. > Both bars in the Grand Foyer Bar have low level counters to improve accessibility for wheelchair users.
> Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the building and water is available for them. Please advise the Box Office when purchasing your ticket if you are bringing an assistance dog.
Large print versions of the brochure are available from the marketing department by calling 0151 210 2895.
Baby Changing Facilities Baby changing facilities are available in the WC in the outer corridor of the auditorium close to box 7.
Hall Information
All areas of the building are nonsmoking. Alcohol and glassware are not permitted in the auditorium (including the boxes) at any time. The auditorium usually opens 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance.
Flash photography or recording of any performance in any format is strictly prohibited.
Where to Eat
Rubato, the café bar on the lower level of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, features fabulous sandwiches, salads, homemade soups, daily specials, homemade cakes and pastries. Patrons can also enjoy a superb choice of Illy™ coffee, teas, soft drinks and selected wines and beers, in a casual yet sophisticated setting. There's free WiFi, great music (of course!) and newspapers.
How to find us Public Transport
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is within walking distance of Lime Street and Central Stations. We are also on the frequent 75, 80 and 86 bus routes. www.merseytravel.gov.uk has comprehensive transport information and a ‘Journey Planner’ service, or you can call Traveline on 0871 200 2233.
Directions from the M62 Postcode navigation > L1 9BP
Continue along the motorway until its end and then follow the signs for the city centre, cathedrals and universities (c.3 miles). Turn left at the Metropolitan Cathedral and head along Hope Street (see map page 74). If lost, use this maxim: find one cathedral, head for the other. Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is halfway between the two.
St George’s Hall Concert Room
Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus
Postcode navigation > L1 1JJ
Postcode navigation > L6 1HP
St George’s Hall is situated within Liverpool’s St George’s Quarter in the city centre, directly opposite Lime Street Station. Access to the Concert Room is via the North Entrance of the building on William Brown Street. By car on entering the city follow signs for Lime Street station. There are a number of nearby car parks, including Queen Square car park, L1 1RH. Parking tariff £1.90 per hour (0-5 hours) Evening rate of £2.90 between 5pm and 9am. By public transport Queen Square Bus Station and Lime Street Station are both less than 5 minutes’ walk away.
The entrance to Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus which comprises the Capstone building and the Cornerstone Building, is from Shaw Street, opposite the Collegiate. There is car parking available on the campus from 45 minutes prior to evening performances. Please note that parking is limited and is on a first-come firstserved basis. Cost £3 You can also park at the 24-hour QPark on Epworth St, L6 1LY. Pick up a voucher at the campus Reception for a discounted rate of £1.90 for up to 5 hours.
Epstein Theatre Postcode navigation > L1 3DZ
The Epstein Theatre is situated on Hanover Street on the adjacent corners of School Lane and Wood Street. The theatre is 2 minutes’ walk from Liverpool Central Station and 5 minutes from Liverpool Lime Street. The 75, 80, 82 and 86 bus services stop on Hanover Street, and Liverpool One Bus Station is 3 minutes walk away. There is a nearby Q-Park Car Park on Hanover Street, L1 4AF (2 minutes’ walk away).
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Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 5 Liverpool Cathedral
Where to park for Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
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Situated off Caledonia Street, this payon-entry car park is open from 8.30am and is available for concerts. Please note that parking is limited and is on a first come, first served basis. Car parking information for Blue Badge holders can be found on page 72. Cost > £5
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University of Liverpool Visitor Car Parks 3 Cambridge Street 4 Mount Pleasant (opposite Metropolitan Cathedral)
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Situated on Falkner Street, this car park is open on concert nights from 5.30pm, until 20 minutes after the end of concerts. Please note that gates will be locked after this period. Please do not use this car park if unstaffed. Cost > £5
(opposite Cambridge Pub) E ST MYRTL
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These car parks are available Monday – Friday after 5.30pm, and all day on Saturday and Sunday. Take ticket on entry at the barrier, and pay with ticket at pay machine before leaving. Cost > £2 up to 3 hrs £3 over 3 hrs
Situated on Upper Duke Street. Just a few minutes’ walk away, the car park is generally open on concert nights from 5.30pm. Secure parking with CCTV monitoring and manned patrols. Cost > £3 on production of your concert ticket. Please ensure that concert tickets are produced and payment for car park is made at the Constable’s Lodge on arrival.
6 Myrtle Street / Hope Street
Situated opposite Philharmonic Pub. Secure all day parking. Cost > £6
Please note that car parks 2,3,4,5 & 6 are not operated by Liverpool Philharmonic. Times/prices were correct at time of print. Please check opening and closing times and prices of these car parks before parking. Please do not park in the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall permit bays on Caledonia and Sugnall streets, as they are required for artists and production purposes.
Booking Information When to book Tuesday 30 April Postal booking opens for renewing subscribers, members and groups. Monday 20 May Subscription Booking Morning Join us from 9am – 1pm for coffee, tea and muffins in the Grand Foyer Bar. Our expert staff will be on hand to take your order and answer any questions you have. Please note this is a very popular event, so waiting times can be lengthy especially prior to 12pm.
Tuesday 21 May Telephone and in person booking opens for renewing subscribers, members and groups. Friday 7 June Booking opens for new subscribers Friday 14 June Public Booking Opens All Tickets On Sale!
How to book
Discounted tickets
Online www.liverpoolphil.com
Concessions Under 25s, students and claimants can purchase tickets for just £7 on production of appropriate identification (subject to availability and seating locations may be limited).
Post/In Person Box Office, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BP Telephone 0151 709 3789 Subscriptions can be booked only by telephone (0151 709 3789), in person or by post. Please note your credit card is charged when your order is received. Subscription tickets will be posted in June. Direct Debits will be processed on the date specified on your form. Opening Hours Opening hours are from 9.30am (telephone bookings) and 10am (in person) until 5.30pm Monday – Saturday and for counter bookings up to 15 mins after the start of the performance on concert nights. Open 12-5pm on Sundays for telephone bookings only and for counter bookings from 5.30pm on concert nights.
Concession tickets do not apply to Coffee Concerts, Family Concerts, Lunchtime Concerts, New Year’s Eve and Messiah and may be limited for other concerts.
Young Musicians’ Pass Under 18, live in Liverpool and play a musical instrument? You can attend concerts for just £2! Call our box office on 0151 709 3789 for details. Tickets are offered subject to availability and no other discounts apply. Standby Tickets On the day of the concert, Senior Citizens (aged 65 or over at the time of booking) may purchase half-priced tickets IN PERSON ONLY (no telephone orders) at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Box Office. Standby tickets are limited to 2 per person. Standby tickets are subject to availability and if there are only small number of tickets remaining for a concert, standby tickets will not be available.
Ticketing Policy for customers requiring assistance Wheelchair users and other customers who require a companion or carer to assist their visit are entitled to a free ticket for the companion/carer on production of appropriate identification. Seats for wheelchair users and able bodied companions are available at the front and rear of the stalls and in boxes 7 and 16. Group Discounts Generous group discounts are available for most concerts:
Groups of 10-29 10% off Groups of 30-49 15 % off Groups of 50+ 20% off
For more details call Dawn Williams, Group Sales Coordinator, on 0151 210 2918 or email dawn.williams@liverpoolphil.com.
Not available for Lunchtime Concerts, Coffee Concerts, Spirit of Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Messiah and Family Concerts.
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Tickets Flexible Series Make up your own package and save! You can include any concert in this brochure (excluding Lunchtime) in your series. Book 4-6 concerts Book 7-11 concerts Book 12-19 concerts Book 20 or more
Save 10% Save 15% Save 20% Save 25%
Book 7 or more concerts and get a free ticket to a Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra concert (on page 71) or a Discover the Classics session (availability is limited). See page 6 for more information on the benefits of subscribing! Fixed Series Fixed Series (Henry E Rensburg, Classic FM, Liverpool John Moores University Series) are a great way to enjoy regular concert-going. With a fixed series you can request the same seats for every performance and carry these over each year. Don’t want to miss a single concert? The Marathon series includes tickets for every Orchestral concert* at a whopping 30% discount. *excludes Coffee Concerts 78
Fixed Series
A
B
C
D
E
Marathon Series 45 concerts (save 30%)
£505.90
£660.90
£851.50
£1,016.50
£1,242.90
Liverpool John Moores University Series 5 concerts (save 10%)
£63.80
£86.80
£115.40
£138.40
£169.60
Henry E Rensburg Series 10 concerts (save 15%)
£110.50
£153.00
£204.00
£246.50
£306.00
Classic FM Series 9 concerts (save 15%)
£99.45
£137.70
£183.60
£221.85
£275.40
Sunday Afternoon Classics 7 concerts (save 15%)
£96.30
£126.80
£162.40
£197.90
£248.60
Family Concerts 4 concerts (save 10%)
£37.80
£37.80
£37.80
£37.80
£51.30
Chamber Music Concerts 10 concerts (save 15%)
£212.50
Pops 5 concerts (save 10%)
£72.90
£95.40
£126.00
£148.50
£176.40
Discover the Classics 4 sessions
£50.00
Lunchtime Learning 2 sessions (Autumn / Winter)
£40.00
children
£23.40
£23.40
£23.40
£23.40
£23.40
Seating Plan Fixed Series Liverpool John Moores University Series 5 Concerts 14 September, 9 November, 30 November, 1 February, 22 February Henry E Rensburg Series 10 Concerts 26 September, 10 October, 21 November, 16 January, 6 February, 27 February, 13 March, 10 April, 1 May, 15 May Classic FM Series 9 Concerts 2/3 October, 23/24 October, 13/14 November, 5/6 December, 22/23 January, 13/14 February, 5/6 March, 2/3 April, 23/24 April Sunday Afternoon Classics 7 Concerts 22 September, 13 October, 24 November, 19 January, 2 March, 16 March, 18 May Pops Series 5 Concerts 17 October, 14/20 December, 30 December, 3/4 January, 8 February
Booking Fees Subscription orders are subject to a £5 per order service charge (no per ticket fee applies). Credit and debit card booking are subject to a £1.50 per ticket service charge. Cheques are subject to a £1 per order fee. There is a 75p per order charge to post tickets. £1.50 per ticket is charged for reprinting lost tickets. Group tickets (10+) are subject to a 50p per ticket service charge. Save on booking fees by becoming a member! Booking fees DO NOT apply to Silver Members (£100 per year), and you’ll enjoy a host of other benefits as well. For more information on membership see page 4. (Booking fees still apply to Group (10+) orders)
O N M L K J H G
1 1 1 1 1 1
F E D C B A
X W V U T S
1 1 1 1
X W V U T S
1 1 1
1 1 1
1 1 1
1
4
1 1 1
3
1 1 1
2
9
8
6
1
N M L K J H G
55 48 50 48 48 48 50 50
F E D C B A
46 46 46 38 38
UPPER CIRCLE
1
1
Ticket Exchange Subscribers and members can exchange their tickets against any other Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concert in the same season at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Single ticket buyers may exchange tickets for a service charge of £2 per ticket. All exchanges must be made 24 hours in advance by post or in person.
F E D C B A
1
7
5
N M L K J H G MID/REAR CIRCLE
N M L K J H G
1 1
P O N M L K J H G F E D C B A
10
X W V U T S GRAND CIRCLE 12 11
P O N M L K J H G F E D C B A
38
F E D C B A
X W V U T S
48 48 48
50 50 50
13
14
15
P O N M L K J H G F E D C B A
O N M L K J H G
X W V U T S
16
44 44
17
44 44 44
18
44 44 42
19
42 42 42
20
40 40 40
21
40
1
STALLS 1
22
Please note You can download a complete numbered seating plan by logging on to our website liverpoolphil.com
79
At Investec Wealth & Investment we take great pride in our partnership with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, which continues to flourish and we look forward to the 2013-14 season with great anticipation.
We are delighted that Vasily has committed to stay in Liverpool, and with the Orchestra continue to build on their successes of the last seven years. We are confident that audiences will continue to be thrilled and inspired by the variety and vitality of the concerts that await them.
Our partnership with Liverpool Philharmonic is a demonstration of our strong and long-established commitment to Liverpool. Even in challenging economic times, the City’s cultural life continues to be a vital element of its continued resurgence as a vibrant and welcoming visitor
destination. We believe that the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s role both nationally and internationally plays a central role in the cultural and economic renaissance that the City continues to enjoy.
Investec Wealth & Investment is proud of our Liverpudlian heritage, and our commitment and contribution to the City’s economy. Our business is built on ‘extraordinary performance’ and strong and enduring relationships which we develop and nurture with our clients, built on trust and understanding, valuable and often rare commodities in today’s complex financial world.
Our partnership with Liverpool Philharmonic reflects this core ethos perfectly. We are proud to continue our support of Vasily and the Orchestra and have no doubt that their extraordinary musical partnership will deliver more ‘extraordinary performances’ this season.
David Owen Senior Investment Director Investec Wealth & Investment
Photograph L to R: David Owen, Senior Investment Director, Investec Wealth & Investment, Michael Eakin, Chief Executive, Liverpool Philharmonic, Vasily Petrenko, Chief Conductor, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Jonathan Seal, Director in charge of Liverpool Office, Investec Wealth & Investment.
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Liverpool John Moores University and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic can both trace their roots back to the early 19th century and the start of a movement that continues unabated to this day to make both learning and culture more accessible to the people of Liverpool.
Through our combined outreach programmes, we demonstrate to children and young people of all ages that learning and culture in all their forms are relevant and necessary to today’s society and that everyone can and should get involved, even if only to become a member of the audience at public lectures and concerts. We have long-standing and valued links with Liverpool Philharmonic, from staging the University’s Roscoe Lecture Series, the largest public lecture series outside London, to awarding an Honorary Fellowship to Vasily Petrenko in 2012 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the city and to the arts.
That’s why the University is immensely proud to support the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra 2013/2014 concert season. The Orchestra represents everything that is great about the city of Liverpool – it is ground-breaking, challenging and most importantly, it fuels the city’s love of music and creativity by enabling people from all walks of life and all ages to not only hear outstanding musical performances but also to see the workings of an internationally-acclaimed orchestra for themselves.
Such access opens minds to dream of what can be possible and to seek opportunities to engage. Inspiring individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to the civic life of Liverpool is the driving force behind everything that we do at Liverpool John Moores University, an ethos we capture in three small but powerful words: Dream, Plan, Achieve.
Nigel Weatherill Vice Chancellor Liverpool John Moores University
Photograph L to R: Nigel Weatherill, Vice Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, and Vasily Petrenko with students of LJMU.
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Refurbishment of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
We are planning an exciting ÂŁ12 million refurbishment of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. The refurbishment works will provide:
> Significant improvements to front of house areas and facilities for all visitors and participants including the foyer, box office, bars and catering, toilets and lift access to all levels of the building > Rebuilding and improving the stage and choir performance areas in the auditorium > New warm-up, practice and backstage facilities for resident and visiting musicians > An exciting new performance space for a range of small-scale concerts, learning events and other activities > Increased environmental sustainability, including the ability to reduce power consumption across the building’s utilities 82
Subject to securing the required investment for the refurbishment, works to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall will commence in late May 2014, with the venue undergoing a period of closure until the end of October 2014. The works will be completed during 2015, the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
December 2013
Diary September 2013
9 11 12 14 14 15 20 22 26
Mon Wed Thu Sat Wed Sun Fri Sun Thu
7.30pm 1pm 7.30pm 11am 7.30pm 6.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm
A Night at the Musicals Bach at Lunchtime Catrin Finch* Discover the Classics A German Requiem Llyˆr Williams* Puccini’s Tosca Puccini’s Tosca Petrenko’s Shostakovich
P11 P12 P12 P54 P13 P14 P15 P15 P16
Beethoven’s Best Lunchtime Learning Lunchtime Concert Beethoven’s Best The Great Romantics The Great Romantics Ensemble 10/10* The Music of Burt Bacharach Family: All Aboard! Romantic Rachmaninov Lunchtime Concert Romantic Rachmaninov
P16 P55 P69 P16 P17 P17 P60 P18 P58 P19 P69 P19
Lunchtime Learning The Rest is Noise: The 1970s Ensemble 10/10* Mozart’s Requiem Colours of the South Lunchtime Concert Colours of the South Youth Orchestra Lunchtime Learning Great Britten Britten and Mahler Dante Quartet/Nicholas Daniel* Discover the Classics Britten’s Inspirations
P55 P23 P61 P23 P24 P69 P24 P71 P55 P25 P25 P64 P54 P27
October 2013
2 3 3 3 10 13 16 17 20 23 24 24
Wed Thu Thu Thu Thu Sun Wed Thu Sun Wed Thu Thu
7.30pm 11.45am 1.05pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm
November 2013
1 1 6 9 13 14 14 17 20 21 24 26 30 30
Fri Fri Wed Sat Wed Thu Thu Sun Wed Thu Sun Tue Sat Sat
1.15am 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 12.45pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm 11am 7.30pm
Events in BLACK are not concerts. *Concerts outside Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
5 6 10 14 17 19 19 20 20 21 21 21 22 22 22 23 30 31
Thu Fri Tue Sat Tue Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sat Sun Sun Sun Mon Mon Tue
7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm 4.15pm 7.30pm 11.30am 2.30pm 7.30pm 11.30am 2.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm
Britten and Mozart Britten and Mozart Katona Twins* Winter Wonderland The Spirit of Christmas Lunchtime Concert The Spirit of Christmas Family: Rudolph on Hope Street Winter Wonderland Family: Rudolph on Hope Street Family: Rudolph on Hope Street The Spirit of Christmas Family: Rudolph on Hope Street Family: Rudolph on Hope Street The Spirit of Christmas The Spirit of Christmas Mancini Magic & Hollywood Greats A Hollywood New Year’s Eve
P27 P27 P65 P30 P30 P69 P30 P58 P30 P58 P58 P30 P58 P58 P30 P30 P31 P31
Pirates of the Caribbean Pirates of the Caribbean Messiah Beethoven’s Emperor Discover the Classics Concert Music A Hero’s Life Lunchtime Learning Lunchtime Concert A Hero’s Life Emerson Quartet* Coffee Concert
P32 P32 P33 P33 P54 P34 P35 P55 P70 P35 P65 P53
Rhapsody in Blue Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 Great Movie Themes Quartetto di Cremona* Lunchtime Concert Valentine’s Classics Valentine’s Classics The Creation
P36 P37 P37 P66 P70 P38 P38 P39
February 2014
1 6 8 11 13 13 14 22
Sat Thu Sat Tue Thu Thu Fri Sat
7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm
2.30pm 12.45pm 7.30pm 12pm
Family: Magic Piano/Chopin Shorts Lunchtime Learning Don Quixote Coffee Concert
P59 P55 P39 P53
Fire and Ice Petrenko’s Elgar Lunchtime Concert Petrenko’s Elgar From the New World Discover the Classics Los Bandidos* Classical Symphony Ensemble 10/10* Lunchtime Learning All Points North Youth Orchestra
P40 P41 P70 P41 P41 P54 P66 P45 P61 P55 P45 P71
All Points South All Points South Atos Trio* Lunchtime Concert Song of the Earth Bach’s St John Passion Classical Music goes to the Movies! Coffee Concert Classical Music goes to the Movies! Family: Afternoon at the Movies
P46 P46 P67 P70 P47 P47 P48 P53 P48 P59
Don Juan Youth Orchestra Lunchtime Concert Dream Team Petrenko’s Prokofiev Bringing Down the House!
P49 P71 P70 P49 P51 P51
March 2014
2 Sun 5 Wed 6 Thu 6 Thu 13 Thu 15 Sat 15 Sat 16 Sun 18 Tue 21 Fri 21 Fri 23 Sun
2.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 11am 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm 1.45am 7.30pm 7.30pm
April 2014
January 2014
3 Fri 7.30pm 4 Sat 2.30pm 11 Sat 7pm 16 Thu 7.30pm 18 Sat 11am 19 Sun 2.30pm 22 Wed 7.30pm 23 Thu 11.45am 23 Thu 1.05pm 23 Thu 7.30pm 26 Sun 6.30pm 31 Fri 12pm
23 Sun 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri
2 Wed 3 Thu 5 Sat 10 Thu 10 Thu 16 Wed 23 Wed 24 Thu 24 Thu 26 Sat
7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm 7pm 7.30pm 12pm 7.30pm 2.30pm
May 2014 1 11 15 15 18 23
Sat Sun Thu Thu Sun Fri
7.30pm 7.30pm 1.05pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm
June 2014 7 10 15
Sat Tue Sun
7.30pm Simon Trpc˘eski piano* 7.30pm Trpc˘eski, Clark & Aasgaard* 2.30pm Trpc˘eski plays Shostakovich
P68 P68 P52
Principal Funders
Thanks to the City of Liverpool for its financial support
Principal Partners
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra The
in North West England
Orchestra
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society A company limited by guarantee Registered in England number 88235 Registered charity number 230538 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Patron Her Majesty the Queen President The Rt Hon the Earl of Derby DL – Please note, programme is correct at time of going to print. For the most up to date information visit www.liverpoolphil.com – Design Paul Hooley Commissioned photography Mark McNulty
Front cover Vasily Petrenko, Chief Conductor, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Back cover Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s truck at Liverpool Pier Head