London Philharmonic Orchestra - Online Concerts Autumn 2020 - season brochure by London Philharmonic Orchestra

AUTUMN CONCERT SEASON 2020

THE STREAM OF LIFE

The London Philharmonic Orchestra is grateful to Dunard Fund and all those whose generous support has made this autumn season possible. All concerts will be performed at the Southbank Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Royal Festival Hall and filmed by Silent Studios. The safety of our musicians and staff is paramount, and filming sessions will adhere strictly to safety measures in line with government guidance.

AUTUMN CONCERT SEASON 2020

A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEW AUTUMN SEASON It is a great pleasure to be able to announce this autumn’s series of streamed LPO concerts from the Royal Festival Hall. Our world has changed beyond all recognition since we launched our original 2020/21 season back in February, but through your support, and the hard work, creativity and adaptability of our musicians and staff, we have at last been able to plan this long-awaited return to our South Bank home. Enclosed are details of the 13 full-length concerts we will present this autumn, which will be filmed live at the Royal Festival Hall by Silent Studios, with accompanying insight material from our musicians, conductors and soloists. These will be broadcast online by our streaming partner Marquee TV, and each concert will be available for you to enjoy at home in high cinematic quality, and free of charge for an initial 7-day period (see page 12 for our guide to watching our concerts online). We are thrilled that Edward Gardner, our Principal Conductor Designate, will conduct the opening concert as planned, launching the season in explosive style with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Later in the autumn we will also welcome Vladimir Jurowski, Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor, and Karina Canellakis, our new Principal Guest Conductor. With so much upheaval and uncertainty over recent months, context and perspective have

become ever more important, and we are reminded how for centuries orchestral music has offered people solace and hope. With this in mind, we are thrilled to continue our 2020 Vision concert strand, presenting some of the most exciting works written since 2000. Each is programmed alongside works written both 100 and 200 years earlier, offering a fresh perspective on these familiar classics. This also gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary with some of his masterpieces, including four of the great symphonies. I would like to thank you for your unwavering support on our journey back to the concert hall – there is still a long way to go, but we are incredibly grateful to all those who have watched our online performances and shown their support via social media, by email, or by writing to us. Thank you to the hundreds of you who have chosen to donate the value of your tickets back to the Orchestra; to those who have given so generously to our Play On Appeal; to those who have made significant gifts to sustain the Orchestra during this time; and to the Friends, Benefactors and Thomas Beecham Group members who continue to offer their ongoing support. It is my greatest hope that we will be able to once again share the wonder of live orchestral music soon – in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these autumn concerts.

With my best wishes,

David Burke Chief Executive, London Philharmonic Orchestra 01

‘IF THIS IS WHAT GARDNER AND THE LPO CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER WE HAVE MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO.’

THE GUARDIAN, OCTOBER 2019

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020

8.00PM

WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020

TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH

VISIONS OF ECSTASY

Jörg Widmann Con brio Sibelius (orch. Rautavaara) In the Stream of Life Beethoven Symphony No. 5

Messiaen Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht Edward Gardner conductor (Position supported by Mrs Christina Lang Assael)

Edward Gardner conductor (Position supported by Mrs Christina Lang Assael) Gerald Finley bass-baritone

High in the Alps, Olivier Messiaen saw heaven burst open – and a vision of the stars themselves filling the universe with songs of joy. Arnold Schoenberg imagined two lovers walking through a moonlit forest – consumed with tragedy, and then breathless with wonder. And by some miracle, both composers translated their dreams into sounds like you’ve never heard: a ringing, psychedelic ritual for all the orchestra’s woodwinds, brass and percussion, and a symphonic poem for strings, as passionate and sensuous as the headiest Hollywood film score. Edward Gardner splits the LPO in two, and doubles the emotional intensity.

Four notes that changed the world. That unforgettable opening thunderclap is just the start of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony: a musical drama of Fate versus genius and triumph out of tragedy, told in music of such uncompromising honesty that even today it can still shock – and inspire – like few other masterpieces. It’s an explosive return to the concert hall for the LPO, under Principal Conductor Designate Edward Gardner. And because Beethoven thrives on the unexpected, we’re setting the scene with two captivating discoveries: Jörg Widmann’s supercharged homage to Beethoven, and a welcome return from the great Gerald Finley in a windswept song-cycle by Sibelius.

Edward Gardner

Gerald Finley

8.00PM

WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2020

8.00PM

WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2020

2011: STORMING THE HEAVENS

8.00PM

2012: RAPTURE AND REVELRY

Julian Anderson Van Gogh Blue* Nielsen Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Anna Clyne Prince of Clouds R Strauss Suite, Le bourgeois gentilhomme Beethoven Symphony No. 8

John Storgårds conductor Simone Lamsma violin

Karina Canellakis conductor Pieter Schoeman violin (Chair supported by Neil Westreich) Tania Mazzetti violin (Chair supported by Countess Dominique Loredan)

In 1811, Beethoven conceived a symphony without precedent. ‘He’s ripe for the madhouse’ declared one contemporary, but 250 years on from the composer’s death, the Seventh Symphony burns with undimmed popularity and power. As part of our 2020 Vision, John Storgårds has followed the Symphony’s influence down two centuries, and paired it with two works of maverick genius. Simone Lamsma plays Nielsen’s Violin Concerto of 1911 – a bracing counterblast to romantic clichés, composed under clear northern skies. And Julian Anderson plunges into the luminous, swirling imagination of Vincent van Gogh, creating sounds that transcend social distance, glowing with fantasy and colour.

Comedy is a serious business. Beethoven knew that in 1812 when his firecracker of an Eighth Symphony cheerfully booted the Classical rule-book out of the window; and Richard Strauss definitely knew it when he gave a classic French comedy an outrageous orchestral makeover. Le bourgeois gentilhomme features instrumental pyrotechnics, mouthwatering melodies and a full-scale orchestral dinner party that goes uproariously wrong. Imagine what it’ll sound like in the hands of a conductor as energising as Karina Canellakis!

*Supported by Resonate. Resonate is a PRS Foundation initiative in partnership with the Association of British Orchestras, BBC Radio 3 and Boltini Trust.

Karina Canellakis

Simone Lamsma

WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2020

8.00PM

2013: POEMS OLD AND NEW

WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2020

8.00PM

2014: MEMORY AND RENEWAL

Sibelius The Bard Magnus Lindberg Cello Concerto No. 2 (UK premiere) Ravel Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé Schubert Symphony No. 1

Vivaldi La stravaganza, Concerto No. 1 Schubert Symphony No. 2 Thomas Larcher Ouroboros Reger Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 132

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conductor Anssi Karttunen cello Sally Matthews soprano

Thierry Fischer conductor Pieter Schoeman violin (Chair supported by Neil Westreich) Kristina Blaumane cello (Chair supported by Bianca and Stuart Roden)

In Beethoven’s footsteps, a new voice arose: a young genius who embodied the birth of Romanticism like no other. Franz Schubert takes up the thread of 2020 Vision with his irrepressible First Symphony of 1813. In 1913, Sibelius and Ravel conjured rare and ravishing visions for a troubled age: a trio of delicate songs, and a timeless prophecy from Finnish myth. In 21st-century Finland, meanwhile, any new piece by Magnus Lindberg is a headline event. He wrote his Second Cello Concerto in 2013, but this performance by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Anssi Karttunen – the cellist who gave its premiere – is a UK first.

The eternal cycle: 1814 brought a fragile peace to Europe, and the teenage Schubert’s delightful Second Symphony seems to dance for joy. A century later in 1914, Europe stood on the brink again, and the German composer Max Reger looked back, one last time, to Mozart: painting his musical tribute in all the colours of the Romantic orchestra. It’s a sumptuous climax to a concert that begins amid the supercharged splendour of Baroque Venice, before leaping forward to 2014 – where a modern Austrian composer finds a myth of renewal snaking through the Alpine forests. LPO Principal Cellist Kristina Blaumane joins conductor Thierry Fischer in Thomas Larcher’s extraordinary Ouroboros. Generously supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation.

Anssi Karttunen

This concert will be broadcast live at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21 October on BBC Radio 3, as part of the Southbank Centre’s Inside Out festival.

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2020

8.00PM

CELEBRATIONS AND REVOLUTIONS

Sophie Bevan

Chevalier de Saint-Georges Overture, L’amant anonyme Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Beethoven Ah! Perfido Beethoven Symphony No. 4 Daniele Rustioni conductor Nicolas Namoradze piano Sophie Bevan soprano

‘I am the new Bacchus, pressing out glorious wine for the human spirit’ proclaimed Beethoven – and although his Fourth Symphony might be his sunniest, there’s no mistaking the ambition, the fantasy and the sheer, untamed inspiration that pulses through every note. Not all revolutions are noisy, though. Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto begins with the piano all alone and playing softly – ideal for a pianist with the creative flair of Nicolas Namoradze. It’s all about personality: and with a star turn from soprano Sophie Bevan, plus a sparkling overture from the composer they called ‘the Black Mozart’, there’ll be no shortage of that. Concert generously supported by Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet.

This concert will be broadcast live at 7.30pm on Friday 23 October on BBC Radio 3, as part of the Southbank Centre’s Inside Out festival.

WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2020 8.00PM

WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER 2020

2015: THE MIDNIGHT SUN

8.00PM

2016: BACH TO THE FUTURE

Schubert Symphony No. 3 Penderecki Concertino for Trumpet and Orchestra Lotta Wennäkoski Verdigris (London premiere) Sibelius Symphony No. 5

Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classical) Anders Hillborg Bach Materia Schubert Overture in B flat, D470 Schubert Symphony No. 5 Thomas Søndergård conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin

Hannu Lintu conductor Gábor Boldoczki trumpet

Good things come in small packages, and symphonies don’t come more delightful than Schubert’s irresistibly witty Fifth of 1816: Schubert paying homage to his favourite classics and ending up sounding more tuneful than ever. One hundred years later Prokofiev pulled off the same trick – with added satirical bite – in his ‘Classical’ Symphony of 1916. Guest conductor Thomas Søndergård won’t hold back, and he joins Finnish violin phenomenon Pekka Kuusisto in the extraordinary Bach Materia, written specially for Kuusisto by the Swedish maverick Anders Hilborg: ‘I grew up with the idea that playing the violin was about being spontaneous’, says Kuusisto – and this high-octane tribute to Bach lets him be exactly that.

When Jean Sibelius saw a flight of swans in the sunset, he knew that he had the ending of his Fifth Symphony. Premiered in 1915, and conducted tonight by Sibelius’s fellow Finn Hannu Lintu, it’s the culmination of a journey that begins in 1815, with Schubert’s playful Third Symphony. But as part of our 2020 Vision series the adventure extends right up to 2015, and a chance to hear Hungarian trumpet star Gábor Boldoczki in a punchy ‘little concerto’ by the late, great Polish master Krzyzstof Penderecki – while back in Finland (but still in 2015), Lotta Wennäkoski conjures textures and colours like you’ve never imagined. *This concert is supported in part by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute through Polska Music Programme and their partnership with LOT Polish Airlines.

Pekka Kuusisto

Gábor Boldoczki

‘SO UNIQUE WAS THIS GLORIOUS ENDGAME THAT I WANTED TO HEAR IT ALL OVER AGAIN: THAT’S THE WONDER OF ENESCU, AND THE LPO IS NOW OFFICIALLY HIS GREATEST CHAMPION.’

THE ARTS DESK, FEBRUARY 2020

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 2020

8.00PM

WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER 2020

2017: GAVRYLYUK PLAYS PROKOFIEV

2018: JUROWSKI CONDUCTS ENESCU

Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin Schubert Symphony No. 6 Jonathan Dove Vadam et circuibo civitatem (a cappella) Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3

J S Bach Orchestral Suite No. 1 Elena Kats-Chernin Piano Concerto No. 3 (European premiere) Enescu Decet, Op. 14* Enescu Chamber Symphony*

Thomas Søndergård conductor Alexander Gavrylyuk piano London Philharmonic Choir

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Tamara-Anna Cislowska piano

‘Alexander Gavrylyuk is, easily, the most compelling pianist of his generation’ wrote one critic after this exceptional Ukrainian pianist appeared at the 2017 BBC Proms – ‘a monumental master … unassuming and completely dedicated to his art.’ So imagine the thrill when he joins Thomas Sondergård in Prokofiev’s ferocious Third Piano Concerto: by turns brilliant, anarchic and breathtakingly lovely. It’s a fiery climax to a concert whose 2020 Vision takes in Schubert’s ebullient Sixth Symphony of 1817, Ravel’s poignant homage to fallen friends in 1917, and Jonathan Dove’s ravishing sacred mini-masterpiece Vadam et circuibo civitatem: timeless wonder, created in 2017.

Composer, conductor, violinist without equal: to those who knew him, George Enescu was the kind of artist who made the whole world seem to burn brighter. Inspired by Bach, by Stravinsky, by Parisian elegance and the wild melodies of his native Romania, Enescu’s music is like no-one else’s – and it’s a special passion for Vladimir Jurowski. Tonight he conducts two extraordinary miniature masterpieces, both too rarely heard in the West. First, though, enjoy the Bach suite whose blazing majesty inspired Enescu, and the brand new Third Piano Concerto by Elena Kats-Chernin, whose music is proof that living composers really can write tunes. *Generously supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute.

Tamara-Anna Cislowska

Alexander Gavrylyuk

8.00PM

WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2020

8.00PM

2019: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE J S Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 Brett Dean The Players (UK premiere) Stravinsky Pulcinella (complete) Vladimir Jurowski conductor Pieter Schoeman violin (Chair supported by Neil Westreich) Juliette Bausor flute Catherine Edwards harpsichord James Crabb accordion Angharad Lyddon soprano Sam Furness tenor David Soar bass The play’s the thing. Nothing that Brett Dean does is ever predictable, and as the LPO launches his new Composer in Residence partnership with this most compelling of living composers, we present the UK premiere of The Players. The scene is Elsinore, setting of Dean’s multi-award-winning 2017 opera Hamlet, and a troupe of actors is about to perform. Tonight, though, there’s only one star: the phenomenal accordion player James Crabb. It just gets more entertaining from there, in a concert that begins with the ceremonial sunburst of Bach’s ‘Brandenburg’ Concerto No. 5, and follows up with a complete performance of Stravinsky’s irreverent mock-Baroque extravaganza Pulcinella. Pure theatre. Generously supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation.

WEDNESDAY 30 DECEMBER 2020

8.00PM

2020: INTERRUPTED STORIES Vivaldi Overture, La verità in cimento Spohr Symphony No. 2 Honegger Pastorale d’été Bliss Rout James MacMillan Sinfonietta Vladimir Jurowski conductor Mary Bevan soprano Life comes at you fast. In 1720, Vivaldi composes a dazzling overture for a carnival. In 1820, after two decades of war and revolution, Louis Spohr salutes his hero Beethoven in a symphony that pulses with drama. In 1920, Arthur Honegger watches sunrise over the Swiss Alps, and Arthur Bliss throws a riotous cocktail party. 2020 hasn’t been quite what anyone expected, either: and while we can’t (yet) end our 2020 Vision series the way we’d planned, with Sir James MacMillan’s new Christmas Oratorio, we’re finishing with a musical tale of hope shattered – and then restored – from one of Britain’s most original living composers.

Mary Bevan

‘JUROWSKI KEPT THE ORCHESTRA SPARKLING’

THE TIMES, DECEMBER 2019

AUTUMN CONCERT SEASON 2020

HOW TO WATCH With Marquee TV, there are many ways to watch and enjoy our concerts from the comfort of your own home, on the device of your choice. Watch anytime, anywhere Watch on your tablet or phone wherever you are – or download to watch on the go – via the Marquee TV iOS and Android apps. Watch on the big screen For the ultimate viewing experience, download the Marquee TV app directly on your Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Roku Stick. Alternatively, cast from your phone/tablet to your Smart TV via AirPlay or Google Chromecast.

No account required There is no need to set up an account to watch for free for the first seven days. Just follow the links we will publish prior to each concert to watch each performance in full. Full details of how to watch on different devices, and how to cast to your big screen can be found here: www.lpo.uk/MarqueeFAQs

www.marquee.tv

TEAR HERE

The London Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Arts Council England and the Southbank Centre. Concert texts Richard Bratby Design JMG Studio Printer Tradewinds (This leaflet is produced on paper from a sustainable source). Information in this brochure was correct at the time of going to press. The right is reserved to substitute artists and to vary programmes if necessary.

World Trust logo here Do not print

The London Philharmonic Orchestra is a registered charity No. 238045

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ALL CONCERTS WILL BE STREAMED AT 8PM UK TIME

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020

Jörg Widmann Sibelius Beethoven Edward Gardner conductor Gerald Finley bass-baritone WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020

Messiaen Schoenberg Edward Gardner conductor WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2020

WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2020

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 2020

Sibelius Magnus Lindberg Ravel Schubert

Ravel Schubert Jonathan Dove Prokofiev

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conductor Anssi Karttunen cello Sally Matthews soprano

Thomas Søndergård conductor Alexander Gavrylyuk piano London Philharmonic Choir

WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2020

WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER 2020

Vivaldi Schubert Thomas Larcher Reger

J S Bach Elena Kats-Chernin Enescu

Thierry Fischer conductor Pieter Schoeman violin Kristina Blaumane cello WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2020

Chevalier de Saint-Georges Beethoven Daniele Rustioni conductor Nicolas Namoradze piano Sophie Bevan soprano WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2020

Julian Anderson Nielsen Beethoven

Schubert Penderecki Lotta Wennäkoski Sibelius

John Storgårds conductor Simone Lamsma violin

Hannu Lintu conductor Gábor Boldoczki trumpet

WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2020

WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER 2020

Anna Clyne R Strauss Beethoven

Prokofiev Anders Hillborg Schubert

Karina Canellakis conductor Pieter Schoeman violin Tania Mazzetti violin

Thomas Søndergård conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Tamara-Anna Cislowska piano WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2020

J S Bach Brett Dean Stravinsky Vladimir Jurowski conductor Pieter Schoeman violin Juliette Bausor flute Catherine Edwards harpsichord James Crabb accordion Angharad Lyddon soprano Sam Furness tenor David Soar bass WEDNESDAY 30 DECEMBER 2020

Vivaldi Spohr Honegger Bliss James MacMillan Vladimir Jurowski conductor Mary Bevan soprano

AUTUMN CONCERT SEASON 2020

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