London Philharmonic Orchestra 24 February 2016 concert programme by London Philharmonic Orchestra

Concert programme 2015/16 London Season lpo.org.uk

Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor VLADIMIR JUROWSKI supported by the Tsukanov Family Foundation Principal Guest Conductor ANDRÉS OROZCO-ESTRADA Leader pieter schoeman supported by Neil Westreich Composer in Residence magnus lindberg Patron HRH THE DUKE OF KENT KG Chief Executive and Artistic Director TIMOTHY WALKER AM

Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Wednesday 24 February 2016 | 7.30pm

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (34’) Interval Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 (56’)

Contents 2 Welcome LPO 2016/17 season 3 On stage tonight 4 Vasily Petrenko 5 Augustin Hadelich 6 About the Orchestra 7 Leader: Pieter Schoeman 8 Programme notes 11 Next concerts 12 Shakespeare400 14 Sound Futures donors 15 Supporters 16 LPO administration The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide.

Vasily Petrenko conductor Augustin Hadelich violin

CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Welcome

Welcome to Southbank Centre We hope you enjoy your visit. We have a Duty Manager available at all times. If you have any queries please ask any member of staff for assistance. Eating, drinking and shopping? Southbank Centre shops and restaurants include Foyles, EAT, Giraffe, Strada, YO! Sushi, wagamama, Le Pain Quotidien, Las Iguanas, ping pong, Canteen, Caffè Vergnano 1882, Skylon, Feng Sushi and Topolski, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops inside Royal Festival Hall. If you wish to get in touch with us following your visit please contact the Visitor Experience Team at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, phone 020 7960 4250, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk We look forward to seeing you again soon. Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery are closed for essential refurbishment until 2018. During this period, our resident orchestras are performing in venues including St John's Smith Square. Find out more at southbankcentre.co.uk/sjss A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment:

LPO 2016/17 season

New season now on sale! Next season's LPO concerts at Royal Festival Hall are now open for booking. After the huge success of The Rest Is Noise festival in 2013, we are excited to be collaborating once again with Southbank Centre on another large-scale multi-artform festival. Belief and Beyond Belief will interest atheists, agnostics and those of all faiths. We have devoted our 2017 concerts to the festival, beginning with Beethoven's profound statement on the human condition, Fidelio. LPO Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Vladimir Jurowski takes a major role throughout as we explore belief as revealed in works ranging from Haydn's The Creation to John Adams's Harmonielehre. Other season highlights include:

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PHOTOGRAPHY is not allowed in the auditorium.

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LATECOMERS will only be admitted to the auditorium if there is a suitable break in the performance.

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RECORDING is not permitted in the auditorium without the prior consent of Southbank Centre. Southbank Centre reserves the right to confiscate video or sound equipment and hold it in safekeeping until the performance has ended.

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MOBILES, PAGERS AND WATCHES should be switched off before the performance begins.

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Anne-Sophie Mutter playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto under Robin Ticciati The return of Osmo Vänskä to conduct a Sibelius symphony cycle alongside major British works by Britten, Elgar, Walton and Vaughan Williams Vladimir Jurowski's continuation of his Mahler and Bruckner symphony cycles Mahler's epic Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand), preceded by Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in Alium Nicola Benedetti performing both Szymanowski violin concertos under Jurowski A seven-concert choral focus showcasing the London Philharmonic Choir and guests Landmark contemporary works by Steve Reich and Gavin Bryars The world premiere of American jazz composer Wayne Shorter's Clarinet Concerto, performed by Julian Bliss The LPO takes centre stage in Southbank Centre’s Film Music festival, performing music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Brief Encounter and Psycho with live film Cabaret diva Meow Meow with members of the cross-genre band Pink Martini

Browse the new season brochure online at lpo.org.uk/newseason or call us on 020 7840 4200 to request a copy in the post. 2 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

On stage tonight

First Violins Pieter Schoeman* Leader Chair supported by Neil Westreich

Vesselin Gellev Sub-Leader Ilyoung Chae Chair supported by an anonymous donor

Ji-Hyun Lee Chair supported by Eric Tomsett

Katalin Varnagy Chair supported by Sonja Drexler

Catherine Craig Thomas Eisner Martin Höhmann Chair supported by The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust

Geoffrey Lynn Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp

Robert Pool Sarah Streatfeild Yang Zhang Rebecca Shorrock Helena Smart Amanda Smith Caroline Frenkel Second Violins Andrew Storey Principal Tania Mazzetti Kate Birchall Chair supported by David & Victoria Graham Fuller

Nancy Elan Lorenzo Gentili-Tedeschi Fiona Higham Nynke Hijlkema Joseph Maher Dean Williamson Helena Nicholls Sioni Williams Harry Kerr Mila Mustakova Sheila Law

Violas Cyrille Mercier Principal Robert Duncan Gregory Aronovich Susanne Martens Benedetto Pollani Emmanuella Reiter Laura Vallejo Naomi Holt Daniel Cornford Martin Fenn Richard Cookson Sarah Malcolm

Piccolo Stewart McIlwham* Principal

Cellos Kristina Blaumane Principal

Clarinets Robert Hill* Principal Thomas Watmough

Chair supported by Bianca and Stuart Roden

Pei-Jee Ng Co-Principal Francis Bucknall Laura Donoghue Santiago Carvalho† David Lale Gregory Walmsley Elisabeth Wiklander Chair supported by The Viney Family

Susanna Riddell Tom Roff Double Basses Kevin Rundell* Principal George Peniston Laurence Lovelle Tom Walley Lowri Morgan Helen Rowlands Charlotte Kerbegian Laura Murphy Flutes Sue Thomas* Principal Chair supported by Victoria Robey OBE

Clare Childs Stewart McIlwham*

Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra

Oboes John Anderson Guest Principal Alice Munday Cor Anglais Sue Böhling* Principal

Bass Clarinet Paul Richards Principal Bassoons Jonathan Davies Guest Principal Gareth Newman Simon Estell Horns David Pyatt* Principal Chair supported by Simon Robey

John Ryan* Principal Chair supported by Laurence Watt

Martin Hobbs Mark Vines Co-Principal Gareth Mollison Trumpets Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney* Chair supported by Geoff & Meg Mann

Cornets Nicholas Betts David Hilton

Trombones Mark Templeton* Principal Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton

David Whitehouse Bass Trombone Lyndon Meredith Principal Tuba Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal Timpani Simon Carrington* Principal Percussion Andrew Barclay* Principal Chair supported by Andrew Davenport

Henry Baldwin Co-Principal Chair supported by Jon Claydon

Keith Millar Karen Hutt James Bower Harps Rachel Masters* Principal Lucy Haslar Organ Catherine Edwards

* Holds a professorial appointment in London † Chevalier of the Brazilian Order of Rio Branco Meet our members: lpo.org.uk/players

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Vasily Petrenko conductor

Petrenko drew the most scorching playing from the LPO ... It was one of those priceless moments where you can sense an entire hall holding its breath. A shattering performance.

Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack, 11 February 2015 (Shostakovich Symphony No. 4, Royal Festival Hall)

Vasily Petrenko was born in 1976 and started his music education at the St Petersburg Capella Boys Music School – the oldest music school in Russia. He then studied at the St Petersburg Conservatoire. Following considerable success in international conducting competitions including the Fourth Prokofiev Conducting Competition in St Petersburg (2003), First Prize in the Shostakovich Choral Conducting Competition in St Petersburg (1997) and First Prize in the Sixth Cadaques International Conducting Competition in Spain, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the St Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2007. The 2015/16 season marks Petrenko's appointment as Chief Conductor of the European Union Youth Orchestra. He also maintains his positions as Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (appointed in 2013/14), Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (a position he adopted in 2009 as a continuation of his period as Principal Conductor which commenced in 2006), and Principal Guest Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre (formerly the Mussorgsky Memorial Theatre of the St Petersburg State Opera and Ballet), where he began his career as Resident Conductor from 1994–97. Petrenko also served as Principal Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain from 2009–13. Highlights of this season and beyond include Petrenko’s first summer tour with the EUYO as Chief Conductor, a UK tour with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and return visits to the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

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Further afield, he makes visits to the San Francisco, Houston and Montreal symphony orchestras; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He will also make his debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and appear at the Aspen and Ravinia summer festivals. Equally at home in the opera house, and with over 30 operas in his repertoire, Petrenko made his debuts in 2010 at Glyndebourne Festival Opera (Macbeth) and the Opera de Paris (Eugene Onegin), and in recent seasons has also conducted The Queen of Spades at Hamburg State Opera; Boris Godunov at the National Reisopera; Eugene Onegin, La bohème and Carmen at the Mikhailovsky Theatre; Carmen at the Zurich Opera; Tosca and Parsifal with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; and Der fliegende Holländer with the Oslo Philharmonic and at the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Future plans include performances of Boris Godunov with the Bayerische Staatsoper and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Zurich Opera. In October 2007 Vasily Petrenko was named Young Artist of the Year at the Gramophone Awards, and in 2010 he won the Male Artist of the Year at the Classic BRIT Awards. He is only the second person to have been awarded Honorary Doctorates by both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University (in 2009), and an Honorary Fellowship of Liverpool John Moores University (in 2012): awards that recognise the immense impact he has had on the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the city’s cultural scene. vasilypetrenkoofficial

Augustin Hadelich violin

The playing was world class. His left hand is a thing of wonder – pinpoint intonation in every corner of the instrument, at any speed, and a rich, varied vibrato that takes us into many worlds. The quality of sound is beyond praise.

Robert Battey, The Washington Post, 4 May 2015

Multiple performances with almost every major orchestra in North America have confirmed Augustin Hadelich as one of the most important violinists of his generation. An increasingly familiar figure in Europe and Asia, he continues to astonish audiences with his phenomenal technique, poetic sensitivity and gorgeous tone. His consistency across the repertoire from Paganini to Brahms, Bartók and Adès is seldom encountered in a single artist. Highlights of his 2015/16 season include performances with the BBC Philharmonic, Komische Oper Berlin, Norwegian Radio, Tonkünstlerorchester Niederösterreich and Finnish Radio Symphony orchestras. He will be Artist in Residence with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, performing concertos under the baton of Kirill Karabits and Thomas Dausgaard, as well as a recital and chamber music with members of the Orchestra. Further afield he will return to the Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Vancouver symphony orchestras and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and will make his debut with the Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestras. He returns to London for a recital at the Wigmore Hall in May. Augustin has collaborated with such renowned conductors as Marin Alsop, Stéphane Denève, Alan Gilbert, Hans Graf, Giancarlo Guerrero, Günther Herbig, Christoph König, Hannu Lintu, Andrew Litton, Sir Neville Marriner, Jun Märkl, Juanjo Mena, Ludovic Morlot, Sakari Oramo, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Peter Oundjian, Vasily Petrenko, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Edo de Waart, Hugh Wolff, Jaap van Zweden and the late Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.

Augustin’s recordings on the AVIE label include the Gramophone Award-nominated pairing of the violin concertos of Sibelius and Adès (Concentric Paths) with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Hannu Lintu; Histoire du Tango, a programme of violin-guitar works in collaboration with Pablo Villegas; Echoes of Paris, featuring French and Russian repertoire influenced by Parisian culture in the early 20th century; and Flying Solo, a CD of masterworks for solo violin. His latest recording features the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and Bartók’s Concerto No. 2 with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra under Miguel Harth-Bedoya. The son of German parents, Augustin Hadelich was born and raised in Italy. A resident of New York City since 2004, he holds an artist diploma from The Juilliard School. He was Gold Medalist of the Indianapolis International Violin Competition in 2006 and recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award (2012), an Avery Fisher Career Grant (2009) and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship (2011). He plays the 1723 'Ex-Kiesewetter' Stradivarius violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago. augustin-hadelich.com facebook.com/Augustin.Hadelich.Fans youtube.com/augias84

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 5

London Philharmonic Orchestra

One of those unforgettable evenings where everything and everyone performed beautifully [with] an extraordinary performance by the London Philharmonic ... The ovation should have been standing. Andrew Collins, The News, March 2015 Recognised today as one of the finest orchestras on the international stage, the London Philharmonic Orchestra balances a long and distinguished history with a reputation as one of the UK’s most forwardlooking ensembles. As well as its performances in the concert hall, the Orchestra also records film and video game soundtracks, releases CDs on its own record label, and reaches thousands of people every year through activities for families, schools and community groups. The Orchestra was founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932. It has since been headed by many of the world’s greatest conductors including Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt and Kurt Masur. Vladimir Jurowski is currently the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, appointed in 2007. Andrés Orozco-Estrada took up the position of Principal Guest Conductor in September 2015. Magnus Lindberg is the Orchestra’s current Composer in Residence. The Orchestra is resident at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, where it gives over 30 concerts each season. Throughout 2014/15 the Orchestra gave a series of concerts entitled Rachmaninoff: Inside Out, a festival exploring the composer’s major

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orchestral masterpieces. 2015/16 is a strong season for singers, with performances by Toby Spence and Anne Sofie von Otter amongst others; Sibelius enjoys 150th anniversary celebrations; distinguished visiting conductors include Stanisław Skrowaczewski, JukkaPekka Saraste and Vasily Petrenko, with Robin Ticciati returning after his debut in 2015; and in 2016 the LPO joins many of London’s other leading cultural institutions in Shakespeare400, celebrating the Bard’s legacy 400 years since his death. The Orchestra continues its commitment to new music with premieres of commissions including Magnus Lindberg’s Second Violin Concerto and Alexander Raskatov’s Green Mass. Outside London, the Orchestra has flourishing residencies in Brighton and Eastbourne, and performs regularly around the UK. Each summer the Orchestra takes up its annual residency at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in the Sussex countryside, where it has been Resident Symphony Orchestra for over 50 years. The Orchestra also tours internationally, performing to sell-out audiences worldwide. In 1956 it became the first British orchestra to appear in Soviet Russia and in 1973 made the first ever visit to China by a Western orchestra. Touring remains a large part of

Pieter Schoeman leader

Pieter Schoeman was appointed Leader of the LPO in 2008, having previously been Co-Leader since 2002.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded the soundtracks to numerous blockbuster films, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Lawrence of Arabia, East is East, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Thor: The Dark World. It also broadcasts regularly on television and radio, and in 2005 established its own record label. There are now over 90 releases available on CD and to download. Recent additions include Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3 and Ten Songs under Vladimir Jurowski, and archive recordings of Mahler Symphonies and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 conducted by Klaus Tennstedt. In summer 2012 the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed as part of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames, and was also chosen to record all the world’s national anthems for the London 2012 Olympics. In 2013 it was the winner of the RPS Music Award for Ensemble. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians through an energetic programme of activities for young people. Highlights include the BrightSparks schools’ concerts and FUNharmonics family concerts; the Young Composers Programme; and the Foyle Future Firsts orchestral training programme for outstanding young players. Its work at the forefront of digital engagement and social media has enabled the Orchestra to reach even more people worldwide: all its recordings are available to download from iTunes and, as well as a YouTube channel and regular podcast series, the Orchestra has a lively presence across social media. lpo.org.uk facebook.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra twitter.com/LPOrchestra youtube.com/londonphilharmonic7 instagram.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

the Orchestra’s life: highlights of the 2015/16 season include visits to Mexico City as part of the UK Mexico Year of Culture, Spain, Germany, the Canary Islands, Belgium, a return to the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and the Orchestra’s debut at La Scala, Milan.

Born in South Africa, he made his solo debut aged 10 with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. He studied with Jack de Wet in South Africa, winning numerous competitions including the 1984 World Youth Concerto Competition in the US. In 1987 he was offered the Heifetz Chair of Music scholarship to study with Eduard Schmieder in Los Angeles and in 1991 his talent was spotted by Pinchas Zukerman, who recommended that he move to New York to study with Sylvia Rosenberg. In 1994 he became her teaching assistant at Indiana University, Bloomington. Pieter has performed worldwide as a soloist and recitalist in such famous halls as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Moscow's Rachmaninov Hall, Capella Hall in St Petersburg, Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. As a chamber musician he regularly performs at London's prestigious Wigmore Hall. As a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Pieter has performed Arvo Pärt's Double Concerto with Boris Garlitsky, Brahms's Double Concerto with Kristina Blaumane, and Britten's Double Concerto with Alexander Zemtsov, which was recorded and released on the Orchestra's own record label to great critical acclaim. He has recorded numerous violin solos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos, Opera Rara, Naxos, X5, the BBC and for American film and television, and led the Orchestra in its soundtrack recordings for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 1995 Pieter became Co-Leader of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice. Since then he has appeared frequently as Guest Leader with the Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon, Baltimore and BBC symphony orchestras, and the Rotterdam and BBC Philharmonic orchestras. He is a Professor of Violin at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Pieter's chair in the London Philharmonic Orchestra is supported by Neil Westreich.

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Programme notes

Speedread Fleeing from the greatest mistake of his life in the spring of 1878, Tchaikovsky found refuge on the shores of Lake Geneva. There, in the company of one of the people he loved best, he wrote his Violin Concerto, a work that seems to sing with warmth and joy. Six years later in 1884 Tchaikovsky returned to Switzerland in winter, to sit at the bedside of that same friend – now dying. The work that he wrote on his return to Russia is unique amongst all his music: Manfred, an 'Alpine symphony' of huge proportions and raw emotional power.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–93

If there is a sense of reawakening, perhaps even of rebirth, to the start of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, it is an entirely appropriate one. Only days before he started composing it in March 1878, he had been picking at a new piano sonata with scant success: ‘Am I played out?’, he wrote in a letter. ‘I have to squeeze out of myself weak and worthless ideas and ponder every bar.’ He was writing from the house at Clarens near Lake Geneva, where he was staying as part of his six-month escape from Russia following the personal disaster and resultant mental breakdown (there had even been a suicide attempt) provoked by his illconsidered marriage the previous year. In that period of wandering he had completed both the Fourth Symphony and the opera Eugene Onegin, but begun very little that was new in itself. It was now, however, that the arrival of Josef Kotek, a violinist and former pupil from the Moscow

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'Music is no illusion but rather a revelation', Tchaikovsky once said. 'Its power lies in the fact that it reveals to us beauties we find in no other sphere; and the apprehension of them is not transitory, but a perpetual reconcilement to life.' The Violin Concerto and Manfred are two extremes of the same remarkable creative personality. But 123 years after Tchaikovsky’s death, they both still possess that same miraculous power to make one man’s emotions become real and alive, here and now: to transform Tchaikovsky’s feelings into our own and, in doing so, help us to live a little more fully.

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 Augustin Hadelich violin 1 Allegro moderato – Moderato assai 2 Canzonetta: Andante – 3 Finale: Allegro vivacissimo

Conservatory (and possibly a former lover), brought a recovery in the composer’s spirits. The two spent much time playing chamber music together, and within three days Tchaikovsky was enthusiastically at work on the Violin Concerto. The sketches were completed eleven days later and the scoring a fortnight after that, by which time Tchaikovsky had also managed to provide a new slow movement to replace the original (which survives as Méditation for violin and piano). The work got a lukewarm reception at its first performance in Vienna in 1881 with Adolf Brodsky as soloist, but the Russian premiere in Moscow nine months later set it firmly on the way to the popularity it enjoys today. Of the pieces Tchaikovsky and Kotek played through together, one that particularly impressed the composer was Édouard Lalo’s new Symphonie espagnole for violin and orchestra, both for its ‘freshness’ and for the fact that ‘like Léo Delibes and Bizet, [Lalo] does not strive for

profundity, but carefully avoids the routine, seeks out new forms, and thinks more about musical beauty than observing established traditions, as the Germans do’. That freshness certainly finds its way into Tchaikovsky’s Concerto, which inhabits a very different world from the tortured emotionalism of his recent symphony and opera. But there is something here, too, of the unforced and unassuming formal simplicity of Lalo’s approach, though this is not to say that it is without craft. The first movement is a sonata form with an elegant introduction and two clearly discernible big melodies amid some more fleeting themes, all bound together by subtly glinting thematic connections. ‘Musical beauty’ is also present; like Mendelssohn in his Violin Concerto – whose formal quirk of a cadenza placed before the moment of recapitulation it also recalls – Tchaikovsky

manages effortlessly to make natural partners of lyrical grace and virtuoso brilliance. Tchaikovsky’s designation of the G minor slow movement as a Canzonetta acknowledges its essentially song-like nature (complete with woodwind introduction and play-out), but does little to hint at its Slavic melancholy. That Russian flavour is then raised to a newly boisterous level in a Finale that sports two dance-like themes, the first excitably athletic, the second a more lyrical one whose innate soulfulness quickly overcomes the rustic drones with which it first appears. Programme note © Lindsay Kemp

Interval – 20 minutes An announcement will be made five minutes before the end of the interval.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Manfred, Op. 58 (Symphony in four scenes, after the dramatic poem by Byron)

In Tchaikovsky’s time, Byron’s gothic drama Manfred (1816) would have been familiar to any educated European. Manfred is the archetypal 'Byronic hero' – passionate, solitary and tormented by his traumatic past. Though it’s never satisfactorily explained how, his obsessive (possibly incestuous) love has led to the death of his adored muse Astarte; now, tormented with guilt, he wanders the Alps in a desperate attempt to achieve some form of release.

passed it on to Tchaikovsky – who also declined. But in 1884, something changed. Tchaikovsky bought a copy of Manfred, and took it with him that November to the Swiss Alps, where his friend Josef Kotek was dying of tuberculosis. Stasov’s programme, Byron’s poetry, the Alpine scenery and personal tragedy all somehow combined; the Symphony was completed in September 1885.

Schumann had already set parts of Manfred to music in 1852, but the Russian critic Vladimir Stasov felt that it offered more. In 1868 he devised a programme for a symphony based on the poem, and offered it to the composer Mily Balakirev, who declined but in 1881

1 2 3 4

Lento lugubre – Moderato con moto Vivace con spirito Andante con moto Allegro con fuoco

The storyline proved a liberation. Tchaikovsky was constantly aware that his inspiration didn’t fit easily into classical forms ('It has a mountain of padding', he later commented about his Fifth Symphony). Now – as in his ballets – he could let emotion find its own form. The story of a sensitive outsider, wracked by a forbidden

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Programme notes continued

love, fleeing a hostile world – it’s easy to appreciate why Tchaikovsky identified with that. 'I myself think it’s my best symphonic work', he wrote to Balakirev after its premiere in Moscow in March 1886, 'though because of its extreme difficulty, complexity and large scale, it is doomed to failure and to be ignored'.

3. Life amongst the Alpine hunters, full of simplicity, good nature and tradition, with which Manfred clashes in sharp contrast. A quiet, idyllic adagio. [A ravishing pastoral: there’s a shepherds’ song on the oboe, birdcalls, and the wheezing of a rustic bagpipe. Manfred’s sudden appearance is grim.]

Here’s the plot – in the words of Stasov’s original programme, as adapted by Tchaikovsky:

4. A wild, unbridled Allegro, full of savage audacity. Manfred travels into the subterranean halls of the demonic spirit Arimanes. His arrival arouses a general outburst from the mountain demons – and finally, the spirit of Astarte is summoned. [For the first time, the music grows gentle, though the harmonies are anguished. Baleful fanfares surround the scene, and Manfred’s theme is heard, as at the start of the Symphony]. The devilry continues – finishing with Manfred’s death. [The frenzy resumes – interrupted by Astarte’s music and Manfred’s increasingly desperate response. Byron’s Manfred dies defiantly, but Tchaikovsky redeems him, as the organ enters and noble, hymn-like chords stride through the orchestra. Manfred’s torments fade at last – 'Old man, ‘tis not so difficult to die'].

1. Manfred wanders in the Alps [the bassoons play Manfred’s brooding theme; the strings suggest nagging pangs of guilt]. Tormented by fateful questions of existence, tortured by the burning anguish of hopelessness and the memory of his guilty past, he experiences cruel spiritual torments [the music accelerates to a series of tempestuous climaxes] … Memories of his ruined Astarte, whom once he had passionately loved, gnaw at his heart [the music grows gentler, then flares up once more, before muted strings, harp and woodwinds paint a tender portrait of the lost beloved] and there is neither divine Grace nor an end to Manfred’s boundless despair. [Manfred’s theme returns in tragic grandeur and the movement pounds to a violent close].

Programme note and Speedread © Richard Bratby

2. The Alpine fairy appears to Manfred in the rainbow from a waterfall’s spray. [The Symphony’s scherzo – a delicate, fantastic interlude in the manner of Tchaikovsky’s fairytale ballets. Manfred’s sombre theme shadows the sweet central melody].

Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony on the LPO Label Vladimir Jurowski conductor | London Philharmonic Orchestra LPO-0009 | £9.99 'A wonderfully vivid recording of an exceptionally vibrant, immaculately played performance.' The Guardian Available from lpo.org.uk/recordings, the LPO Ticket Office (020 7840 4242) and all good CD outlets. Available to download or stream online via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and others.

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Next concerts at Royal Festival Hall Friday 26 February | 7.30pm

Wednesday 9 March | 7.30pm

JTI friday series

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 Zemlinsky Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid)

Mendelssohn Overture, A Midsummer Night's Dream* Khachaturian Violin Concerto R Strauss Macbeth Stravinsky The Firebird – Suite Andrés Orozco-Estrada conductor Kristóf Baráti violin * Please note a change to the programme from originally advertised

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Marc-André Hamelin piano Broadcast live by BBC Radio 3

Friday 18 March | 7.30pm Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Brief Encounter (film with live orchestra)

Saturday 5 March | 7.30pm Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3 Zemlinsky Six Maeterlinck Songs Szymanowski Stabat Mater* Vladimir Jurowski conductor Elżbieta Szmytka soprano Anne Sofie von Otter mezzo soprano Andrzej Dobber baritone London Philharmonic Choir * Organised in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Polska Music Programme, to commemorate the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland

David Charles Abell conductor Jayson Gillham piano By arrangement with ITV Studios Global Entertainment & Park Circus Films

Saturday 9 April | 7.30pm Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht* Brahms A German Requiem Christoph Eschenbach conductor Sarah Tynan soprano Matthias Goerne baritone London Philharmonic Choir * Please note a change to the programme from originally advertised

Tickets £9–£39 (premium seats £65) London Philharmonic Orchestra Ticket Office: 020 7840 4242 Monday–Friday 10.00am–5.00pm lpo.org.uk Transaction fees: £1.75 online, £2.75 telephone.

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lpo.org.uk/shakespeare

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Concerts at Royal Festival Hall

In collaboration with some of London’s leading cultural, creative and educational institutions, the London Philharmonic Orchestra joins Shakespeare400 with a celebration of the Bard’s love of music, and his influence on it. Join the LPO at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall this year for a celebration of creativity and collaboration, and dive into a musical world born of the words of the legendary William Shakespeare.

Wednesday 3 February 2016 | 7.30pm Dvořák | Othello Wednesday 10 February 2016 | 7.30pm Sibelius | The Tempest

Pre-concert talks

For four and a half centuries, the most admired playwright and poet in history has inspired music both intimate and grand, devastating and uplifting. Shakespeare’s body of plays and poems has exercised more influence over composers and musicians than anything else in literature bar the Bible, and continues to inspire across the generations of today.

Special performances

The centrepiece of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2015/16 concert season at Royal Festival Hall is Shakespeare400, a festival of concerts, talks and exploratory events celebrating the musical legacy of the world’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare.

Friday 15 April 2016 | 7.30pm | JTI Friday Series Prokofiev | Romeo and Juliet Saturday 23 April 2016 | 7.30pm Anniversary Gala Concert featuring very special guests Sunday 5 June 2016 | 12 noon FUNharmonics Family Concert | Bottom’s Dream Wednesday 3 February 2016 | 6.00pm Adapting Othello Wednesday 10 February 2016 | 6.00pm Late works of Shakespeare and others Friday 12 February 2016 | 6.00pm Shakespeare’s Windsor Friday 26 February 2016 | 6.00pm The Macbeths Friday 15 April 2016 | 6.00pm Think you know Romeo & Juliet? Wednesday 27 January 2016 | 6.00pm Hamlet in Russia: Shostakovich’s Hamlet Wednesday 10 February 2016 | 5.00pm New Horizons: Inspired by Shakespeare Saturday 5 March 2016 | 6.00pm Foyle Future Firsts: Ophelia Dances Saturday 9 April 2016 | 6.00pm LPO Soundworks & Quicksilver: Inspired by Shakespeare Saturday 30 April 2016 | post-concert RCM Big Band: Such Sweet Thunder

RUSSIA AND THE ARTS THE AGE OF TOLSTOY AND TCHAIKOVSKY

17 MARCH – 26 JUNE 2016 BOOK NOW npg.org.uk/russia Free for Members Generously supported by

Supported by the Russia and the Arts Exhibition Supporters Group

Spring Season 2016 sponsored by

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see masterpieces on loan from the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow

Sound Futures Donors We are grateful to the following donors for their generous contributions to our Sound Futures campaign. Thanks to their support, we successfully raised £1 million by 30 April 2015 which has now been matched pound for pound by Arts Council England through a Catalyst Endowment grant. This has enabled us to create a £2 million endowment fund supporting special artistic projects, creative programming and education work with key venue partners including our Southbank Centre home. Supporters listed below donated £500 or over. For a full list of those who have given to this campaign please visit lpo.org.uk/soundfutures. Masur Circle Arts Council England Dunard Fund Victoria Robey OBE Emmanuel & Barrie Roman The Underwood Trust

The Rothschild Foundation Tom & Phillis Sharpe The Viney Family

Haitink Patrons Mark & Elizabeth Adams Dr Christopher Aldren Mrs Pauline Baumgartner Welser-Möst Circle Lady Jane Berrill William & Alex de Winton Mr Frederick Brittenden John Ireland Charitable Trust David & Yi Yao Buckley The Tsukanov Family Foundation Mr Clive Butler Neil Westreich Gill & Garf Collins Tennstedt Circle Mr John H Cook Valentina & Dmitry Aksenov Mr Alistair Corbett Richard Buxton Bruno de Kegel The Candide Trust Georgy Djaparidze Michael & Elena Kroupeev David Ellen Kirby Laing Foundation Christopher Fraser OBE & Lisa Fraser Mr & Mrs Makharinsky David & Victoria Graham Fuller Alexey & Anastasia Reznikovich Goldman Sachs International Simon Robey Mr Gavin Graham Bianca & Stuart Roden Moya Greene Simon & Vero Turner Mrs Dorothy Hambleton The late Mr K Twyman Tony & Susie Hayes Malcolm Herring Solti Patrons Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Ageas Mrs Philip Kan John & Manon Antoniazzi Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Gabor Beyer, through BTO Rose & Dudley Leigh Management Consulting AG Lady Roslyn Marion Lyons Jon Claydon Miss Jeanette Martin Mrs Mina Goodman & Miss Duncan Matthews QC Suzanne Goodman Diana & Allan Morgenthau Roddy & April Gow Charitable Trust The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Dr Karen Morton Charitable Trust Mr Roger Phillimore Mr James R.D. Korner Ruth Rattenbury Christoph Ladanyi & Dr Sophia The Reed Foundation Ladanyi-Czernin Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski The Rind Foundation The Maurice Marks Charitable Trust Sir Bernard Rix David Ross & Line Forestier (Canada) Mr Paris Natar

14 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Carolina & Martin Schwab Dr Brian Smith Lady Valerie Solti Mr & Mrs G Stein Dr Peter Stephenson Miss Anne Stoddart TFS Loans Limited Lady Marina Vaizey Jenny Watson Guy & Utti Whittaker Pritchard Donors Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Mrs Arlene Beare Mr Patrick & Mrs Joan Benner Mr Conrad Blakey Dr Anthony Buckland Paul Collins Alastair Crawford Mr Derek B. Gray Mr Roger Greenwood The HA.SH Foundation Darren & Jennifer Holmes Honeymead Arts Trust Mr Geoffrey Kirkham Drs Frank & Gek Lim Peter Mace Mr & Mrs David Malpas Dr David McGibney Michael & Patricia McLaren-Turner Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Mr Christopher Queree The Rosalyn & Nicholas Springer Charitable Trust Timothy Walker AM Christopher Williams Peter Wilson Smith Mr Anthony Yolland and all other donors who wish to remain anonymous

We would like to acknowledge the generous support of the following Thomas Beecham Group Patrons, Principal Benefactors and Benefactors: Thomas Beecham Group The Tsukanov Family Foundation Neil Westreich William and Alex de Winton Mrs Philip Kan* Simon Robey Victoria Robey OBE Bianca & Stuart Roden Laurence Watt Anonymous Jon Claydon Garf & Gill Collins* Andrew Davenport Mrs Sonja Drexler David & Victoria Graham Fuller The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Geoff & Meg Mann Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp Julian & Gill Simmonds* Eric Tomsett The Viney Family John & Manon Antoniazzi Jane Attias David Goldstone CBE LLB FRICS John & Angela Kessler Guy & Utti Whittaker * BrightSparks Patrons: instead of supporting a chair in the Orchestra, these donors have chosen to support our series of schools’ concerts.

Principal Benefactors Mark & Elizabeth Adams David & Yi Yao Buckley Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Mr Bruno de Kegel David Ellen Mr Daniel Goldstein Drs Frank & Gek Lim Peter MacDonald Eggers Mr & Mrs David Malpas Dr Eva Lotta & Mr Thierry Sciard Virginia Slaymaker Mr & Mrs G Stein Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Grenville & Krysia Williams Mr Anthony Yolland Benefactors Mr Geoffrey Bateman Mrs A Beare Ms Molly Borthwick David & Patricia Buck Mrs Alan Carrington Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen Mr Alistair Corbett Mr Timothy Fancourt QC Mr Richard Fernyhough Mr Gavin Graham Wim and Jackie Hautekiet-Clare Tony & Susan Hayes Mr Daniel Heaf and Ms Amanda Hill Michael & Christine Henry Malcolm Herring J. Douglas Home

Ivan Hurry Mr Glenn Hurstfield Per Jonsson Mr Gerald Levin Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr Peter Mace Ms Ulrike Mansel Mr Robert Markwick and Ms Kasia Robinski Mr Brian Marsh Andrew T Mills Dr Karen Morton Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Mr Roger Phillimore Mr James Pickford Mr Michael Posen Alexey & Anastasia Reznikovich Mr Konstantin Sorokin Martin and Cheryl Southgate Mr Peter Tausig Lady Marina Vaizey Simon and Charlotte Warshaw Howard & Sheelagh Watson Des & Maggie Whitelock Christopher Williams Bill Yoe and others who wish to remain anonymous Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd Hon. Life Members Kenneth Goode Carol Colburn Grigor CBE Pehr G Gyllenhammar Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE

The generosity of our Sponsors, Corporate Members, supporters and donors is gratefully acknowledged: Corporate Members Silver: Accenture Berenberg Carter-Ruck We are AD Bronze: Appleyard & Trew LLP BTO Management Consulting AG Charles Russell Speechlys Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Willis Towers Watson Preferred Partners Corinthia Hotel London Heineken Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd Sipsmith Steinway Villa Maria In-kind Sponsor Google Inc

Trusts and Foundations Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation Axis Foundation The Bernarr Rainbow Trust The Boltini Trust Borletti-Buitoni Trust The Candide Trust Cockayne – Grants for the Arts The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The Equitable Charitable Trust The Foyle Foundation Lucille Graham Trust The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Help Musicians UK The Idlewild Trust Kirby Laing Foundation The Leverhulme Trust The London Community Foundation London Stock Exchange Group Foundation Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Marsh Christian Trust Adam Mickiewicz Institute The Peter Minet Trust

The Ann and Frederick O’Brien Charitable Trust Office for Cultural and Scientific Affairs of the Embassy of Spain in London The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust The Stanley Picker Trust The Radcliffe Trust Rivers Foundation The R K Charitable Trust RVW Trust Schroder Charity Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation The David Solomons Charitable Trust Souter Charitable Trust The John Thaw Foundation The Tillett Trust UK Friends of the Felix-MendelssohnBartholdy-Foundation The Viney Family Garfield Weston Foundation The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust and all others who wish to remain anonymous

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 15

Administration Board of Directors Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Stewart McIlwham* President Gareth Newman* Vice-President Dr Manon Antoniazzi Roger Barron Richard Brass Desmond Cecil CMG Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Amanda Hill Dr Catherine C. Høgel Rachel Masters* George Peniston* Kevin Rundell* Natasha Tsukanova Mark Vines* Timothy Walker AM Laurence Watt Neil Westreich David Whitehouse* * Player-Director

Chief Executive

Education and Community

Digital Projects

Timothy Walker AM Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Isabella Kernot Education Director (maternity leave)

Alison Atkinson Digital Projects Director

Amy Sugarman PA to the Chief Executive / Administrative Assistant

Clare Lovett Education Director (maternity cover)

Finance

Talia Lash Education and Community Project Manager

Albion Media (Tel: 020 3077 4930)

Lucy Sims Education and Community Project Manager

Philip Stuart Discographer

David Burke General Manager and Finance Director David Greenslade Finance and IT Manager Dayse Guilherme Finance Officer

Richard Mallett Education and Community Producer

Concert Management

Development

Advisory Council Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Christopher Aldren Richard Brass David Buckley Sir Alan Collins KCVO CMG Andrew Davenport Jonathan Dawson William de Winton Cameron Doley Edward Dolman Christopher Fraser OBE Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE Rehmet Kassim-Lakha Jamie Korner Clive Marks OBE FCA Stewart McIlwham Sir Bernard Rix Baroness Shackleton Lord Sharman of Redlynch OBE Thomas Sharpe QC Julian Simmonds Barry Smith Martin Southgate Sir Philip Thomas Sir John Tooley Chris Viney Timothy Walker AM Elizabeth Winter

Roanna Gibson Concerts Director

Nick Jackman Development Director

Graham Wood Concerts and Recordings Manager

Catherine Faulkner Development Events Manager

American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Inc. Jenny Ireland Co-Chairman William A. Kerr Co-Chairman Kyung-Wha Chung Xenia Hanusiak Alexandra Jupin Jill Fine Mainelli Kristina McPhee David Oxenstierna Harvey M. Spear, Esq. Danny Lopez Hon. Chairman Noel Kilkenny Hon. Director Victoria Robey OBE Hon. Director Richard Gee, Esq Of Counsel Jenifer L. Keiser, CPA, EisnerAmper LLP Stephanie Yoshida

Damian Davis Transport Manager

Jenny Chadwick Tours Manager Tamzin Aitken Glyndebourne and UK Engagements Manager Alison Jones Concerts and Recordings Co-ordinator

Kathryn Hageman Individual Giving Manager Laura Luckhurst Corporate Relations Manager Anna Quillin Trusts and Foundations Manager Rebecca Fogg Development Co-ordinator

Jo Cotter Tours Co-ordinator

Helen Yang Development Assistant

Orchestra Personnel

Kirstin Peltonen Development Associate

Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager Sarah Holmes Sarah Thomas Librarians (job-share) Christopher Alderton Stage Manager

Madeleine Ridout Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager

16 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Marketing Kath Trout Marketing Director Libby Northcote-Green Marketing Manager Rachel Williams Publications Manager Samantha Cleverley Box Office Manager (Tel: 020 7840 4242) Anna O’Connor Marketing Co-ordinator Natasha Berg Marketing Intern

Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant Public Relations