London Philharmonic Orchestra 30 Nov 2018 concert programme by London Philharmonic Orchestra

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2018/19 Concert Season

AT Southbank Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Royal Festival Hall

concert programme

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 Patron HRH THE DUKE OF KENT KG Chief Executive and Artistic Director TIMOTHY WALKER AM

Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Friday 30 November 2018 | 7.30pm

Blacher Orchestral Variations on a Theme by Paganini (13’) Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (23’) Interval (20’) Liadov Kikimora (3’) The Enchanted Lake (7’) Baba Yaga (7’) Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition (30’)

Andrés Orozco-Estrada conductor Ray Chen violin

The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide. CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Contents 2 Welcome Orchestra news 3 On stage tonight 4 About the Orchestra 5 Leader: Kevin Lin 6 Andrés Orozco-Estrada 7 Ray Chen 8 Programme notes 11 Recommended recordings 12 Next concerts 13 Sound Futures donors 14 Supporters 16 LPO administration

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 a member of staff for assistance. Eating, drinking and shopping? Enjoy fresh seasonal food for breakfast and lunch, coffee, teas and evening drinks with riverside views at Concrete Cafe, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Riverside Terrace Cafe, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall. Visit our shops for products inspired by our artistic and cultural programme, iconic buildings and central London location. Explore across the site with Foyles, EAT, Giraffe, Strada, wagamama, YO! Sushi, Le Pain Quotidien, Las Iguanas, ping pong, Canteen, Honest Burger, Côte Brasserie, Skylon and Topolski.

The Snowman: Sunday 2 December This Sunday, 2 December, we’ll be getting into the Christmas spirit at Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden, providing a live orchestral soundtrack to three screenings of the film The Snowman with music by Howard Blake. Soloists from Trinity Boys Choir will join the Orchestra for festive favourite, ‘Walking in the Air’. The performances begin at 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4.30pm. Tickets are £4 for adults, £2 for children and free for under-2s, with all proceeds going to the baby charity Tommy’s. For more information and booking visit canarywharf.com Christmas gifts from the LPO

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 us on 020 3879 9555, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk

Searching for the perfect Christmas present for the music lover in your life? Look no further. With more than 100 CD releases on the LPO label, tickets for concerts in London, Eastbourne or Brighton, gift vouchers and memberships, there’s something for everyone. Share the joy of music and make it a Christmas to remember. Visit lpo.org.uk/gifts to explore the full collection, or call the LPO Ticket Office on 020 7840 4242.

We look forward to seeing you again soon. A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment:

The Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall

PHOTOGRAPHY is not allowed in the auditorium. LATECOMERS will only be admitted to the auditorium if there is a suitable break in the performance. 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.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has long been renowned for its prowess in the opera pit at Glyndebourne, but this Christmas we’ll be branching out into ballet. The Orchestra has been invited to accompany Tchaikovsky’s festive favourite The Nutcracker with Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall from 28–31 December. For more information and booking visit royalalberthall.com or call the Royal Albert Hall Box Office on 020 7589 8212.

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

Out now The Autumn 2018 edition of Tune In, our free LPO magazine. Copies are available at the Welcome Desk in the Royal Festival Hall foyer, or phone the LPO office on 020 7840 4200 to receive one in the post. Also available digitally: issuu.com/londonphilharmonic

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On stage tonight

Chair supported by Sonja Drexler

Alistair Scahill Stanislav Popov Luca Casciato Richard Cookson Martin Wray

Catherine Craig Thomas Eisner Martin Höhmann Geoffrey Lynn

Cellos Kristina Blaumane Principal

Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp

Chair supported by Bianca & Stuart Roden

Robert Pool Sarah Streatfeild Yang Zhang

Pei-Jee Ng Co-Principal Francis Bucknall Laura Donoghue David Lale Elisabeth Wiklander Sue Sutherley Susanna Riddell Helen Rathbone David Bucknall

First Violins Kevin Lin Leader Vesselin Gellev Sub-Leader Katalin Varnagy

Chair supported by Eric Tomsett

Tina Gruenberg Rebecca Shorrock Georgina Leo Lasma Taimina Evin Blomberg Eleanor Bartlett Second Violins Tania Mazzetti Principal Chair supported by Countess Dominique Loredan

Konrad Elias-Trostmann Kate Birchall Nancy Elan Fiona Higham Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley

Nynke Hijlkema Joseph Maher Marie-Anne Mairesse Ashley Stevens Csilla Pogány Sioni Williams Robin Wilson Harry Kerr Judith Choi-Castro Violas David Quiggle Principal Richard Waters Katharine Leek Susanne Martens Benedetto Pollani Naomi Holt Daniel Cornford

Double Basses Kevin Rundell* Principal Sebastian Pennar Co-Principal Hugh Kluger George Peniston Tom Walley Laurence Lovelle Jakub Cywinski Iván Rubido González Flutes Juliette Bausor Principal Sue Thomas* Chair supported by Victoria Robey OBE

Stewart McIlwham* Piccolo Stewart McIlwham* Principal Sue Thomas* Oboes Ian Hardwick Principal Alice Munday Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra

Bass Trombone Lyndon Meredith Principal

Cor Anglais Sue Böhling* Principal Chair supported by Dr Barry Grimaldi

Tuba Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal

Clarinets Timothy Lines Guest Principal Thomas Watmough

Timpani Simon Carrington* Principal

Chair supported by Roger Greenwood

Percussion Andrew Barclay* Principal

Paul Richards*

Chair supported by Andrew Davenport

Bass Clarinet Paul Richards* Principal

Keith Millar Jeremy Cornes James Bower Karen Hutt

Alto Saxophone Martin Robertson Bassoons Jonathan Davies Principal Gareth Newman Simon Estell* Contrabassoon Simon Estell* Principal Horns David Pyatt* Principal

Harps Rachel Masters Principal Lucy Haslar Celeste Catherine Edwards

* Holds a professorial appointment in London

Chair supported by Sir Simon Robey

John Ryan* Principal Chair supported by Laurence Watt

Martin Hobbs Duncan Fuller Gareth Mollison Trumpets Paul Beniston* Principal James Fountain Guest Principal Anne McAneney* Chair supported by Geoff & Meg Mann

Anthony Cross Trombones David Whitehouse Principal Richard Ward Huw Evans

Meet our members: lpo.org.uk/players

The London Philharmonic Orchestra also acknowledges the following chair supporters whose players are not present at this concert: William & Alex de Winton Neil Westreich

Sue Böhling

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 3

London Philharmonic Orchestra

The London Philharmonic’s closing concert took excellence and courageous programme planning to levels of expectation and emotional intensity more than once defying belief. Here was an orchestra in terrific form, rising to every challenge. Classicalsource.com (LPO at Royal Festival Hall, 2 May 2018: Panufnik, Penderecki & Prokofiev)

One of the finest orchestras on the international stage, the London Philharmonic Orchestra balances a long and distinguished history with its reputation as one of the UK’s most forward-looking ensembles. As well as its performances in the concert hall, the Orchestra also records film and video game soundtracks, has its own record label, and reaches thousands of people every year through activities for families, schools and local communities. 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 the Orchestra’s current Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, and in 2017 we celebrated the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary partnership. Andrés Orozco-Estrada took up the position of Principal Guest Conductor in 2015. The Orchestra is resident at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, where it gives around 40 concerts each season. Throughout the remainder of

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2018 we continue our series Changing Faces: Stravinsky’s Journey, charting the life and music of one of the 20th century’s most influential composers. In 2019 we celebrate the music of Britain in our festival Isle of Noises, exploring a range of British and British-inspired music from Purcell to the present day. 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 the Orchestra’s life: highlights of the 2018/19 season include a major tour of Asia including South Korea, Taiwan and China, as well as performances in Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Switzerland and the USA.

Kevin Lin leader

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 100 releases available on CD and to download. Recent additions include a Poulenc disc conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Tchaikovsky’s Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 under Vladimir Jurowski, and a film music disc under Dirk Brossé. 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. In 2017/18 we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our Education and Community department, whose work over three decades has introduced so many people of all ages to orchestral music and created opportunities for people of all backgrounds to fulfil their creative potential. Highlights include the BrightSparks schools’ concerts and FUNharmonics family concerts; the LPO Young Composers programme; the Foyle Future Firsts orchestral training programme; and the LPO Junior Artists scheme for talented young musicians from communities and backgrounds currently underrepresented in professional UK orchestras. The Orchestra’s work at the forefront of digital engagement and social media has enabled it to reach even more people worldwide: as well as a YouTube channel and regular podcast series, the Orchestra has a lively presence on social media. lpo.org.uk facebook.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra twitter.com/LPOrchestra youtube.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

Kevin Lin joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Co-Leader in August 2017. Originally from New York, Kevin has received international recognition for his musicianship and ‘soulful’ playing (The Arts Desk). He has performed as a soloist and recitalist in the UK, Taiwan, South Korea and Canada, in addition to numerous performances in the USA. He was previously Guest Concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Houston Symphony, and in 2015 was invited to lead the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He has also served as Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin at The Colburn School and The Curtis Institute of Music. An avid chamber musician, Kevin’s recent collaborations include performances with the Tokyo and Ebène quartets, Edgar Meyer, Cho-Liang Lin, Orion Weiss and Andrew Bain. In recent years he has received prizes from the Irving M. Klein International Competition and the Schmidbauer International Competition, and competed in the George Enescu International Violin Competition and the Menuhin International Violin Competition. Kevin spent his early years studying with Patinka Kopec in New York, before going on to study with Robert Lipsett at The Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. He then continued his studies at The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia as a Mark E. Rubenstein Fellowship recipient, under the pedagogy of Aaron Rosand.

instagram.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

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Andrés Orozco-Estrada Principal Guest Conductor

Orozco-Estrada steered a gripping journey ... In phenomenal form, the London Philharmonic matched him beat for beat, every section excelling, every principal deserving individual credit, playing together and off each other with an impeccability of exchange, ensemble, chording and dynamic finesse. Breathtaking! Classical Source, 29 October 2017 (Shostakovich’s ‘Leningrad’ Symphony with the LPO at Royal Festival Hall)

Andrés Orozco-Estrada first worked with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in November 2013, conducting a major tour of Germany. His impressive energy and musicianship, and the immediate rapport that formed between him and the players, combined with such success that it led quickly to the announcement that he would take up the position of Principal Guest Conductor from September 2015. Born in Medellín, Colombia and trained in Vienna, Andrés is one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation. In 2014 he became Music Director of the Houston Symphony and Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has also been appointed Music Director Designate of the Vienna Symphony from the 2021/22 season. Andrés Orozco-Estrada first came to international attention in 2004 when he took over a concert with the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich at the Vienna Musikverein, and was celebrated by the Viennese press as a ‘wonder from Vienna’. Numerous engagements with many international orchestras followed, and since then, Orozco-Estrada has developed a highly successful musical partnership with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, serving as Music Director from 2009–15. Andrés Orozco-Estrada now appears with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome and the Orchestre National de France.

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Recent successful debuts have included the Berlin Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic. In 2014 he made his debut at Glyndebourne Festival Opera conducting Don Giovanni with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2015 he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival followed by a re-invitation for 2016 with Nicolai’s Il templario. Recent CDs released on Pentatone are generating a great deal of attention and include Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben and Macbeth, both with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Andrés has also recorded Dvořák’s Symphonies Nos. 6–9 with the Houston Symphony. Andrés Orozco-Estrada began his musical studies on the violin and had his first conducting lessons at the age of 15. In 1997 he moved to Vienna, where he studied at the renowned Vienna Music Academy and completed his degree with distinction by conducting the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein. He currently lives in Vienna.

Ray Chen violin

From the first notes there was no doubt of being in the presence of something special.

The Strad

Ray Chen is a violinist who redefines what it is to be a classical musician in the 21st century. With a media presence that enhances and inspires the classical audience, reaching out to millions through his unprecedented online following, his remarkable musicianship transmits to a global audience that is reflected in his engagements with the foremost orchestras and concert halls around the world. Initially coming to attention via the Yehudi Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elizabeth (2009) Competitions, of which he was First Prize winner, Ray Chen has built a profile in Europe, Asia and the USA, as well as his native Australia, both live and on disc. Signed in 2017 to Decca Classics, the summer of 2018 saw the release of the first album of this partnership with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This follows his previous three critically acclaimed albums on SONY, the first of which, Virtuoso, received an ECHO Klassik Award. Profiled as ‘one to watch’ by The Strad and Gramophone magazines, Ray has featured in the Forbes list of ‘30 Most Influential Asians Under 30’, appeared in major online TV series ‘Mozart in the Jungle’, enjoyed a multi-year partnership with Giorgio Armani (who designed the cover of his Mozart album with Christoph Eschenbach) and performed at major media events such as France’s Bastille Day (live to 800,000 people), the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm (televised across Europe) and the BBC Proms. Ray’s most recent appearance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra was in spring 2018, when he performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 under Vladimir Jurowski at Royal Festival Hall, followed by tours of Germany and Italy with the Orchestra. Ray has also appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington DC), Leipzig Gewandhausorchester,

Munich Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestra Nazionale della Santa Cecilia, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony. Forthcoming debuts include the SWR Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony and Bavarian Radio Chamber orchestras. From 2012–15 he was resident at the Dortmund Konzerthaus and in 2017/18 he was the subject of an ‘Artist Focus’ with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. His presence on social media makes Ray Chen a pioneer in an artist’s interaction with their audience, utilising the new opportunities of modern technology. His appearances and interactions with music and musicians are instantly disseminated to a new public in a contemporary and relatable way. He is the first musician to be invited to write a lifestyle blog for Italian publishing house RCS Rizzoli (Corriere della Sera, Gazzetta dello Sport, Max). He has been featured in Vogue magazine and recently designed a new violin case for the industry manufacturer GEWA. His commitment to music education is paramount, and he inspires the younger generation of music students with his series of self-produced videos combining comedy and music. Through his online promotions his appearances regularly sell out and draw an entirely new demographic to the concert hall. Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, Ray was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music aged 15, where he studied with Aaron Rosand and was supported by Young Concert Artists. He plays the 1715 ‘Joachim’ Stradivarius violin on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. This instrument was once owned by the famed Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim (1831–1907).

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Programme notes

Speedread Brilliant and beautiful orchestral colours, wit and intoxicating atmosphere – Boris Blacher’s mischievous Variations on a Theme by Paganini has them in abundance. So too do the three tiny but magical tone-poems by Anatoly Liadov, each full of the spirit of the vast, mysterious Russian forest and its folklore, while Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, originally composed for solo piano, comes to vibrant life in Ravel’s famous orchestration –

Boris Blacher

the effect is just like walking through a magical picture gallery. Between them sits Bruch’s enduring favourite, his First Violin Concerto, with its bewitching and beguiling violin writing and heartfelt orchestral lyricism. The spirit of the ‘demonic’ 19th-century violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, brilliantly saluted in Blacher’s Variations, sparkles and charms here too. For musical sensation-seekers it promises to be an undiluted treat!

Orchestral Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 26

1903–75

Boris Blacher was a German composer of Russian extraction who was actually born in China. He settled in Berlin in 1922, where his career initially developed well – until the Nazis came to power in 1933. Blacher was accused of writing ‘degenerate music’, he was fired from his teaching post and his music was banned. After the end of the war, however, he was quickly rehabilitated, and he began to compose some of his finest work, including the orchestral piece for which he soon became known internationally: the Variations on a Theme of Paganini (1947). Like Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Lutosławski and, more recently, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Blacher took the theme from the famous Caprice No. 24 by the 19th-century star violin

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virtuoso Niccolò Paganini. Paganini’s theme is superb material for variations: it has a striking leading motif and a very memorable shape, but both turn out to be remarkably ‘plastic’ – a composer can play about with them, distort them and reinvent them, whilst keeping a sense of the theme’s basic identity continually in the background. Blacher’s 16 variations submit the theme to a wild, diabolically witty process of deconstruction and reconstruction. Amongst the many disguises the theme is made to wear are an intricate seven-part wind canon and a tango for solo clarinet. Every section of the orchestra has its turn in the spotlight, before the music finally builds to a brilliant conclusion.

Max Bruch 1838–1920

It would be good to think that Max Bruch derived some solid financial gain from the huge popularity of his First Violin Concerto. Sadly, the opposite is true. Bruch wrote the Concerto in 1866, when he was 28. Bruch clearly realised that it needed more work, so he took the inspired decision to consult the leading virtuoso Joseph Joachim, who was later to play such an important part in helping his friend Brahms refine and enrich the solo part in his famous Violin Concerto. Joachim gave the premiere of the revised Bruch Concerto in 1868, where it brought Bruch his first big and enduring success. Unwisely, Bruch then sold it to the publisher Cranz for a one-off payment, which meant that for years he had to endure seeing the work appear on concert billings all over the world, eclipsing most of his later works, whilst the takings went elsewhere. At the end of the First World War, when he was pitifully short of money, Bruch tried to raise some cash by offering his copy of the manuscript for sale in America, but he died without receiving a penny. Just as saddening is the thought that Bruch was not able to take pride in the success of his G minor Violin Concerto, because it really is an outstandingly beautiful and original work. Bruch calls his first movement

Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 Ray Chen violin 1 Vorspiel (Prelude): Allegro moderato 2 Adagio 3 Finale: Allegro energico

Vorspiel – ‘Prelude’ – and its role is, in many ways preparatory. The opening is hushed, expectant, the violin emerging with a series of improvisatory phrases, gradually growing in strength. A dark, turbulent Allegro movement emerges from this. There is a gentler, contrasting middle section, but the storm builds again. As this reaches its climax we might expect a full ‘recapitulation’, bringing back both main themes and leading to a virtuosic conclusion. Instead the violin sweeps upwards into a powerful, impassioned outburst for full orchestra, and we sense the scene changing. As the tempo slows to Adagio, the violin enters with a long-breathed, exquisite melody. This is the Concerto’s ‘Big Tune’, and we can now sense that the first movement has in fact been a preparation for this moment, and for the beautifully judged meditation on this melody that follows. The Finale moves on very effectively from the Adagio’s serene ending. Nervously excited at first, it quickly gains in strength until the violin sweeps in with a majestic virtuosic theme. If the slow movement was the great lyrical flowering we had been waiting for, the Finale brings the full explosion of technical display anticipated in that ‘Prelude’ first movement, building to a rousing conclusion.

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

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Programme notes continued

Anatoly Liadov

Kikimora The Enchanted Lake Baba Yaga

1855–1914

Although it was clear from an early age that Anatoly Liadov was hugely talented as pianist, teacher and above all as composer, his career fell far short of his original promise. Several times he tried his hand at composing large-scale projects, but each one came to nothing. Keen to encourage him, the great impresario Serge Diaghilev invited Liadov to compose a full-length score for his Ballets Russes in 1910, but once again Liadov’s courage failed, and his place was taken by an unknown young composer named Igor Stravinsky – the result, The Firebird. Liadov did have some success, however, with miniatures, like the three colourful and

atmospheric tone-poems performed here. Kikimora (1909) tells of the spiteful pranks of a Russian house demon of Russian folklore, while The Enchanted Lake (also 1909) portrays an alluringly beautiful but sinister lake deep within the Russian forests. Liadov’s Baba Yaga (1904) is not the unequivocally evil, hideous figure of Mussorgsky’s famous musical portrait, but a spirit who can work for good or evil, depending on how she is approached. Liadov seems to treat her more as a personification of the forests in which she dwells, their beauty and dangerous mystery.

Modest Mussorgsky

Pictures at an Exhibition orch. Maurice Ravel

1839–81

1 Promenade 2 Gnomus 3 Promenade 4 The Old Castle 5 Promenade 6 Tuileries 7 Bydło 8 Promenade – 9 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks 10 Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle 11 The Market Place at Limoges 12 Catacombæ (Sepulcrum Romanum) – 13 Cum mortuis in lingua mortua

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14 The Hut on Hen’s Legs 15 The Great Gate of Kiev

Few composers caused their friends more heartache than the Russian Modest Mussorgsky. To nationalists like the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and the critic Vladimir Stasov, this brilliant, vivacious, wonderfully individual young man was a force for good in the building of a Russian national style. But keeping his mind on the job was hard. So long as he stayed in focus, Mussorgsky would work quickly: Pictures at an Exhibition was written in a magnificent three-week

creative spurt in the summer of 1874. But he was easily distracted – especially if there was vodka to hand. In the end, his drinking killed him: he had just turned 42. Fine as it was, there were things about Pictures at an Exhibition that bothered his friends. Mussorgsky wrote Pictures for solo piano – but how suited to the piano was it? Stasov noted at once that there were ideas in it that sounded ‘purely orchestral’. After Mussorgsky’s death, more and more people began to feel that the music needed to be orchestrated. Various composers attempted this, but it was only when Maurice Ravel made his orchestral version in 1922 that Pictures really stuck in the repertoire. What Ravel achieved here is so effective that some listeners are surprised to discover that Pictures was actually written for piano: Ravel’s orchestral colours seem to ‘belong’ to the music.

awe-inspiring scene we move straight into an eerily muted version of the ‘Promenade’ theme in ‘Cum mortuis in lingua mortua’ (‘With the dead in a dead language’), in which Mussorgsky tries to imagine what his friend might be trying to tell him about the skulls. ‘The Hut on Hen’s Legs’ is the dwelling of the terrifying Russian witch Baba-Yaga, who flies through the air in a gigantic pestle and mortar and eats human bones. Just as her wild ride seems to be reaching its height, it is cut short by the dazzling brass chords of ‘The Great Gate of Kiev’. Hartmann’s design for a triumphal gateway in the Ukrainian capital city was never realised, so Mussorgsky built it for him in music, and Ravel adds the glittering bell sounds the music so clearly cries out for. Programme notes © Stephen Johnson

The ‘Exhibition’ of the title is an imaginary one, but the pictures are real. Mussorgsky had become a close friend of the painter Victor Hartmann, who also died young. Pictures at an Exhibition was written as a memorial to Hartmann, in which Mussorgsky groups together musical impressions of ten of his friend’s paintings, linked by a series of five ‘Promenades’, in which Mussorgsky represents his own thoughts and feelings as he walks around the gallery. After the introductory Promenade comes the first picture, ‘Gnomus’ – the gnome: a splendidly grotesque portrait, sometimes creepy, with perhaps a hint of tragedy. ‘The Old Castle’ shows a medieval minstrel singing and playing before an Italian castle. In a sudden flash of inspiration Ravel gave the minstrel’s song to a saxophone. ‘Tuileries’ refers to the famous ornamental gardens in Paris, where children are playing (and quarrelling) noisily. Then comes ‘Bydło’: two oxen are dragging a wagon along a muddy lane: Ravel’s choice of solo tuba for the melody is another masterstroke. ‘Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks’ is based on a series of costume designs by Hartmann for a show staged in St Petersburg. Ravel’s orchestration manages to suggest both glittering sequins and the clucking of the tiny chickens. ‘Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle’ represents two Jews, one poor and begging piteously, while the other, more prosperous, is sternly dismissive. ‘The Market Place at Limoges’ depicts gossip travelling like wildfire around a French marketplace. It is suddenly interrupted by stern brass in ‘Catacombæ’. From this

Recommended recordings of tonight’s works Many of our recommended recordings, where available, are on sale this evening at the Foyles stand in the Royal Festival Hall foyer. Blacher: Orchestral Variations on a Theme of Paganini Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin | Ferenc Fricsay (Deutsche Grammophon) Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 Ray Chen | London Philharmonic Orchestra Robert Trevino (Decca) Liadov: Kikimora, The Enchanted Lake, Baba Yaga BBC Philharmonic Orchestra | Vassily Sinaisky (Chandos) Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition London Philharmonic Orchestra | Kurt Masur (Teldec) or London Philharmonic Orchestra | Valery Gergiev (Philips)

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 11

GET

closer

next lpo concerts

AT Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall

wednesday 5 december 2018 7.30pm Weber Overture, Der Freischütz Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Bruckner Symphony No. 2 (1877 revised version) Vladimir Jurowski conductor Alena Baeva violin

saturday 8 december 2018 7.30pm

Stravinsky Variations (Aldous Huxley in Memoriam) Stravinsky Threni Stravinsky Tango Berio Sinfonia Vladimir Jurowski conductor Elizabeth Atherton soprano Maria Ostroukhova mezzo-soprano Thomas Walker tenor Joel Williams tenor Theodore Platt baritone Maxim Mikhailov bass* The Swingles London Philharmonic Choir

wednesday 16 january 2019 7.30pm

Arne Gieshoff Burr (world premiere)** Erkki-Sven Tüür Solastalgia for piccolo and orchestra (UK premiere)† Helen Grime Percussion Concerto (world premiere)†† Louis Andriessen Agamemnon (European premiere)

Anders Hillborg Sound Atlas (world premiere)‡ Marin Alsop conductor Stewart McIlwham piccolo Colin Currie percussion Concert generously supported by Dior.

* Please note a change of artist from previously advertised.

** Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra following Arne Gieshoff’s participation in the LPO Young Composers programme. † Commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, St. Louis Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestra. †† Commissioned by Southbank Centre, London, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Swedish Chamber Orchestra. ‡ Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Göteborgs Symfoniker.

Book now at lpo.org.uk or call 020 7840 4242 Season discounts of up to 30% available

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 Sir 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 The Rind Foundation Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski The Maurice Marks Charitable Trust Sir Bernard Rix David Ross & Line Forestier (Canada) Mr Paris Natar

Carolina & Martin Schwab Dr Brian Smith Lady Valerie Solti Mr & Mrs G Stein Dr Peter Stephenson Miss Anne Stoddart TFS Loans Limited 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 Querée 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

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Thank you

We are extremely grateful to all donors who have given generously to the LPO over the past year. Your generosity helps maintain the breadth and depth of the LPO’s activities, as well as supporting the Orchestra both on and off the concert platform.

Artistic Director’s Circle An anonymous donor Sir Simon & Lady Robey OBE Orchestra Circle The Candide Trust Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Neil Westreich The Tsukanov Family Dr James Huang Zheng (of Kingdom Music Education Group) Principal Associates Gabor Beyer, through BTO Management Consulting AG In memory of Ann Marguerite Collins Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Associates Steven M. Berzin Kay Bryan William & Alex de Winton George Ramishvili Stuart & Bianca Roden In memory of Hazel Amy Smith Gold Patrons David & Yi Buckley John Burgess Richard Buxton In memory of Allner Mavis Channing Garf & Gill Collins Andrew Davenport Sonja Drexler Mrs Gillian Fane Marie-Laure Favre-Gilly de Varennes de Beuill Hamish & Sophie Forsyth Virginia Gabbertas Mr Roger Greenwood The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Countess Dominique Loredan Geoff & Meg Mann

Sally Groves & Dennis Marks Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski Melanie Ryan Julian & Gill Simmonds Eric Tomsett The Viney Family Laurence Watt Silver Patrons Dr Christopher Aldren Peter Blanc Georgy Djaparidze Ulrike & Benno Engelmann Peter & Fiona Espenhahn Will & Kate Hobhouse Matt Isaacs & Penny Jerram John & Angela Kessler The Metherell Family Simon Millward Mikhail Noskov & Vasilina Bindley Susan Wallendahl Guy & Utti Whittaker

Drs Frank & Gek Lim Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva Maxim & Natalia Moskalev Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Peter & Lucy Noble Noel Otley JP & Mrs Rachel Davies Jacopo Pessina Mr Roger Phillimore Mr Michael Posen Tatiana Pyatigorskaya Dr Eva Lotta & Mr Thierry Sciard Tom & Phillis Sharpe Mr Christopher Stewart Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Andrew & Rosemary Tusa Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Marina Vaizey Grenville & Krysia Williams Christopher Williams Ed & Catherine Williams Mr Anthony Yolland

Bronze Patrons Anonymous donors Michael Allen Andrew Barclay Mr Geoffrey Bateman Peter & Adrienne Breen Mr Jeremy Bull Mr Alan C Butler Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Bruno De Kegel Mr John L G Deacon David Ellen Ignor & Lyuba Galkin Mrs Irina Gofman David Goldberg Mr Daniel Goldstein David & Jane Gosman Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Wim & Jackie Hautekiet-Clare Catherine Hogel & Ben Mardle J Douglas Home Mr James R. D. Korner Rose & Dudley Leigh

Principal Supporters Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Margot Astrachan Mr Philip Bathard-Smith Mr Edwin Bisset Dr Anthony Buckland Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen Sir Alan Collins KCVO David & Liz Conway Mr Alistair Corbett Mrs Alina Davey Guy Davies Henry Davis MBE Mr Richard Fernyhough Patrice & Federica Feron Ms Kerry Gardner Malcolm Herring Ivan Hurry Per Jonsson Mr Ralph Kanza Ms Katerina Kashenceva Vadim & Natalia Levin Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Mr Christopher Little

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Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr Peter Mace Mr John Meloy Andrew T Mills Dr Karen Morton Dr Wiebke Pekrull Mr James Pickford Andrew & Sarah Poppleton Natalie Pray Mr Christopher Querée Martin & Cheryl Southgate Ms Nadia Stasyuk Matthew Stephenson & Roman Aristarkhov Louise Walton Howard & Sheelagh Watson Des & Maggie Whitelock Liz Winter Bill Yoe Supporters Mr John D Barnard Mr Bernard Bradbury Mr Richard Brooman Mrs Alan Carrington Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington Mr Joshua Coger Mr Geoffrey A Collens Miss Tessa Cowie Lady Jane Cuckney OBE Mr David Devons Samuel Edge Manuel Fajardo & Clémence Humeau Mrs Janet Flynn Christopher Fraser OBE Will Gold Mr Peter Gray Mrs Maureen HooftGraafland The Jackman Family Mr David MacFarlane Mr Frederic Marguerre Mr Mark Mishon Mr Stephen Olton Mr David Peters Mr & Mrs Graham & Jean Pugh Mr David Russell Mr Kenneth Shaw

Ms Elizabeth Shaw Ms Natalie Spraggon & Mr David Thomson Mr John Weekes Joanna Williams Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd Hon. Life Members Alfonso Aijón Kenneth Goode Carol Colburn Grigor CBE Pehr G Gyllenhammar Robert Hill Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE Laurence Watt LPO International Board of Governors Natasha Tsukanova Chair Steven M. Berzin (USA) Gabor Beyer (Hungary) Kay Bryan (Australia) Marie-Laure Favre Gilly de Varennes de Bueil (France) Joyce Kan (China/Hong Kong) Olivia Ma (Greater China Area) Olga Makharinsky (Russia) George Ramishvili (Georgia) Victoria Robey OBE (USA) Dr James Huang Zheng (of Kingdom Music Education Group) (China/ Shenzhen)

We are grateful to the Board of the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, who assist with fundraising for our activities in the United States of America: Simon Freakley Chairman Xenia Hanusiak Alexandra Jupin William A. Kerr Kristina McPhee Natalie Pray Stephanie Yoshida Antony Phillipson Hon. Chairman Noel Kilkenny Hon. Director Victoria Robey OBE Hon. Director Richard Gee, Esq Of Counsel Jenifer L. Keiser, CPA, EisnerAmper LLP Corporate Donors Arcadis Christian Dior Couture Faraday Fenchurch Advisory Partners IMG Pictet Bank Steppes Travel White & Case LLP

Corporate Members Gold freuds Sunshine Silver After Digital Berenberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce Bronze Ageas Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Walpole Preferred Partners Fever-Tree Heineken Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd London Orthopaedic Clinic Sipsmith Steinway Villa Maria In-kind Sponsor Google Inc Trusts and Foundations The Bernarr Rainbow Trust The Boltini Trust Sir William Boreman’s Foundation Borletti-Buitoni Trust Boshier-Hinton Foundation The Candide Trust The Ernest Cook Trust Diaphonique, Franco-British Fund for contemporary music The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The Foyle Foundation Lucille Graham Trust Help Musicians UK

John Horniman’s Children’s Trust The Idlewild Trust Embassy of the State of Israel to the United Kingdom Kirby Laing Foundation The Lawson Trust The Leverhulme Trust Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation London Stock Exchange Group Foundation Lord & Lady Lurgan Trust Marsh Christian Trust The Mercers’ Company Adam Mickiewicz Institute Newcomen Collett Foundation The Stanley Picker Trust The Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust PRS For Music Foundation The Radcliffe Trust Rivers Foundation Romanian Cultural Institute The R K Charitable Trust The Sampimon Trust Schroder Charity Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation The David Solomons Charitable Trust Souter Charitable Trust The Steel Charitable Trust Spears-Stutz Charitable Trust The John Thaw Foundation The Thistle Trust UK Friends of the FelixMendelssohn-BartholdyFoundation The Clarence Westbury Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust The William Alwyn Foundation and all others who wish to remain anonymous.

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Administration

Board of Directors Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Stewart McIlwham* President Gareth Newman* Vice-President Dr Catherine C. Høgel Vice-Chairman Henry Baldwin* Roger Barron Richard Brass David Buckley Bruno De Kegel Martin Höhmann* Al MacCuish Susanne Martens* Pei-Jee Ng* Andrew Tusa Timothy Walker AM Neil Westreich David Whitehouse* * Player-Director Advisory Council Martin Höhmann Chairman Rob Adediran Christopher Aldren Dr Manon Antoniazzi Richard Brass Desmond Cecil CMG Sir Alan Collins KCVO CMG Andrew Davenport William de Winton Cameron Doley Edward Dolman Christopher Fraser OBE Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Amanda Hill Rehmet Kassim-Lakha Jamie Korner Geoff Mann Clive Marks OBE FCA Stewart McIlwham Andrew Neill Nadya Powell Sir Bernard Rix Victoria Robey OBE Baroness Shackleton Thomas Sharpe QC Julian Simmonds Barry Smith Martin Southgate Andrew Swarbrick Sir John Tooley Chris Viney Timothy Walker AM Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter

General Administration Timothy Walker AM Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Education and Community Isabella Kernot Education and Community Director

Public Relations Albion Media (Tel: 020 3077 4930)

David Burke General Manager and Finance Director

Talia Lash Education and Community Manager