London Philharmonic Orchestra 31 January 2016 Eastbourne concert programme by London Philharmonic Orchestra

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne Concert programme 2015/16 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

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne Sunday 31 January 2016 | 3.00pm

Wagner Prelude to Act 1, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (10’) Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 (23’) Interval Khachaturian Masquerade Suite (17’) Tchaikovsky Swan Lake (excerpts) (23’)

Matthew Wood conductor Tianwa Yang violin

CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA IN ASSOCIATION WITH EASTBOURNE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Programme £2.50 Contents 2 Welcome Orchestra News 3 On stage today 4 About the Orchestra 5 Matthew Wood 6 Tianwa Yang 7 Programme notes 12 2015/16 Eastbourne Appeal Recent CD releases 13 Next LPO Eastbourne concerts 14 Sound Futures donors 15 Supporters 16 LPO administration The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide.

Tianwa Yang will be available to sign copies of her CDs during the interval of today's performance. The CDs will be sold at the main kiosk.

Welcome

Orchestra news

Welcome to the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne

Happy New Year! The Orchestra is delighted to be back at the Congress Theatre for 2016. Today we welcome two artists making their London Philharmonic Orchestra debuts: conductor Matthew Wood and violinist Tianwa Yang. Our next visit to Eastbourne will be a Valentine's Day concert on Sunday 14 February featuring Sibelius's beautiful, optimistic Fifth Symphony. We are delighted that our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Vladimir Jurowski will return to Eastbourne for a programme of Russian works by Medtner and Tchaikovsky on Sunday 6 March. And on Sunday 17 April we present a selection from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet – part of a series inspired by the Bard as part of the worldwide Shakespeare anniversary celebrations of 2016. See full listings on page 13, pick up a brochure in the foyer, or find out more and book online: lpo.org.uk/whats-on-and-tickets

Artistic Director Chris Jordan General Manager Gavin Davis Welcome to this afternoon’s performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. We hope you enjoy the concert and your visit here. As a courtesy to others, please ensure mobile phones and watch alarms are switched off during the performance. Thank you. We are delighted and proud to have the London Philharmonic Orchestra reside at the Congress Theatre for the 19th year. Thank you, our audience, for continuing to support the concert series. Without you, these concerts would not be possible. We welcome comments from our customers. Should you wish to contribute, please speak to the House Manager on duty, email theatres@eastbourne.gov.uk or write to Gavin Davis, General Manager, Eastbourne Theatres, Compton Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4BP.

Glyndebourne 2016 Each summer the Orchestra bids a fond farewell to the Royal Festival Hall and heads for the Sussex countryside for the Glyndebourne season, where it is Resident Symphony Orchestra. This summer Glyndebourne’s contributions to the 'Shakespeare400' anniversary year are a production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – a revival of the 1981 production directed by Peter Hall – and a new production of Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict. Also featuring this year is Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with conductor Robin Ticciati. The DVD of the previous production in 2011, with Vladimir Jurowski at the helm, won the BBC Music Magazine Award 2015 for Best Opera and we look forward to revisiting the opera with Robin. The other operas with the LPO are Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia and Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. Public booking opens on 7 March. glyndebourne.com LPO on tour The Orchestra recently returned from a tour to the Canary Islands where we performed in Gran Canaria and Tenerife with conductors Andrés Orozco-Estrada and Christopher Franklin, along with soloists Juan Diego Flórez (tenor) and Denis Matsuev (piano). We're busy performing in London and around the UK in February before our next tour to Brussels in March and Madrid a few days later. Tickets are available for all tour concerts: visit lpo.org.uk/tours.

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On stage today

First Violins Vesselin Gellev Leader Ilyoung Chae Chair supported by an anonymous donor

Martin Hรถhmann Chair supported by The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust

Geoffrey Lynn Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp

Caroline Frenkel Robert Yeomans Galina Tanney Maeve Jenkinson Kate Cole Georgina Leo John Dickinson Joanne Chen Second Violins Dania Alzapiedi Guest Principal Nancy Elan Fiona Higham Joseph Maher Elizabeth Baldey Gavin Davies Anna Croad Jamie Hutchinson Cathy Fox Naomi Anner Violas Jon Thorne Guest Principal Gregory Aronovich Katharine Leek Benedetto Pollani Alistair Scahill Linda Kidwell Sarah Malcolm Martin Wray

Cellos Steffan Morris Guest Principal Francis Bucknall David Lale Gregory Walmsley Elisabeth Wiklander Chair supported by The Viney Family

Susanna Riddell Double Basses George Peniston Principal Laurence Lovelle Lowri Morgan Ben Wolstenholme Flutes Stewart McIlwham* Principal Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra

Hannah Grayson Piccolo Marta Santamaria Oboes Jenny Brittlebank Guest Principal Lydia Griffiths Clarinets Thomas Watmough Paul Richards Bassoons Gareth Newman Principal Simon Estell

Horns Stephen Stirling Guest Principal Alex Wide Stephen Nicholls Gareth Mollison Jonathan Quaintrell-Evans Trumpets Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney* Chair supported by Geoff & Meg Mann

Nicholas Betts Co-Principal 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 Harp Lucy Haslar Guest Principal * Holds a professorial appointment in London Meet our members: lpo.org.uk/players

Chair Supporters The London Philharmonic Orchestra also acknowledges the following chair supporters whose players are not present at this concert: Sonja Drexler David & Victoria Graham Fuller Simon Robey Victoria Robey OBE Bianca and Stuart Roden Eric Tomsett Laurence Watt Neil Westreich

Contrabassoon Simon Estell Principal

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London Philharmonic Orchestra

‘It was 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 orchestral

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masterpieces. 2015/16 is a strong year 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, Jukka-Pekka 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

Vesselin Gellev 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 80 releases available on CD and to download. Recent additions include Messiaen’s Des Canyons Aux Étoiles under Christoph Eschenbach, 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 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.

Bulgarian violinist Vesselin Gellev has been a featured soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra and Juilliard Orchestra, among others. He won First Prize at the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York as a member of the Antares Quartet, and has recorded several albums and toured worldwide as Concertmaster of Kristjan Järvi’s Grammynominated Absolute Ensemble. Vesselin has performed as Guest Leader with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Vesselin studied at The Juilliard School, and joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Sub-Leader in 2007.

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 on Facebook and Twitter. Find out more and get involved! lpo.org.uk facebook.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra twitter.com/LPOrchestra youtube.com/londonphilharmonic7

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Matthew Wood conductor

A great deal of flair ... drawing unexpected colours out of the great welter of sound. Sydney Morning Herald

Australian conductor Matthew Wood has worked with many of the UK's leading orchestras including the Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and BBC Philharmonic, and at the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. He held the position of Associate Conductor with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for three years. Today's concert is Matthew's debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Matthew completed his undergraduate music studies with first class honours at the University of New South Wales, majoring in composition. He then undertook postgraduate conducting studies at the Sydney Conservatorium before continuing his studies under the renowned conductor pedagogue Jorma Panula.

matthewwood.org Matthew has also made numerous appearances outside the UK as a regular guest conductor with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile, the Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia Madrid and the Brasov Philharmonic in Romania. Most recently Matthew returned to Australia to take up the position of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted many of Australia’s other leading ensembles including the Melbourne, Tasmanian and Queensland symphony orchestras. He is also in demand as a conducting teacher, and is a regular guest lecturer and conductor at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he held the coveted position of Conducting Fellow from 2005–07. During this time Matthew was selected to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra as part of its LSO Discovery Conducting Scheme, and received tuition from Sir Mark Elder and Sir Colin Davis.

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twitter.com/mattconductor

Tianwa Yang violin

In Tianwa Yang we find an artist of exceptional technique and musicianship. Above all, her tone, particularly at the extremes, is heart-meltingly beautiful.

Roger Nichols, BBC Music Magazine

Winner of the prestigious 2015 ECHO Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year Award and the German Record Critics' Award 2014 for her Naxos recordings of the Mendelssohn Violin Concertos and Sarasate's complete violin music, Tianwa Yang has been hailed as 'an unquestioned master of the violin' (American Record Guide) who 'rises above her competition' (Fanfare), while quickly establishing herself as a leading international performer and recording artist. Today's concert is her debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. A resident of Germany, Tianwa Yang has appeared with such major orchestras as the Detroit, Seattle, Baltimore, Nashville, Kansas City, Pacific, Toledo, SWR-Baden Baden-Freiburg and New Zealand symphony orchestras, as well as the MDR-Sinfonieorchester-Leipzig, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Orchestre National d'Île de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the Royal Liverpool, BBC, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Buffalo, Deutsche Radio, Erfurt and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras. Other international engagements have included the Ravinia Festival, Virginia Arts Festival, Schwetzinger Festival, London’s Wigmore Hall, Paris’s Salle Pleyel, New York’s Rose Theater and Lincoln Center, and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. As a Naxos recording artist, Tianwa most recently released the Violin Concertos by Castelnuovo-Tedesco recorded with the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-BadenFreiburg and the complete Solo Sonatas by Ysaÿe, which immediately won several awards. Her Mendelssohn Violin Concertos album earned her the accolade 'one of the best new violinists of the new century' by MusicWeb International. Of her previously released recordings of Sarasate’s complete works for violin

as an eight-disc set, David Hurwitz of Classics Today called Tianwa Yang a 'sensationally talented violinist', while All Things Strings praises her 'stunning effortless virtuosity' and 'uncanny affinity for Spanish music'. The Complete Works for Violin and Piano by Wolfgang Rihm was released in late 2012, and she has also recorded Piazzolla’s Las 4 Estaciones Porteñas with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Vivaldi/Piazzolla Eight Seasons performed with her own ensemble. Tianwa Yang continues to build her growing reputation in concert halls across Europe, Australasia and North America. Most recently she made debuts with the Royal Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic and Edmonton Symphony orchestras. Forthcoming debuts The Florida Orchestra, the Vancouver and Winnipeg symphonies, and the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne. Raised in the Chinese capital city, Tianwa began studying violin at the age of four. Aged ten she was accepted to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Tianwa recorded the Paganini's 24 Caprices at the age of 13, making her the youngest artist to release the works. In 2003 she was awarded a scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service to study chamber music in Germany, marking the beginning of her European career. Tianwa Yang is the recipient of the much coveted ECHO Klassik Award for Best Up-and-Coming Artist 2014. She is a Professor of Violin at the University of the Arts in Bern, Switzerland. She performs on a Guarneri del Gesu (1730) on kind loan from Mr Kei Mei Rin in Singapore.

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Programme notes

Speedread Wagner's great comic opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg was premiered in 1868, though the Prelude was first performed six years earlier. Incorporating many themes from the opera itself, this Prelude culminates in a passage which is widely admired as a compositional tour de force, as Wagner combines several of his themes simultaneously.

Khachaturian is the only Armenian composer of international reputation, though only a few works are widely known – his ballet scores for Gayaneh and Spartacus, his Violin Concerto and the suite from Masquerade, all distinguished by memorable melodies and the influence of folk music. The Waltz from Masquerade is among his most popular pieces.

Less than a year before that Wagner premiere, Max Bruch completed the revised version of his First Violin Concerto, the only one of his works to have secured a firm place in the repertoire. Sadly, Bruch sold the work to his publishers for a one-off payment, unwittingly denying himself the handsome royalties which would have accrued from its exceptional popularity.

Before Tchaikovsky, ballet music was generally conventional and mediocre in quality. Of Tchaikovsky's great three ballets Swan Lake is the earliest but he immediately found the genre a source of fantastic inspiration. His instinctive flair for the natural elegance, drama and fantasy of this art form has never been surpassed.

Richard Wagner

Prelude to Act 1, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

1813–83

Apart from the very early Das Liebesverbot, based on Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, Wagner wrote only one comic opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg). With a libretto by the composer himself (in common with all his mature stage-works), the opera was premiered in Munich on 21 June 1868. The setting is Nuremberg in the 16th century. The young Franconian knight Walther von Stolzing is in love with Eva. However, her father Pogner, a goldsmith, has promised her hand to whomever wins first prize in the imminent song festival. Now Walther has to seek admission to the Mastersingers’ art union, but his song is rejected for violating too many of the rules. Beckmesser, the pedantic town clerk who records on his slate each of these 'faults', was a character created by Wagner to symbolise his protest against

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his own critics. (Originally he was named Hans Lick, an unsubtle attack on Eduard Hanslick, a sharp critic of Wagner’s own compositional techniques.) The Prelude, first performed in 1862, six years before the opera's premiere, is spacious and emotionally wide-ranging, incorporating those lighter elements of wit and sprightliness not generally associated with Wagner’s music. Numerous themes from the opera are presented in this Prelude, including the stately opening in C major evoking the dignitaries of the Mastersingers’ Guild, a more lyrical melody rather suggestive of sighing, 'Walther’s Prize Song' (a deeply expressive melody in E major on the strings), and a staccato woodwind version of the opening theme. This staccato theme, representing the Mastersingers’

young apprentices, is a parody that reduces the original pomposity to irreverence. Following a big crescendo, the opening returns, now re-orchestrated, and the Prelude culminates in a widely admired

passage in which Wagner combines several of his themes simultaneously – a magnificent compositional tour de force.

Max Bruch

Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26

1838–1920

Unlike other composers of celebrated violin concertos – Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Sibelius among them – Max Bruch is virtually a ‘one-work composer’. Although his Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra and Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra are occasionally performed, it was the first of his three violin concertos that made his name. Sadly, Bruch sold the work to his publishers for a one-off payment, thereby denying himself the handsome royalties that would have accrued from its immense popularity. While composing his First Violin Concerto, the selfdoubting Bruch anxiously consulted the great violinists Joseph Joachim and Ferdinand David. He wrote to the publisher Fritz Simrock: ‘It is a damned difficult thing to do ... I rewrote my concerto at least half a dozen times’. Over-familiarity with this Concerto may well allow us to forget the originality of the opening movement, unusually entitled Prelude. The Concerto begins with a quiet timpani roll and a simple woodwind phrase, followed by a brief, rhapsodic exchange between soloist and orchestra. A string tremolando, with an important rhythmic figure established in cellos and basses, then provides support for a declamatory passage for the violin. The distinctive rhythmic figure becomes more insistent, before a diminuendo prepares for the soloist’s introduction of a contrasting, lyrical second theme. Bravura figuration for the violin leads to an extended and

Tianwa Yang violin 1 Vorspiel (Prelude): Allegro moderato – 2 Adagio 3 Finale: Allegro energico

vigorous orchestral passage in which the rhythmic figure is reinforced in more sustained note-values. A return to the opening phrases seems to herald an orthodox recapitulation, but here Bruch surprisingly substitutes a linking passage leading directly into the slow movement. Both this transition and the slow movement itself reveal the composer at his most lyrically inspired. Although there are three distinct themes, the deeply felt Adagio gives the impression of one continuous stream of melody. A quiet rhythmic figure on the timpani leads to a magical restatement of the opening theme in a distant key. Here an increasingly passionate and elaborate solo violin part dominates a passage that builds to a powerful orchestral climax, before the music eventually ebbs away in the final bars. This Adagio includes some of the most gloriously effective and gratifying violinwriting in the entire concerto repertoire. The strongly rhythmic character of the Finale provides contrast to the sumptuous melodic flow of the Adagio. An orchestral crescendo begins, with repeated anticipations of the first few notes of the main theme to come. Eventually the solo violin enters, playing this flamboyant theme in full. After some brilliant passagework for the soloist, the second theme is introduced – a broad, noble melody heard first in the orchestra then on the violin. Following a concise development and orthodox recapitulation, the coda accelerates towards a brilliant Presto with the soloist dominating throughout.

Interval – 20 minutes An announcement will be made five minutes before the end of the interval. London Philharmonic Orchestra | 9

Programme notes continued

Aram Khachaturian 1903–78

For most of his career the Armenian-born Khachaturian enjoyed celebrity as a leading member of the Soviet musical establishment. However, along with more obviously controversial composers such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev, he was indicted for 'formalism' in Andrey Zhdanov’s infamous decree of 1948. Such alleged formalism contravened Stalin’s prescribed ideal musical qualities of melodiousness, optimism and patriotism. Actually Khachaturian’s inclusion among the 'bad boys' is difficult to understand, because his musical language was generally romantic and folk-influenced, conforming to the Stalinist ideal. Khachaturian's passion for music ignited rather late, though he did make rapid progress thereafter. By 1922 he was studying at Gnessin Musical Institute and in 1929 he transferred to Miaskovsky’s composition class at the Moscow Conservatory. His interest in Armenian folk music and oriental-sounding melodies was already reflected in his graduation piece, the First Symphony of 1934. His Piano Concerto of 1936 and Violin Concerto of four years later remain among his most enduring works, while his ballet scores Gayaneh and Spartacus have also attracted widespread acclaim. Individual numbers from these ballets – the 'Sabre Dance' and the 'Adagio' (used in TV’s The Onedin Line) respectively – have achieved phenomenal popularity.

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Suite from Incidental Music to Masquerade 1 Waltz 2 Nocturne 3 Mazurka 4 Romance 5 Galop

Khachaturian wrote the incidental music for a new production of the verse play Masquerade by the Russian poet Lermontov (1814–41). This production was staged in Moscow on 21 June 1941, the day before Russia's official entry into World War II. The setting is decadent St Petersburg in the 1830s after the suppression of the Decembrists’ attempted coup. Arbenin, a worldweary aristocrat, suspects his wife Nina of adultery and murders her by mixing poison into her ice cream at a ball. When her innocence is subsequently proved he is horrified to have killed her without cause and loses his mind. The plot bears an obvious resemblance to Shakespeare's Othello. The suite that the composer extracted from the incidental music begins with the memorable Waltz, another Khachaturian number that has become universally popular as an independent 'lollipop'. It was also played at his own funeral. The Nocturne is typical of the composer’s rich lyrical gift, while the Mazurka has the stress on the second beat of the bar which typifies this Polish folk dance. Another contrastingly lyrical movement, the Romance, is followed by the outrageous Galop, reminiscent of Russian circus music. A clarinet cadenza briefly interrupts, before the flute returns us to the mood of manic high spirits.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–93

Before Tchaikovsky, ballet music was a genre of low status and mostly mediocre quality. Ballet-masters had required merely serviceable, decorative music, so that the dancing should always command undivided attention. Therefore serious composers of any ambition tended to show little interest in ballet. Knowledge of this history helps us to fully appreciate the revolutionary effect of Tchaikovsky’s three great ballet scores. Tchaikovsky overcame his initial doubts about composing for the ballet and, in response to a commission, completed Swan Lake in 1876. With this magical score he transformed the genre of ballet music. His melodic inspiration is memorable, structural links are emphasised by a purposeful, 'symphonic' progression of keys, while his orchestration is wonderfully refined and colourful.

Swan Lake (excerpts) From the Concert Suite: Scène Valse Danse des cygnes Csárdás (Danse Hongroise) Finale from the ballet

In the finale of the complete ballet score Siegfried belatedly enters, begging Odette's forgiveness, which she is unable to grant. The Prince means Odette to be his for ever and, as she falls into his arms (against the background of a storm), they disappear together into the depths of the lake. In the moonlight the swans are seen on the water. With throbbing woodwind accompaniment and harp arpeggios, the strings play a passionate melody, but this gradually subsides and the famous oboe melody – the swan-maiden theme – is recalled above a nervously syncopated accompaniment. Following a big climax, the oboe melody is finally transformed into the major key in a grand apotheosis. The successive musical numbers of the entire final act are unified by close melodic relationships and an almost symphonic development – both features that were unprecedented in ballet music. Programme notes © Philip Borg-Wheeler

Taken from Act Two of the ballet, the 'Scène' that begins the familiar suite introduces an expressive oboe melody, subsequently taken up by the horns and completed by the upper strings. The celebrated 'Valse' (from Act One) begins with a short introduction (pizzicato strings) leading to the seductive waltz theme on first violins, but this is merely the first of a wonderfully diverse succession of melodies displaying Tchaikovsky's apparently inexhaustible gift. In the 'Danse des cygnes' from Act Two the two oboes play a delightfully piquant melody in thirds above bassoon accompaniment, but as the orchestration fills out Tchaikovsky develops and extends this melody. The 'Csárdás' is from a sequence of national dances in Act Three. Here Tchaikovsky adopts the style of this traditional Hungarian folk dance, which typically begins moderately slowly and in melancholy mood but finishes in a much faster tempo.

Recommended recordings of this afternoon's works Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Klaus Tennstedt | London Philharmonic Orchestra [LPO Label LPO-0003] Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 Kyung-wha Chung | London Philharmonic Orchestra | Klaus Tennstedt [EMI: now Warner] Khachaturian: Masquerade Suite Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Neeme Järvi [Chandos] Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Concertgebouw Orchestra | Anatole Fistoulari [Australian Eloquence]

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London Philharmonic Orchestra 2015/16 Eastbourne Appeal The London Philharmonic Orchestra is extremely proud of its longstanding relationship with Eastbourne and we hope that you have enjoyed this season’s concerts so far. As you may be aware, this year’s Eastbourne Appeal aims to secure support towards the Orchestra’s educational activities, ensuring that young people – particularly those in under-resourced areas – have the opportunity to access their first orchestral experience. With no funding for education work included in our annual public grant there is a critical need to secure funding for such initiatives. We would like to ask our Eastbourne audiences to help us underwrite the cost of 650 tickets by making a contribution to our 2015/16 Eastbourne Appeal. Any donation, large or small, is highly valued by us, and just £9 can enable one child to attend a concert. To donate, please visit lpo.org.uk/eastbourneappeal or contact Helen Yang on 020 7840 4225 or helen.yang@lpo.org.uk. We have currently reached over half of our goal and would like to thank those of you who have already given so generously to this year’s Appeal.

Recent releases on the LPO label The Genius of Film Music: Hollywood Blockbusters 1960s to 1980s John Mauceri conductor £10.99 (2 CDs) | LPO-0086

Beethoven: Coriolan Overture Symphony No. 5

Klaus Tennstedt conductor A BBC recording £6.99 | LPO-0087

Browse the catalogue and sign up for updates at lpo.org.uk/recordings 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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at Congress Theatre, Eastbourne Sunday 14 February 2016 | 3.00pm VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT Nielsen Helios Overture Schumann Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 5 Christian Kluxen conductor Jayson Gillham piano

Sunday 6 March 2016 | 3.00pm Medtner Piano Concerto No. 2 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Marc-André Hamelin piano

Sunday 17 April 2016 | 3.00pm De Falla The Three-cornered Hat (Suite No. 2) Rodrigo Fantasía para un gentilhombre* Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet (excerpts) Jaime Martín conductor Miloš Karadaglić guitar *Please note a change to the work from originally advertised

Tickets £13–£29 plus £1 postage per booking. Box Office 01323 412000 Book online at eastbournetheatres.co.uk

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

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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 Dr Eva Lotta & Mr Thierry Sciard Mr & Mrs David Malpas Mr & Mrs G Stein Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Lady Marina Vaizey 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 Michael Posen Alexey & Anastasia Reznikovich Mr Konstantin Sorokin Martin and Cheryl Southgate Mr Peter Tausig 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 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 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 Martin Southgate Sir Philip Thomas Sir John Tooley Chris Viney Timothy Walker AM Elizabeth Winter 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

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

Roanna Gibson Concerts Director

Nick Jackman Development Director

Graham Wood Concerts and Recordings Manager

Catherine Faulkner Development Events 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 Damian Davis Transport 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