2021/22 concert season at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
Concert programme
Principal Conductor Edward Gardner supported by Aud Jebsen Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski Patron HRH The Duke of Kent KG Artistic Director Elena Dubinets Chief Executive David Burke Leader Pieter Schoeman supported by Neil Westreich
Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Friday 14 January 2022 | 7.30pm
Soltani plays Shostakovich Barber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 (20’) Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat, Op. 107 (28’) Interval (20’) Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 (40’) Marin Alsop conductor Kian Soltani cello
Free pre-concert event: Foyle Future Firsts Royal Festival Hall | 6.00pm The LPO’s flagship Foyle Future First Development Programme bridges the transition between education and the professional platform for 17 exceptionally talented instrumentalists annually. In this performance, the Future Firsts take to the stage alongside LPO members under the baton of LPO Composer-in-Residence Brett Dean in a programme of contemporary music.
The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide. CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Contents 2 Welcome LPO news 3 On stage tonight 4 London Philharmonic Orchestra 5 Leader: Pieter Schoeman 6 Marin Alsop 7 Kian Soltani 8 Programme notes 11 Recommended recordings 12 Next concerts 13 Sound Futures donors 14 Thank you 16 LPO administration
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
Welcome to the Southbank Centre
LPO news
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Open the Doors: LPO Annual Appeal 2022
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We look forward to seeing you again soon. A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment: Photography is not allowed in the auditorium.
FUNharmonics are back!
Latecomers will only be admitted to the auditorium if there is a suitable break in the performance.
November saw our first FUNharmonics family concert at the Royal Festival Hall since 2019. It was great to welcome back our youngest audiences, who experienced the colourful world of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, brought to life by presenter Rachel Leach and conductor Michael Seal.
Recording is not permitted in the auditorium without the prior consent of the Southbank Centre. The Southbank Centre reserves the right to confiscate video or sound equipment and hold it in safekeeping until the performance has ended. Mobiles and watches should be switched off before the performance begins.
We’re looking forward to our next FUNharmonics concert on Sunday 13 February at 12 noon, when Michael and the Orchestra will be joined by presenter Polly Ives to tell the heroic story of Sir Scallywag and the Golden Underpants, based on the book by Giles Andreae and Korky Paul, with music by Paul Rissmann. Suitable for ages 5+ and with free pre-concert activities from 10am, the concert is on sale now: visit lpo.org.uk/funharmonics
Enjoying your visit safely In light of the recent Government guidance on COVID-19, the Southbank Centre has introduced additional precautions for visitors. Face coverings must be worn throughout your visit, including during performances. The only exceptions to this are for those who are exempt from wearing face coverings, children under the age of 11, and when you are eating and drinking.
Enjoyed tonight’s concert? Help us to share the wonder of the LPO by making a donation today. Use the QR code to donate via the LPO website. Thank you.
In order to enter our buildings, all visitors over the age of 18 should arrive prepared to present an NHS COVID Pass or equivalent. For more information please visit southbankcentre.co.uk/visit or speak to a member of Southbank Centre staff.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
On stage tonight First Violins
Pieter Schoeman* Leader Chair supported by Neil Westreich
Vesselin Gellev Sub-Leader Kate Oswin Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra
Lasma Taimina
Chair supported by Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave
Thomas Eisner Martin Höhmann
Chair supported by Chris Aldren
Yang Zhang
Chair supported by Eric Tomsett
Laura Ayoub Katalin Varnagy
Chair supported by Sonja Drexler
Sophie Phillips Nilufar Alimaksumova Amanda Smith Ronald Long Caroline Sharp Tina Gruenberg Rasa Zukauskaite
Second Violins
Tania Mazzetti Principal Chair supported by Countess Dominique Loredan
Emma Oldfield Helena Smart Kate Birchall Nancy Elan Fiona Higham
Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley
Nynke Hijlkema Jessica Coleman Joseph Maher Emma Crossley Marie-Anne Mairesse Lyrit Milgram Ashley Stevens
Violas
Flutes
Trumpets
Piccolo
Trombones
Fiona Kelly Guest Principal Hannah Grayson Stewart McIlwham*
David Quiggle Principal Richard Waters Co-Principal
Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp
Katharine Leek Benedetto Pollani Laura Vallejo Naomi Holt Daniel Cornford Martin Fenn Kim Becker Shiry Rashkovsky Mark Gibbs
Stewart McIlwham* Principal
Oboes
Ian Hardwick* Principal Alice Munday
Cor Anglais
Cellos
Sue Böhling* Principal
Kristina Blaumane Principal Chair supported by Bianca & Stuart Roden
Pei-Jee Ng Co-Principal
Chair supported by The Candide Trust
Mark Templeton* Principal Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton
David Whitehouse
Bass Trombone
Lyndon Meredith Principal
Tuba
Chair supported by Dr Barry Grimaldi
Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal
Clarinets
Timpani
Benjamin Mellefont Principal Thomas Watmough
Francis Bucknall Susanna Riddell Tom Roff Helen Rathbone David Bucknall Iain Ward Jane Lindsay
Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney David Hilton
Simon Carrington* Principal Chair supported by Victoria Robey OBE
Chair supported by Roger Greenwood
Bass Clarinet
Paul Richards* Principal
Bassoons
Double Basses
Jonathan Davies Principal
Kevin Rundell* Principal Hugh Kluger George Peniston Tom Walley
Chair supported by Sir Simon Robey
Gareth Newman
Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton
Laura Murphy Charlotte Kerbegian Lowri Morgan Cathy Colwell
Andrew Barclay* Principal Chair supported by Gill & Garf Collins
Henry Baldwin Keith Millar
Harp
Rachel Masters Principal
Contrabassoon
Celeste
Simon Estell* Principal
Catherine Edwards
Horns
* Holds a professorial appointment in London
John Ryan* Principal Nicholas Mooney Guest Principal
Martin Hobbs Mark Vines Co-Principal Gareth Mollison
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Percussion
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
© Mark Allan
London Philharmonic Orchestra
the Orchestra takes up its annual residency at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 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.
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 concert performances, the Orchestra also records film soundtracks, releases CDs and downloads on its own label, and reaches thousands of people every year through activities for families, schools and local communities.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded many blockbuster film scores, 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 highlights include Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 under Vladimir Jurowski, and a commemorative box set of historic recordings with former Principal Conductor Sir Adrian Boult.
The Orchestra was founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932, and has since been headed by many great conductors including Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt and Kurt Masur. In September 2021 Edward Gardner became the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor, succeeding Vladimir Jurowski, who became Conductor Emeritus in recognition of his transformative impact on the Orchestra as Principal Conductor from 2007–21. Karina Canellakis is the Orchestra’s current Principal Guest Conductor and Brett Dean is the Orchestra’s current Composer-in-Residence.
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 is resident at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, where it gives around 40 concerts each season. It also enjoys flourishing residencies in Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden, and performs regularly around the UK. Each summer
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
Pieter Schoeman
The London Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians, and recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 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. Its dynamic and wide-ranging programme provides first musical experiences for children and families; offers creative projects and professional development opportunities for schools and teachers; inspires talented teenage instrumentalists to progress their skills; and develops the next generation of professional musicians. The Orchestra’s work at the forefront of digital technology has enabled it to reach millions of people worldwide. Over the pandemic period the LPO further developed its relationship with UK and international audiences through its ‘LPOnline’ digital content: over 100 videos of performances, insights, and introductions to playlists, which collectively received over 3 million views worldwide and led to the LPO being named runner-up in the Digital Classical Music Awards 2020. From Autumn 2020 the Orchestra was delighted to be able to return to its Southbank Centre home to perform a season of concerts filmed live and streamed free of charge via Marquee TV.
© Benjamin Ealovega
Leader
Pieter Schoeman was appointed Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008, having previously been Co-Leader since 2002. He is also a Professor of Violin at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. 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 London’s Royal Festival Hall. As a chamber musician he regularly appears at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall. His chamber music partners have included Anne-Sophie Mutter, Veronika Eberle, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Boris Garlitsky, JeanGuihen Queyras, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Martin Helmchen.
September 2021 saw the opening of a new live concert season at the Royal Festival Hall, featuring many of the world’s leading musicians including Sheku KannehMason, Klaus Mäkelä, Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel and this season’s Artist-in-Residence, Julia Fischer. The Orchestra is delighted to be continuing to offer digital streams to selected concerts throughout the season through its ongoing partnership with Intersection and Marquee TV.
Pieter has performed numerous times as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Highlights have included an appearance as both conductor and soloist in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at the Royal Festival Hall, the Brahms Double Concerto with Kristina Blaumane, and the Britten Double Concerto with Alexander Zemtsov, which was recorded and released on the LPO Label to great critical acclaim.
lpo.org.uk
Pieter has appeared as Guest Leader with the BBC, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon and Baltimore symphony orchestras, and the Rotterdam and BBC Philharmonic orchestras. Pieter’s chair in the LPO is generously supported by Neil Westreich.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
Marin Alsop conductor
© Adriane White
Philharmonic Choir, alongside works by Elgar and Butterworth. She has also made a number of recordings with the Orchestra, including an acclaimed Brahms cycle for Naxos and a disc of works by James MacMillan, Thomas Adès and Jennifer Higdon on the LPO’s own label (LPO-0035). In 2020 the USA Library of Congress selected the recording of Higdon’s Percussion Concerto from the latter disc as one of the 25 recordings deemed ‘culturally or historically important’ to be added to its National Recording Registry for that year. Marin Alsop regularly guest conducts such major international orchestras as the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Danish National, Budapest Festival and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras. In 2021/22 she tours the UK, Austria and Spain with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as returns to the Orchestre de Paris and the Philharmonia, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, NDR Elbphilharmonie and Gothenburg Symphony orchestras.
A conductor of vision and distinction, Marin Alsop represents a powerful and inspiring voice. Convinced that music has the power to change lives, she is internationally recognised for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, deep commitment to education, and advocacy for music’s importance in the world.
Recognised with multiple Gramophone Awards, Marin Alsop’s extensive discography includes recordings for Decca, Harmonia Mundi and Sony Classical, and acclaimed Naxos cycles of Dvořák with the Baltimore Symphony and Prokofiev with the São Paulo Symphony. Committed to new music, she was Music Director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years. The first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Marin Alsop has also been honoured with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award and in 2013 made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms.
The 2021/22 season marks Marin Alsop’s third as Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, which she leads at Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, and on recordings, broadcasts and tours. As Chief Conductor and Curator of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, she conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer residencies, formalising her long relationship with Ravinia and the orchestra. In 2021 Marin Alsop became Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. This concluded her outstanding 14-year tenure as Music Director, in which she led the orchestra on its first European tour in 13 years, on multiple awardwinning recordings and in more than two dozen world premieres, alongside founding OrchKids, its music education programme for thousands of the city’s most disadvantaged young people. In 2019, after seven years as Music Director, Marin became Conductor of Honour of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, where she continues conducting major projects each season.
The film ‘The Conductor’ (Tribeca Film Festival 2021) maps Marin Alsop’s life and career through intimate interviews, shared moments from her professional and private life, unseen archival footage with her mentor Leonard Bernstein, and of her teaching the next generation of conductors. Amongst many awards and academic positions, she served as 2020 Artist-inResidence at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts, is Director of Graduate Conducting at the Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, and holds Honorary Doctorates from Yale University and The Juilliard School. To promote and nurture the careers of her fellow female conductors, in 2002 she founded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship.
Marin Alsop has a longstanding relationship with the London Philharmonic Orchestra: her last appearance with the Orchestra was in November 2019, when she conducted Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with the London
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
Kian Soltani cello
residency with Junge Wilde at the Konzerthaus Dortmund. As a recitalist he has recently performed at Carnegie Hall, the Salzburg and Lucerne festivals, Wigmore Hall and the Boulez Saal, where he was invited to curate an evening of cello music.
© Juventino Mateo
In 2017 Kian Soltani signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and his first disc, ‘Home’, comprising works for cello and piano by Schubert, Schumann and Reza Vali, was released to international acclaim in 2018, with Gramophone describing the recording as ‘sublime’. He has since recorded discs including the Dvořák and Tchaikovsky Piano Trios with Lahav Shani and Renaud Capuçon, recorded live at Aix Easter Festival in 2018, released by Warner Classics; and Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with the Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim in August 2020.
Hailed by The Times as a ‘remarkable cellist’ and by Gramophone as ‘sheer perfection’, Kian Soltani’s playing is characterised by a depth of expression, sense of individuality and technical mastery, alongside a charismatic stage presence and ability to create an immediate emotional connection with his audience. He is regularly invited by the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and recital promoters, propelling him from rising star to one of the most talked-about cellists performing today.
During the entirety of 2020, Kian worked on his latest disc with Deutsche Grammophon, which was released in October 2021. The disc, entitled ‘Cello Unlimited’, is a celebration of the cello and film music. Of it, he wrote: ‘Everything you will hear on this album is made only and exclusively with my cello and played only by me. The possibilities of this instrument are unlimited and infinite, and this album is a celebration of the instrument and of epic film music as well.’
Kian Soltani made his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2019, when he performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto under Edward Gardner at the Royal Festival Hall and at Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre. In 2021/22 he will make debuts with orchestras including the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Czech Philharmonic and ORF Vienna Radio orchestras, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, and the WDR, Barcelona and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. He will also return to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Staatskapelle Berlin and TonhalleOrchester Zurich, amongst others. Furthermore, he embarks on tours with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim; the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov; the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop; and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko.
Kian Soltani attracted worldwide attention in 2013 as winner of the International Paulo Cello Competition in Helsinki. In February 2017 he won Germany’s celebrated Leonard Bernstein Award and in December 2017 he was awarded the prestigious Credit Suisse Young Artist Award. Born in Bregenz, Austria, in 1992 to a family of Persian musicians, Soltani began playing the cello at age four and was only 12 when he joined Ivan Monighetti’s class at the Basel Music Academy. He was chosen as an Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation scholarship holder in 2014 and completed his further studies as a member of the Young Soloist Programme at Germany’s Kronberg Academy. He received additional important musical training at the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein.
In July 2021 Kian Soltani was Artist-in-Residence at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, in which he curated concerts including a Persian evening with the Shiraz Ensemble. In Autumn 2018 he commenced a multi-year
Kian Soltani plays the ‘London, ex Boccherini’ Antonio Stradivari cello, kindly loaned to him by a generous sponsor through the Beares International Violin Society.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
Programme notes Samuel Barber 1910–81
Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 1935–36, revised 1942–43
A ‘scherzo’ section follows, based on the first theme but now transformed into lightfooted woodwind play (this section dates from Barber’s revision of the Symphony in 1942–43), and then a broad ‘slow movement’ led off by a long-breathed oboe solo based on the second theme. After a powerful climax, the ‘finale’ is a passacaglia, a set of evolving variations on a new version of the first theme announced by cellos and basses, and decorated throughout with figures derived from the other themes.
On the face of it, it is surprising that Samuel Barber, a composer who thought on traditional formal and expressive lines to the extent that he has freely been classified as a neo-Romantic, did not feel more at home with the idea of the symphony. At a time when the symphonic genre was finding new life at the hands of American composers such as Aaron Copland, Roy Harris and Walter Piston, Barber wrote just two, the second of which he eventually withdrew and destroyed. Yet his First, composed in his mid-twenties, was one of his most important early successes. Written in Rome during his two-year stay as winner of the American Academy’s Prix de Rome, it was premiered there in December 1936, and within a year had been been heard in Cleveland, London, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague and Paris.
Programme note © Lindsay Kemp
‘Moderna ma seria’ (‘modern but serious’) is how Bernardino Molinari, the work’s first conductor, described it. To a listener of today ‘modern’ may seem a strange assessment, though in modelling his onemovement symphony on Sibelius’s Seventh (an analysis of which appears among his sketches), Barber was at least following an example that was only 12 years old. But there is no doubting that it is ‘serious’; Sibelius is as much an expressive influence as a formal one, with Barber recreating some of the Finn’s tensile strength, yet at the same time displaying his own creative personality, in particular his open-hearted lyrical gift and rich skill in writing for orchestra. Though in one movement, the four-movement format of a traditional symphony is clearly distiguishable – indeed, Barber had no wish to hide it. The ‘first movement’ begins with an exposition and development of three themes: a dramatically wide-ranging one presented at the outset; a more gently-contoured melody from violas and cor anglais; and finally a theme which returns to the mood of the opening, though with less jagged lines.
Samuel Barber © G. Schirmer Inc.
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Programme notes Dmitri Shostakovich 1906–75
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat, Op. 107 1959 Kian Soltani cello 1 Allegretto 2 Moderato – 3 Cadenza – 4 Allegro con molto too. A curious secondary theme is introduced by a confident horn, and the whole is agitated by four thwacks on the timpani that heighten the intensity further still.
Dmitri Shostakovich and his colleague Sergei Prokofiev weren’t best buddies. More significant than their frosty personal relationship, though, is the fact that they admired each other’s music. Shostakovich wrote the first of his cello concertos in 1959 as a direct response to Prokofiev’s own Symphony-Concerto of seven years earlier. Both pieces were premiered by the celebrated cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.
In the second movement the soloist introduces a nomadic, chromatic melody which is heard against the clarinets, double basses and then the strings. Like its predecessor, this movement builds in intensity towards another timpani strike and then an uneasy finish in which the soloist’s bow skims the string to produce fragile ‘harmonic’ sounds (accompanied by the plink-plonk of the orchestra’s celeste).
The political situation in Russia was easing in the late 1950s following Stalin’s death. Shostakovich told journalists that in his Concerto he set out to capture something humorous, referring to the tread of the first movement as a ‘jocular march’. Still, the Concerto’s opening appears dark and pressurised. It might be heard as a reflection of one of Shostakovich’s sleepless nights, fraught with the prospect of arrest.
That gesture leads straight into the cadenza, the soloist’s inquisitive exploration of the themes introduced so far, and in turn into the final movement. Here Shostakovich uses the Georgian folksong ‘Suliko’ in his main tune, apparently one of Stalin’s favourites. But he hid it so skilfully that even Rostropovich had to have its presence pointed out to him.
In other ways, too, this is very personal music. The fournote motto that opens and dominates the first movement is Shostakovich’s musical spelling of his own initials: D–S–C–H (in German notation, D, E flat, C and B). These four notes are discussed, dissected and inverted with increasing vigour but with occasional introspection
Programme note © Andrew Mellor
Interval – 20 minutes An announcement will be made five minutes before the end of the interval.
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Programme notes Johannes Brahms 1833–97
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 1884–85 1 Allegro non troppo 2 Andante moderato 3 Allegro giocoso 4 Allegro energico e passionato Brahms was well into his forties by the time he completed a symphony; like many 19th-century composers he found the idea of following in the footsteps of Beethoven a daunting one. Yet having laboured on and off for 15 years to produce the First Symphony in 1876, he summoned the next three in only nine years, the expressive and formal inhibitions which had previously dogged him now seemingly cast off. Indeed, by the time he came to compose the Fourth Symphony in 1884–5 he had acquired new freedom and daring, as his friend the conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow noted during preparations for the premiere in Meiningen in October 1885: ‘Just back from rehearsal. No. 4 stupendous, quite original, quite new, individual and rock-like. Breathes incomparable energy from start to finish.’
extraordinary passacaglia finale of this symphony, a movement which, by turning to a formal model from Baroque times, finds a new solution to the problem of how to conclude a big and powerful symphonic work. But it is not just this granitic statement that makes the Fourth one of the greatest of Romantic symphonies. There is the tightly motivic first movement, whose marking of Allegro non troppo is realised not just in the restless poetic beauty of the first theme but in the way that the second theme, a surging, passionate cello melody heralded by brass fanfares, serves to increase the sense of forward motion rather than (as was more customary) relax it. Perhaps for the same reason, there is no repeat of the exposition, though the central development does start out as if it were one with a clear return to the opening theme. By contrast, the moment of recapitulation is disguised, the opening figure being heard slowed down on woodwind amid a cloud of string flourishes, before the first theme resumes its course as if nothing had happened. A substantial and impassioned coda then drives the movement to a stormy finish.
No-one could deny that, though there were others among Brahms’s friends – including three of his closest supporters in Clara Schumann, Elisabeth von Herzogenberg and the critic Eduard Hanslick – who were initially baffled and disappointed by the work’s unusual nature and form. Bülow, however, had had an insight into its most striking innovation a few years earlier when Brahms showed him a chorus from Bach’s church cantata Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (BWV150), consisting of variations over a repeating, rising bass-line. ‘What would you think of a symphonic movement written on this theme one day?’ Brahms had asked. ‘But it is too heavy, too straightforward. It would have to be chromatically altered in some way.’ The result is there to hear – including that chromatic alteration in the form of a prominent sharpening of the fifth note – in the
The elegiac and delicately scored Andante moderato gains depth by playing off the emotional distance of a modally inflected main theme against the warmth of a more conventionally major-key second. The reappearance of the latter on full strings in the second half of the movement forms a rich climax, before the music subsides to the sombre mood of the opening. The third movement, the only one among Brahms’s symphonies to qualify as a scherzo, is taut and vigorous –
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Programme notes powerful enough in its material, it has often been said, to form a finale in itself. Interestingly, it was the last of the Symphony’s movements to be composed, which suggests that its terse energy and ebullience (it was not often that Brahms called for a triangle) were precisely calculated to prepare the way for the stern majesty of the finale.
Recommended recordings of tonight’s works by Laurie Watt Barber: Symphony No. 1 Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Marin Alsop (Naxos)
The form and genesis of that finale have already been described, but not its effect. Following the example of Bach’s D minor Chaconne for solo violin (a work Brahms admired greatly), the 30 variations over the eight-note bass-line are shepherded into contrasting sections which give the music a broad emotional contour that prevents it from succumbing to repetitiveness. Indeed, the effect is of implacable momentum and controlled strength, so that by the time the variations have been crowned by a vehement coda, we have witnessed a rare spectacle: a 19th-century symphony that ends not in triumph but convincingly in tragedy.
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 Mstislav Rostropovich | Philadelphia Orchestra Eugene Ormandy (Regis) Brahms: Symphony No. 4 London Philharmonic Orchestra | Marin Alsop (Naxos) or London Philharmonic Orchestra | Vladimir Jurowski (LPO Label LPO-0075: see below)
Programme note © Lindsay Kemp
On the LPO Label: Brahms Symphony No. 4 Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 Vladimir Jurowski conductor £9.99 | LPO-0075
All LPO Label releases are available on CD from all good retailers, and to download or stream via Spotify, Apple Music, Idagio and others.
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Next LPO concerts at the Royal Festival Hall Wednesday 19 January 2022 Raw Emotion, Endless Peace
Wednesday 26 January 2022 Stormclouds and Spring Flowers
Victoria Borisova-Ollas The Kingdom of Silence Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 2 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4
Debussy Printemps (Symphonic Suite) Brahms (orch. Berio) Sonata for Clarinet, Op. 120 No. 1* Debussy Première rhapsodie Dvořák Symphony No. 7
Karina Canellakis conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin
Kazushi Ono conductor Andreas Ottensamer clarinet
With the support of
* Please note change of work from previously advertised.
Book online at lpo.org.uk
Saturday 22 January 2022 Poems of Ecstasy Wagner Tristan und Isolde: Prelude & Liebestod Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand L Boulanger D’un soir triste Scriabin Symphony No. 4 (The Poem of Ecstasy) Karina Canellakis conductor Cédric Tiberghien piano Generously supported by Victoria Robey OBE.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
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
Welser-Möst Circle William & Alex de Winton John Ireland Charitable Trust The Tsukanov Family Foundation Neil Westreich
Tennstedt Circle Valentina & Dmitry Aksenov Richard Buxton The Candide Trust Michael & Elena Kroupeev Kirby Laing Foundation Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Alexey & Anastasia Reznikovich Sir Simon Robey Bianca & Stuart Roden Simon & Vero Turner The late Mr K Twyman
Solti Patrons Ageas John & Manon Antoniazzi Gabor Beyer, through BTO Management Consulting AG Jon Claydon Mrs Mina Goodman & Miss Suzanne Goodman Roddy & April Gow The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Mr James R.D. Korner Christoph Ladanyi & Dr Sophia Ladanyi-Czernin Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski
The Maurice Marks Charitable Trust Mr Paris Natar The Rothschild Foundation Tom & Phillis Sharpe The Viney Family
Haitink Patrons Mark & Elizabeth Adams Dr Christopher Aldren Mrs Pauline Baumgartner Lady Jane Berrill Mr Frederick Brittenden David & Yi Yao Buckley Mr Clive Butler Gill & Garf Collins Mr John H Cook Mr Alistair Corbett Bruno De Kegel Georgy Djaparidze David Ellen Christopher Fraser OBE David & Victoria Graham Fuller Goldman Sachs International Mr Gavin Graham Moya Greene Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Tony & Susie Hayes Malcolm Herring Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Mrs Philip Kan Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Rose & Dudley Leigh Lady Roslyn Marion Lyons Miss Jeanette Martin Duncan Matthews QC Diana & Allan Morgenthau Charitable Trust Dr Karen Morton Mr Roger Phillimore Ruth Rattenbury The Reed Foundation The Rind Foundation Sir Bernard Rix
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David Ross & Line Forestier (Canada) 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 CBE AM Christopher Williams Peter Wilson Smith Mr Anthony Yolland and all other donors who wish to remain anonymous
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
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 Anonymous donors Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet Mrs Christina Lang Assael In memory of Mrs Rita Reay Sir Simon & Lady Robey OBE
Orchestra Circle
The Candide Trust William & Alex de Winton Aud Jebsen Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Neil Westreich The American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Principal Associates
An anonymous donor Richard Buxton Gill & Garf Collins In memory of Brenda Lyndoe Casbon In memory of Ann Marguerite Collins Hamish & Sophie Forsyth The Tsukanov Family
Associates
Anonymous donors Steven M. Berzin Ms Veronika BorovikKhilchevskaya Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave The Lambert Family Charitable Trust Countess Dominique Loredan Mr & Mrs Makharinsky George Ramishvili Stuart & Bianca Roden Julian & Gill Simmonds In memory of Hazel Amy Smith Deanie & Jay Stein
Gold Patrons
An anonymous donor Chris Aldren David & Yi Buckley David Burke & Valerie Graham David & Elizabeth Challen In memory of Allner Mavis Channing Sonja Drexler The Vernon Ellis Foundation Peter & Fiona Espenhahn Marie-Laure Favre-Gilly de Varennes de Beuill Mr Roger Greenwood Malcolm Herring John & Angela Kessler Dame Theresa Sackler
Dr Wiebke Pekrull Mr Gerald Pettit Mr Roger Phillimore Gillian Pole Mr Michael Posen Mr Christopher Querée Sir Bernard Rix Mr Robert Ross Priscylla Shaw Patrick & Belinda Snowball Charlotte Stevenson Mr Robert Swannell Tony & Hilary Vines Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Marina Vaizey Jenny Watson CBE Mr John Weekes Christopher Williams
Scott & Kathleen Simpson Eric Tomsett Andrew & Rosemary Tusa The Viney Family Guy & Utti Whittaker
Silver Patrons
Mrs A Beare The Rt Hon. The Lord Burns GCB Bruno De Kegel Jan & Leni Du Plessis Ulrike & Benno Engelmann Simon & Meg Freakley Pehr G Gyllenhammar The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Sofiya Machulskaya Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva The Metherell Family Andrew Neill Peter & Lucy Noble Marianne Parsons Tom & Phillis Sharpe Laurence Watt Grenville & Krysia Williams
Principal Supporters
Anonymous donors Dr R M Aickin Mr Mark Astaire Sir John Baker Tessa Bartley Mr Geoffrey Bateman Mrs Julia Beine Mr Anthony Boswood Dr Anthony Buckland Dr Carlos Carreno Mr Julien Chilcott-Monk Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen David & Liz Conway Mr Alistair Corbett Andrew Davenport Mr Simon Douglas Mr B C Fairhall Mr Richard Fernyhough Mrs Janet Flynn Mrs Ash Frisby Jason George Mr Stephen Goldring Mr Daniel Goldstein Mr Milton Grundy Prof. Emeritus John Gruzelier Nerissa Guest & David Foreman Michael & Christine Henry Mark & Sarah Holford Ivan Hurry Per Jonsson Alexandra Jupin & John Bean Richard & Briony Linsell Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr Peter Mace Nicholas & Lindsay Merriman Andrew T Mills Simon & Fiona Mortimore Mrs Terry Neale John Nickson & Simon Rew Mr James Pickford Michael & Carolyn Portillo
Bronze Patrons
Anonymous donors Michael Allen Dr Manon Antoniazzi Julian & Annette Armstrong Roger & Clare Barron Mr Philip Bathard-Smith Sir Peter Bazalgette Mikhail Noskov & Vasilina Bindley Mr Bernard Bradbury Sally Bridgeland In memory of Julie Bromley Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Howard & Veronika Covington John & Sam Dawson Cameron & Kathryn Doley David Ellen Christopher Fraser OBE Virginia Gabbertas MBE David & Jane Gosman Mr Gavin Graham Mrs Dorothy Hambleton J Douglas Home The Jackman Family Mr & Mrs Ralph Kanza Jamie & Julia Korner Rose & Dudley Leigh Drs Frank & Gek Lim Nicholas & Felicity Lyons Geoff & Meg Mann Harriet & Michael Maunsell Marianne Parsons
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Mr David Russell Colin Senneck & the Hartley and District LPO Group Mr John Shinton Nigel Silby Mr Brian Smith Martin & Cheryl Southgate Mr & Mrs G Stein Dr Peter Stephenson Mr Ian Tegner Dr June Wakefield Howard & Sheelagh Watson Joanna Williams Roger Woodhouse Mr John Wright
Supporters
Anonymous donors Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Alexander & Rachel Antelme Julian & Annette Armstrong Lindsay Badenoch Mr Mark Bagshaw & Mr Ian Walker Mr John Barnard Mr John D Barnard Damaris, Richard & Friends Mr David Barrett Diana Barrett Mr Simon Baynham Harvey Bengen Nick & Rebecca Beresford Mr Paul Bland Mr Keith Bolderson Mr Andrew Botterill Julian & Margaret Bowden & Mr Paul Michel Richard & Jo Brass Mr & Mrs Shaun Brown Mr Alan C Butler Lady Cecilia Cadbury Mrs Marilyn Casford Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington J Clay Mr Joshua Coger Mr Martin Compton Mr Martin Connelly Mr Stephen Connock Miss Tessa Cowie Mr David Davies Mr Roderick Davies Mr David Devons Anthony & Jo Diamond Miss Sylvia Dowle Mr Andrew Dyke Mr Declan Eardly Mrs Maureen Erskine Mr Peter Faulk Mr Joe Field Ms Chrisine Louise Fluker Mr Kevin Fogarty Mr Richard France
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
Thank you
Mr Bernard Freudenthal Mrs Adele Friedland & Friends Will Gold Mrs Alison Goulter Mr Andrew Gunn Mr K Haines Mr Martin Hale Roger Hampson Mr Graham Hart Mr & Mrs Nevile Henderson The Jackman Family Mr Ian Kapur Martin Kettle Mr Justin Kitson Ms Yvonne Lock Mrs Sally Manning Belinda Miles Dr Joe Mooney Christopher & Diane Morcom Dame Jane Newell DBE Oliver & Josie Ogg Mr Stephen Olton Mr David Peters Nadya Powell Ms Caroline Priday Mr Richard Rolls Mr Richard Rowland Mr & Mrs Alan Senior Tom Sharpe Mr Kenneth Shaw Ruth Silvestre Barry & Gillian Smith Mr David Southern Ms Mary Stacey Mr Simon Starr Mrs Margaret Thompson Philip & Katie Thonemann Mr Owen Toller Mrs Rose Tremain Ms Mary Stacey Ms Caroline Tate Mr Peter Thierfeldt Dr Ann Turrall Michael & Katie Urmston Dr June Wakefield Mr Dominic Wallis Mrs C Willaims Joanna Williams Mr Kevin Willmering Mr David Woodhead
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
Corporate Donors
Barclays CHANEL Fund for Women in the Arts and Culture Pictet Bank
Natasha Tsukanova Chair Steven M. Berzin (USA) Veronika Borovik-Khilchevskaya (Cyprus) Marie-Laure Favre Gilly de Varennes de Bueil (France) Aline Foriel-Destezet (France) Irina Gofman (Russia) Countess Dominique Loredan (Italy) Olivia Ma (Greater China Area) Olga Makharinsky (Russia) George Ramishvili (Georgia) Victoria Robey OBE (USA) Jay Stein (USA)
LPO Corporate Circle Leader freuds Sunshine
Principal Berenberg Bloomberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce
Thomas Beecham Group Members
Tutti Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Walpole
Chris Aldren David & Yi Buckley Gill & Garf Collins William & Alex de Winton Sonja Drexler The Friends of the LPO Irina Gofman Roger Greenwood Dr Barry Grimaldi Mr & Mrs Philip Kan John & Angela Kessler Countess Dominique Loredan Sir Simon Robey Victoria Robey OBE Bianca & Stuart Roden Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp Julian & Gill Simmonds Eric Tomsett Neil Westreich Guy & Utti Whittaker
Trialist Allianz Musical Insurance
Preferred Partners Gusbourne Estate Lidl Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd OneWelbeck Steinway
In-kind Sponsor Google Inc
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:
Trusts and Foundations The Boltini Trust Borrows Charitable Trust Boshier-Hinton Foundation The Candide Trust Cockayne – Grants for the Arts The London Community Foundation The David Solomons Charitable Trust The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation The Fidelio Charitable Trust Foyle Foundation Garrick Charitable Trust The Leche Trust Lucille Graham Trust John Horniman’s Children’s Trust John Thaw Foundation The Idlewild Trust Kirby Laing Foundation The Marchus Trust Adam Mickiewicz Institute PRS Foundation The Radcliffe Trust Rivers Foundation The R K Charitable Trust Romanian Cultural Institute Rothschild Foundation RVW Trust Schroder Charity Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation Sir William Boreman’s Foundation Souter Charitable Trust The Stanley Picker Trust The Thomas Deane Trust The Thriplow Charitable Trust The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust The Victoria Wood Foundation The Viney Family The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust The William Alwyn Foundation
and all others who wish to remain anonymous.
Simon Freakley Chairman Jay Goffman Alexandra Jupin William A. Kerr Kristina McPhee Natalie Pray Damien Vanderwilt Elizabeth Winter Victoria Robey OBE Hon. Director Jenifer L. Keiser, CPA, EisnerAmper LLP
The LPO would also like to acknowledge all those who have made donations to the Play On Appeal and who have supported the Orchestra during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 14 January 2022 • Soltani plays Shostakovich
London Philharmonic Orchestra Administration Board of Directors Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Martin Höhmann* President Dr Catherine C. Høgel Vice-Chairman Kate Birchall* David Buckley David Burke Bruno De Kegel Deborah Dolce Tanya Joseph Hugh Kluger* Al MacCuish Tania Mazzetti* Stewart McIlwham* Jamie Njoku-Goodwin Andrew Tusa Mark Vines* Neil Westreich Simon Freakley (Ex officio – Chairman of the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra) *Player-Director
Advisory Council Martin Höhmann Chairman Christopher Aldren Dr Manon Antoniazzi Roger Barron Richard Brass Helen Brocklebank YolanDa Brown Simon Callow CBE Desmond Cecil CMG Sir Alan Collins KCVO CMG Andrew Davenport Guillaume Descottes Cameron Doley Christopher Fraser OBE Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Marianna Hay MBE 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
Finance
Martin Southgate Chris Viney Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter
Frances Slack Finance Director Dayse Guilherme Finance Manager
General Administration
Jean-Paul Ramotar Finance and IT Officer
Elena Dubinets Artistic Director David Burke Chief Executive Chantelle Vircavs PA to the Executive
Education and Community Talia Lash Interim Education and Community Director
Concert Management
Rebecca Parslow Education and Community Project Manager
Roanna Gibson Concerts Director Graham Wood Concerts and Recordings Manager
Hannah Foakes Tilly Gugenheim Education and Community Project Co-ordinators
Fabio Sarlo Glyndebourne and Projects Manager
Development
Grace Ko Tours Manager
Laura Willis Development Director
Alison Jones Concerts and Recordings Co-ordinator
Scott Tucker Development Events Manager
Christina Perrin Concerts and Tours Assistant Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager
Marketing Kath Trout Marketing and Communications Director Mairi Warren Marketing Manager Rachel Williams Publications Manager
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Greg Felton Digital Creative Kiera Lockard Marketing Assistant
Archives Philip Stuart Discographer Gillian Pole Recordings Archive
Professional Services Charles Russell Speechlys Solicitors Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP Auditors Dr Barry Grimaldi Honorary Doctor
Mr Simon Owen-Johnstone Hon. Orthopaedic Surgeon
Kirstin Peltonen Development Associate
Felix Lo Orchestra and Auditions Manager
Sophie Harvey Digital and Residencies Marketing Manager
Rosie Morden Individual Giving Manager
Nick Jackman Campaigns and Projects Director
Freddie Jackson Assistant Stage Manager
Ruth Knight Press and PR Manager
Mr Chris Aldren Honorary ENT Surgeon
Priya Radhakrishnan Georgia Wiltshire Development Assistants
Laura Kitson Stephen O’Flaherty Stage Managers
Gavin Miller Sales and Ticketing Manager
Stef Woodford Corporate Relations Manager
Anna Quillin Trusts and Foundations Manager
Sarah Thomas Martin Sargeson Librarians
Harrie Mayhew Website Manager
London Philharmonic Orchestra 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 Box Office: 020 7840 4242 Email: admin@lpo.org.uk lpo.org.uk Cover photo James Wicks 2021/22 season identity JMG Studio Printer John Good Ltd