London Philharmonic Orchestra 27 Sep 2017 concert programme by London Philharmonic Orchestra

b e m ov e d 2017/18 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 Wednesday 27 September 2017 | 7.30pm

Britten Symphony for Cello, Op. 68 (34’) Interval (20’) Valentin Silvestrov Symphony No. 3 (Eschatophony) (22’) Janáček Taras Bulba (23’)

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Jan Vogler cello

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: Pieter Schoeman 6 Vladimir Jurowski 7 Jan Vogler 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 any member of staff for assistance. Eating, drinking and shopping? Southbank Centre shops and restaurants include Foyles, EAT, Giraffe, Strada, YO! Sushi, wagamama, Le Pain Quotidien, Las Iguanas, ping pong, Canteen, Caffè Vergnano 1882, Skylon, Feng Sushi and Topolski, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops inside Royal Festival Hall. If you wish to get in touch with us following your visit please contact the Visitor Experience Team at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, phone 020 3879 9555, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk We look forward to seeing you again soon. Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery are closed for essential refurbishment until 2018. During this period, our resident orchestras are performing in venues including St John's Smith Square. Find out more at southbankcentre.co.uk/sjss A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment: 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. MOBILES, PAGERS AND WATCHES should be switched off before the performance begins.

2 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Orchestra news

elcome to this evening’s London Philharmonic Orchestra concert at Royal Festival Hall. Continuing our year-long exploration of the theme of Belief and Beyond Belief, tonight promises to be another revelatory evening with our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Vladimir Jurowski. We welcome soloist Jan Vogler – making his LPO debut – to perform Britten’s Symphony for Cello, which will be followed after the interval by the Third Symphony by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, who this Saturday celebrates his 80th birthday. The concert will end with Janáček’s roof-raising orchestral spectacular, Taras Bulba. We hope you enjoy this evening’s concert and can join us again soon – turn to page 12 to see details of our next Royal Festival Hall concerts, or pick up a season brochure in the Royal Festival Hall foyer this evening. LPO Label: new Jurowski CD box sets This autumn sees the release of two major box sets as part of our Vladimir Jurowski 10th anniversary celebrations. Our September release was a seven-disc set of Tchaikovsky’s complete symphonies conducted by Jurowski. The set includes previously unreleased recordings of Nos. 2 and 3, plus Francesca da Rimini and the Serenade for Strings, and is priced at £34.99 (LPO-0101). This week sees the release of another seven-disc box set: a special collection of previously unreleased recordings by Jurowski and the LPO, comprising both familiar and rare repertoire spanning the symphonic, choral and contemporary genres (LPO-1010; £49.99). Both box sets, along with the other 100+ recordings on the LPO Label, are available to buy from lpo.org.uk/recordings, the LPO Ticket Office (020 7840 4242), all good CD outlets and the Royal Festival Hall shop. Out now The Autumn/Winter 2017 edition of Tune In, our free twice-yearly magazine. Copies are available at the LPO Information Desk in the foyer, or phone the LPO office on 020 7840 4200 to receive one in the post. Also available digitally: issuu.com/londonphilharmonic

On stage tonight

First Violins Pieter Schoeman* Leader Chair supported by Neil Westreich

Kevin Lin Co-Leader Ji-Hyun Lee Katalin Varnagy Chair supported by Sonja Drexler

Catherine Craig Thomas Eisner Geoffrey Lynn Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp

Robert Pool Yang Zhang Tina Gruenberg Rebecca Shorrock Kana Kawashima Deborah Gruman Eleanor Bartlett Morane Cohen-Lamberger Ioana Forna Second Violins Jeongmin Kim Principal Tania Mazzetti Co-Principal Kate Birchall Nancy Elan Fiona Higham Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley

Nynke Hijlkema Joseph Maher Marie-Anne Mairesse Ashley Stevens Robin Wilson Sioni Williams Sheila Law Alison Strange John Dickinson Violas David Quiggle Principal Robert Duncan Gregory Aronovich Katharine Leek Susanne Martens Benedetto Pollani

Laura Vallejo Isabel Pereira Daniel Cornford Cristina Gestido Stanislav Popov Martin Fenn Cellos Kristina Blaumane Principal Chair supported by Bianca & Stuart Roden

Pei-Jee Ng Co-Principal Francis Bucknall Santiago Carvalho† Chair co-supported by Molly & David Borthwick

David Lale Gregory Walmsley Elisabeth Wiklander Chair supported by Drs Oliver & Asha Foster

Susanna Riddell Tom Roff George Hoult Double Basses Kevin Rundell* Principal Hugh Kluger Sebastian Pennar George Peniston Laurence Lovelle Damián Rubido González Lowri Morgan Charlotte Kerbegian Flutes Juliette Bausor Principal Sue Thomas* Chair supported by Victoria Robey OBE

Stewart McIlwham* Emilia Zakrzewska

Oboes Ian Hardwick* Principal Alice Munday Jenny Brittlebank

Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton

David Whitehouse

Cor Anglais Gillian Callow

Bass Trombone Lyndon Meredith Principal

Clarinets Christian Stene Guest Principal James Maltby

Tuba Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal Timpani Simon Carrington* Principal

Bass Clarinet Paul Richards Principal E flat Clarinet Thomas Watmough Principal

Percussion Andrew Barclay* Principal Chair supported by Andrew Davenport

Henry Baldwin Co-Principal Bassoons Jonathan Davies Principal Gareth Newman Laura Vincent Simon Estell*

Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra

Keith Millar Jeremy Cornes

Contrabassoon Simon Estell* Principal

Harps Rachel Masters Principal Tomos Xerri

Horns David Pyatt* Principal

Piano/Organ Catherine Edwards

Chair supported by Sir Simon Robey

Mark Vines Co-Principal Martin Hobbs Stephen Nicholls Gareth Mollison Trumpets Paul Beniston* Principal Philip Cobb Guest Principal Anne McAneney* Chair supported by Geoff Mann

Piccolos Stewart McIlwham* Principal Emilia Zakrzewska

Trombones Mark Templeton* Principal

Toby Street

Celeste Ian Tindale Assistant Conductor Farkhad Khudyev

* Holds a professorial appointment in London † Chevalier of the Brazilian Order of Rio Branco 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: The Candide Trust • Dr Barry Grimaldi • Laurence Watt

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 3

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Jurowski and the LPO, keyed up to a high level of concentration, delivered [John Adams’s Harmonielehre] with the shattering force of the Big Bang. Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 31 January 2017

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 local communities. Celebrating its 85th anniversary this season, 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 this season we celebrate the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary partnership. Andrés Orozco-Estrada took up the position of Principal Guest Conductor in September 2015. The Orchestra is resident at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, where it gives around 40 concerts each season. Our year-long Belief and Beyond Belief festival in partnership with Southbank Centre

4 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

continues to the end of 2017, exploring what it means to be human in the 21st century. Then, in 2018, we explore the life and music of Stravinsky in our new series Changing Faces: Stravinsky’s Journey, charting the life and music of one of the 20th century’s most influential composers. 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: the 2016/17 season included visits to New York, Germany, Hungary, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland, and tours in 2017/18 include Romania, Japan, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Italy and France.

Pieter Schoeman leader

In summer 2012 the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed as part of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames, and was also chosen to record all the world’s national anthems for the London 2012 Olympics. In 2013 it was the winner of the RPS Music Award for Ensemble. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians through an energetic programme of activities for young people. In 2017/18 we celebrate 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 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 regular concert streamings and a popular podcast series, the Orchestra has a lively presence on social media. lpo.org.uk facebook.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra twitter.com/LPOrchestra youtube.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra instagram.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

Pieter Schoeman was appointed Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008, having previously been Co-Leader since 2002. © Benjamin Ealovega

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded the soundtracks to numerous blockbuster films, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Lawrence of Arabia, East is East, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Thor: The Dark World. It also broadcasts regularly on television and radio, and in 2005 established its own record label. There are now over 90 releases available on CD and to download. Recent additions include Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 conducted by Kurt Masur; Dvořák’s Symphonies 6 & 7 conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Fidelio Overture conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

Born in South Africa, Pieter made his solo debut aged 10 with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. Five years later he won the World Youth Concerto Competition in Michigan. Aged 17, he moved to the US to further his studies in Los Angeles and Dallas. In 1991 his talent was spotted by Pinchas Zukerman who, after several consultations, recommended that he move to New York to study with Sylvia Rosenberg. Pieter has performed worldwide as a soloist and recitalist in such famous halls as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Moscow’s Rachmaninov Hall, Capella Hall in St Petersburg, Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. As a chamber musician he regularly appears at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall. At the invitation of Yannick Nézet-Séguin he has been part of the ‘Yannick and Friends’ chamber group, performing at festivals in Dortmund and Rheingau. Pieter has performed several times as a soloist with the LPO, and his live recording of Britten’s Double Concerto with Alexander Zemtsov was released on the Orchestra’s own label to great critical acclaim. He has also recorded numerous violin solos for film and television, and led the LPO in its soundtrack recordings for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 1995 Pieter became Co-Leader of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice. Since then he has appeared frequently as Guest Leader with the Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon, Baltimore and BBC symphony orchestras, and the Rotterdam and BBC Philharmonic orchestras. In April 2016 he was Guest Leader with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra for Kurt Masur’s memorial concert. He is a Professor of Violin at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Pieter’s chair in the London Philharmonic Orchestra is supported by Neil Westreich.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 5

Vladimir Jurowski conductor

As Jurowski prepares to mark 10 years with the LPO, the understanding between them seems in great shape.

Martin Kettle, The Guardian, 29 January 2017

Vladimir Jurowski was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003, becoming Principal Conductor in 2007. In January 2018 we celebrate the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary partnership with a semi-staged gala performance of Wagner’s Das Rheingold (see page 11). One of today’s most sought-after conductors, acclaimed worldwide for his incisive musicianship and adventurous artistic commitment, Vladimir Jurowski was born in Moscow and studied at the Music Academies of Dresden and Berlin. In 1995 he made his international debut at the Wexford Festival conducting Rimsky-Korsakov’s May Night, and the same year saw his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with Nabucco. This month Vladimir takes up the position of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. In addition he holds the titles of Principal Artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Artistic Director of the Russian State Academic Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of the George Enescu International Festival, Bucharest. He has previously held the positions of First Kapellmeister of the Komische Oper Berlin (1997–2001), Principal Guest Conductor of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna (2000–03), Principal Guest Conductor of the Russian National Orchestra (2005–09), and Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera (2001–13). Vladimir is a regular guest with many leading orchestras in both Europe and North America, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome; the New York Philharmonic; The Philadelphia Orchestra;

6 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra; the Boston, San Francisco and Chicago symphony orchestras; and the TonhalleOrchester Zürich, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. His opera engagements have included Rigoletto, Jenůfa, The Queen of Spades, Hansel and Gretel and Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Metropolitan Opera, New York; Parsifal and Wozzeck at Welsh National Opera; War and Peace at the Opéra National de Paris; Eugene Onegin at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan; Ruslan and Ludmila at the Bolshoi Theatre; Salome with the State Academic Symphony of Russia; Moses und Aron at the Komische Oper Berlin; Iolanta and Die Teufel von Loudun at Semperoper Dresden, and numerous operas at Glyndebourne including Otello, Macbeth, Falstaff, Tristan und Isolde, Don Giovanni, The Cunning Little Vixen, Peter Eötvös’s Love and Other Demons, and Ariadne auf Naxos. In 2017 he made an acclaimed Salzburg Festival debut with Wozzeck and his first return to Glyndebourne as a guest conductor, in the world premiere production of Brett Dean’s Hamlet with the LPO. The London Philharmonic Orchestra has released a wide selection of Vladimir Jurowski’s live recordings with the Orchestra on its own label, including Brahms’s complete symphonies; Mahler’s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2; and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 and Symphonic Dances. This month sees the release of a seven-disc set of Tchaikovsky’s complete symphonies under Jurowski (LPO-0101), and next month a special anniversary seven-disc set of his previously unreleased recordings with the LPO spanning the symphonic, choral and contemporary genres (LPO-1010). Visit lpo.org.uk/recordings to find out more.

Jan Vogler cello

Vogler’s soulful, richly hued playing highlighted the piece’s melancholy traits, with the plaintive solo cello line embodying the voice of the biblical King Solomon.

Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times, 22 February 2013 (Bloch: Schelomo)

German-born cellist Jan Vogler is one of today’s most renowned soloists, praised for his ‘soulful, richly hued playing’ (The New York Times) and his ‘spiralling virtuosity’ (Gramophone). A prolific and multi-awardwinning recording artist, Jan records exclusively for Sony Classical. He performs with leading international orchestras including the New York Philharmonic; the Boston, Montreal and Bavarian Radio symphony orchestras; the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and the Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia, and collaborates with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Sir Antonio Pappano, Valery Gergiev, Thomas Hengelbrock, Manfred Honeck and Kent Nagano.

Jan Vogler plays the 1707 Stradivari ‘Ex Castelbarco/ Fau’ cello. janvogler.com facebook.com/janvoglercello @jancello

Tonight’s concert is Jan Vogler’s debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This season he is Artist in Residence with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He will also appear with the Philharmonia Zurich and the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the baton of Fabio Luisi, as well as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Peter Oundjian performing Wolfgang Rihm’s Double Concerto for violin and cello. Further highlights are return visits to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of Manfred Honeck. He also appears in recitals with his duo partners Hélène Grimaud, Martin Stadtfeld and Lise de la Salle. Jan is also the creative mind and a key player of the project ‘New Worlds: Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends’, which aims to intertwine American literature with European music. This season sees two major US tours with the project, and in September 2017 the album New Worlds will be released by Decca Gold.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 7

Programme notes

Speedread ‘Eschatophony’, the subtitle Valentin Silvestrov gave to his Third Symphony, is not a word you will find in any dictionary. The term is Silvestrov’s own invention, a play on words, a morphing into music of the term ‘eschatology’ – the study of the end of humankind. This is music that explores the very limits of music and of consciousness itself. In Silvestrov’s Symphony, time and space are fickle, moveable entities – in its splintered design, the music sounds as though it is a postscript to a catastrophe. The idea of building new worlds from the ruins of others is something that has preoccupied composers

Benjamin Britten 1913–76

As momentous musical occasions go, the London premiere of Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto in September 1960 surely ranks among the most significant. The soloist was Mstislav Rostropovich, the work’s dedicatee, then just 33 years old and very much in his prime. Listening from the Royal Box was Shostakovich himself, with Benjamin Britten by his side. Britten and Rostropovich had never met, but the two were introduced after the performance and Britten, having been blown away by Rostropovich’s soloistic athleticism, was quick to accept the cellist’s invitation to compose him a new cello sonata. The Sonata in C was completed the following year and was rapturously received by Rostropovich, who at the work’s Aldeburgh premiere ‘jumped up, hopped over the cello, and rushed to the composer to embrace him in a burst of spontaneous gratefulness.’ A new friendship was born and over the next decade Britten would compose

8 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

for centuries. Britten, composing his Symphony for Cello in the early 1960s, uses his recourse to Baroque practices as a fond gesture of homage rather than a cheap attempt at pastiche. And so it is with Janáček too, who fell profoundly in love with the literary culture of Russia and spent more than a decade planning how best to honour the fateful tale of the 17th-century Cossack Taras Bulba and his two sons. There are plenty of catastrophes here, too – although, as is so often the case, the most disastrous of stories can make the most compelling of musical scores.

Symphony for Cello, Op. 68 (1963) Jan Vogler cello 1 Allegro maestoso 2 Presto inquieto 3 Adagio 4 Passacaglia. Andante allegro

a series of three Cello Suites for Rostropovich, each more challenging and more brazen than the last. The idea of commissioning a cello concerto arose early in their friendship, but after the premiere of the Sonata in C Britten quickly became distracted by preparing the score for his War Requiem, and it was not until the spring of 1962 that Britten wrote apologetically to Rostropovich with a promise to begin the score soon. ‘Write for the cello everything that your heart tells you’, Rostropovich replied, ‘never mind how difficult it is; my love for you will help me to master every note, even the most impossible ones.’ As the score began to take shape, Britten soon realised the concerto was becoming ‘rather a big piece’ and began to wonder ‘whether it would not be better to call it Sinfonia Concertante.’ In the end, he settled on calling it a ‘Symphony for Cello’, a reference to the fact that soloist and orchestra

are on an equal footing throughout, the cello weaving in and out of the orchestral texture, often without fanfare. Unlike a traditional concerto, the Symphony for Cello is conceived in four movements, although Britten flirts with concerto form once more by linking the Adagio and Passacaglia together with an elaborate solo cadenza. This is a work filled with surprises – from the ferocity of the opening, in which the cello launches headlong into a series of declamatory opening statements, to the strange elusiveness of the Presto that follows, its scurrying motifs and hide-and-seek playfulness

suggesting the possibility of something ominous around every corner. If the cello comes to the fore in the impassioned Adagio, then this is countered by the Passacaglia finale, which places the orchestra firmly centre stage. True, it is the soloist who outlines the ground bass ‘theme’, but it is the decorative trumpet melody above that captures our attention. This series of variations on a ground bass is a recourse to the Baroque, one of Britten’s trademarks, and its gleaming orchestration screams of Purcell too. But by the work’s close, we are firmly back in the 20th century, with a sweeping – almost cinematic – swell towards the ecstatic final climax.

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

Valentin Silvestrov

Symphony No. 3 (Eschatophony) (1966) 1 e= 108 – 2 e = 100 – 3

born 1937

Not all composers are Mozartian prodigies from the age of five. Many have pursued other careers first, among them Robert Schumann (lawyer), Charles Ives (insurance salesman) and Phillip Glass (plumber and taxi driver). Valentin Silvestrov deviated from composing in 1955 to train as a civil engineer at the Kiev Institute of Construction Engineering, but his dalliance with the real world lasted just three years. In 1958 he began his studies in composition at the Kiev Conservatory and in the years that followed he composed a torrent of music for solo piano. His First Symphony was written in 1963, the Second in 1965 and the Third only a year later. But all the music of this first decade was to belong to a period he later referred to as ‘lyrical dodecaphony’, a phase that ended abruptly when Silvestrov ceased composing in 1969. When he returned to composition once more, following a full year’s silence, Silvestrov’s style was irrevocably altered. In place of the dramatic

gestures and stark contrasts that characterised his earlier works was a new contemplativeness, a softer, gentler approach to composing that manifests itself in large swathes of sound, morphing our perception of time and space in what Silvestrov terms his ‘metaphorical’ style. Is it too fanciful to hear Silvestrov’s background in construction in his music? So much of it, particularly from the 1960s, seems to be collated from tiny fragments of material, their details assembled and sewn together with utmost precision. His Third Symphony begins as though it were the aftermath of an explosion. And as we, as listeners, arrive on the scene we are confronted by something that has been shattered into a thousand splintered pieces, a complex puzzle that we must piece together once more to make sense of the music. If this process sounds difficult and

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 9

Programme notes continued

uninviting, it isn’t – these splinters glint and glimmer in the light as Silvestrov guides us through the debris. The idea that his music is a postscript to something already past is a feature of Silvestrov’s music across his output, both before and after the 1969 divide. ‘I do not write new music’, Silvestrov famously declared. ‘My music is a response to and an echo of what already exists.’ This has both historical and musical implications: in the Third Symphony, the music appears to be a response to an unseen event. But it is also a

Leoš Janáček 1854–1928

Janáček was 62 years old before his first opera, Jenůfa, was accepted by the National Theatre in Prague, some 12 years after it had been composed. He had waited nearly a whole lifetime to find success as a composer and in the final 12 years of his life his career blossomed. He fell in love and composed prolifically, the struggles of his early career all but forgotten. As his reputation grew, so did his zeal for composing and, in 1915, he finally revisited an idea he had first considered a full decade earlier – an orchestral rhapsody inspired by the 1835 novella Taras Bulba. Written by the Russian novelist and playwright Nikolai Gogol, Taras Bulba tells the story of a Ukrainian Cossack, Taras, and his two sons, Andrei and Ostap, who in 1628 fought against the Poles occupying a corner of western Ukraine. While all three of the men meet an unpleasant and bloody end, Taras is eventually hailed as a hero, his great sacrifice for his country held up as evidence that ‘there is no fire nor suffering in the whole world which could break the strength of the Russian people’. When Janáček read Gogol’s patriotic novella in 1905, he immediately began scrawling ideas across its pages, but it would take another ten years and the onset of the 10 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

response to the strict twelve-tone works of Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School – a way of composing that by 1966 was somewhat outdated. Here, Silvestrov combines this strict notation with ethereal, quasiimprovised material, such that the Third Symphony has an intangible, otherworldly aura, somehow just beyond our reach. Although its style is more demonstrative, the Symphony is in many ways a precursor to the minimalist, shape-shifting style of Silvestrov’s later works, its gentle ebb and flow masked by the glittering details that saturate the surface.

Taras Bulba (1918) 1 2 3

Smrt Andrijova (Death of Andrei) Smrt Ostapova (Death of Ostap) Proroctví a smrt Tarase Bulby (Prophecy and Death of Taras Bulba)

First World War before he finally turned these thoughts into music. Janáček’s ‘rhapsody’ is a programmatic symphony in all but name, its three movements focussing on three of the key moments in Gogol’s narrative: the death of Andrei, the death of Ostap and, ultimately, the death of Taras himself. As the first movement opens, there is little sign of the violence that awaits us: we are greeted with a scene of serenity, the lyrical cor anglais theme depicting the unfolding love between Andrei and a young Polish girl. But as the movement unravels, their theme is increasingly interrupted by flurries of unrest – scurrying strings, ominous brass, tolling bells – which signal the fate that will befall Andrei, who has switched sides to fight alongside his lover. Horrified by his son’s betrayal, it is Taras himself who shoots Andrei on the battlefield. Ostap’s death in the second movement is no less gruesome: he is captured by the Poles and tortured in front of a crowd of onlookers while his father, unseen amidst the mob, looks helplessly on. Ostap’s shrieks of despair are carried by the wailing sound of the E flat clarinet, set in sharp relief against the buoyant Polish march of his captors. Three final

PLAYERS’ PERSPECTIVE ‘In Taras Bulba, Janáček really makes the trombones work hard. We have some great section melodies but also some really grungy passages with all of us scraping the bottom of the range. He gets some awesome colours from the whole orchestra.’ Mark Templeton Principal Trombone

drum blows signal his fate – Ostap is beheaded. While Taras succeeds in avenging Ostap’s death by defeating huge swathes of Poles on the front line, he is eventually captured and burned at the stake. Grisly as this may be, the finale does not present a picture of sorrow: here, the trombones crow in glorious fanfare, Taras is a hero, his compatriots have escaped and Taras dies knowing that his people have triumphed. As the work comes to a close it is with the roar of the organ and the sound of glistening bells – a grandiose new theme that signals a gleaming new chapter for Russia. Programme notes © Jo Kirkbride

Recommended recordings of tonight’s works

Das Rheingold: A Golden Gala Evening Saturday 27 January 2018 6.00pm Royal Festival Hall

Wagner Das Rheingold Vladimir Jurowski conductor with soloists including Sofia Fomina, Anna Larsson, Matthias Goerne and Matthew Rose

Celebrate Vladimir Jurowski’s 10th year as LPO Principal Conductor by joining us for this Golden Gala Evening at Royal Festival Hall. As well as standard concert tickets, we are offering special packages including pre- and post-concert receptions and the chance to meet the musicians who will bring Wagner’s great music drama to the stage.

lpo.org.uk/vj10

Many of our recommended recordings, where available, are on sale this evening at the Foyles stand in the Royal Festival Hall foyer. Britten: Symphony for Cello Mstislav Rostropovich cello Benjamin Britten conductor English Chamber Orchestra (Decca) Janáček: Taras Bulba Sir Charles Mackerras conductor Vienna Philharmonic (Decca) or Edward Gardner conductor Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Chandos)

Generously supported by members of the Orchestra’s Ring Cycle Syndicate and patrons of our Golden Gala Evening.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 11

be m ov e d Next concerts at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall

Saturday 30 September 2017 7.30pm

Saturday 21 October 2017 7.30pm

wednesday 25 October 2017 7.30pm

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20, K466 Bruckner Symphony No. 5 (1878 version)

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Rossini Stabat Mater

Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 Pēteris Vasks Dona nobis pacem Gregorian Chant Dies Irae Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances*

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Richard Goode piano

Carlos Miguel Prieto conductor Hannes Minnaar piano Joyce El-Khoury soprano Anna Stéphany mezzo-soprano Kan Wang tenor Michele Pertusi bass-baritone London Philharmonic Choir

Andrés Orozco-Estrada conductor István Várdai cello London Philharmonic Choir The Lay Vicars of Westminster Abbey *In co-operation with the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation. The Lay Vicars of Westminster Abbey appear by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster.

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 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

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 13

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 Victoria Robey OBE Orchestra Circle The Tsukanov Family Principal Associates An anonymous donor The Candide Trust Alexander & Elena Djaparidze Sergey Sarkisov & Rusiko Makhashvili Julian & Gill Simmonds Neil Westreich Associates Kay Bryan William & Alex de Winton Virginia Gabbertas Oleg & Natalya Pukhov Sir Simon Robey Stuart & Bianca Roden Gold Patrons Evzen & Lucia Balko David & Yi Buckley Garf & Gill Collins Andrew Davenport Sonja Drexler Mrs Gillian Fane Hamish & Sophie Forsyth Sally Groves & Dennis Marks The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust John & Angela Kessler Vadim & Natalia Levin Countess Dominique Loredan Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Geoff Mann Tom & Phillis Sharpe The Viney Family Laurence Watt Guy & Utti Whittaker

Silver Patrons Michael Allen Mrs Irina Gofman David Goldberg Mr Gavin Graham Pehr G Gyllenhammar Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Matt Isaacs & Penny Jerram Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva The Metherell Family Jacopo Pessina Brian & Elizabeth Taylor Bronze Patrons Anonymous donors Dr Christopher Aldren Mrs Margot Astrachan Mrs A Beare Richard & Jo Brass Peter & Adrienne Breen Mr Jeremy Bull Richard Buxton John Childress & Christiane Wuillaimie Mr Geoffrey A Collens Mr John H Cook Bruno De Kegel Georgy Djaparidze David Ellen Ulrike & Benno Engelmann Ignor & Lyuba Galkin Mr Daniel Goldstein Mr Roger Greenwood Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Martin & Katherine Hattrell Wim & Jackie Hautekiet-Clare Michael & Christine Henry J Douglas Home Mr Glenn Hurstfield Mrs Philip Kan Rose & Dudley Leigh Elena Lileeva & Adrian Pabst Drs Frank & Gek Lim Peter MacDonald Eggers Isabelle & Adrian Mee Maxim & Natalia Moskalev Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Peter & Lucy Noble

14 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Noel Otley JP & Mrs Rachel Davies Roderick & Maria Peacock Mr Roger Phillimore Mr Michael Posen Sir Bernard Rix Mr Robert Ross Anonymous Dr Eva Lotta & Mr Thierry Sciard Barry & Gillian Smith Anna Smorodskaya Lady Valerie Solti Mr & Mrs G Stein Mrs Anne Storm Sergei & Elena Sudakov Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Marina Vaizey Grenville & Krysia Williams Mr Anthony Yolland Principal Supporters An anonymous donor Roger & Clare Barron Gabor Beyer, through BTO Management Consulting AG David & Patricia Buck Dr Anthony Buckland Mr Alan C Butler Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen Mr Alistair Corbett Mr Peter Cullum CBE Mr Timonthy Fancourt QC Marie-Laure Favre-Gilly de Varennes de Beuill Mr Richard Fernyhough Mr Derek B. Gray Malcolm Herring Ivan Hurry Per Jonsson Mr Ralph Kanza Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Mr Colm Kelleher Peter Kerkar Mr Gerald Levin

Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr John Long Mr Peter Mace Brendan & Karen McManus Kristina McPhee Andrew T Mills Randall & Maria Moore Dr Karen Morton Olga Pavlova Dr Wiebke Pekrull Mr James Pickford Andrew & Sarah Poppleton Tatiana Pyatigorskaya Martin & Cheryl Southgate Mr Christopher Stewart Andrew & Rosemary Tusa Anastasia Vvedenskaya Howard & Sheelagh Watson Des & Maggie Whitelock Holly Wilkes Christopher Williams Mr C D Yates Bill Yoe Supporters Anonymous donors Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Mrs Alan Carrington Miss Siobhan Cervin Gus Christie Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington Mr Joshua Coger Timothy Colyer Miss Tessa Cowie Lady Jane Cuckney OBE Cameron & Kathryn Doley Stephen & Barbara Dorgan Mr Nigel Dyer Sabina Fatkullina Mrs Janet Flynn Christopher Fraser OBE The Jackman Family Mrs Irina Tsarenkov Mr David MacFarlane Mr John Meloy Mr Stephen Olton Robin Partington

Mr David Peters Mr Ivan Powell Mr & Mrs Graham & Jean Pugh Mr Christopher Queree Mr David Russell Mr Kenneth Shaw Ms Natalie Spraggon Michael & Katie Urmston Damien & Tina Vanderwilt Timothy Walker AM Mr John Weekes 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 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: Jenny Ireland Co-Chairman William A. Kerr Co-Chairman Xenia Hanusiak Alexandra Jupin Kristina McPhee David Oxenstierna Natalie Pray Antonia Romeo Hon. Chairman Noel Kilkenny Hon. Director Victoria Robey OBE Hon. Director Richard Gee, Esq Of Counsel Jenifer L. Keiser, CPA, EisnerAmper LLP Stephanie Yoshida

Corporate Donors Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP Goldman Sachs Linklaters London Stock Exchange Group Morgan Lewis Phillips Auction House Pictet Bank Corporate Members Gold Sunshine Silver After Digital Berenberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce Bronze Accenture Ageas BTO Management Consulting AG Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Willis Towers Watson Preferred Partners Fevertree Heineken Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd London Orthopaedic Clinic Sipsmith Steinway Villa Maria In-kind Sponsor Google Inc

Trusts and Foundations ABO Trust The Boltini Trust 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 Kirby Laing Foundation The Leverhulme Trust Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation London Stock Exchange Group Foundation Marsh Christian Trust The Mercers’ Company Adam Mickiewicz Institute The Stanley Picker Trust The Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust PRS For Music Foundation Rivers Foundation Romanian Cultural Institute The R K Charitable Trust The Sampimon Trust Schroder Charity Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation The David Solomons Charitable Trust Souter Charitable Trust The Steel Charitable Trust Spears-Stutz Charitable Trust The John Thaw Foundation UK Friends of the FelixMendelssohn-BartholdyFoundation

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 Henry Baldwin* Roger Barron Richard Brass David Buckley Bruno De Kegel Al MacCuish Susanne Martens* George Peniston* Natasha Tsukanova Mark Vines* 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 Dr Catherine C. Høgel Rehmet Kassim-Lakha Jamie Korner Geoff Mann Clive Marks OBE FCA Stewart McIlwham 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

Education and Community

Public Relations

Timothy Walker AM Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Isabella Kernot Education Director

Albion Media (Tel: 020 3077 4930)

Talia Lash Education and Community Project Manager