2021/22 concert season at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
Concert programme
Principal Conductor Edward Gardner 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 Saturday 6 November 2021 | 7.30pm
In Bluebeard’s Castle Haydn Symphony No. 90 in C major, Hob. I:90 (25’) Interval (20’) Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle: opera in one act (59’) Sung in Hungarian with English surtitles
Edward Gardner conductor Ildikó Komlósi mezzo-soprano John Relyea bass
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 Edward Gardner 7 Ildikó Komlósi 8 John Relyea 9 Programme notes 11 Recommended recordings 13 Sound Futures donors 14 Thank you 16 LPO administration
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Welcome to the Southbank Centre
LPO news Bernard Haitink 1929–2021
We hope you enjoy your visit. We have a Duty Manager available at all times. If you need any information or help, please ask a member of staff.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of conductor Bernard Haitink on 21 October 2021. As the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Principal Conductor from 1967–79, Haitink presided over some of its most memorable and exciting years, and was much loved by musicians and audiences alike. LPO President Martin Höhmann said: ‘The LPO was privileged to enjoy such a long and remarkable relationship with Bernard Haitink. He will be fondly remembered as one of the LPO’s best-loved Principal Conductors, with whom the Orchestra achieved some of the greatest successes in its history.’ A full tribute will follow in a future publication.
Eating, drinking and shopping? Take in the views over food and drinks at the Riverside Terrace Cafe, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall. Visit our shops for products inspired by our great cultural experiences, iconic buildings and central London location. Explore across the site with Beany Green, Côte Brasserie, Foyles, Giraffe, Honest Burger, Las Iguanas, Le Pain Quotidien, Ping Pong, Pret, Strada, Skylon, Slice, Spiritland, wagamama and Wahaca. If you would like to get in touch with us following your visit, please write to: Visitor Contact Team, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Tour to Turkey
A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment:
The Orchestra has just returned from a tour to Turkey, where we gave two concerts with conductor Robin Ticciati and pianist Francesco Piemontesi. The first performance marked the opening of the new Presidential Symphony Orchestra Hall in the capital Ankara, and this was followed by a concert at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul.
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 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.
Next week (13 November) we embark on our next tour, travelling to Germany with conductor Edward Gardner and pianist Jan Lisiecki. We’ll give concerts in seven cities across the country, before returning to London for our next Royal Festival Hall concert on 24 November.
Mobiles and watches should be switched off before the performance begins.
Enjoying your visit safely
LPO Offstage podcast: new series
As we continue our 2021/22 LPO season, the health and wellbeing of our audiences, musicians and staff remains our top priority, and all concerts and events will have appropriate safety measures in place in accordance with Government guidelines: the Southbank Centre’s website will be kept up-todate with all the latest information. To find out more, visit southbankcentre.co.uk/visit or speak to a member of Southbank Centre staff.
Our popular LPO podcast, ‘LPO Offstage’, is now in its third series. Hosted by presenter and MOBO Awardwinning saxophonist YolanDa Brown, the weekly podcast takes you behind-the-scenes of the LPO, bringing you closer than ever to the world of orchestral music. Episodes this series include insights into sharing a desk as a string player, the role of the Orchestra’s Librarians, and a look at how streamed concerts come together for broadcast.
Out of respect for our staff and visitors, we ask that you continue to wear a face covering inside our venues if you are able to do so. Thank you.
Find LPO Offstage on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, or wherever you listen. lpo.org.uk/podcast
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
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
Minn Majoe Catherine Craig Yang Zhang
Chair supported by Eric Tomsett
Thea Spier Katalin Varnagy
Chair supported by Sonja Drexler
Amanda Smith Martin Höhmann
Chair supported by Chris Aldren
Laura Ayoub Thomas Eisner Caroline Sharp Nilufar Alimaksumova Jamie Hutchinson
Second Violins
Tania Mazzetti Principal Chair supported by Countess Dominique Loredan
Emma Oldfield Helena Smart Nynke Hijlkema Fiona Higham
Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley
Marie-Anne Mairesse Kate Birchall Eriko Nagayama Ashley Stevens Sioni Williams Nancy Elan Sarah Thornett Joseph Maher Sheila Law
Violas
David Quiggle Principal Richard Waters Co-Principal Ting-Ru Lai Katharine Leek Benedetto Pollani Naomi Holt
Martin Wray Stanislav Popov Alistair Scahill Martin Fenn Julia Kornig Jill Valentine
Clarinets
Cellos
Thomas Watmough Principal
Benjamin Mellefont Principal Thomas Watmough Paul Richards*
E-flat Clarinets
Chair supported by Roger Greenwood
Kristina Blaumane Principal
Benjamin Mellefont
Chair supported by Bianca & Stuart Roden
Pei-Jee Ng Co-Principal Francis Bucknall Laura Donoghue David Lale Gregory Walmsley Elisabeth Wiklander Tom Roff Helen Rathbone Sibylle Hentschel
Bass Clarinet
Paul Richards* Principal
Bassoons
Jonathan Davies Principal Chair supported by Sir Simon Robey
Double Basses
Kevin Rundell* Principal Sebastian Pennar Co-Principal Hugh Kluger George Peniston Tom Walley Laura Murphy Charlotte Kerbegian Sam Rice
Hannah Grayson Stewart McIlwham* Clare Childs
Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney* David Hilton Ruth Shaddock
Piccolos
Offstage Trumpets Colin Clague William O’Sullivan Tom Nielsen Tony Cross
Oboes
Ian Hardwick* Principal Alice Munday
Trombones
Mark Templeton* Principal Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton
Cor Anglais
Benny Vernon
Sue Böhling* Principal Chair supported by Dr Barry Grimaldi
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Tuba
Michael Levis Guest Principal
Timpani
Simon Carrington* Principal
Andrew Barclay* Principal Henry Baldwin Co-Principal Keith Millar
Trumpets
Stewart McIlwham* Principal Clare Childs
David Whitehouse Duncan Wilson Amos Miller Merin Rhyd
Contrabassoon
John Ryan* Principal Mark Vines Co-Principal Martin Hobbs Oliver Johnson Gareth Mollison
Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp
Offstage Trombones
Chair supported by Victoria Robey OBE
Horns
Juliette Bausor Principal
Lyndon Meredith Principal Simon Minshall
Gareth Newman Dominic Tyler Simon Estell*
Simon Estell* Principal
Flutes
Bass Trombones
Jeremy Cornes
Percussion
Harps
Rachel Masters Principal Anne Denholm
Celeste
Catherine Edwards
Organ
Richard Gowers * Holds a professorial appointment in London
Assistant Conductor Edmund Whitehead
Surtitles
Created by Paula Kennedy, operated by Sophie Rashbrook.
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
© Benjamin Ealovega
London Philharmonic 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 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. 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 • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
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 • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Edward Gardner Principal Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra
the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, where he was Principal Guest Conductor from 2010–16, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, whom he has conducted at both the First and Last Night of the BBC Proms.
© Benjamin Ealovega
Music Director of English National Opera for ten years (2006–15), Edward has an ongoing relationship with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where he has conducted productions of La damnation de Faust, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Der Rosenkavalier and Werther. In London he has future plans with the Royal Opera House, where he made his debut in 2019 in a new production of Káťa Kabanová and returned for Werther the following season. The 2021/22 season will see Edward make his debut with the Bayerische Staatsoper in a new production of Peter Grimes. Elsewhere, he has conducted at La Scala, Chicago Lyric Opera, Den Norske Opera and Ballet, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Opéra National de Paris.
Edward Gardner began his tenure as Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2021; he is also Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic, a position he has held since October 2015.
A passionate supporter of young talent, Edward founded the Hallé Youth Orchestra in 2002 and regularly conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He has a close relationship with The Juilliard School of Music and with the Royal Academy of Music, who appointed him their inaugural Sir Charles Mackerras Conducting Chair in 2014.
During the 2021/22 season Edward conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in eleven concerts at the Royal Festival Hall, including five UK premieres. In September 2021 he and the LPO appeared at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest, and later this month they will undertake an extensive tour of Germany.
Born in Gloucester in 1974, Edward was educated at the University of Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music. He went on to become Assistant Conductor of the Hallé and Music Director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera. His many accolades include being named Royal Philharmonic Society Award Conductor of the Year (2008), an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera (2009) and receiving an OBE for Services to Music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours (2012).
Edward opened the Bergen Philharmonic 2021/22 season with a performance of John Adams’s Harmonium. Further highlights include an all-Stravinsky programme and new commissions by Thomas Larcher, Ryan Wigglesworth and Rebecka Ahvenniemi. Following recent tours to Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam and at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival, the orchestra will perform in Barcelona and Paris this season. In demand as a guest conductor, the previous two seasons saw Edward debut with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and Wiener Symphoniker; while returns included engagements with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Montreal Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Philharmonia Orchestra and Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. He also continued his longstanding collaborations with
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Tonight's soloists Ildikó Komlósi mezzo-soprano (Judith) at the Arena di Verona, in roles including Carmen, Amneris (Aida), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana) and Laura (Luisa Miller). In 2006, together with tenor José Cura, she was awarded the Arena Award. In 2009 she sang Santuzza with great success at the Metropolitan Opera. This was followed by Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten in 2013. In 2016 she received the prestigious Kossuth Prize from the Hungarian government. She continues to sing around the world, performing at major festivals and theatres such as the Hungarian State Opera House, the Verbier Festival, the BBC Proms, and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in its home city. Ildikó Komlósi recently sang Kundry in Parsifal at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin; Bluebeard’s Castle under Alan Gilbert at the Teatro alla Scala; and Azucena in II trovatore at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg. She sang Amneris in the opening performance of Aida at the Arena di Verona, Bluebeard’s Castle in Boston; Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples; and Asie in Francesconi’s Trompe-la-Mort at the Opéra National de Paris.
Hungarian mezzo-soprano Ildikó Komlósi studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Budapest and subsequently on the specialist opera courses at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She was the winner of the Pavarotti International Competition in 1986, and made her debut in Verdi’s Requiem alongside Luciano Pavarotti under the baton of Lorin Maazel. She subsequently launched a successful career on the world’s great stages, making further debuts at the Frankfurt Staatsoper and the Wiener Staatsoper, and in 1990 she sang in her first production at the Teatro alla Scala. During the following years she conquered North and South America and the Far East. She is frequently invited to the world’s greatest opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Dresden Semperoper, as well as in Munich, Tokyo, and other Italian cities. Ildikó Komlósi last appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2017, as the Sphinx in a concert performance of Enescu’s Oedipe under Vladimir Jurowski at the Royal Festival Hall. Among her other past successes are a Zeffirelli production of Aida, opening the La Scala season in 2006, and another great Aida in Covent Garden, directed by Robert Wilson and conducted by Antonio Pappano. In the last five years she has been invited to sing annually
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Tonight's soloists John Relyea bass (Bluebeard) In concert, he has performed with major orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, as well as the London, Chicago, Boston, Dallas and San Francisco symphony orchestras.
© Shirley Suarez
He has appeared at the Tanglewood, Ravinia, Salzburg, Edinburgh, Lucerne and Mostly Mozart festivals, and at the BBC Proms. John recently returned to the Opéra national de Paris for Bluebeard’s Castle, and to the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma as Claggart in Billy Budd. Other recent highlights include his debut at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples as Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra; concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Sydney Symphony orchestras, the Orchestre de Paris and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI; Billy Budd in Oslo; a concert performance of Nabucco at the NTR ZaterdagMatinee in Amsterdam; and Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots at the Semperoper in Dresden. Future engagements include Don Carlos and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Metropolitan Opera, and Verdi’s Requiem at the Teatro Regio di Parma.
John Relyea has appeared on many of the world’s great operatic stages including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera (where he is an alumnus of the Merola Opera Program and a former Adler Fellow), the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Opéra national de Paris, the Teatro alla Scala, the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Canadian Opera Company, and in Dresden, Madrid and Barcelona. His roles have spanned a vast range of repertoire including the title roles in Verdi’s Attila, Massenet’s Don Quixote, Rachmaninoff’s Aleko and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.
John Relyea’s recordings include Verdi’s Requiem with Sir Colin Davis and the LSO (LSO Live); Mozart’s Idomeneo and La clemenza di Tito with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Symphony Orchestra (EMI); Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Sir Simon Rattle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (EMI); and the Metropolitan Opera’s DVD productions of Don Giovanni, I puritani, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Deutsche Grammophon), Macbeth and Rusalka (Metropolitan Opera HD Live Series).
In summer 2021 John Relyea sang the role of King Marke in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde at Glyndebourne Festival Opera with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Robin Ticciati. Other roles include Zaccaria in Nabucco, Bertram in Robert le diable, Pagano in I Lombardi alla prima crociata, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Colline in La bohème, Don Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Alidoro in La cenerentola, Giorgio in I puritani, Enrico in Anna Bolena, Banquo in Macbeth, Garibaldo in Rodelinda, Méphistopélès in both Faust and Le damnation de Faust, the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann, King Phillip in Don Carlo, Caspar in Der Freischütz, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, The Water Sprite in Rusalka and King René in Iolanta.
John Relyea is the winner of the 2009 Beverly Sills Award and the 2003 Richard Tucker Award.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Programme notes Joseph Haydn 1732–1809
Symphony No. 90 in C major, Hob. I:90 1788
1 Adagio – Allegro assai 2 Andante 3 Menuetto: Allegretto 4 Finale: Allegro assai Though Louis XIV had been a generous patron of the arts during his 72-year reign over France, his death in 1715 signalled the return to Paris of the royal court, housed at the Palace of Versailles since 1682. This move helped revitalise the capital’s flagging music scene in the decades that followed; newly formed concert societies – largely funded and hosted by Freemason lodges – took on particular cultural significance, allowing larger audiences access to the latest music. One such organisation was the Concert de la Loge Olympique, founded by the Count d’Ogny ClaudeFrançois-Marie Rigoley in 1782 when a prominent society with which he had previously been involved – Concert des Amateurs – had folded the previous year.
remained firmly in situ as Kapellmeister to the Hungarian noble family of Esterházy since his late twenties, but his music had been disseminated far and wide, its compelling quality cementing his place as Europe’s preeminent composer. So popular did the ‘Paris’ symphonies prove that the Count soon commissioned a further trilogy of works (Nos. 90–92) in 1788, likely premiered the following year in the final months before the outbreak of the French Revolution that would change the political, social and cultural landscape of the city forever. This C major work announces itself in austere fashion, measured gestures precipitating a gently paced introduction that soon trips forward into a jovial sway, vivacious scalic figures propelling the movement onwards. The Andante retains a dignified air throughout, solo-led variations on a goodhumoured theme interceded by two surprisingly terse episodes. This contrast of moods is subtly sustained through the ensuing Menuetto, the bounding dance occasionally hesitating in momentary doubt. The finale suffers from no such anxieties, full orchestra pushing avidly towards the finish line – when it has truly been crossed, though, is anyone’s guess …
Concert de la Loge Olympique commanded the loyalty of a number of affluent patrons, and soon had at its disposal an orchestra to rival any in the city. As such, the Count was able to aim high with his commissions and he had soon placed an order for six symphonies from none other than the Austrian master of the genre, Joseph Haydn. The resulting ‘Paris’ symphonies (Nos. 82–87), as they are now known, premiered during the course of 1786, further whetting the appetite of a public who had been devouring his orchestral works on a regular basis for more than two decades; Haydn the man had
Programme note © Richard Powell
Interval – 20 minutes An announcement will be made five minutes before the end of the interval.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Programme notes Béla Bartók 1881–1945
Bluebeard’s Castle (opera in one act) 1911, rev. 1912, 1918 & 1921 Libretto by Béla Balázs (1884–1949)
Ildikó Komlósi (mezzo-soprano) – Judith John Relyea (bass) – Bluebeard
Prologue (spoken) Introduction First Door: Bluebeard’s Torture Chamber Second Door: The Armoury Third Door: The Treasury Fourth Door: The Garden Fifth Door: Bluebeard’s Vast and Beautiful Domains Sixth Door: The Lake of Tears Seventh Door: Bluebeard’s Wives Even apart from any sympathy Bartók may have had with the subject of the opera, there was another reason why he would have been attracted to the libretto. Balázs consciously based his verse on Hungarian folk ballads with continuous eight-syllable lines with Bartók (and also, it seems, Kodály) in mind. Since 1904 Bartók had taken a profound interest in Hungarian folksong and had already been on several collecting expeditions; Balázs’s deliberate intent to evoke the strength of the folk ballad was bound to appeal to the young composer. Rather than allowing the regularity of the verse to constrict his style of word-setting, Bartók takes advantage of the convention using it to create a hypnotic, almost dreamlike effect, although in places he consciously extends
Bartók’s only opera occupies a unique place in 20th-century musical theatre. Predominantly dark-hued, static and with only two characters, it has, nevertheless, astonishing theatrical power; shorn of irrelevant ornamental action, this extraordinary work concentrates on the relationship between Judith and Bluebeard, the gradual exposure of his possessions, domains and, most importantly, psyche. The libretto, by writer Béla Balázs, is rich in symbolism and plots the course of Judith’s persistence in revealing the inner landscape of a tortured soul. Although based on the 17th-century fairytale of Charles Perrault, Balázs’s libretto is more akin to the near-Expressionist world Maeterlinck’s Ariane et Barbe-bleu.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
rhythmic values to produce asymmetrical variety. But the astonishing richness of the opera resides to a large extent in the tension between Bartók’s consistently imaginative handling of the orchestra and the elemental quality of his predominantly syllabic word-setting.
Recommended recordings of tonight’s works Haydn: Symphony No. 90 in C major The Hanover Band | Roy Goodman (Helios) or Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra | Ádám Fischer (Brilliant Classics)
Bartók composed the score in the spring and summer of 1911, returning to revise it in 1912, 1918 and 1921. An external reason that impelled Bartók to compose the opera was a competition in Hungary for a one-act opera. Bartók did not win the competition and it was seven years before it had its premiere. Even after this, performances in Hungary were rare for many years owing to the unacceptability of Balázs, with his communist credentials, to the political regime. In the second half of the century, however, the reputation of Bluebeard’s Castle has increased vastly, and it is now seen as a key work in Bartók’s output.
Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle Michelle DeYoung | John Relyea Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra | Edward Gardner (Chandos)
For all its qualities, Bluebeard’s Castle is an early work. The influence of Strauss, and, more important for the later composer, Debussy, is certainly apparent. The opera’s Hungarian dimension, however, takes it well beyond the realms of mere imitation. Intervals such as the fourth and the angular augmented fourth suffuse the melodic and harmonic language; combined with the pointing of the words, the sound-world of the opera becomes peculiarly personal. Bartók’s command of atmosphere is also extraordinary. After the spoken prologue, which poses the question whether the stage on which the drama is set is before or behind our eyes, Bartók suggests with spare, unison lines the gloom and isolation of the hall of Bluebeard’s castle, with its seven doors. As each of the doors is opened, the torture chamber, the armoury , the treasury, captured in startlingly evocative orchestral colours, the contents become corrupted by the presence of blood, symbolised in the music by a harsh minor second. The opening of the fifth door, unexpectedly on Bluebeard’s domains, is cue for a vast procession of clear major chords to come stalking across the score. From here there is a decline towards darkness and quiet. The sixth door reveals a lake of tears and the last conceals the three wives whom Judith must join. The previous wives were found in the morning, noon and evening. Judith is proclaimed the bride of night as she joins the others leaving Bluebeard alone in the gathering darkness.
Have you checked out our LPO podcast, LPO Offstage yet? Now in its third series, each weekly episode takes a look at a different aspect of behind-the-scenes life in the LPO, bringing you closer than ever to the world of orchestral music. Hosted by MOBO Award-winning saxophonist and presenter YolanDa Brown, in conversation with LPO musicians and staff. Find LPO Offstage free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, or wherever you listen. lpo.org.uk/podcast
Programme note © Jan Smaczny
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Edward Gardner More concerts this season with our new Principal Conductor
10 Nov 2021 Landscapes and Love Songs Warm-hearted miniatures by Grieg are followed by Sibelius’s Second Symphony, and Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Jan Lisiecki. Generously supported by Victoria Robey OBE.
9 Mar 2022 Sheku Kanneh-Mason Shostakovich’s rarely heard masterpiece of a cello concerto is teamed with works by Judith Weir, Daniel Kidane and Bartók.
19 Mar 2022 Bryn Terfel sings Brahms
2 Apr 2022 A German Requiem Music by Messiaen and Lili Boulanger is followed by Brahms’s German Requiem, featuring soloists Christiane Karg and Roderick Williams.
27 Apr 2022 War and Peace Vaughan Williams’s Fifth Symphony and Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem alongside the UK premiere of Brett Dean’s Cello Concerto performed by Alban Gerhardt. Generously supported by The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust.
Bryn Terfel brings power to Brahms’s late songs, alongside music by Schoenberg and Mendelssohn. Generously supported by Victoria Robey OBE.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
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 • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
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 Sir Simon & Lady Robey OBE
Orchestra Circle The Candide Trust William & Alex de Winton 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 Peter & Fiona Espenhahn Marie-Laure Favre-Gilly de Varennes de Beuill Mr Roger Greenwood Malcolm Herring
Geoff & Meg Mann Harriet & Michael Maunsell Marianne Parsons 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
John & Angela Kessler Dame Theresa Sackler 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 Carlos Carreno Mr Julien Chilcott-Monk Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen David & Liz Conway Mr Alistair Corbett Andrew Davenport Mr Simon Douglas Mr Richard Fernyhough Mrs Janet Flynn Mrs Ash Frisby 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 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 Jamie & Julia Korner Rose & Dudley Leigh Drs Frank & Gek Lim Nicholas & Felicity Lyons
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Mr David Russell Colin Senneck & the Hartley and District LPO Group Nigel Silby Mr Brian Smith Martin & Cheryl Southgate Mr & Mrs G Stein Dr Peter Stephenson Mr Ian Tegner Dr June Wakefield Howard & Sheelagh Watson 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 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 Mr Bernard Freudenthal Mrs Adele Friedland & Friends
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
Thank you
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 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)
Corporate Donors
Trusts and Foundations
Barclays CHANEL Fund for Women in the Arts and Culture Pictet Bank
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 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 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
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 London Orthopaedic Clinic 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:
and all others who wish to remain anonymous. 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.
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
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 6 November 2021 • In Bluebeard’s Castle
London Philharmonic Orchestra Administration Board of Directors Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Martin Höhmann* President Dr Catherine C. Høgel Vice-Chairman Henry Baldwin* Vice-President 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 Robert Adediran Christopher Aldren Dr Manon Antoniazzi Roger Barron Richard Brass Helen Brocklebank 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
Finance
Julian Simmonds Barry Smith Martin Southgate Chris Viney Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter
Frances Slack Finance Director Dayse Guilherme Finance Manager Jean-Paul Ramotar Finance and IT Officer
General Administration Elena Dubinets Artistic Director David Burke Chief Executive Chantelle Vircavs PA to the Executive
Education and Community Talia Lash Interim Education and Community Director Rebecca Parslow Education and Community Project Manager
Concert Management Roanna Gibson Concerts Director
Hannah Foakes Tilly Gugenheim Education and Community Project Co-ordinators
Graham Wood Concerts and Recordings Manager Fabio Sarlo Glyndebourne and Projects Manager
Development Laura Willis Development Director
Grace Ko Tours Manager
Vicky Moran Development Events Manager
Alison Jones Concerts and Recordings Co-ordinator Christina Perrin Concerts and Tours Assistant Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant
Felix Lo Orchestra and Auditions 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 Brian Cohen Mr Simon Owen-Johnstone Hon. Orthopaedic Surgeons
Kirstin Peltonen Development Associate
Damian Davis Transport Manager
Sophie Harvey Digital and Residencies Marketing Manager
Rosie Morden Individual Giving Manager
Nick Jackman Campaigns and Projects Director
Laura Kitson Stephen O’Flaherty Stage Managers
Ruth Knight Press and PR Manager
Mr Chris Aldren Honorary ENT Surgeon
Priya Radhakrishnan Georgia Wiltshire Development Assistants
Sarah Thomas Martin Sargeson Librarians
Gavin Miller Box Office Manager
Stef Woodford Corporate Relations Manager
Anna Quillin Trusts and Foundations Manager
Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager
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