RESIDENT ORCHESTRA AT CADOGAN HALL OCTOBER 2014 – JUNE 2015
10
years OF PERFORMANCE AT CADOGAN HALL
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the Resident Orchestra at Cadogan Hall, generously supported by Cadogan Estates.
Welcome The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to announce its 2014-15 season at Cadogan Hall – one of London’s most esteemed venues. The Orchestra will be joined by an array of world-class conductors and soloists to perform sixteen vibrant concerts, beginning with Tchaikovsky’s magnificent Piano Concerto No.1 on Tuesday 14th October, performed by acclaimed pianist Natasha Paremski. Throughout the season the Orchestra plays host to an A-list of pianists, with appearances from Leon McCawley, Alexandra Dariescu, Janina Fialkowska and Freddy Kempf to name just a few. This wealth of pianistic talent will treat you to some of the greatest piano concertos ever written, by composers as stylistically diverse as Mozart, Chopin, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Grieg and Shostakovich. We are also elated to see the return of cellist Natalie Clein in June 2015 and we look forward to concluding the season in style with a British spectacular, devised especially by our very own Leader, Duncan Riddell. The Orchestra hopes to welcome you during our most diverse season yet.
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Tuesday 14th October 2014, 7.30pm October November/December
Schumann Tchaikovsky Sibelius Fabien Gabel Natasha Paremski
Manfred Overture Piano Concerto No.1 Symphony No.5 Conductor Piano
Schumann became obsessed with Byron’s Manfred in 1829, writing: ‘Agitated state of mind – read Byron’s Manfred in bed – terrible night.’ It was 20 years before he wrote incidental music based on the poem, and the Overture, with its chilling dramatic touches, was considered by Brahms to be Schumann’s first symphony. Schumann himself declared, ‘Never have I devoted myself to a composition with such love and energy as to Manfred’. With its magnificent opening theme, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 brims with passion; and the Symphony No.5 by Sibelius is one of the composer’s most glorious achievements – its horn-filled finale a spine-tingling triumph. RPO Rewards points apply
Thursday 30th October 2014, 7.30pm Stravinsky Mozart Mendelssohn Kirill Karabits Leon McCawley
Pulcinella Suite Piano Concerto No.23 Symphony No.3, ‘Scottish’ Conductor Piano
Under the baton of Kirill Karabits, this programme features a fascinating selection of works, all exhibiting traits of Classical refinement despite their wide-ranging dates of composition. Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinella was one of his ‘neoclassical’ gems, using music he believed to have been written by Pergolesi. Mozart’s charming and spirited Piano Concerto No.23, with its famous opening theme, is performed by celebrated pianist Leon McCawley. While Mendelssohn was influenced by his predecessors Mozart and Beethoven, he also took inspiration from the scenery he enjoyed, when, as a young man, he explored Europe on his ‘Grand Tour’. His stay in Scotland inspired – among other works – his evocative ‘Scottish’ Symphony. RPO Rewards points apply
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Tuesday 11th November 2014, 6.15pm and 7.30pm November
Wagner Richard Strauss Brahms Martyn Brabbins Eleanor Dennis
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude Four Last Songs Symphony No.1 Conductor Soprano
These two programmes complement one another perfectly. Our pre-concert chamber music recital (see below) showcases sextets by Richard Strauss and Brahms, both of whom used this rich ensemble to create music of expressive beauty. Both Wagner and Brahms saw themselves as successors to Beethoven, yet their music was strikingly different. Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger starts our main concert in proud vein, and Brahms’ First Symphony is a powerful work of sublime inspiration. These pieces frame the divine Four Last Songs by Strauss – his final and most exquisite piece.
RPO Rewards points apply
Pre-concert chamber music recital 6.15pm (Tickets: £10) Featuring members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Richard Strauss Sextet from Capriccio Brahms Sextet No.1 in B flat
Thursday 27th November 2014, 7.30pm Beethoven Mascagni Grieg Dvorˇák Alessandro Fabrizi Alexandra Dariescu
Fidelio Overture Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo Piano Concerto Symphony No.7 Conductor Piano
Fidelio was Beethoven’s only opera, yet it spawned no fewer than four overtures. After the gravitas of the three Leonore Overtures, Beethoven wanted to produce something more adventurous, resulting in this spirited work. After the romantic beauty of Mascagni’s famous Intermezzo, Grieg’s Piano Concerto, with its scintillating opening, is performed by acclaimed pianist Alexandra Dariescu. Dvorˇák’s Symphony No.7 balances dramatic power and irresistible lyricism; with its arresting opening, gorgeous slow movement, dancing Scherzo and thrilling Finale, this is one of the greatest pieces Dvorˇák ever wrote. Not to be missed. 6
RPO Rewards points apply
This concert will be dedicated to a project of rare scientific quality, entitled ‘Music and Neuroscience’.
Wednesday 17th December 2014, 7.30pm December November/December
SWINGING SIXTIES AT CHRISTMAS Richard Balcombe Graham Bickley Mary Carewe Alison Jiear Emma Kershaw
Conductor Vocalist Vocalist Vocalist Vocalist
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra brings you Swinging Sixties at Christmas – a joyous concert that celebrates a magnificent decade of chart-topping songs and your favourite Christmas jingles. Conductor Richard Balcombe and a magnificent, energetic quartet of vocalists perform classics by sixties stars that include Petula Clarke, Dusty Springfield, Andy Williams, Lulu, Cilla Black, The Mamas and the Papas, The Beach Boys and The Walker Brothers. This performance guarantees to have you swinging merrily along in the week before Christmas. RPO Rewards points apply
Saturday 20th December 2014, 3.00pm and 7.30pm CHRISTMAS CRACKER 2014 Nick Davies Mary Carewe Michael Dore
Conductor Vocalist Vocalist
Christmas isn’t the same without attending the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Christmas Cracker. This Yuletide concert favourite is perfect for families and audience members of all ages, with Mary Carewe and Michael Dore singing such merriments as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Mary’s Boy Child, The Christmas Song, The Little Road to Bethlehem and not forgetting the sing-along carols. With Cadogan Hall lit up like a Christmas tree and the delights of mulled wine being served, this is the ideal event to start your annual festivities.
RPO Rewards points apply
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Tuesday 3rd February 2015, 7.30pm February
Glinka Rachmaninov Shostakovich Alexander Shelley Alessio Bax
Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture Piano Concerto No.2 Symphony No.5 Conductor Piano
Encompassing the hallmark romanticism of the nineteenth century and the political angst of the Soviet Union, this all-Russian programme features some of the most distinctive works in the classical repertoire. The ebullience of the popular Overture to Glinka’s five-act Ruslan and Lyudmila is contrasted with Rachmaninov’s lavish Piano Concerto No.2, performed by Italian pianist Alessio Bax. Shostakovich’s imposing Symphony No.5 was completed just a few years before the outbreak of World War Two, at a time when Soviet composers were pressured to conform to requisites set by the authorities; the blend of satire and submission has intrigued audiences ever since its conception, while the triumphant Finale continues to astound to this day. RPO Rewards points apply
Friday 13th February 2015, 7.30pm Mozart Delius Mendelssohn Tchaikovsky Bizet Grzegorz Nowak Robert Davidovici
The Marriage of Figaro Overture The Walk to the Paradise Garden Violin Concerto in E minor Swan Lake excerpts Carmen excerpts Conductor Violin
On the eve before Valentine’s Day, Grzegorz Nowak returns to perform stellar extracts from ballet and opera – from the unequivocal classical form of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro to Bizet’s tragic Carmen. Violinist Robert Davidovici joins the Orchestra once again to perform Mendelssohn’s celebrated Violin Concerto, first premiered in 1845 by the Leader of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Ferdinand David. No less beloved is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake: a tale of a princess’s transformation into a swan at the hands of an evil sorceress. 8
RPO Rewards points apply
Friday 27th March 2015, 7.30pm March November/December
Mendelssohn Mozart Dvorˇák Michał Nesterowicz Janina Fialkowska
Hebrides Overture Piano Concerto No.24 Symphony No.8 Conductor Piano
Foreign lands have proved to be the source of powerful inspiration for many composers. Mendelssohn became enchanted by the Scottish landscapes after he toured there in 1829; his stirring evocations of the natural world are not only evident in his ‘Scottish’ Symphony but also the Hebrides Overture, which vividly depicts both stormy tides and still coastal waters. Dvorˇák found inspiration for his Symphony No.8 closer to his home in the folk music of native Bohemia; it is one of his most exuberant works, conducted tonight by Polish conductor Michał Nesterowicz. Esteemed virtuoso Janina Fialkowska also performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.24 – written at the summit of Mozart’s creativity, the work’s unique quality is fashioned through the darkness of the minor key.
RPO Rewards points apply
Tuesday 31st March 2015, 7.30pm Beethoven Beethoven Beethoven
Symphony No.2 Piano Concerto No.1 Symphony No.4
Josep Caballé Domenech Conductor Freddy Kempf Piano The endurance of Beethoven’s orchestral legacy is irrefutable: ‘You will never know how the likes of us feel when we hear the march of a giant like Beethoven behind us’, wrote Brahms in a letter to conductor Hermann Levi. Indeed, Beethoven’s pioneering of the symphonic form startled contemporary critics but inspired composers throughout the nineteenth century and beyond. Two landmark symphonies feature in this programme and pianist Freddy Kempf makes an anticipated return to perform Beethoven’s first published concerto for the piano. Premiered in 1798, it was dedicated to Beethoven’s pupil Countess Anna Keglevics. RPO Rewards points apply
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Thursday 16th April 2015, 7.30pm April November/December
Rossini Chopin Tchaikovsky Pierre Vallet Elizabeth Sombart
The Barber of Seville Overture Piano Concerto No.1 Symphony No.4 Conductor Piano
Although most often associated with solo piano works, Frédéric Chopin also wrote two notoriously challenging piano concertos – and appeared as soloist at each premiere. Celebrated French pianist Elizabeth Sombart joins the Orchestra to perform Chopin’s first concerto under the baton of Pierre Vallet. The wit and sparkle of the ever-popular comic Overture to Rossini’s vaunting The Barber of Seville gets this concert off to an effervescent start, contrasting with the menacing ‘fate fanfare’ of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.4. First performed in 1878, this symphonic masterpiece moves through brooding pessimism to a lively Scherzo and a glorious Finale. RPO Rewards points apply
Tuesday 28th April 2015, 7.30pm Tchaikovsky Shostakovich Tchaikovsky Garry Walker Martin Roscoe
Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture Piano Concerto No.2 Symphony No.6, ‘Pathétique’ Conductor Piano
We welcome back conductor Garry Walker, who leads an irresistible programme of Russian works. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2 is a remarkable composition that fuses contemporary invention with the romantic, lyrical writing of his predecessors. This astonishing twentieth-century work features Martin Roscoe, a pianist renowned for his versatility at the keyboard. Equally as vivid are the contrasts of style and traits within Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony; his final symphonic essay juxtaposes playful central movements with the bleakness that haunted Tchaikovsky’s life so often.
RPO Rewards points apply
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Tuesday 12th May 2015, 7.30pm May November/December
Grand Opera Gala, including music from: Puccini La bohème, Madame Butterfly, Gianni Schicchi, Turandot Bizet Carmen, The Pearl Fishers Rossini William Tell Weber Der Freischütz Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana Mozart The Marriage of Figaro Renato Balsadonna Conductor Hye Youn Lee Soprano Garðar Thór Cortes Tenor Colin Schachat Baritone The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is joined by worldclass opera stars to celebrate operatic gems written across three centuries. This promises to be a sensational evening for all fans of the classical stage, with a medley of arias from celebrated operas by Puccini, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and more. Renato Balsadonna, the Royal Opera House’s Chorus Director, conducts the Orchestra for what will be a gala night of opera.
RPO Rewards points apply
Friday 22nd May 2015, 7.30pm Liszt Ravel Rimsky-Korsakov Eduardo Portal Javier Perianes
RPO Rewards points apply
Les préludes Piano Concerto in G major Scheherazade Conductor Piano
Rimsky-Korsakov’s dazzling Scheherazade forms one of the highlights of this unmissable concert. Themes of orientalism and the exotic, the rich orchestration and enchanting orchestral solos culminate in a vivid tone poem, inspired by the folk tales of One Thousand and One Nights. In contrast, the vision for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G struck the composer ‘on a train between Oxford and London’, according to Ravel himself; the Concerto exhibits the vogue jazz idioms of Paris and the United States, where Ravel undertook a concert tour in 1928. Ravel’s compatriot Franz Liszt wrote thirteen symphonic poems, of which Les préludes (No.3) is one of his most popular – the striking dynamic ranges and kaleidoscope of orchestral textures create a dramatic symphonic work. 13
Tuesday 2nd June 2015, 7.30pm June
Dvorˇák Ravel Stravinsky Rory Macdonald Natalie Clein
Cello Concerto Mother Goose Suite The Firebird Suite (1919) Conductor Cello
Stravinsky’s The Firebird was an instant success with audiences and critics. Premiered in 1910, it marked the beginning of a collaboration between Stravinsky and ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, as well as Stravinsky’s ascent to fame. Equally as popular with audiences is Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, which was first composed for children and now exists in various orchestral and chamber forms; from orchestra to piano duet. Esteemed British cellist Natalie Clein joins the Orchestra once again to perform Dvorˇák’s Cello Concerto – a work beloved by audiences and performers alike, it remains one of the most popular concertos in the cello repertory. RPO Rewards points apply
Sunday 21st June 2015, 3.00pm Elgar Vaughan Williams Handel Haydn Duncan Riddell
Introduction and Allegro for Strings The Lark Ascending Water Music excerpts Symphony No.104, ‘London’ Director/Violin
An evening of quintessentially British music! Handel’s Water Music accompanied George I along a royal excursion down the River Thames in 1717 and the suites have become firmly engrained within British culture ever since. Later during the eighteenth century, Haydn enjoyed a lucrative spell in the nation’s capital – particularly with his twelve ‘London’ symphonies, the last of which adopted this nickname. The English Musical Renaissance of the late-nineteenth to twentieth centuries saw the reforming of a national artistic presence through music. Few composers have evoked the English countryside more distinctly than Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending being one of his most idyllic portrayals of pastoral themes. 14
RPO Rewards points apply
Booking Information £25
Booking
Ticket prices £40 £32.50
£15
(Christmas Cracker, Swinging Sixties at Christmas £48 £38 £28 £18) Booking fees apply. RPO Friends’ discounts apply.
Telephone bookings 020 7730 4500 Online bookings www.cadoganhall.com Subscription discounts Generous discounts are available for booking multiple concerts from the RPO’s Resident Season. Please ask the Box Office when booking. 2 or 3 concerts – 15% discount 4 or 5 concerts – 25% discount 6 or more concerts – 30% discount Cadogan Hall 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ 2 minutes walk from Sloane Square Underground
Seating Plan
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The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Arts Council England
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