Perth Concert Series 2014-15

THE SCOTTISH ORCHESTRAS

PERTH CONCERT SERIES 2014−15

PERTH CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE: 01738 621031 WWW.HORSECROSS.CO.UK

02 WELCOME

The Scottish Orchestras’ Perth Concert Series is a dedicated showcase for Scotland’s three leading orchestras; the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The only platform dedicated to showcasing these three internationally renowned orchestras, the Perth Series features six concerts of outstanding musicianship and unforgettable musical journeys.

There’s a very strong Scandinavian flavour this season, in honour of the 150th anniversaries of both Sibelius and Nielsen; Beethovenians are in for a treat with the composer’s Second and Fourth Symphonies and two of his piano concertos; and there are classical favourites like Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony.

We are immensely proud of our distinguished collaboration and of our collective contribution to the concert series in Perth. We hope that you’ll join us for what promises to be another fabulous season.

— SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 25% WHEN YOU BOOK ALL 6 CONCERTS — KIDS GO FREE! — STUDENT TICKETS JUST £5 PRE-CONCERT TALKS in the Norie-Miller Studio Pre-concert talks take place at 6.45pm in the Norie-Miller Studio and are free to ticket holders.

Please note that seating is on a first-come firstserved basis and capacity is limited.

03 ELGAR’S CELLO CONCERTO

THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER 2014, 7.30PM Royal Scottish National Orchestra MOZART Overture to ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ ELGAR Cello Concerto BRUCKNER Symphony No.7 PETER OUNDJIAN Conductor ALEKSEI KISELIOV Cello Anton Bruckner heard the beginning of his Seventh Symphony in a dream – played by an angel. You’ll believe it, when Peter Oundjian and the RSNO take you on one of music’s most beautiful spiritual journeys. It’s the perfect partner for Elgar’s haunting, hugely popular Cello Concerto, played here by the RSNO’s superb principal cellist, Aleksei Kiseliov. And, as for Mozart’s Figaro overture, well it’s the perfect opener for the new series!

PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6.45PM RSNO Music Director Peter Oundjian in conversation with RSNO Executive Producer Manus Carey (free to ticket holders)

04 BEETHOVEN’S SECOND

FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2014, 7.30PM BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra RAMEAU (ARR. DUKAS) Suite No.1 from ‘Les Indes Galantes’ JOHN ADAMS Absolute Jest, for string quartet and orchestra REBEL Chaos from ‘Les Élémens’ BEETHOVEN Symphony No.2 MARKUS STENZ Conductor DORIC STRING QUARTET Comedy is a very serious business. Beethoven knew that when his exuberant Second Symphony cheerfully booted the classical rule-book out of the window; and John Adams certainly knew it when he leafed through the scherzos of Beethoven’s late string quartets and transformed them into Absolute Jest: a one-off concerto for string quartet that takes Beethoven seriously enough to laugh along with him. As soloists, the Doric String Quartet definitely get it: and guest conductor Markus Stenz gets it too, pairing Beethoven and Adams with two riotously inventive French Baroque showpieces that prove that the best jokes never get old.

PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6.45PM Conductor Markus Stenz in conversation (free to ticket holders)

05 BEETHOVEN’S FOURTH

SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER 2014, 7.30PM Scottish Chamber Orchestra WEBERN Symphony, Op.21 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No.4 BEETHOVEN Symphony No.4 ROBIN TICCIATI Conductor FRANCESCO PIEMONTESI Piano Young Swiss-Italian star pianist Francesco Piemontesi, who is noted for his fresh poetic performances, is the soloist in the most lyrical of Beethoven’s piano concertos. The Fourth combines intimacy with energy, serenity with wit, and it is the ideal match for Piemontesi’s refined yet powerful pianism. SCO Principal Conductor Robin Ticciati concludes the concert with Beethoven’s sunny Fourth Symphony, considered one of the composer’s most perfect creations, and opens with the evocative, colourful and astonishingly brief symphony

by Webern.

PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6.45PM (free to ticket holders)

06 NIELSEN AND SIBELIUS 150

THURSDAY 22 JANUARY 2015, 7.30PM Scottish Chamber Orchestra McLEOD Out of the Silence (World Premiere) NIELSEN Clarinet Concerto SIBELIUS Symphony No.4 JOSEPH SWENSEN Conductor MAXIMILIANO MARTÍN Clarinet A 150th birthday celebration for composers Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius! SCO Principal Clarinet player Maximiliano Martín is a hugely charismatic player and will embrace the vibrant yet devilish Clarinet Concerto by the Dane Carl Nielsen, who was one of the most original and brilliant musical minds of the 20th century. John McLeod draws a flavour of this same work in Out of the Silence. Sibelius’ Fourth Symphony evokes the organic beauty of Finland.

PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6.45PM Composer John McLeod in conversation with SCO Viola player Steve King (free to ticket holders)

07 TCHAIKOVSKY’S PATHÉTIQUE SYMPHONY

THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2015, 7.30PM Royal Scottish National Orchestra SIBELIUS Symphony No.6 LINDBERG Clarinet Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6 ‘Pathétique’ THOMAS SØNDERGÅRD Conductor KARI KRIIKKU Clarinet Tchaikovsky never did anything by halves, and his final symphony is a no-holds-barred portrait of a man on the edge, told in music of devastating power and unforgettable beauty.

Thomas Søndergård won’t stint on the emotion – but the RSNO’s charismatic Danish Principal Guest Conductor also has a special feeling for Scandinavian music. He’ll bring out both the radiance of Sibelius’ beautiful Sixth Symphony, and the sheer fantasy of Lindberg’s dazzling Clarinet Concerto, with Finnish superstar Kari Kriikku, who gave the work its premiere.

PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6.45PM Soloist Kari Kriikku in conversation with RSNO Viola player Katherine Wren (free to ticket holders)

08 STEVEN OSBORNE PLAYS BEETHOVEN

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2015, 7.30PM BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra SIBELIUS Karelia: Overture BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No.2 STENHAMMAR Symphony No.1 ANDREW MANZE Conductor STEVEN OSBORNE Piano Imagine the energy of Sibelius combined with the freshness and melody of Grieg, and you’ll get some idea of Stenhammar’s First Symphony.

It’s a real rediscovery, and will be brilliantly championed by Andrew Manze (don’t miss his pre-concert talk). It’s also the ideal complement to Beethoven’s most brilliant piano concerto, played by Scottish pianist Steven Osborne who, in this concert, concludes his acclaimed complete cycle with the BBC SSO. PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6.45PM Conductor Andrew Manze introduces the music of Stenhammar (free to ticket holders)

09 SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 25% WHEN YOU BOOK ALL SIX CONCERTS!

Subscribing to the Perth Concert Series is easy and means that you will:

— SAVE 25% — GET PRIORITY BOOKING AND SECURE THE SEATS YOU WANT THROUGHOUT THE SERIES. — PLAN YOUR PERTH CONCERTGOING IN ONE EASY BOOKING! — SPREAD THE COST OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OVER FIVE MONTHS AT NO EXTRA COST. Contact the Box Office for details.

SUBSCRIPTION PRICES FOR ALL 6 CONCERTS Area A : £110.25 Area B : £94.50 Area C : £87.75 Area D : £69.75 Area E : £49.50 Priority subscription booking runs until Saturday 14 June.

SINGLE TICKETS (includes Viennese Gala concert) Area A : £24.50 Area B : £21.00 Area C : £19.50 Area D : £15.50 Area E : £11.00 Single Tickets are available from Monday 23 June.

D

C

D

B

C

A

C

A

C

B

C

E

D

E

E

Balcony

E

Rows A-D only available for SCO concerts

Stage

Stage

Please note that for concerts by the BBC SSO and the RSNO, rows A-D in the orchestra Stalls are not available because of a stage extension.

Tickets are non-refundable.

10 HOW TO BOOK

BY PHONE 01738 621031 ONLINE HORSECROSS.CO.UK (N.B. subscriptions cannot be booked online)

IN PERSON Perth Concert Hall Box Office Mill Street, Perth PH1 5HZ 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday

BY POST Perth Concert Hall Box Office Mill Street, Perth PH1 5HZ All major credit cards accepted (Excluding AMEX and Diners Club) TICKET CONCESSIONS KIDS GO FREE! Children aged 16 and under go free to all Perth Concert Series concerts. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult. Maximum of two free children’s tickets per adult. Additional children £5 each.

STUDENTS £5 for people who are in full-time education.

Appropriate identification may be requested.

SCHOOL PARTIES One free adult ticket with every 10 school pupils (advance bookings only). Subject to availability.

PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY People with a disability and a companion are entitled to 50% off ticket prices. Available in advance.

BOX OFFICE CHARGES All subscriptions, excluding cash payments, are subject to £1 box office fee. All single ticket purchases are subject to a £1 box office fee per ticket, excluding cash payments.

11 VIENNESE GALA

WEDNESDAY 7 JANUARY 2015, 7.30PM Royal Scottish National Orchestra J STRAUSS II Emperor Waltz J STRAUSS II Thunder and Lightning Polka J STRAUSS II On the Beautiful Blue Danube J STRAUSS II Bauern-Polka GLINKA Valse-Fantaisie JEAN-CLAUDE PICARD Conductor Join the RSNO to celebrate the New Year in traditional Viennese style with a charming selection of waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and arias – led, of course, by the music of the ‘Waltz King’, Johann Strauss Junior. Let Jean-Claude Picard, the RSNO’s Assistant Conductor, take you on a wonderful journey through a fine collection of your traditional Viennese favourites, including On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Emperor Waltz, Pizzicato Polka and much more.

TICKETS: £24.50, £21, £19.50, £15.50, £11 Please note that this concert is not available as part of the Perth Concert Series subscription package.

RSNO Scottish Charity No SC010702 & SCO Scottish Charity No SC015039. The Perth Concert Series has been made possible with generous financial support from The Gannochy Trust and Perth and Kinross Council. The SCO and RSNO receive funding from the Scottish Government. Concerts by the BBC SSO are scheduled to be recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

The information carried in this brochure was correct at the time of publishing. The Scottish Orchestras reserve the right to amend artists and programmes for any of the listed concerts if necessary.