2017 /18
Esa-Pekka Salonen Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor London Season at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
2017 / 18
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Welcome
to the Philharmonia Orchestra Led by our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Philharmonia’s 2017/18 London Season – at our home at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall – is a celebration of the unique scope and emotional power of live orchestral music.
In his tenth season as Principal Conductor, Salonen conducts seven concerts that bear all the hallmarks of his partnership with the Philharmonia: huge set‑piece works (including Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder); music from Scandinavia (as part of the Nordic Matters series, in collaboration with Southbank Centre); and contemporary music (new works by Unsuk Chin and Daníel Bjarnason). Salonen’s concert celebrating the centenary of Finnish Independence on 7 December 2017 resonates with our second headline series of 2017/18. Voices of Revolution: Russia 1917 with Vladimir Ashkenazy is a four-concert exploration of music, art and culture on the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. From patriotic fervour in the immediate wake of the Revolution, to the growing sense of fear, dread and ultimately disillusionment at the brutal power of the State, the music included in this series bears witness to an extraordinary human drama. Elsewhere within the Season the music of Gustav Mahler is a focus, with performances of Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 9. Karl-Heinz Steffens’ exploration of the symphonic works of Brahms culminates in performances of the Fourth Symphony and the German Requiem. Jakub Hru ˚ ša conducts Smetana’s atmospheric series of symphonic poems inspired by his Czech homeland, Má Vlast, and Paavo Järvi follows through the Czech theme with an all-Dvorˇák programme, including the composer’s lyrical Seventh Symphony and ever-popular Cello Concerto. As ever, free events – pre-concert talks, Music of Today, Young Artist recitals and Philharmonia Chamber Players – complement the evening programmes. We hope you will join us.
1: Esa-Pekka Salonen © Benjamin Suomela 2: Nathaniel Anderson-Frank, Imogen East & Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay © Felix Broede 3: Kira Doherty © Felix Broede
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At a Glance
2017 / 18
SEPTEMBER 2017
6pm, Music of Today (FREE entry) ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: SIBELIUS
SMETANA: MÁ VLAST
Thursday 28 Sep, 7.30pm
Sunday 8 Oct, 7.30pm
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin
Jakub Hrůša conductor Hilary Hahn violin
THORVALDSDOTTIR Aeriality SIBELIUS Symphony No. 6 BJARNASON Violin Concerto (UK premiere) SIBELIUS Symphony No. 7
DVOŘÁK Violin Concerto SMETANA Má Vlast (complete)
10pm, post-concert performance (FREE entry) Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Pekka Kuusisto presents a unique perspective on traditional Finnish music
See page 30 for prices and how to book.
The Salonen Series Nordic Matters Sunday Matinees Mahler Symphonies Voices of Revolution: Russia 1917 Philharmonia at the Movies Christmas concerts
6pm, pre-concert talk (FREE entry)
BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN — LIVE SCREENING Thursday 12 Oct, 7.30pm Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor
OCTOBER 2017
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: MAHLER 3 Sunday 1 Oct, 3pm Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Michelle DeYoung mezzo soprano Philharmonia Voices
All events at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
MUSSORGSKY (orch. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition
MAHLER Symphony No. 3
EISENSTEIN Battleship Potemkin (silent film) To a score of music by SHOSTAKOVICH 6pm, pre-concert talk (FREE entry) RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: SCHEHERAZADE Thursday 19 Oct, 7.30pm Yuri Temirkanov conductor Eliso Virsaladze piano
Thursday 5 Oct, 7.30pm
MOZART Overture, The Marriage of Figaro MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21, K467 RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor Denis Kozhukhin piano
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players (FREE entry)
MUSSORGSKY: PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
KABALEVSKY Overture, Colas Breugnon RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
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SHOSTAKOVICH & RACHMANINOV
NOVEMBER 2017
BRAHMS & TCHAIKOVSKY Thursday 2 Nov, 7.30pm Karl-Heinz Steffens conductor Esther Yoo violin BEETHOVEN Overture, Egmont TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto BRAHMS Symphony No. 4
Thursday 23 Nov, 7.30pm Long Yu conductor George Li piano GLINKA Overture, Ruslan and Ludmilla RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 2 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players (FREE entry) ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: MAHLER 9 Thursday 30 Nov, 7.30pm
WALTON: BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST Philharmonia Chorus 60th Anniversary Concert
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor MAHLER Symphony No. 9
Sunday 5 Nov, 7.30pm Edward Gardner conductor Mark van de Wiel clarinet Roland Wood baritone Philharmonia Chorus
DECEMBER 2017
ELGAR In the South, Alassio JOSEPH PHIBBS Clarinet Concerto (London premiere) WALTON Belshazzar’s Feast 6pm, Music of Today (FREE entry)
PROKOFIEV & TCHAIKOVSKY Sunday 3 Dec, 3pm Krzysztof Urbański conductor Simon Trpčeski piano TCHAIKOVSKY Fantasy Overture, Romeo and Juliet TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet (excerpts)
HOLST: THE PLANETS Thursday 9 Nov, 7.30pm John Wilson conductor Sarah Tynan soprano Philharmonia Voices VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 7, Sinfonia Antartica HOLST The Planets 6pm, Philharmonia MMSF Young Artist Showcase (FREE entry)
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: FINNISH INDEPENDENCE Thursday 7 Dec, 7.30pm Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Vilde Frang violin SIBELIUS Finlandia SIBELIUS Violin Concerto SIBELIUS Lemminkäinen Legends
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS Sunday 10 Dec, 3pm David Hill conductor Jacques Imbrailo baritone The Bach Choir Programme to include: HUMPERDINCK Overture, Hansel and Gretel RUTTER Shepherd's Pipe Carol VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on Christmas Carols WILBERG Joy to the World TCHAIKOVSKY ‘Waltz of the Flowers’, from The Nutcracker GRUBER Silent Night GARDNER The Holly and the Ivy TRADITIONAL Carols for all
CAROLS AT CHRISTMAS Thursday 14 Dec, 7.30pm Artists to be announced Programme to include: LEDGER Sussex Carol WILLCOCKS I saw three ships RUTTER Candlelight Carol CULLEN Joy to the World DARKE In the bleak midwinter TRADITIONAL Carols for all
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2017 / 18
JANUARY 2018
DEBUSSY & RAVEL Sunday 21 Jan, 3pm Pablo Heras-Casado conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano DEBUSSY Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune RAVEL Piano Concerto in G RAVEL Suite, Ma mère l'oye DEBUSSY La mer
FEBRUARY 2018
ˇ ÁK PAAVO JÄRVI: DVOR
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 4
BRAHMS REQUIEM
Sunday 11 Feb, 7.30pm
Sunday 25 Mar, 3pm
Lahav Shani conductor Chen Reiss soprano
Karl-Heinz Steffens conductor/ clarinet Elsa Dreisig soprano Michael Kraus baritone Philharmonia Chorus
MENDELSSOHN Overture, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage STRAUSS Lieder: Ständchen; Morgen!; Meinem Kinde; Wiegenlied; Ich wollt'ein Sträusslein binden; Säusle, liebe Myrthe MAHLER Symphony No. 4
BRAHMS Clarinet Quintet BRAHMS Ein deutsches Requiem
6pm, pre-concert talk (FREE entry)
APRIL 2018
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 5
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 1
Thursday 15 Feb, 7.30pm
Thursday 12 Apr, 7.30pm
Thursday 1 Feb, 7.30pm
Jakub Hrůša conductor Piotr Anderszewski piano
Paavo Järvi conductor Gautier Capuçon cello
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 MAHLER Symphony No. 5
DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7
MARCH 2018
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players (FREE entry)
VOICES OF REVOLUTION: WORKERS & THE STATE
THE SONG OF THE CHILDREN OF THE STARS
Thursday 22 Mar, 7.30pm
Sunday 15 Apr, 7.30pm
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Behzod Abduraimov piano Ailish Tynan soprano
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Philharmonia Voices Children’s chorus
MOSOLOV The Iron Foundry PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 GLIÈRE Concerto for Coloratura and Orchestra GLIÈRE Suite, The Red Poppy
BIBER Battalia BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2 UNSUK CHIN Le Chant des Enfants des Étoiles (European premiere)
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor David Fray piano BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 MAHLER Symphony No. 1
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players (FREE entry) BARTÓK & KODÁLY Thursday 8 Feb, 7.30pm Juraj Valčuha conductor Evgeni Bozhanov piano KODÁLY Dances of Galánta BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra 6pm, Music of Today (FREE entry)
6pm, pre-concert talk (FREE entry)
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6pm, Music of Today (FREE entry)
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DANIELE GATTI: BRAHMS VOICES OF REVOLUTION: FEAR & REPRESSION
Thursday 24 May, 7.30pm
Sunday 29 Apr, 7.30pm
Daniele Gatti conductor
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor James Ehnes violin
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, Italian BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 4
6pm, Music of Today (FREE entry)
PARRY I was glad ELGAR Cello Concerto VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis PARRY Ode on the Nativity PARRY Jerusalem
VOICES OF REVOLUTION: EXILE & RETURN Sunday 20 May, 7.30pm Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin Maxim Aksenov tenor Philharmonia Voices Students of the Royal College of Music
ROSSINI Overture, William Tell GRIEG Piano Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
BERLIOZ: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
Thursday 28 Jun, 7.30pm
Paavo Järvi conductor Khatia Buniatishvili piano
Adrian Partington conductor Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello Eleanor Dennis soprano Gloucester Choral Society
Han-Na Chang conductor Sunwook Kim piano
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: GURRELIEDER
Sunday 3 Jun, 7.30pm
Thursday 10 May, 7.30pm
Thursday 14 Jun, 7.30pm
JUNE 2018 MAY 2018
I WAS GLAD: PARRY ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
2017/18 KOREA-UK YEAR OF CULTURE: CLOSING CONCERT
DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Soloists to include: Michelle DeYoung mezzo-soprano Robert Dean Smith tenor Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke tenor David Soar bass Barbara Sukowa speaker Chorus to be announced
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players SCHOENBERG Gurrelieder (FREE entry) 6pm, pre-concert talk (FREE entry) DOHNÁNYI: BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 5 Thursday 7 Jun, 7.30pm Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Arabella Steinbacher violin HAYDN Symphony No. 12 MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5, K219 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 6pm, Music of Today Composers’ Academy (FREE entry)
All the information in this brochure was correct at the time of going to press but changes may be unavoidable. All events take place at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. See page 30 for prices and how to book.
PROKOFIEV Seven, They Are Seven PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1 PROKOFIEV Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the Revolution 6pm, Philharmonia MMSF Young Artist Showcase (FREE entry)
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2017 / 18
EVENT CONTENTS Concerts are ordered thematically as well as by date: THE SALONEN SERIES
Pages 9 – 13
• • •
Introduction................................................................................Page 9
• •
Unsuk Chin: 15 Apr ’18......................................................... Page 12
Nordic Matters: 28 Sep; 7 Dec ’17.................................Page 10 Mahler Symphonies: 1 Oct; 30 Nov ‘17; 12 Apr ’18.................................................Page 11 Gurrelieder: 28 Jun ’18....................................................... Page 13
VOICES OF REVOLUTION: RUSSIA 1917
• • • •
Partington; Gatti: 10 May; 24 May ’18...................................... Page 24 Järvi; Dohnányi: 3 Jun; 7 Jun ’18.................................................Page 25 2017/18 Korea-UK Year of Culture: Closing concert: 14 Jun ’18...........................................................Page 26
FREE EVENTS
Page 27
PHILHARMONIA AT THE MOVIES
Page 28
LIVE RECORDINGS
Page 29
Page 14 – 15
Battleship Potemkin: 12 Oct ’17........................................ Page 14 Workers & The State: 22 Mar '18.................................... Page 14 Fear & Repression: 29 Apr '18.......................................... Page 15 Exile & Return: 20 May '18................................................ Page 15
ALL FURTHER CONCERTS IN 2017-18
Pages 16 – 26
Rouvali; Hrůša: 5 Oct; 8 Oct ’17.................................................. Page 16
TICKET PRICES AND HOW TO BOOK
Pages 30/31
SOUTHBANK CENTRE VISITOR INFORMATION
Page 32
SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS
Page 33
Temirkanov; 19 Oct ’17 .................................................................... Page 17 Steffens: 2 Nov ’17; 25 Mar ’18.....................................................Page 18 Gardner; Wilson: 5 Nov; 9 Nov ’17............................................ Page 19 Long Yu; Urbański: 23 Nov; 3 Dec ’17.....................................Page 20 Christmas Concerts; Heras-Casado: 10/14 Dec ’17; 21 Jan ’18.................................................................... Page 21 Järvi; Valčuha: 1 Feb; 8 Feb ’18 .................................................... Page 22 Shani; Hrůša: 11 Feb; 15 Feb ’18 ...................................................Page 23
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THE SALONEN SERIES
“The years just fly by,” says Esa-Pekka Salonen. notice. I flew to London from Helsinki, “This is my tenth season as Principal Conductor stepped onto the podium in front of the and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia, and I was just astonished by the but it’s also something like the 34th year for me as warmth and flexibility and support I received from a conductor appearing with the orchestra.” There the players. I’ll never forget that as long as I live.” is “a definite sense of continuity here,” he smiles. Mahler's Symphonies Nos. 3 and 9 are not There is continuity, too, in the concerts Salonen the only large-scale works Salonen is conducting, conducts with the Philharmonia however. The Season culminates in his tenth season as Principal “Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted with with Schoenberg’s massive Conductor. In seven programmes clarity, authority and conviction. He is Gurrelieder. Salonen’s 2009 spanning the entire Season, one of the UK’s greatest musical assets recording of the work with from September 2017 to the Orchestra is considered – words not said lightly” June 2018, Salonen explores the definitive version of The Observer repertoire that celebrates this masterpiece. his unique relationship with the Orchestra. Contemporary music and Nordic culture Mahler is a major theme, with the first, third complete the picture. Two premieres – Daniel and ninth symphonies. “Mahler’s symphonies have Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto and a major Unsuk played an important role in my relationship with the Chin commission, Le Chant des Enfants des Philharmonia over the years,” Salonen says. “The Étoiles – demonstrate Salonen’s commitment to Third Symphony was the first work I ever conducted showcasing fellow composers, while the music with the Orchestra. Back in 1983, I took over a of Sibelius is of course the focus of celebrations programme from Michael Tilson‑Thomas at short for the centenary of Finnish Independence.
Top: Esa-Pekka Salonen © Vincent Beaume
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2017 / 18
NORDIC MATTERS Presented in association with Southbank Centre’s year-long Nordic Matters festival, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the music of Sibelius and of two contemporary Icelandic composers, alongside free events in The Clore Ballroom.
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Thursday 28 September 2017, 7.30pm
Thursday 7 December 2017, 7.30pm
SIBELIUS
FINNISH INDEPENDENCE
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Vilde Frang violin
THORVALDSDOTTIR Aeriality SIBELIUS Symphony No. 6 BJARNASON Violin Concerto (UK premiere) SIBELIUS Symphony No. 7
SIBELIUS Finlandia; Violin Concerto; Lemminkäinen Legends
Cast with light and shade, Sibelius felt his Sixth Symphony was ‘pure cold water’, while for his Seventh, he expresses the ‘joy of life and vitality’ as he crosses his entire symphonic landscape within a single movement. Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Aeriality captures the feeling of gliding through air, alongside the UK premiere of a Violin Concerto by Daníel Bjarnason, a composer whom Time Out New York has described as “coming eerily close to defining classical music’s undefinable brave new world”. This concert is supported by trustees of the Philharmonia Trust 10pm, post-concert performance (FREE entry) Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, Pekka Kuusisto presents a unique perspective on traditional Finnish music
One hundred years since Finland first declared independence, Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Philharmonia Orchestra in a celebration centred on Finland’s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius. Opening with Finlandia, which started life as a musical contribution to a political demonstration in Helsinki in 1899 before its reworked version went on to propel Sibelius to worldwide fame, violinist Vilde Frang then takes to the stage for Sibelius’ soulful, fantastical Violin Concerto. Sibelius’ Lemminkäinen Legends draws inspiration from four episodes of the Kalevala, a collection of ancient Finnish myths interspersed with spells, charms and songs.
Saturday 2 December 2017, 12-4pm What You Need to Know: Sibelius Southbank Centre, Level 5 Function Room For more information and to book tickets, please visit southbankcentre.co.uk
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MAHLER SYMPHONIES The symphonies of Mahler are an essential element of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s history with the Philharmonia Orchestra, stretching back over three decades. This Season Salonen conducts three Mahler symphonies, opening with the epic Third, the work with which he made his Philharmonia debut in 1983. Sunday 1 October 2017, 3pm
Thursday 12 April 2018, 7.30pm
(Please note start time)
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor David Fray piano
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Michelle DeYoung mezzo-soprano Philharmonia Voices
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 MAHLER Symphony No. 1
MAHLER Symphony No. 3 Written beside an Austrian mountain lake, Mahler’s Third Symphony forms an epic, sixmovement ode to the natural landscape, where ‘nature acquires a voice and tells profound secrets’. Flowing from the intense summer heat of the first movement’s driving fanfares and marches, the third movement journeys to a moonlit forest before a descent in the fourth into darkness. In a staggering final movement, the music breaks out into thundering timpani and Mahler’s triumphant vision of heaven.
Growing from an ethereal, barely audible sevenoctave chord in the strings, Mahler’s cosmic First Symphony truly is ‘like the world’. Containing within its walls the rustling sounds of nature, a street band, klezmer and even a satirical version of Frère Jacques, Mahler builds to one of the most joyful, rocket-fuelled codas of any symphony. Alongside, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist David Fray: “In short, Fray presented himself as a poet” (Chicago Tribune, Dec 2016). This concert is supported by members of the Conductors’ Circle 6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
Thursday 30 November 2017, 7.30pm
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor MAHLER Symphony No. 9 ‘It is terrifying, and paralysing, as the strands of sound disintegrate... in ceasing, we lose it all. But in letting go, we have gained everything’. So wrote Leonard Bernstein about Mahler's last completed work, his Ninth. The symphony grows from a serene, understated opening, journeying through a country waltz and frantic Rondo-burleske before at last opening out onto the spacious, hymn-like plain of the final movement from where each strand of sound gently falls away into silence.
For more Mahler symphonies in the 2017/18 Season, please see page 23.
1: Pekka Kuusisto © Kaapo Kamu 2: Esa-Pekka Salonen © Minna Hatinen
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2017 / 18
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN & UNSUK CHIN Renowned composer Unsuk Chin is Artistic Director of the Philharmonia’s acclaimed Music of Today series and was co-commissioned by the Philharmonia and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
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Unsuk Chin’s music is notable for its “use of colour” and “extraordinary range” The Guardian Sunday 15 April 2018, 7.30pm
THE SONG OF THE CHILDREN OF THE STARS Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Philharmonia Voices Children’s chorus to be announced BIBER Battalia BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2 UNSUK CHIN Le Chant des Enfants des Étoiles (European premiere)
A programme of sonically adventurous music, old and new. Mystical, echoing, otherworldly, Chin’s Le Chant des Enfants des Étoiles (‘The Song of the Children of the Stars’) is scored for symphony orchestra, choir, children's choir and organ. Chin takes inspiration from the idea that ‘all humans are stardust’, formed from cosmic explosions billions of years ago, and draws on texts from 20th-century poets exploring galactic and natural phenomena. The concert opens with an extraordinary work by 17th-century composer Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, a programmatic ‘battle’ piece that steps outside traditions of tonality. 6pm, Music of Today Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
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Thursday 28 June 2018, 7.30pm
GURRELIEDER Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Soloists to include: Michelle DeYoung mezzo-soprano Robert Dean Smith tenor Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke tenor David Soar bass Barbara Sukowa speaker Chorus to be announced SCHOENBERG Gurrelieder
Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts a full concert performance of a work he released with the Philharmonia in 2009, Schoenberg’s epic masterpiece, Gurrelieder. Scored for soloists, chorus and huge orchestral forces, including a part for iron chains, Schoenberg found inspiration for his ‘songs of Gurre’ in a Danish dramatic poem which tells of the legendary King Waldemar and his love for Tove, the murderous jealousy of Queen Helwig, Waldemar’s condemnation and ghostly night rides, and a final spiritual reconciliation through the healing powers of nature. 6pm, pre-concert talk Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry An introduction to the evening’s programme
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1: Unsuk Chin © Priska Ketterer 2: Esa-Pekka Salonen © Nicolas Brodard
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2017 / 18
VOICES OF REVOLUTION RUSSIA 1917 The Revolution in which Lenin and his Bolshevik Party took power in Russia in autumn 1917 was one of the defining events of the 20th century. The Revolution set in motion a global political earthquake and ripped apart the social fabric of Russia, indelibly affecting the lives and music of all Russian composers. One hundred years after those events, the Philharmonia’s Conductor Laureate, Vladimir Ashkenazy, explores the music of an extraordinary period, and themes of idealism, propaganda and repression.
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Thursday 12 October 2017, 7.30pm
Thursday 22 March 2018, 7.30pm
BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN: LIVE SCREENING
WORKERS & THE STATE Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Behzod Abduraimov piano Ailish Tynan soprano
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor EISENSTEIN Battleship Potemkin (silent film) To a score of music by SHOSTAKOVICH A live screening of a silent film that tells an iconic story from the first Russian Revolution in 1905. Battleship Potemkin, Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece of film-making and Soviet propaganda, portrays mutiny in the Imperial navy. Its most dramatic scene is one of the most famous in cinema: the massacre at the Odessa Steps. Accompanying the film, Ashkenazy conducts a special arrangement of music from the symphonic music of Shostakovich. 6pm, pre-concert talk Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry An introduction to the evening’s programme
MOSOLOV The Iron Foundry PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 GLIÈRE Concerto for Coloratura and Orchestra GLIÈRE Suite, The Red Poppy After the horrors of the Russian Civil War, the 1920s was a period of recovery for the nascent Soviet Union, and of industrial growth, which is reflected by Alexander Mosolov in his famous ‘machine music’, The Iron Foundry. Culturally, the Bolsheviks made use of composers for propaganda. Mosolov’s teacher, Reinhold Glière, composed the first Soviet ballet with a revolutionary theme – The Red Poppy, with its famous ‘Sailor’s Dance’, which is the culminating movement in this orchestral suite. Prokofiev fled the turmoil of
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post-revolutionary Russia in 1918. His virtuosic Third Piano Concerto, composed soon after, is a kaleidoscope of colours and compositional invention, seemingly removed from the chaos at home. 6pm, pre-concert talk Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry An introduction to the evening’s programme Sunday 29 April 2018, 7.30pm
FEAR & REPRESSION Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor James Ehnes violin SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 4 No Russian composer experienced the oppressive hand of the Soviet state more than Dmitri Shostakovich. Composed 30 years after the revolution, Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto was written in the shadow of his public denunciation by the regime, and the masterpiece was not performed until 1955, after Stalin’s death. Shostakovich was censured in Soviet newspaper Pravda – possibly by Stalin himself – while he was composing his radical Fourth Symphony, in January 1936. The composer bravely pressed on with the composition, though withdrew its premiere. When the symphony was finally performed 25 years later – with Vladimir Ashkenazy himself in the audience – Shostakovich reportedly said: 'I think… in some ways… my Fourth is better than the symphonies that came after’.
1: © Alamy 2: Vladimir Ashkenazy © Keith Saunders
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Sunday 20 May 2018, 7.30pm
EXILE & RETURN Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin Maxim Aksenov tenor Philharmonia Voices Students of the Royal College of Music PROKOFIEV Seven, They Are Seven PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1 PROKOFIEV Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the Revolution ‘You are a revolutionary in music, we are revolutionaries in life. We ought to work together. But if you want to go to America I shall not stand in your way.’ So said a 'People's Commissar' to Sergei Prokofiev, when the composer left the new Soviet Union in 1918. It would be 18 years before Prokofiev would return home permanently. Two dramatic cantatas by Prokofiev were composed just before and after his self-imposed exile. Seven, They Are Seven (1917) takes its text from the Russian translation of an ancient Mesopotamian script. The massive Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the Revolution, featuring an accordion orchestra, military band, megaphone and maxim gun, brings the series to an earth-shattering close. 6pm, Philharmonia MMSF Young Artist Showcase Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry A recital showcasing the talented recipients of the Philharmonia MMSF Instrumental Fellowship Programme.
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2017 / 18
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Thursday 5 October 2017, 7.30pm
Sunday 8 October 2017, 7.30pm
MUSSORGSKY: PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
SMETANA: MÁ VLAST Jakub Hrůša conductor Hilary Hahn violin
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor Denis Kozhukhin piano KABALEVSKY Overture, Colas Breugnon RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini MUSSORGSKY (orch. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition Witty, brilliant and with irresistible twists and turns, pianist Denis Kozhukhin performs Rachmaninov’s show-stopping Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Alongside, brilliant young Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali – “The real thing” (Sunday Times) – conducts Pictures at an Exhibition. Mussorgsky’s masterpiece, orchestrated by Ravel, curates a surreal musical walk round a gallery, journeying past paintings of gnomes with crooked legs; a medieval castle; a ballet of unhatched chicks, still in their shells; the witch Baba Yaga, in the form of a hut on bird’s legs; and finally, the pealing bells of the Great Gate of Kiev.
DVOŘÁK Violin Concerto SMETANA Má Vlast A set of six symphonic poems, Má Vlast tells the story of a city: its ancient high castle, Vyšehrad; the winding journey of the river Vltáva; the tale of the female warrior Šárka and her quest for revenge against all men; Bohemia’s woods and fields; the city of Tábor; and finally, the legendary mountain Blaník, where the knights led by St Wenceslas sleep ready to awake at the call of the country’s gravest hour. In the first half of the programme, star violinist Hilary Hahn performs Dvorˇák’s lyrical Violin Concerto. 6pm, pre-concert talk Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry An introduction to the evening’s programme
6pm, Music of Today Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
1: Hilary Hahn © Michael Patrick O'Leary; 2: Yuri Temirkanov © Sasha Gusov
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RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: SCHEHERAZADE Thursday 19 October 2017, 7.30pm
Yuri Temirkanov conductor Eliso Virsaladze piano MOZART Overture, The Marriage of Figaro MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21, K467 RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade Rimsky-Korsakov’s intoxicating score of a thousand and one Arabian nights tells the story of the Sultana Scheherazade, who first enters the scene through an utterly entrancing violin solo and manages to stave off her execution night after night by keeping her bloodthirsty husband on tenterhooks with increasingly exciting and magical tales. Similarly dreamlike, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, with its slow movement’s gently rocking triplets and soulful outstretched melody, has become one of Mozart’s most popular piano concertos.
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6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
JOIN US With ticket sales and public subsidy covering just 60% of our expenditure, the Philharmonia Orchestra depends on generous donations from individuals, companies and grant-making organisations to realise our artistic ambitions.
There are many ways you can play your part: ake a donation when you book M tickets online or by telephone J oin the Friends of the Philharmonia, including access to priority booking ecome one of our closest supporters B and join the Conductors’ Circle Endow a Philharmonia musician’s chair Become a corporate partner R emember the Philharmonia in your will
VISIT: philharmonia.co.uk/support EMAIL: development@philharmonia.co.uk CALL: 020 7921 3903 Philharmonia Ltd is a registered charity, no. 250277
Above: Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay, Concert Master © Felix Broede
philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
2017 / 18
KARL-HEINZ STEFFENS Thursday 2 November 2017, 7.30pm
BRAHMS & TCHAIKOVSKY Karl-Heinz Steffens conductor Esther Yoo violin BEETHOVEN Overture, Egmont TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 Composed from a series of sighs, Brahms's final symphony is at once his darkest and his deepest. The last of his works he heard in performance, applause broke out at the end of every movement at its premiere. Alongside, a great Romantic work from Russia. Esther Yoo returns to the Philharmonia to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, a musical firecracker, renowned for the euphoric, dazzling brilliance of the finale.
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Sunday 25 March 2018, 3pm
(Please note start time)
BRAHMS REQUIEM Karl-Heinz Steffens conductor/clarinet Elsa Dreisig soprano Michael Kraus baritone Philharmonia Chorus BRAHMS Clarinet Quintet BRAHMS Ein deutsches Requiem When he came to write his Requiem, Brahms chose to do away with the fire and brimstone of divine judgement. Instead, he crafted an incredibly human, spiritually consoling work made for those left behind: ‘Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted’, the work begins. To open, Karl‑Heinz Steffens, formerly Principal Clarinet in the Berlin Philharmonic, performs Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet with members of the Philharmonia.
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1: Karl-Heinz Steffens © Frank Vinken 2: Esther Yoo © Marco Borggreve 3: Edward Gardner © Clive Barda
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Page 19
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Sunday 5 November 2017, 7.30pm
Thursday 9 November 2017, 7.30pm
WALTON: BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST
HOLST: THE PLANETS
Philharmonia Chorus 60th Anniversary Concert Edward Gardner conductor Mark van de Wiel clarinet Roland Wood baritone Philharmonia Chorus
ELGAR In the South, Alassio JOSEPH PHIBBS Clarinet Concerto (London premiere) WALTON Belshazzar’s Feast An evening to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Philharmonia Chorus. Three great British composers come together under the baton of Edward Gardner. Elgar found inspiration for his buoyant overture, In the South, in the scenic countryside and ancient Roman roads of Alassio in Northern Italy. The epic forces of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, including parts for two separate brass bands, tells the story of the great Babylonian king who is miraculously struck down at a lavish feast during which he offends the sacred rites of the Jewish people he holds captive. Alongside, the London premiere of a joint commission by the Philharmonia and Principal Clarinet Mark van de Wiel, a Clarinet Concerto from Joseph Phibbs.
John Wilson conductor Sarah Tynan soprano Philharmonia Voices VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 7, Sinfonia Antartica HOLST The Planets Scored for a huge orchestra, Vaughan Williams’ Seventh Symphony conjures the mysterious, snow-covered plains of Antarctica, including a part for wind machine, used in the symphony’s final devastating bars. From the ends of the earth to the outer reaches of the universe, Holst’s planetary masterpiece journeys through Mars, the apocalyptic ‘Bringer of War’; a tranquil Venus; Mercury’s winged messenger; Jupiter, the stately ‘Bringer of Jollity’; Saturn’s old age; Uranus ‘The Magician’ and finally, a dreamy Neptune, ‘The Mystic’. 6pm, Philharmonia MMSF Young Artist Showcase Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry A recital showcasing the talented recipients of the Philharmonia MMSF Instrumental Fellowship Programme.
6pm, Music of Today Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
2017 / 18
Sunday 3 December 2017, 3pm
Thursday 23 November 2017, 7.30pm
(Please note start time)
SHOSTAKOVICH & RACHMANINOV Long Yu conductor George Li piano
PROKOFIEV & TCHAIKOVSKY Krzysztof Urbański conductor Simon Trpčeski piano
GLINKA Overture, Ruslan and Ludmilla RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 2 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 Epic, towering, all-encompassing, Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto holds at its heart one of the most achingly beautiful slow movements of all time. Shostakovich’s Fifth is arguably the most dramatic and thrilling symphony of the 20th-century. Composed under acute political pressure from Stalin’s regime, the symphony’s intention and meaning is a tangled mystery, but its musical power is extraordinary. The first movement is a mini-symphony in itself, moving from an oblique opening theme, to mechanized pandemonium and then a beautiful, yearning melody. A sarcastic waltz, elegiac slow movement and coruscating march-like finale lead to the final valedictory theme.
TCHAIKOVSKY Fantasy Overture, Romeo and Juliet TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet (excerpts) Two accounts of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers frame a programme of Russian masterworks. Tchaikovsky’s Overture to Romeo and Juliet, with its glorious love theme, moves into one of the greatest Russian powerhouses of all time: Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, unmistakable for the grandeur of its opening chords. Finally, excerpts from Prokofiev’s ballet music for Romeo and Juliet: the Montagues and Capulets, the balcony scene; the death of Tybalt and the story’s tragic end. This concert is supported by
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1: Krzysztof Urbański © Fred Jonny 2: Pierre-Laurent Aimard © Marco Borggreve
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Sunday 21 January 2018, 3pm
(Please note start time)
DEBUSSY & RAVEL Pablo Heras-Casado conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune RAVEL Piano Concerto in G RAVEL Suite, Ma mère l'oye DEBUSSY La mer The hazy afternoon of Debussy’s Prélude à l’aprèsmidi d’un faune leads to Debussy’s portrait of the ever-changing faces of the sea, La mer, which captures the play of light on the water and the rhythmic pitter-patter of sea spray ‘to create a mysterious harmony between nature and the imagination’. Channelled by pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Ravel’s own ‘mysterious harmony’ infuses rich textures of jazz, blues and the Basque influences of the composer's homeland.
Sunday 10 December 2017, 3pm
(Please note start time)
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS David Hill conductor Jacques Imbrailo baritone The Bach Choir Programme to include: HUMPERDINCK Overture, Hansel and Gretel RUTTER Shepherd's Pipe Carol VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on Christmas Carols WILBERG Joy to the World TCHAIKOVSKY ‘Waltz of the Flowers’, from The Nutcracker GRUBER Silent Night GARDNER The Holly and the Ivy TRADITIONAL Carols for all
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Thursday 14 December 2017, 7.30pm
CAROLS AT CHRISTMAS Artists to be announced Programme to include: LEDGER Sussex Carol WILLCOCKS I saw three ships RUTTER Candlelight Carol CULLEN Joy to the World DARKE In the bleak midwinter TRADITIONAL Carols for all A concert of seasonal classics, glorious carols and readings for this special time of year that perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas.
Start your Christmas celebrations with this wonderful selection of carols and classics. Please see page 30 for prices. Please note that subscription and concession discounts do not apply to these concerts. Presented in partnership with Raymond Gubbay Ltd.
philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
2017 / 18
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Thursday 1 February 2018, 7.30pm
Thursday 8 February 2018, 7.30pm
ˇ ÁK PAAVO JÄRVI: DVOR
BARTÓK & KODÁLY
Paavo Järvi conductor Gautier Capuçon cello
Juraj Valčuha conductor Evgeni Bozhanov piano
DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7
KODÁLY Dances of Galánta BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
Paavo Järvi conducts a programme exploring the stunning musical landscapes of Czech composer Antonín Dvorˇák. From its opening bars, Dvorˇák's Carnival Overture charges headlong into the frenzied energy of a night at the carnival, while his Cello Concerto wistfully echoes the folk-inspired Slavic sounds of his homeland. Finally, Dvorˇák's mighty Symphony No. 7. Citing as his inspiration ‘God, love and the Motherland’, Dvorˇák declared his symphony ‘fit to shake the world’ and contains within its walls an infectious Scherzo, filled with shifting accents and cross-rhythms before reaching a grand final movement with its glorious, resounding finale.
Bartók’s witty Concerto for Orchestra darts and dives across the orchestra, spotlighting each section as melodies race from one instrument to the next. It even contains a tongue-in-cheek reference to Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony in the form of a musical ‘raspberry’. A lifelong friend of Bartók’s and fellow collector of Hungarian folk tunes, Kodály crafted his Dances of Galánta from the memory of a gypsy band he had heard as a child. Filled with evocative melodies and glittering colours, the Dances play with the traditional verbunkos style, in which alternating slow and fast passages end by giving way to irresistible foot stamping.
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
6pm, Music of Today Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
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Sunday 11 February 2018, 7.30pm
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 4 Lahav Shani conductor Chen Reiss soprano MENDELSSOHN Overture, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage STRAUSS Lieder: Ständchen; Morgen!; Meinem Kinde; Wiegenlied; Ich wollt'ein Sträusslein binden; Säusle, liebe Myrthe MAHLER Symphony No. 4 ‘There is no music on the earth which can ever compare with ours’. So sings the soprano at the close of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. Mahler builds towards this celestial setting of a poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, musically working backwards to forge a path from experience to innocence, complexity to simplicity and so too a journey from earthly life to heaven. Alongside, soprano Chen Reiss performs Strauss’ lieder of life and love. This concert is supported by the Principal Friends of the Philharmonia 6pm, pre-concert talk, Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry An introduction to the evening’s programme
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Thursday 15 February 2018, 7.30pm
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 5 Jakub Hrůša conductor Piotr Anderszewski piano BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 MAHLER Symphony No. 5 Beginning with a lone trumpet call, Mahler’s Fifth Symphony summons forth a wall of sound, journeying from the tragic despair of the first movement to the lasting triumph of the finale via a withdrawal into the achingly beautiful Adagietto movement scored for gossamer-like harp and strings. Alongside, the “enthralling interpretative integrity” (The Guardian, Feb 2016) of Piotr Anderszewski's artistry in Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto.
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1: Juraj Valčuha; 2: Lahav Shani © Marco Borggreve 3: Piotr Anderszewski © MG de Saint Venant
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2017 / 18
Thursday 10 May 2018, 7.30pm
I WAS GLAD: PARRY ANNIVERSARY CONCERT Adrian Partington conductor Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello Eleanor Dennis soprano Gloucester Choral Society PARRY I was glad ELGAR Cello Concerto VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis PARRY Ode on the Nativity PARRY Jerusalem The Philharmonia joins with Adrian Partington and the Gloucester Choral Society to commemorate the centenary year of the great British choral composer Hubert Parry. The evening features Parry’s I was glad, originally written for the coronation of King Edward VII, Ode on the Nativity and Jerusalem, as well as celebrating Parry’s legacy through the works of two other great British composers, Elgar and Vaughan Williams.
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Thursday 24 May 2018, 7.30pm
DANIELE GATTI: BRAHMS Daniele Gatti conductor MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, Italian BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 Daniele Gatti returns to the Philharmonia. The result of a happy ten-month holiday, Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony is a tribute to the ‘supreme delight in life’ the composer found in Italy. Instantly joyous, especially at the leaping ‘Saltarello’ dance of the finale, Mendelssohn even briefly referred to his symphony as ‘blue sky in A major’. Equally inspired, Brahms’ sunny Second Symphony came hot on the heels of his eagerly awaited First: ‘the melodies flow so freely that one must be careful not to trample on them’, Brahms wrote as he composed. 6pm, Music of Today Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
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1: Marie-Elisabeth Hecker © Benjamin Ealovega; 2: Daniele Gatti © Pablo Faccinetto 3: Khatia Buniatishvili © Julia Wesely
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Thursday 7 June 2018, 7.30pm
DOHNÁNYI: BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 5 Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Arabella Steinbacher violin HAYDN Symphony No. 12 MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5, K219 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
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Sunday 3 June 2018, 7.30pm
BERLIOZ: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE Paavo Järvi conductor Khatia Buniatishvili piano DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique Paavo Järvi conducts a programme of fire and fantasy. Dukas’ magical tale of a wayward sorcerer’s apprentice leads into Rachmaninov’s astoundingly acrobatic Third Piano Concerto. Berlioz’ psychedelic Symphonie fantastique imagines a fantastical account of an artist and his great love, a thinly veiled allegory for his own relationship with actress Harriet Smithson. Triggered by the protagonist’s near opium overdose, the music journeys through five scenes: the first, detailing his passion upon catching a glimpse of the woman of his dreams; the second a spinning ballroom; the third a day in the countryside; witnessing his own execution in the fourth; and finally, a riotous witches’ Sabbath.
Maestro Christoph von Dohnányi returns to the Philharmonia alongside violinist Arabella Steinbacher for Mozart’s ‘Turkish’ Violin Concerto No. 5, so named because of the lively alla turca style of its final movement. The iconic first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony have become the most memorable moment in all classical music. The infectious rhythm these notes create resonates throughout the symphony as the music makes its triumphant journey from darkness into light. 6pm, Composers’ Academy Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry The culminating concert of the Philharmonia Orchestra's Composers' Academy, in partnership with the Royal Philharmonic Society, presents world premieres from three emerging composers. Over the course of the year the composers have worked closely with Philharmonia Orchestra musicians, visiting composers and Music of Today Artistic Director Unsuk Chin. This is an exciting opportunity to hear the work of the newest generation of composers in the UK today. The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Composers' Academy is supported by PRS for Music Foundation With the friendly support of Ernst Von Siemens Music Foundation
6pm, Philharmonia Chamber Players Royal Festival Hall, FREE entry
philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
2017 / 18
2017/2018 KOREA-UK YEAR OF CULTURE: CLOSING CONCERT
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This concert is presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK as part of the 2017/2018 Korea-UK Season
Thursday 14 June 2018, 7.30pm
Han-Na Chang conductor Sunwook Kim piano ROSSINI Overture, William Tell GRIEG Piano Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
Thursday 1 March 2018
CHINESE NEW YEAR CONCERT
E VE AT SA D E TH
Conductor Han-Na Chang, “a diminutive, dynamic, firebrand” (The Guardian) with “an extraordinary sense of fearless adventure” (The Times), comes together with pianist Sunwook Kim for the celebratory closing concert of the 2017/18 KoreaUK Season. The timeless, towering chords of Grieg’s Piano Concerto lead into the turbulence of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. In his own words, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony marked his ‘complete resignation before Fate’. ‘Fate’, winds unrelenting through each movement, interrupting a love song, cutting in on a waltz and finally taking on the form of a march into the blazing finale.
Long Yu conductor Programme to be announced Following his debut with the Orchestra in February 2017, Long Yu returns with a concert for Chinese New Year, celebrating the Year of the Dog.
1: Han-Na Chang © Luciano Romano; 2: Philharmonia Chamber Players © Philharmonia Orchestra/Marina Vidor
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FREE PERFORMANCES Free, unticketed events at 6pm at Royal Festival Hall. Just turn up.
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The Philharmonia’s new music series, curated by Artistic Director Unsuk Chin, brings thrilling contemporary music performances to the Royal Festival Hall stage in free concerts that often feature interviews with artists and composers. This Season’s performances will showcase violinist and champion of new music Irvine Arditti alongside four composers: Michael Daugherty, one of the most performed living American composers, with a musical voice influenced by popular culture and post-modernism; Swiss composer Beat Furrer, who founded legendary new-music group Klangforum Wien; British composer Christian Mason, a graduate of our Composers' Academy, who writes a new commission; and a Slovenian composer who has created a wide range of electronic music, Vito Žuraj. Look out for full details at philharmonia.co.uk/mot
MUSIC OF TODAY: COMPOSERS' ACADEMY Thursday 7 June 2018, 6pm
The Philharmonia Chamber Players are a unique feature of the Philharmonia’s artistic programme, allowing audiences to hear a rich variety of repertoire for small ensemble. Each performance of 45-50 minutes – often presented from the stage by a member of the group – is devised by members of the Orchestra to complement the orchestral concert that follows, and juxtaposes chamber classics with less familiar works. Look out for full details at philharmonia.co.uk/chamber
PHILHARMONIA MMSF YOUNG ARTIST SHOWCASE Thursday 9 November 2017, 6pm Sunday 20 May 2018, 6pm Recipients of the Philharmonia MMSF Instrumental Fellowship Programme take to the Royal Festival Hall stage for performances that present the next generation of orchestral talent in a varied programme of repertoire for small ensemble.
The culminating concert of a year working alongside Philharmonia musicians and Unsuk Chin for three talented composers.
philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
Live screenings and blockbuster soundtracks performed live at Royal Festival Hall Look out for new concert details at philharmonia.co.uk/movies
NIELSEN
FLUTE CONCERTO CLARINET CONCERTO ALADDIN SUITE PAAVO JÄRVI SAMUEL COLES FLUTE MARK VAN DE WIEL CLARINET
LIVE RECORDINGS Esa-Pekka Salonen Christoph von Dohnányi Vladimir Ashkenazy Paavo Järvi Lorin Maazel Sir Charles Mackerras Sir Andrew Davis
philharmonia.co.uk/shop
2017 / 18
TICKET PRICES To see seat maps of the price bands referred to below, please refer to the relevant concert page on the Philharmonia website. PRICE PER TICKET SIGNATURE SEATS
PRICE 1
PRICE 2
PRICE 3
PRICE 4
PRICE 5
£35.00
£27.00
£18.00
£11.00
£24.50
£19.50
£16.50
SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS £55.00
£42.00
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS & CAROLS AT CHRISTMAS £49.50
£42.50
£32.50
AVAILABLE SEATS IN EACH PRICE CATEGORY SIGNATURE SEATS
PRICE 1
PRICE 2
PRICE 3
PRICE 4
PRICE 5
Front Stalls
Front Stalls Rear Stalls Boxes
Front Stalls Rear Stalls Boxes Side Stalls Balcony
Front Stalls Rear Stalls Side Stalls Balcony Wheelchair
Rear Stalls Side Stalls Balcony Wheelchair
Rear Stalls Side Stalls Balcony Wheelchair Choir
HOW TO BOOK PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA BOX OFFICE Tickets can be purchased online at philharmonia.co.uk (£1.75 transaction fee) or by telephoning the Box Office on FREEPHONE 0800 652 6717 (£2.75 transaction fee.) The Box Office is open from 9.30am-5.30pm Monday-Friday. SOUTHBANK CENTRE TICKET OFFICE Tickets can also be purchased via the Southbank Centre website at southbankcentre.co.uk (£1.75 transaction fee), or Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office between 9am-8pm daily on 020 7960 4200 (£2.75 transaction fee*). Tickets can also be purchased in person at Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office 10am-8pm daily (no transaction fee). *No fee for Southbank Centre Members or Supporters’ Circles
Freephone Box Office 0800 652 6717
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SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE Book three or more standard concerts and receive a discount. Please note, there are no subscription discounts for Signature seats, but they can count towards a subscription.
No. of Concerts
PRICE 1
PRICE 2
PRICE 3
PRICE 4
PRICE 5
3-5: 10% Off
£37.80
£31.50
£24.30
£16.20
£9.90
6-8: 15% Off
£35.70
£29.75
£22.95
£15.30
£9.35
9-11: 20% Off
£33.60
£28.00
£21.60
£14.40
£8.80
12-14: 25% Off
£31.50
£26.25
£20.25
£13.50
£8.25
15+: 30% Off
£29.40
£24.50
£18.90
£12.60
£7.70
GROUP BOOKINGS Book 10 or more tickets and receive a 25% discount. One free ticket for every 20 purchased (only 20% for Christmas Concerts. No free tickets). Flexible reservations.
SCHOOL PARTIES Book 10 or more tickets and receive a 50% discount. One free teacher’s ticket for every 10 purchased (only 20% for Christmas Concerts. No free tickets). Flexible reservations.
STUDENTS A limited number of £7 tickets is available for selected concerts through the FREE Student Pulse app (available from the App Store and Google Play).
CONCESSIONS A limited allocation of half-price tickets is available for recipients of Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Under-16s and full-time students. Appropriate cards to be shown.
Please note that discounts /concessions cannot be combined. Student and concession discounts do not apply for Christmas concerts.
philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
2017 / 18
GETTING TO SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL SOUTHBANK CENTRE, BELVEDERE ROAD, LONDON SE1 8XX BY UNDERGROUND: To Waterloo or cross the river from Temple, Embankment or Charing Cross. BY RAIL: To Waterloo, Waterloo East, or cross the river from Charing Cross. BY BUS: 76, 77, 211, 341, 381, 507, N381, N76 and RV1 stop on York Road; 1, 4, 26, 59, 68, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 243, 521, N1, N68, N171 and N343 stop on Waterloo Bridge.
PARKING: Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery Car Park is closed due to refurbishment. The Hungerford Bridge Car Park is also closed at certain times. Alternative parking is available nearby at the National Theatre Car Park and Cornwall Road Car Park, subject to charges. SHOP & EAT AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE: Riverside Terrace and Festival Terrace are lined with a range of shops, restaurants and bars. More information can be found at southbankcentre.co.uk/visitor-info
PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES GETTING TO SOUTHBANK CENTRE: Blue Badge holders and those with access requirements can be dropped off on the Queen Elizabeth Hall slip road off Belvedere Road (the road between Royal Festival Hall and Hayward Gallery). When attending a performance or visiting Southbank Centre, Blue Badge holders can park anywhere in the National Theatre car park free of charge. There are spaces near the lifts reserved for use by disabled people. There is a ramped entrance with semi-automatic doors to the basement foyer and lifts. For free parking, Blue Badge holders should take their badge and car park ticket to Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office on Level 2 for validation, prior to leaving at the end of the performance. INSIDE SOUTHBANK CENTRE: Southbank Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. Visitors with a disability should join Southbank Centre’s free Access List. You may be eligible for tickets at concessionary prices; a free ticket for a companion who can assist you during your visit; and to receive information in alternative formats. To join please call 020 7960 4200, email accesslist@southbankcentre.co.uk or visit southbankcentre.co.uk/access. Hearing enhancement equipment can be collected at Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office, Level 5 Function Room and The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall. There is level access throughout Royal Festival Hall from the internal lifts (some of the lifts have a limited weight capacity; please call 020 7960 4200 to confirm), and there are wheelchair spaces in the boxes, choir seats, and side and rear stalls of the auditorium. Tickets for wheelchair spaces can be booked online or by phone on 0800 652 6717 or 020 7960 4200. Please phone 020 7960 4200 for further information.
TASTE THE UNEXPECTED
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Receive 10% off your dining experience when presenting this programme.* lemeridienpiccadilly.com/philharmonia +44 (0)20 7734 8000 *Guests must sign up for free as a Starwood Preferred Guest to receive the discount.
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SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS The Philharmonia Orchestra, a registered charity, depends on generous philanthropic support from individuals, companies and grant-making organisations to realise the Orchestra’s artistic ambitions and continue to perform with the world's great artists throughout the UK and beyond. For further details on how you can support the Philharmonia Orchestra, please visit: philharmonia.co.uk/support or call 020 7921 3903.
The Philharmonia is very grateful to the following major donors, Trusts and Foundations, and Corporate partners, who make possible the quality and diversity of our work. • Anonymous • Mrs Joscelyn Fox • Mercedes and Michael Hoffman • Sir Sydney & Lady Lipworth • Mr Vincent Meyer • Mr & Mrs G Modiano • Dr David Potter CBE • Mr and Mrs Geoff Richards • Esa-Pekka and Jane Salonen • The Revd John Wates, OBE and Carol Wates • The Andor Charitable Trust • The Boltini Trust • The Helen Jean Cope Charity
• Dunard Fund • The Amaryllis Fleming Foundation • The Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity • Pierre Fournier Award • Edwin Fox Foundation • Gale Family Charity Trust • Oliver Green Memorial Trust • The Hattori Foundation for Music & the Arts • House of Industry Estate Charity • The Leche Trust • Leicestershire and Rutland Masonic Charity Association • Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation
• John E Mortimer Foundation • The Edith Murphy Foundation • NADFAS • National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund • Neighbourly Charitable Trust • The Sidney Perry Foundation • The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation • PRS for Music Foundation • Rubin Foundation Charitable Trust • RVW Trust • The Wixamtree Trust
Major Partners
The Philharmonia Trust
Partners
HO
N O R D EO
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Page 34
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1: Esa-Pekka Salonen © Vincent Beaume 2: Michael Fuller © Felix Broede 3: Emily Davis © Felix Broede
philharmonia.co.uk – book tickets, watch films, listen to and buy recordings
“The playing was electrifying, and Salonen, conducting with graceful yet athletic gestures, gave us a kind of one-man ballet on the podium� The Guardian
Philharmonia Orchestra 6 Chancel Street London SE1 0UX Tel 020 7921 3900 Freephone box office 0800 652 6717 Email boxoffice@philharmonia.co.uk Registered charity number 250277
philharmonia.co.uk @philharmonia Philharmonia Orchestra @philharmonia_orchestra /philharmonialondon /philharmonia Philharmonia Orchestra and Southbank Centre are both registered charities.
All information correct at time of going to press, but changes may be unavoidable. Art Direction HarrimanSteel Print Cantate Communications Bubbles by Samsam Bubbleman from BubbleInc.co.uk Official Paper Supplier Sappi Fine Paper Europe