Issuu

b e m ov e d 2017/18 Season at Southbank Centreâ€™s Royal Festival Hall Concert programme

Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor VLADIMIR JUROWSKI supported by the Tsukanov Family Foundation Principal Guest Conductor ANDRÉS OROZCO-ESTRADA Leader pieter schoeman supported by Neil Westreich Patron HRH THE DUKE OF KENT KG Chief Executive and Artistic Director TIMOTHY WALKER AM

Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Wednesday 17 January 2018 | 7.30pm

Khachaturian Adagio from Spartacus (10’) Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30* (45’) Interval (20’) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 (44’)

Mikhail Agrest conductor Andrey Gugnin piano

* In co-operation with the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation.

The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide. CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Contents 2 Welcome 3 On stage tonight 4 About the Orchestra 5 Leader: Pieter Schoeman 6 Mikhail Agrest 7 Andrey Gugnin 8 Programme notes 11 Recommended recordings 12 Next concerts 13 Coming soon: Changing Faces – Stravinsky’s Journey 14 Das Rheingold: A Golden Gala Evening 15 LPO 2017/18 Annual Appeal 17 Sound Futures donors 18 Supporters 20 LPO administration

Welcome

Orchestra news

Welcome to Southbank Centre We hope you enjoy your visit. We have a Duty Manager available at all times. If you have any queries please ask any member of staff for assistance. Eating, drinking and shopping? Southbank Centre shops and restaurants include Foyles, EAT, Giraffe, Strada, YO! Sushi, wagamama, Le Pain Quotidien, Las Iguanas, ping pong, Canteen, Caffè Vergnano 1882, Skylon and Topolski, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops inside Royal Festival Hall. If you wish to get in touch with us following your visit please contact the Visitor Experience Team at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, phone 020 3879 9555, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk We look forward to seeing you again soon. A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment: PHOTOGRAPHY is not allowed in the auditorium. LATECOMERS will only be admitted to the auditorium if there is a suitable break in the performance. RECORDING is not permitted in the auditorium without the prior consent of Southbank Centre. Southbank Centre reserves the right to confiscate video or sound equipment and hold it in safekeeping until the performance has ended. MOBILES, PAGERS AND WATCHES should be switched off before the performance begins.

Out now The Spring/Summer 2018 edition of Tune In, our free twice-yearly magazine. Copies are available at the Welcome Desk in the Royal Festival Hall foyer, or phone the LPO office on 020 7840 4200 to receive one in the post. Also available digitally: issuu.com/londonphilharmonic

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appy New Year and welcome to the first London Philharmonic Orchestra concert of 2018 here at Royal Festival Hall. It promises to be an exciting year: in ten days’ time (27 January) we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Vladimir Jurowski’s appointment as the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor with a special Gala Evening performance of Wagner’s opera Das Rheingold (see page 14). Next month we embark on a major new year-long series: Changing Faces: Stravinsky’s Journey, during which our Royal Festival Hall concerts will chronologically chart Stravinsky’s incredible creative journey. In the meantime, tonight we launch 2018 in style with a programme of Russian epics: three powerful works by Khachaturian, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. We hope you enjoy this evening’s concert and that you will join us again soon.

Wigmore Hall charity concert: LPO Benevolent Fund On Sunday 22 April at 7.30pm, the Leonore Piano Trio will give a special fundraising concert at Wigmore Hall in aid of Marie Curie and the LPO Benevolent Fund, which provides crucial financial support to LPO musicians unable to work through illness or injury. The programme will include Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat and works by Haydn and Parry. Tickets are priced from £15–£25 and can be booked via wigmore-hall.org.uk.

Glyndebourne 2018 As Resident Symphony Orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera since 1964, we always look forward to our summer months spent in the Sussex opera house, and the 2018 Festival promises to be a vocal and visual feast. Booking opens on Sunday 4 March and we launch the season on 19 May with Puccini’s glorious Madama Butterfly conducted by Omer Meir Wellber (running until 18 July). Over the summer we’ll also perform Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (20 May–26 June) and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande under Glyndebourne Music Director Robin Ticciati (30 June–9 August); and Barber’s rarely performed, Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Vanessa under Jakub Hrůša (5–26 August). For more details visit glyndebourne.com

On stage tonight

First Violins Pieter Schoeman* Leader Chair supported by Neil Westreich

Vesselin Gellev Sub-Leader JiJi Lee Katalin Varnagy Chair supported by Sonja Drexler

Catherine Craig Martin Hรถhmann Geoffrey Lynn Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp

Robert Pool Sarah Streatfeild Tina Gruenberg Rebecca Shorrock Amanda Smith Austeja Juskaityte Rasa Zukauskaite Katherine Waller Gabriela Opacka Second Violins Helena Smart Principal Kate Birchall Nancy Elan Fiona Higham Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley

Nynke Hijlkema Joseph Maher Marie-Anne Mairesse Ashley Stevens Helena Nicholls Sioni Williams Harry Kerr Sheila Law Alison Strange John Dickinson

Violas David Quiggle Principal Robert Duncan Katharine Leek Susanne Martens Benedetto Pollani Laura Vallejo Naomi Holt Stanislav Popov Isabel Pereira Daniel Cornford Martin Fenn Sarah Malcolm Cellos Kristina Blaumane Principal Chair supported by Bianca & Stuart Roden

Pei-Jee Ng Co-Principal David Lale Gregory Walmsley Elisabeth Wiklander Sue Sutherley Susanna Riddell Tom Roff Helen Rathbone George Hoult Double Basses Sebastian Pennar Principal Hugh Kluger Laurence Lovelle Tom Walley Lowri Morgan Samuel Rice Catherine Ricketts Lachlan Radford

Flutes Juliette Bausor Principal Sue Thomas*

Trumpets Paul Beniston* Principal Richard Blake Guest Principal Anne McAneney*

Chair supported by Victoria Robey OBE

Stewart McIlwham*

Chair supported by Geoff & Meg Mann

Piccolo Stewart McIlwham* Principal

Trombones Mark Templeton* Principal Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton

Oboes Ian Hardwick* Principal Alice Munday

David Whitehouse Bass Trombone Lyndon Meredith Principal

Cor Anglais Sue Bรถhling* Principal

Tuba Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal

Chair supported by Dr Barry Grimaldi

Clarinets Timothy Orpen Guest Principal Thomas Watmough Paul Richards

Timpani Simon Carrington* Principal Percussion Andrew Barclay* Principal

Bassoons Jonathan Davies Principal Gareth Newman Horns David Pyatt* Principal Chair supported by Sir Simon Robey

John Ryan* Principal Chair supported by Laurence Watt

Martin Hobbs Duncan Fuller Gareth Mollison

Chair supported by Andrew Davenport

Henry Baldwin Co-Principal Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra

Keith Millar Harp Rachel Masters Principal Piano Catherine Edwards * Holds a professorial appointment in London Meet our members: lpo.org.uk/players

Chair Supporters The London Philharmonic Orchestra also acknowledges the following chair supporter whose player is not present at this concert: The Candide Trust

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London Philharmonic Orchestra

The LPO musicians really surpassed themselves in playing of élan, subtlety and virtuosity. Matthew Rye, Bachtrack, 24 September 2017 (Enescu’s Oedipe at Royal Festival Hall) Recognised today as one of the finest orchestras on the international stage, the London Philharmonic Orchestra balances a long and distinguished history with a reputation as one of the UK’s most forwardlooking ensembles. As well as its performances in the concert hall, the Orchestra also records film and video game soundtracks, releases CDs on its own record label, and reaches thousands of people every year through activities for families, schools and local communities. Celebrating its 85th anniversary this season, the Orchestra was founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932. It has since been headed by many of the world’s greatest conductors including Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt and Kurt Masur. Vladimir Jurowski is the Orchestra’s current Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, and this season we celebrate the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary partnership. Andrés Orozco-Estrada took up the position of Principal Guest Conductor in September 2015. The Orchestra is resident at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, where it gives around 40 concerts each season. Our year-long Belief and Beyond Belief festival in partnership with Southbank Centre ran

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throughout 2017, exploring what it means to be human in the 21st century. In 2018, we explore the life and music of Stravinsky in our new series Changing Faces: Stravinsky’s Journey, charting the life and music of one of the 20th century’s most influential composers. Outside London, the Orchestra has flourishing residencies in Brighton and Eastbourne, and performs regularly around the UK. Each summer the Orchestra takes up its annual residency at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in the Sussex countryside, where it has been Resident Symphony Orchestra for over 50 years. The Orchestra also tours internationally, performing to sell-out audiences worldwide. In 1956 it became the first British orchestra to appear in Soviet Russia and in 1973 made the first ever visit to China by a Western orchestra. Touring remains a large part of the Orchestra’s life: the 2016/17 season included visits to New York, Germany, Hungary, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland, and tours in 2017/18 include Romania, Japan, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Italy and France.

Pieter Schoeman leader

In summer 2012 the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed as part of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames, and was also chosen to record all the world’s national anthems for the London 2012 Olympics. In 2013 it was the winner of the RPS Music Award for Ensemble. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians through an energetic programme of activities for young people. In 2017/18 we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Education and Community department, whose work over three decades has introduced so many people of all ages to orchestral music and created opportunities for people of all backgrounds to fulfil their creative potential. Highlights include the BrightSparks schools’ concerts and FUNharmonics family concerts; the Young Composers Programme; and the Foyle Future Firsts orchestral training programme for outstanding young players. Its work at the forefront of digital engagement and social media has enabled the Orchestra to reach even more people worldwide: all its recordings are available to download from iTunes and, as well as regular concert streamings and a popular podcast series, the Orchestra has a lively presence on social media. lpo.org.uk facebook.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra twitter.com/LPOrchestra youtube.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra instagram.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

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

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded the soundtracks to numerous blockbuster films, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Lawrence of Arabia, East is East, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Thor: The Dark World. It also broadcasts regularly on television and radio, and in 2005 established its own record label. There are now over 100 releases available on CD and to download. Recent additions include Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 conducted by Kurt Masur; Dvořák’s Symphonies 6 & 7 conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Fidelio Overture conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

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

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Mikhail Agrest conductor

Mikhail Agrest’s direction of the orchestra was pure poetry and emotion. Affection, hope, intellect, and beauty – every element was cherished like a petal of a flower. Demokraatti, Finland

Scion of the great Russian conducting tradition, Mikhail Agrest has honed his craft at the Mariinsky Theatre for over a decade, acquiring a considerable body of operatic and symphonic repertoire and gaining crucial insights into orchestral development and artistic leadership. Simultaneously, he has forged meaningful artistic relationships with a number of the world’s premier ensembles. This season Mikhail Agrest continues his longstanding collaborations with the Semperoper Dresden, the Opernhaus Zurich and the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli. He looks forward to his debuts with the Seoul Philharmonic and the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, where he will conduct Scriabin’s Symphony No. 3 (The Divine Poem), among other works. He has also been invited to conduct Scottish Opera in a new production of Prokofiev’s The Fiery Angel, as well as a symphonic programme. Last season Mikhail Agrest made his Canadian debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and returned to the Seattle Symphony, the Bremen Philharmonic and the Sudwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz in Germany. His opera projects included Weinberger’s Schwanda the Bagpiper and Verdi’s La traviata at Semperoper Dresden. Following on from his earlier triumph at Finnish National Opera with La bohème, he was re-invited to lead a new production of Eugene Onegin, directed by Marco Arturo Marelli and described by the Nezavisimaya Gazeta as ‘a rare union of music and theatre, owing mostly to the sophistication of the conductor, who has this music in his blood. A student of [Mariss] Jansons, he led the orchestra without missing a single voice, and the musicians faithfully followed every well-considered gesture.’

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Mikhail Agrest’s 2003 appearance at the Metropolitan Opera conducting the Mariinsky Theatre in RimskyKorsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh sparked keen interest among the global opera community. He went on to lead productions of Tosca at Swedish National Opera and Don Giovanni at Opera Australia, as well as an award-winning new production of Jenůfa at English National Opera, directed by David Alden. Mikhail Agrest’s collaboration with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden has so far consisted of three well-received productions: The Rite of Spring, Les noces and Romeo and Juliet. His work with the BBC Symphony Orchestra dates back to 2007 and has included a Gubaidulina Festival at the Barbican, as well as a recording of Rodion Shchedrin’s Concerto Parlando. Following the success of a Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Strauss programme with the Staatskapelle Dresden in 2013, Agrest was invited to conduct La traviata at the Semperoper and to lead a new production of Shostakovich’s MoscowCheryomushki directed by Christiane Mielitz. He has collaborated with the Dresden Philharmonic since 2008, and also enjoys repeat invitations from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony. Born and raised in St Petersburg, Mikhail Agrest immigrated to the United States with his family as a teenager and received a degree in violin performance from Indiana University Bloomington. He then followed his true passion back to St Petersburg to study conducting with the legendary Ilya Musin, whose other alumni include Valery Gergiev, Yuri Temirkanov and Semyon Bychkov.

Andrey Gugnin piano

The relentless cascades of notes and figurations were dispatched with incisive clarity and scintillating speed. His rhythmic acuity, lightness of touch and nuanced dynamics realised both the moments of witty caprice and wistful introspection.

The Australian

Andrey Gugnin was born in Russia in 1987. He graduated from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in 2010, where he studied under Professor Vera Gornostaeva; since 2016 he has studied at the International Piano Academy Lake Como with Stanislav Ioudenitch and William Naboré. Andrey is the winner of the Ernest Hutcheson First Prize at the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition. He is also the winner of the Eileen Joyce Best Overall Concerto Prize, the Miriam Hyde Best 19th or 20th Century Concerto Prize, the Hephzibah Menuhin Best Violin and Piano Sonata Prize, and the Roger Smalley Best Preliminaries Round 1 Recital Prize. Andrey has toured as a recitalist, a chamber music partner and as a concerto soloist, performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, the Eastman School of Music, the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Moscow International House of Music, the Louvre, the Teatro Verdi in Trieste and Vienna’s Musikverein. He has collaborated with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the St Petersburg Cappella Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, among others.

Andrey’s discography includes piano concertos by Shostakovich with the State Academic Chamber Orchestra of Russia (Delos International, 2007) and music for piano duo iDuo (together with Vadim Kholodenko, Delos International, 2010). The recording of Shostakovich concertos was used in the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning film Bridge of Spies. He has also recorded for TV and radio in Russia, The Netherlands, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. Highlights of forthcoming engagements will include concerto performances with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Svetlanov State and Mariinsky orchestras, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Jerusalem Camerata, among others. The 2018 season will feature chamber music collaborations in Australia, New Zealand, Malta, USA, Poland and the UK. gugnin.com

He has been a guest artist at the Ruhr Piano Festival, the Mariinsky International Piano Festival, the Ohrid Summer Festival, the Zagreb Summer Evenings Festival and the Bermuda Islands Performing Arts Festival, among others.

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Programme notes

Speedread From one of the most familiar of all classical compositions, to one of the most technically demanding piano concertos, to one of the most popular of symphonies, tonight’s concert shows Russian orchestral music at its open-hearted and ardently expressive best. The Adagio from Khachaturian’s ballet Spartacus may have won fame in this country as a TV theme, but its gentle beauty is even more touching in its original context as accompaniment to a ballet love scene.

Aram Khachaturian

Rachmaninoff’s rich, soaringly lyrical and toweringly difficult Third Piano Concerto has acquired the status of a classic of its kind, as befits the work of one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. And Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, written in the year of a failed suicide attempt, is typically full-on in its melodies, vivid orchestral colour and bold engagement with the theme of Fate, the implacable force that Tchaikovsky felt to be his constant enemy.

Adagio from Spartacus

1903–78

It always comes as a jolt to hear that in 1948 Khachaturian was censured by the Soviet authorities – along with Shostakovich, Prokofiev and several others – for excessive ‘formalism’. Little in his music reeks of modernism (which is what they meant), and up to then he had generally been seen as a good example of a Soviet composer whose music addressed the needs and concerns of the people rather than massaging the egos of self-serving composers. Possibly it was his administrative role in the Union of Soviet Composers, long distrusted by the authorities, that had him tainted by association, and indeed, after he had publicly apologised for his ‘errors’ he was restored to favour within the year and proceeded to carry on writing music in the same vein as before, which is to say in an accessible and skilfully woven blend of the Russian classical tradition of Rimsky-Korsakov and nationalist folk influences reflecting his own Armenian heritage.

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His music includes three symphonies and concertos for piano, violin and cello, but he was perhaps most at home in the pictorially-inspired world of music for ballet, theatre and film. The ballet Spartak (‘Spartacus’), telling the story of the eponymous leader of a Roman slave rebellion in 73–71BC, was composed in 1954 and contains his single best-known composition in the tender but also ardent Adagio that accompanies a loving reunion between Spartacus and his newly freed wife.

Serge Rachmaninoff 1873–1943

Although not as popular as its predecessor, and not as well-stocked with Romantically lingering tunes, Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is in many other ways his most admired. This was not always the case; ‘dry, difficult and unappealing’ was how the young Prokofiev heard it (he preferred the ‘charming’ First and Second), and many of the earlier performances and recordings of the work (including the composer’s own, made in 1939) were afflicted by damaging cuts. Prokofiev was right about it being difficult, though. The Third is one of the most technically daunting of all the major piano concertos, its 45-minute span demanding of its executant heroic feats of virtuosity, stamina and power, while at the same time challenging them to show the more musicianly qualities of precision, clarity and line. Rachmaninoff composed it at his family estate in Ivanovka in the autumn of 1909 specifically for his forthcoming first tour to the USA, and he was the soloist at its premiere with the New York Symphony Orchestra on 28 November with Walter Damrosch conducting. An even more memorable performance, however, must have been the one Rachmaninoff gave with the New York Philharmonic the following January, when the conductor was Gustav Mahler. ‘Mahler touched my composer’s heart straight away’, Rachmaninoff wrote, ‘by devoting himself to my concerto until the accompaniment, which is rather complicated, had been practised to the point of perfection.’ The complexity that Rachmaninoff refers to is due not only to the orchestral accompaniment’s richness, but also to the important role it plays in the work’s construction. While he may not have been the composer to reproduce the taut motivic discourse of a Schoenberg or a Bartók, in this Concerto

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 Andrey Gugnin piano 1 Allegro ma non tanto 2 Intermezzo: Adagio – 3 Finale: Alla breve

Rachmaninoff achieves a satisfying sense of unity through laid-back but persistent allusion to themes outlined in the first movement. Of these, none is more of a presence than the long, tender melody uncurled by the piano right at the start. Its restless Russian melancholy is unmistakable, but Rachmaninoff denied suggestions that it had origins in folksong or Orthodox chant: ‘It simply wrote itself’, he said. ‘I was thinking only of the sound. I wanted to “sing” the melody on the piano, as a singer would sing it.’ Whether naturally arising or not, this theme and its lilting accompaniment inform many of the melodic outlines that follow, giving the whole work the flavour of ongoing, seamless development. Eventually a second theme appears, introduced with a new rhythmic impulse that seems almost like a fanfare in the circumstances, but soon settling down to more expansive lyricism under the pianist’s hands. The development section starts with a reprise of the opening, though naturally one that takes new turns. The music builds to a climax, then subsides, the texture thinning until the piano is left to embark on a long solo cadenza whose own powerful climax is in turn calmed by snippets of the first theme on solo winds. A recapitulation of this theme in its original form follows, but the movement is nearly done now, and the end arrives with a few quiet echoes of the second theme. The title of the second movement, Intermezzo, suggests a desire to relax the atmosphere, as does the drop in key to D flat major. In fact the free variations on the sombre melody introduced by the orchestra at the outset encompass both textural detail and much Romantic warmth, while a faster and lighter section turns out to be a waltz-like, major-key transformation of the firstmovement theme in which brilliant piano figuration accompanies the woodwind. A brief and passionate return to the original theme is broken off, however, by

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Programme notes continued

a commanding interposition by the pianist, who whips things up and pitches us decisively into the Finale. Here the dominant element is a vigorous, twitching line made from an inversion of the rocking accompaniment figure from the opening of the Concerto. The somewhat militaristic flavour it now gives off is contrasted with another soaringly Romantic second theme, but it returns, along with a melancholy lower-string reminiscence of the first movement’s main theme, in a skittish development section. The recapitulation begins after a moment of near stillness, but, after the soaring theme has returned in glory, the Concerto ends in an exhilarating dash to the finish.

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

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–93

The years 1876 and 1877 were traumatic ones for Tchaikovsky. He was suffering increasingly from feelings of guilt over his homosexuality, and considerable mental torment from the fear of its discovery. As a result he underwent a personal crisis that eventually drove him not just to an ill-advised marriage to a young student (a disastrous affair which lasted only a few weeks in the summer of 1877), but also to nearmadness and a pitiable suicide attempt. Two orchestral works of this time clearly reflect Tchaikovsky’s disturbed state of mind. The first was the tone-poem Francesca da Rimini, composed in the autumn of 1876 and depicting the eternal damnation of Francesca and her lover Paolo, condemned in Dante’s Inferno to the second circle of Hell for their helpless but illicit passion. The second was the Fourth Symphony, composed the following year, which confronted another spectre that had been haunting 10 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 1 2 3 4

Andante sostenuto – Moderato con anima Andantino in modo di canzona Scherzo (Pizzicato ostinato): Allegro Finale: Allegro con fuoco

Tchaikovsky: the destructive nature of Fate. The seeds may well have been sown by a performance of Carmen that the composer saw in Paris in early 1875, but they were undoubtedly brought to fruition by the harrowing events of the following two years. From these Tchaikovsky emerged with a stronger-thanever conviction of the power of ‘the fateful force that prevents the impulse to happiness from achieving its goal ... which hangs over your head like the sword of Damocles’. Tchaikovsky wrote these words in a letter to his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck, to describe the stark motto theme that opens the Symphony. The letter goes on to outline for von Meck the feelings underlying the rest of the work, a useful guide to its comprehension even now, though only after it has been borne in mind that it was written after the music had been completed. Thus we learn that the oppressive waltz-tune that

opens the fast section of the first movement signifies resignation in the face of Fate’s supremacy, and the lilting second theme (announced on clarinet) the desire to ‘turn away from reality and submerge oneself in daydreams’. But though the music strives for happiness, it is Fate that gains the upper hand, with the motto theme returning to dominate the later stages of the movement. For Tchaikovsky the slow movement – with its haunting oboe melody – evoked ‘the melancholy feeling which comes in the evening when, weary from your labour, you are sitting alone. You take a book, but it falls from your hand. A whole host of memories comes ... It’s both sad, yet somehow sweet to immerse yourself in the past.’ The ensuing Scherzo depicts less clearly defined emotions: Tchaikovsky refers vaguely to ‘capricious arabesques’, ‘drunken peasants’ and ‘a military procession’, but in truth a programme is irrelevant in this orchestral tour-de-force in which three themes –

Recommended recordings of tonight’s works

for pizzicato strings, woodwind and brass respectively – are first alternated, then wittily combined. The Finale opens in a brilliant whirl of sounds which the sober Russian folk-tune ‘In the fields there stood a birch’ can only temporarily assuage. ‘If you find no reason for joy within yourself’, wrote Tchaikovsky, ‘go among the people. Observe how they can enjoy themselves, surrendering themselves wholeheartedly to joyful feelings.’ In the midst of the celebrations, however, the Fate theme from the first movement breaks in with an effect so devastating that the movement is brought to a standstill. But this time it cannot win. ‘You have only yourself to blame; do not say that everything in the world is sad. There are simple but strong joys’. The Symphony concludes in a blaze of glory, and the composer, for the time being at least, turns his back on Fate. Programme notes © Lindsay Kemp

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 on the LPO Label Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 Symphony No. 5

Many of our recommended recordings, where available, are on sale this evening at the Foyles stand in the Royal Festival Hall foyer. Khachaturian: Spartacus Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Neeme Järvi (Chandos) Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 Marc-André Hamelin piano | London Philharmonic Orchestra| Vladimir Jurowski (Hyperion) Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 London Philharmonic Orchestra | Vladimir Jurowski (LPO Label LPO-0064; see right)

Vladimir Jurowski conductor London Philharmonic Orchestra LPO-0064 | £10.99 (2CDs)

New

Tchaikovsky The Complete Symphonies (7CD box set) Vladimir Jurowski conductor London Philharmonic Orchestra LPO-0101 | £34.99 (7CDs)

Available from lpo.org.uk/recordings, the LPO Ticket Office (020 7840 4242) and all good CD outlets Download or stream online via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and others

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

friday 19 january 2018 7.30pm

saturday 27 january 2018 6.00pm please note start time

saturday 3 february 2018 7.30pm

Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (Organ) Fauré Pavane Jongen Symphonie Concertante

A Golden Gala Evening: Wagner Das Rheingold

Rimsky-Korsakov Fairy Tale Glazunov Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky (arr. Glazunov) Meditation from Souvenir d’un lieu cher Stravinsky Faun and Shepherdess Stravinsky Symphony No. 1

Dirk Brossé conductor James O’Donnell organ

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Soloists including Sofia Fomina, Michelle DeYoung, Anna Larsson, Matthias Goerne & Matthew Rose For more details visit lpo.org.uk/vj10 Generously supported by members of the Orchestra’s Ring Cycle Syndicate and patrons of our Golden Gala Evening.

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Kristóf Baráti violin Angharad Lyddon mezzo-soprano

Book now at lpo.org.uk or call 020 7840 4242 Season discounts of up to 30% available

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COMING SOON

CHANGING FACES: STRAVINSKYâ€™S JOURNEY LPO.ORG.UK/STRAVINSKY

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

Wagner Das Rheingold Vladimir Jurowski conductor Sofia Fomina Woglinde Rowan Hellier Wellgunde Lucie Špičková Flosshilde Lyubov Petrova Freia Michelle DeYoung Fricka Anna Larsson Erda Allan Clayton Froh Maxim Paster Loge Matthias Goerne Wotan Stephen Gadd Donner Matthew Rose Fasolt Brindley Sherratt Fafner Adrian Thompson Mime Robert Hayward Alberich

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

lpo.org.uk/vj10 Generously supported by members of the Orchestra’s Ring Cycle Syndicate and patrons of our Golden Gala Evening.

14 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

2017/18 annual appeal

Sharing the Wonder 30 years of music for all

For 30 years we have taken ourselves off the concert platform and out into the world around us, driven by the desire to share the power and wonder of orchestral music with everyone. We strive to create stories and experiences that others will call their own. From planting the seed in those who have never heard orchestral music to reawakening others to joys they may have forgotten. We work to awaken passions, develop talent and nurture ability. Help us celebrate this 30th year of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Education and Community Programme by giving to our Appeal. Your gift will support us as we invest in the creation of future experiences. Together we can unlock discoveries not only in musical abilities, but also in confidence, creativity and self-belief; helping create stories of change and journeys of progression.

£30

will contribute to our work, wherever we need it most

£50

will hire a venue for a 30-minute mentor session for an LPO Junior Artist

£85

will hire a set of 30 chime bars for Creative Classrooms

£120

will pay for a class of 30 children to attend a subsidised BrightSparks concert

£300

will pay for 30 teacher resource packs, used prior to attending a BrightSparks concert

£500

will pay for 30 teachers to attend a musical INSET training day

Read some of the stories so far, find out more and donate to help share the wonder

lpo.org.uk/appeal

Restoring Rachmaninoff â€™s Life and Art

Revolution and War have scattered the artifacts documenting Sergei Rachmaninoff â€™s Life and Art all over the world. In order to enable thorough, pioneering research, the Rachmaninoff Network has launched an ambitious, worldwide initiative to bring together, link and digitally restore all traces of his life - such as letters, photos, films and manuscripts - in a single database documenting the man, the artist and his life work. Learn how you can support this groundbreaking initiative! Visit http://www.rachmaninoff.org/news facebook.com/rachmaninoffnetwork email: support@rachmaninoff.org

In partnership with the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation The Rachmaninoff Network is an official charity registered under Dutch law nr. 852690460

Sound Futures donors

We are grateful to the following donors for their generous contributions to our Sound Futures campaign. Thanks to their support, we successfully raised £1 million by 30 April 2015 which has now been matched pound for pound by Arts Council England through a Catalyst Endowment grant. This has enabled us to create a £2 million endowment fund supporting special artistic projects, creative programming and education work with key venue partners including our Southbank Centre home. Supporters listed below donated £500 or over. For a full list of those who have given to this campaign please visit lpo.org.uk/soundfutures. Masur Circle Arts Council England Dunard Fund Victoria Robey OBE Emmanuel & Barrie Roman The Underwood Trust

The Rothschild Foundation Tom & Phillis Sharpe The Viney Family

Haitink Patrons Mark & Elizabeth Adams Dr Christopher Aldren Mrs Pauline Baumgartner Welser-Möst Circle Lady Jane Berrill William & Alex de Winton Mr Frederick Brittenden John Ireland Charitable Trust David & Yi Yao Buckley The Tsukanov Family Foundation Mr Clive Butler Neil Westreich Gill & Garf Collins Tennstedt Circle Mr John H Cook Valentina & Dmitry Aksenov Mr Alistair Corbett Richard Buxton Bruno De Kegel The Candide Trust Georgy Djaparidze Michael & Elena Kroupeev David Ellen Kirby Laing Foundation Christopher Fraser OBE & Lisa Fraser Mr & Mrs Makharinsky David & Victoria Graham Fuller Alexey & Anastasia Reznikovich Goldman Sachs International Sir Simon Robey Mr Gavin Graham Bianca & Stuart Roden Moya Greene Simon & Vero Turner Mrs Dorothy Hambleton The late Mr K Twyman Tony & Susie Hayes Malcolm Herring Solti Patrons Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Ageas Mrs Philip Kan John & Manon Antoniazzi Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Gabor Beyer, through BTO Rose & Dudley Leigh Management Consulting AG Lady Roslyn Marion Lyons Jon Claydon Miss Jeanette Martin Mrs Mina Goodman & Miss Duncan Matthews QC Suzanne Goodman Diana & Allan Morgenthau Roddy & April Gow Charitable Trust The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Dr Karen Morton Charitable Trust Mr Roger Phillimore Mr James R.D. Korner Ruth Rattenbury Christoph Ladanyi & Dr Sophia The Reed Foundation Ladanyi-Czernin The Rind Foundation Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski The Maurice Marks Charitable Trust Sir Bernard Rix David Ross & Line Forestier (Canada) Mr Paris Natar

Carolina & Martin Schwab Dr Brian Smith Lady Valerie Solti Mr & Mrs G Stein Dr Peter Stephenson Miss Anne Stoddart TFS Loans Limited Marina Vaizey Jenny Watson Guy & Utti Whittaker Pritchard Donors Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Mrs Arlene Beare Mr Patrick & Mrs Joan Benner Mr Conrad Blakey Dr Anthony Buckland Paul Collins Alastair Crawford Mr Derek B. Gray Mr Roger Greenwood The HA.SH Foundation Darren & Jennifer Holmes Honeymead Arts Trust Mr Geoffrey Kirkham Drs Frank & Gek Lim Peter Mace Mr & Mrs David Malpas Dr David McGibney Michael & Patricia McLaren-Turner Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Mr Christopher Queree The Rosalyn & Nicholas Springer Charitable Trust Timothy Walker AM Christopher Williams Peter Wilson Smith Mr Anthony Yolland and all other donors who wish to remain anonymous

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 17

Thank you

We are extremely grateful to all donors who have given generously to the LPO over the past year. Your generosity helps maintain the breadth and depth of the LPO’s activities, as well as supporting the Orchestra both on and off the concert platform.

Artistic Director’s Circle An anonymous donor Victoria Robey OBE Orchestra Circle The Tsukanov Family Principal Associates An anonymous donor The Candide Trust Alexander & Elena Djaparidze Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Sergey Sarkisov & Rusiko Makhashvili Julian & Gill Simmonds Neil Westreich Dr James Huang Zheng (of Kingdom Music Education Group) Associates Steven M. Berzin Kay Bryan William & Alex de Winton Virginia Gabbertas Oleg & Natalya Pukhov George Ramishvili Sir Simon Robey Stuart & Bianca Roden Gold Patrons Evzen & Lucia Balko David & Yi Buckley Garf & Gill Collins Andrew Davenport Sonja Drexler Mrs Gillian Fane Marie-Laure Favre Gilly de Varennes de Bueil Hamish & Sophie Forsyth Sally Groves & Dennis Marks The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust John & Angela Kessler Vadim & Natalia Levin Countess Dominique Loredan Geoff & Meg Mann

Tom & Phillis Sharpe The Viney Family Laurence Watt Guy & Utti Whittaker Silver Patrons Michael Allen Mrs Irina Gofman David Goldberg Mr Gavin Graham Pehr G Gyllenhammar Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Matt Isaacs & Penny Jerram Rose & Dudley Leigh Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva The Metherell Family Mikhail Noskov & Vasilina Bindley Jacopo Pessina Brian & Elizabeth Taylor Bronze Patrons Anonymous donors Dr Christopher Aldren Mrs Margot Astrachan Mrs A Beare Richard & Jo Brass Peter & Adrienne Breen Mr Jeremy Bull Mr Alan C Butler Richard Buxton John Childress & Christiane Wuillaimie Mr Geoffrey A Collens Mr John H Cook Bruno De Kegel Georgy Djaparidze David Ellen Ulrike & Benno Engelmann Ignor & Lyuba Galkin Mr Daniel Goldstein Mr Roger Greenwood Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Martin & Katherine Hattrell Wim & Jackie Hautekiet-Clare Michael & Christine Henry J Douglas Home Mr Glenn Hurstfield

18 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Elena Lileeva & Adrian Pabst Drs Frank & Gek Lim Peter MacDonald Eggers Isabelle & Adrian Mee Maxim & Natalia Moskalev Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Peter & Lucy Noble Noel Otley JP & Mrs Rachel Davies Roderick & Maria Peacock Mr Roger Phillimore Mr Michael Posen Sir Bernard Rix Mr Robert Ross Anonymous Dr Eva Lotta & Mr Thierry Sciard Barry & Gillian Smith Anna Smorodskaya Lady Valerie Solti Mr & Mrs G Stein Mrs Anne Storm Sergei & Elena Sudakov Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Marina Vaizey Grenville & Krysia Williams Mr Anthony Yolland Principal Supporters An anonymous donor Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Roger & Clare Barron Mr Geoffrey Bateman Gabor Beyer, through BTO Management Consulting AG David & Patricia Buck Dr Anthony Buckland Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen Mr Alistair Corbett Mr Peter Cullum CBE Mr Timonthy Fancourt QC Mr Richard Fernyhough Mr Derek B. Gray Malcolm Herring Ivan Hurry Per Jonsson

Mr Raphaël Kanzas Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Mr Colm Kelleher Peter Kerkar Mr Gerald Levin Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr John Long Mr Peter Mace Brendan & Karen McManus Kristina McPhee Andrew T Mills Randall & Maria Moore Dr Karen Morton Olga Pavlova Dr Wiebke Pekrull Mr James Pickford Andrew & Sarah Poppleton Tatiana Pyatigorskaya Mr Christopher Queree Martin & Cheryl Southgate Matthew Stephenson & Roman Aristarkhov Mr Christopher Stewart Andrew & Rosemary Tusa Anastasia Vvedenskaya Howard & Sheelagh Watson Des & Maggie Whitelock Holly Wilkes Christopher Williams Mr C D Yates Bill Yoe Supporters Anonymous donors Mrs Alan Carrington Miss Siobhan Cervin Gus Christie Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington Mr Joshua Coger Timothy Colyer Miss Tessa Cowie Lady Jane Cuckney DBE Mr David Devons Cameron & Kathryn Doley Stephen & Barbara Dorgan Mr Nigel Dyer

Sabina Fatkullina Mrs Janet Flynn Christopher Fraser OBE The Jackman Family Mrs Irina Tsarenkov Mr David MacFarlane Mr John Meloy Mr Stephen Olton Robin Partington Mr David Peters Mr Ivan Powell Mr & Mrs Graham & Jean Pugh Mr David Russell Mr Kenneth Shaw Ms Natalie Spraggon Michael & Katie Urmston Damien & Tina Vanderwilt Timothy Walker AM Mr John Weekes Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd Hon. Life Members Alfonso Aijón Kenneth Goode Carol Colburn Grigor CBE Pehr G Gyllenhammar Robert Hill Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE Laurence Watt LPO International Board of Governors Natasha Tsukanova Chair Steven M. Berzin (USA) Kay Bryan (Australia) Gabor Beyer (Hungary) Marie-Laure Favre Gilly de Varennes de Bueil (France) Joyce Kan (Hong Kong) Olivia Ma (Taiwan) Olga Makharinsky (Russia) George Ramishvili (Georgia) Victoria Robey OBE (USA) Dr James Huang Zheng (of Kingdom Music Education Group) (China)

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: William A. Kerr Chairman Xenia Hanusiak Alexandra Jupin Kristina McPhee David Oxenstierna Natalie Pray Stephanie Yoshida Anthony Phillipson Hon. Chairman Noel Kilkenny Hon. Director Victoria Robey OBE Hon. Director Richard Gee, Esq Of Counsel Jenifer L. Keiser, CPA, EisnerAmper LLP Corporate Donors Arcadis Christian Dior Couture Faraday Fenchurch Advisory Partners Giberg Goldman Sachs Pictet Bank White & Case LLP Corporate Members Gold freuds Sunshine Silver After Digital Berenberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce

Bronze Accenture Ageas Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Willis Towers Watson Preferred Partners Fevertree Heineken Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd London Orthopaedic Clinic Sipsmith Steinway Villa Maria In-kind Sponsor Google Inc Trusts and Foundations The Boltini Trust Borletti-Buitoni Trust Boshier-Hinton Foundation The Candide Trust The Ernest Cook Trust Diaphonique, Franco-British Fund for contemporary music The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The Foyle Foundation Lucille Graham Trust Help Musicians UK John Horniman’s Children’s Trust The Idlewild Trust Embassy of the State of Israel to the United Kingdom Kirby Laing Foundation The Leverhulme Trust Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation London Stock Exchange Group Foundation Lord & Lady Lurgan Trust Marsh Christian Trust The Mercers’ Company

Adam Mickiewicz Institute Newcomen Collett Foundation The Stanley Picker Trust The Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust PRS For Music Foundation Rivers Foundation Romanian Cultural Institute The R K Charitable Trust The Sampimon Trust Schroder Charity Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation The David Solomons Charitable Trust Souter Charitable Trust The Steel Charitable Trust Spears-Stutz Charitable Trust The John Thaw Foundation The Thistle Trust UK Friends of the FelixMendelssohn-BartholdyFoundation Garfield Weston Foundation The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust The William Alwyn Foundation and all others who wish to remain anonymous.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 19

Administration

Board of Directors Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Stewart McIlwham* President Gareth Newman* Vice-President Henry Baldwin* Roger Barron Richard Brass David Buckley Bruno De Kegel Al MacCuish Susanne Martens* George Peniston* Natasha Tsukanova Mark Vines* Timothy Walker AM Neil Westreich David Whitehouse* * Player-Director Advisory Council Martin Höhmann Chairman Rob Adediran Christopher Aldren Dr Manon Antoniazzi Richard Brass Desmond Cecil CMG Sir Alan Collins KCVO CMG Andrew Davenport William de Winton Cameron Doley Edward Dolman Christopher Fraser OBE Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Amanda Hill Dr Catherine C. Høgel Rehmet Kassim-Lakha Jamie Korner Geoff Mann Clive Marks OBE FCA Stewart McIlwham Nadya Powell Sir Bernard Rix Victoria Robey OBE Baroness Shackleton Thomas Sharpe QC Julian Simmonds Barry Smith Martin Southgate Andrew Swarbrick Sir John Tooley Chris Viney Timothy Walker AM Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter

General Administration Timothy Walker AM Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Education and Community Isabella Kernot Education and Community Director

Public Relations Albion Media (Tel: 020 3077 4930)

David Burke General Manager and Finance Director

Talia Lash Education and Community Project Manager