Exeter Concert Season Brochure 2018/19

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concert season 2018 / 19 Great Hall, Exeter University

Kirill Karabits Chief Conductor

Welcome to the 2018 / 19 Concert Season at Great One hundred and twenty-five years since a local paper wrote “It seems as if the new band will catch on” we launch the new season in good heart with the BSO performing at the highest level under the outstanding leadership of Chief Conductor Kirill Karabits.

The pinnacle of symphonic writing is explored this season from the first exponents of the form by Sibelius and Shostakovich – both highly accomplished debuts using their own distinctive voices. We also bring masterpieces by Brahms and Tchaikovsky, Beethoven’s divine Seventh and Nielsen’s irrepressible

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra t Hall, University of Exeter Symphony No.4, the Inextinguishable. Musical highlights also include Strauss’ beautifully elegiac Four Last Songs, Mozart’s glorious Gran Partita and epic concertos by Beethoven, Grieg and Rachmaninov.

Our commitment to developing artistic relationships continues, and we are delighted to welcome back a number of guest artists including conductors Karl-Heinz Steffens, Antonio Méndez and James Feddeck, and soloists Augustin Hadelich, Ronald Brautigam and Saleem Ashkar. The season also sees debuts by Clemens Schuldt, Jamie Phillips and Allison Oakes.

With the recruitment of the world’s first professional disabled-led ensemble, BSO Resound, and the winning of Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friendly Organisation of the Year award, the BSO is demonstrating that, 125 years on, it is leading the way on crucial cultural agendas. As one of the UK’s leading arts charities, our work to empower the lives of communities across our diverse region would not be possible without your help. I would like to thank everyone who supports this remarkable company to build a strong future. I look forward to welcoming you to another season of great music making.

Dougie Scarfe, Chief Executive

thursday

Divine Sublime “Just a simple pulse, like a rusty squeezebox... and then high above it, an oboe, a single note hanging there unwavering until a clarinet took it over sweetening it into a phrase of such delight. This was a music I’d never heard... I was hearing the voice of God.” The adagio from Mozart’s sublimely beautiful Serenade could be an instrumental version of one of his opera ensembles, with oboe, clarinet and basset horn singing their heartfelt melismas over a serene accompaniment. The whole work is a truly immaculate piece which represents the summit of wind music. Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony’s appeal is not hard to understand.

The ambition of the first movement, beauty of the second, the breathlessness of the scherzo, and relentless energy of the finale never fail to impress audiences. Its dance elements, vitality, and almost frenzied sense of celebration are conveyed principally through rhythm – the “apotheosis of the dance itself” as described by Wagner.

11

october 7.30 pm

mozart Serenade No.10 ‘Gran Partita’ beethoven Symphony No.7 Kirill Karabits conductor

thursday

25

Songs from the Heart

wagner Siegfried Idyll r strauss Four Last Songs brahms Symphony No.4

For a composer who made his reputation on music of extraordinary complexity and busyness, the Four Last Songs clearly represent a mellowing, simplification and directness by Strauss – music of autumnal warmth that echoes the poems; words and music alike draw the listener in. The orchestra is luminous throughout, and the soprano soars and vocalises in the ecstasy of unconstrained lyricism. Three of the texts deal with evening, nightfall, or autumn—all images connected with Strauss’ constant thoughts of mortality. The Fourth Symphony is at once a summation of Brahms’ learning and technique, and a work of art that for all its complexities cuts as close to the heart as music can. Of all his works, it displays Brahms’ essence most completely – a cosmos of textures, tempos and moods, culminating in music of unsurpassed grandeur. On a much smaller scale, composed as a “symphonic birthday gift” to his wife Cosima and their new-born son Siegfried, the Siegfried Idyll shows a rarely seen, intimate side of Wagner – a gentle song of contentment and gratitude.

october 7.30 pm

Karl-Heinz Steffens conductor Allison Oakes soprano

“the bournemouth symphony orchestra is its shining sophisticated self” BBC Music Magazine January 2018

thursday

The Power of Life

Saleem Ashkar

Grieg is beloved for his lyricism which derives from Norwegian folk tunes and the Romantic tradition to which he belongs, and the striking, opening gesture of his Piano Concerto is perhaps one of the most recognisable in all of classical music. Based on descending seconds and thirds, it is but one sign of how Norwegian folk music was making its impact upon his emerging style and dazzling originality.

Written at the height of the First World War, instead of writing music about the devastating power of war, Nielsen took the opposite approach with his Fourth Symphony. It is a tectonic musical struggle between the forces of destruction and the inextinguishable will to live and culminates in one of the most uplifting and thrilling of all symphonic climaxes. Má Vlast is considered a paragon of Czech nationalism – celebrating Czech culture and history, the countryside, and, especially, its people. Though often performed as a series of independent pieces, it is unified by a general topic as well as by specific musical themes.

Vyšehrad depicts a castle overlooking Prague.

1

november 7.30 pm

smetana Vyšehrad grieg Piano Concerto nielsen Symphony No.4 ‘Inextinguishable’ James Feddeck conductor Saleem Ashkar piano

wednesday

21

Smooth Classics II

BSO Young Conductor in Association

Enjoy another evening of the world’s most relaxing symphonic music including four of the most beautiful slow movements from piano concertos by Rachmaninov, Mozart, Beethoven and Shostakovich.

november 7.30 pm

Anna Fedorova piano

dvok Serenade – larghetto shostakovich Piano Concerto No.2 – andante satie Gymnopédie No.1 rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 – adagio bizet Intermezzo from Carmen mozart Piano Concerto No.21 – andante elgar Nimrod sibelius Valse Triste mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik – romanze beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 – adagio tchaikovsky Symphony No.5 – andante cantabile

“the colours change from bright van goghs to dusky monochrome, as vivid as bizet’s orchestration, sparklingly dispatched by the bournemouth symphony orchestra” The Times June 2017

thursday

Russian Winter With his Second Piano Concerto, Rachmaninov not only overcame his writer’s block, but he found a new voice as a composer – one with a perfect knack for unforgettable tunes, dazzling pianistic effects, an effortless flow of ideas, and a suave sense of style.

Despite his worries, the premiere was a major triumph and it quickly became his greatest hit and one of the most popular concertos of the 20th century.

Rising out of mysterious depths, Rachmaninov quickly lets loose the first of many striking themes that litter the work. At just 28, in love and about to be married, no wonder he exhibits a youthful confidence in a mature work imbued with a sincere, heartfelt passion that continues to captivate audiences.

6

december 7.30 pm

The fresh, sweet and delicate lightness-of-touch of Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony betrays none of the nagging self-doubt that attended its creation. He gave some descriptive titles to the first movements: Reveries of a Winter Journey and Land of Desolation, Land of Mists. Also emerging from the mists, the Prelude to Khovanshchina was described by Mussorgsky as “depicting dawn over the Moscow River, matins at cock crow, the patrol, and the taking down of the chains”. Short but very effective, it begins delicately, a beautiful tune emerging which soon grows and becomes more animated as Moscow is revealed – church domes lit by the rising sun.

mussorgsky Khovanshchina Prelude rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 tchaikovsky Symphony No.1 ‘Winter Daydreams’ Antonio Méndez conductor Alexei Volodin piano

“the passion shone through in the bso’s performance as the musicians thrillingly conveyed the complex moods of this weighty symphony” The Times February 2018

Christmas & New Year with the BSO wednesday 19 december 7.30 pm

wednesday 2 january 7.30pm

Last Night of the Christmas Proms

New Year Johann Strauss Gala

Pete Harrison conductor

Thomas Rรถsner conductor Fflyr Wyn soprano

friday

18

Unmistakable Voices

beethoven Violin Concerto shostakovich Symphony No.1

Shostakovich was just 19 when he wrote his precocious First Symphony as a graduation exercise in composition at the Leningrad Conservatory.

Youthful symphonies seldom reveal their composer’s true voice, but this symphonic debut immediately speaks in his own distinctive idiom, juxtaposing the ironic with the romantic, the intimate with the bombastic, and the chromatic with the diatonic.

This is the signature sound that is heard throughout his storied career melded from an exceptionally broad exposure of contemporary music whilst studying. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto possesses all the grandeur of those he wrote for the piano.

It exceeds the scale of any violin concerto that preceded it, and also begins with the longest orchestral introduction of any – before or after.

These are familiar hallmarks of Beethoven the form-breaker and innovator – but it is admired more for its sheer beauty than for its innovations and is now firmly established as one of the most beloved violin concertos in the repertoire despite its inauspicious beginnings.

january 7.30 pm

Kirill Karabits conductor Augustin Hadelich violin

Supported by

University of Exeter

Augustin Hadelich

thursday

Pastoral Brahms “the bso was on blazing form, holding nothing back and playing with total conviction” Bachtrack January 2018

The Second Symphony might be described as Brahms’ “Pastoral”, a total contrast to the dramatic and very serious First. Its song-like melodies are imbued with a gentle and lyrical quality – in their simple beauty the themes give the impression of having been written down as a result of spontaneous inspiration.

In Brahms’ own words, “a delightfully happy spirit” pervades the whole work, and with its sunny themes Viennese audiences immediately took to it. In his Violin Concerto Dvořák was influenced by several facets of the Czech personality – and the boisterous finale with its dance-like passages is reminiscent of his popular Slavonic Dances. Although it is said that Schumann had no genuine theatrical talent and that he was inept at writing for orchestra, the powerful overture he composed for Manfred proves otherwise. Masterfully and economically scored and with an unerringly dramatic pace, it immediately casts a spell with its unsettled opening that grows in passion and urgency, setting the scene for the action that will follow.

31

january 7.30 pm

schumann Manfred Overture dvok Violin Concerto brahms Symphony No.2 Clemens Schuldt conductor Baiba Skride violin

thursday

21

Fateful Fourth

mozart Symphony No. 26 mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 tchaikovsky Symphony No.4

Among Tchaikovsky’s most popular works, the Fourth Symphony is a meticulously structured meditation on Fate written at a time of great emotional turmoil.

As he admitted, it is autobiographical; turbulent but finally triumphant. The principal idea of the work is the implacability of Fate, a force that “poisons the soul” by impeding the individual’s quest for peace and fulfilment. In a glorious burst of activity, Mozart composed twelve superlative piano concertos from February 1784 to December 1786. They were deeper in feeling, broader in scope and richer in colour than any he had written before.

No.21 is built on a fully symphonic scale, with an orchestral backing that matches the solo part for interest and variety. Mozart balances forcefulness, elegance and wit with perfect ease. The dreamlike andante is based on the simplest of materials; its effect, nevertheless, is magical whilst the concluding rondo echoes with the laughter of comic opera.

The much earlier Symphony No.26 is scattered with dramatic touches reminiscent of the ‘Sturm und Drang’ symphonies of Haydn.

february 7.30 pm

Kees Bakels conductor Ronald Brautigam piano

“no other regional british orchestras – few london ones, for that matter – offer more interesting programming than the bso” The Daily Telegraph November 2017

thursday

14

Williams v Zimmer

Pete Harrison conductor

Two titans of the film music world compete head to head! In a concert featuring some of the best scores of John Williams and Hans Zimmer, the cream of recent movie music is brought together in one place.

Award-winning soundtracks of some of the most iconic films of all time include Star Wars, Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, Interstellar, ET, Batman Begins, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, Superman and many, many more.

march 7.30 pm

Echoes of Home With Sibelius already a star in his native Finland, his First Symphony was eagerly awaited. It did not disappoint. Never before had a work of such stature emerged from Northern Europe, unveiling the previously unheard character of Nordic music.

Although not nationalistic, it is clearly a work by a skilled composer who already had a musical voice of his own, and much of the musical personality that makes his later symphonies so distinctive is already visible. Sounding ‘old’ and ‘new’ at the same time, with tempestuous mood-swings, it is both dramatic and austere throughout. Despite its popularity, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto remains refreshingly original with its exciting and exceptional opening, and richly forged musical dramas of powerful virtuosity and uncommon sensitivity. Vltava is the most frequently performed of the six pictorial tableaux of Smetana’s Má Vlast.

It depicts the flow of the eponymous river from its source in the Šumava Mountains to Prague and beyond, on the way passing a hunting party and a village wedding.

thursday

11

april 7.30 pm

smetana Vltava tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 sibelius Symphony No.1 Jamie Phillips conductor Denis Kozhukhin piano

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra would like to thank the following supporters principal funder

principal patrons

John & Ruth Lang In memory of Mike Lumb Terence & Annette O’Rourke David & Jill Peters Dave & Jan Pointer Sue & Chris Thomas

public funders trusts & foundations

principal media broadcast media partner partner partner

partner

patrons

principal academic partner

academic partner

conservatoire partner

Bristol Music Trust Talbot Village Trust The Leverhulme Trust The Valentine Charitable Trust The Michael & Ilse Katz Foundation The Flaghead Charitable Trust The Sherling Charitable Trust The PRS Foundation The Pitt-Rivers Charitable Trust The Alice Ellen Cooper-Dean Charitable Foundation The Cressy Foundation The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Gess Charitable Trust Hinrichsen Foundation ESG Robinson Charitable Trust Miss Jeanne Bisgood’s Charitable Trust The VEC Acorn Trust Bedhampton Charitable Trust

thank you gold corporate members

in-kind partners

We would like to thank our Patrons and Performance Champions, those who have chosen to remember the BSO in their Will, and everyone who supports us through donations, membership or by volunteering their time

tickets 01392 726363 bsolive.com box offices Exeter Northcott Theatre Stocker Road Exeter, EX4 4QB Exeter Visitor Information & Tickets, Dix’s Field Exeter, EX1 1GF

FREE ‘Meet the Music’

pre-concert talks for all concert ticket holders take place before most concerts (not 21 Nov, 19 Dec, 2 Jan and 14 Mar) at 6.40pm in the Forum Alumni Auditorium.

series concerts Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday 5 September.

£40 £34 £26 £22 £16 Why not book a package of concerts and save money?

Generous discounts are available if you buy 4 concerts or more and if you book for 11–12 concerts you will receive a massive 40% off!

additional concerts Multibuy Discounts 40% 11–12 concerts 30% 9 – 10 concerts 20% 5 – 8 concerts 10% 4 concerts Prices include booking fees but additional postage charges are payable for tickets sent out.

Tickets on sale now 21 Nov 19 Dec 2 Jan 14 Mar

Smooth Classics II Christmas Proms Johann Strauss Gala Williams v Zimmer

£40 £34 £26 £22 £16

concessions The BSO offers the following concessions to most concerts. Please note that only one concession applies per ticket and that concessions are not available retrospectively. Proof of status is required at the time of collection. All concessions and discounts are subject to availability.

BSO Kids for a Quid Under 18s: £1 per ticket (some exclusions apply)

Student Standby £5 per ticket (available one hour before concert) 50% discount for Full-time students, Patrons on Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance, Wheelchair users and personal assistants.

Group booking discounts 10 or more tickets 10% 20 or more tickets 20% 30 or more tickets 30% Group discounts are applicable for tickets purchased for the same concert.

Tickets must be paid in full one month in advance of the concert date, otherwise they will be released for resale.

The BSO is a unique orchestra with a unique remit. It is a cultural beacon for the South and South West. From our home in Poole, we create and perform concerts that empower the music scene across more than 10,000 square miles of our region whilst maintaining a vibrant and important national and international stature.