RLPO Preston Series Brochure 2010 - 2011

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Preston Series September 2010 / May 2011 Vasily Petrenko Chief Conductor

Preston Guild Hall Box Office 0845 344 2026 liverpoolphil.com

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Critical Acclaim

New World Symphony Thursday 16 September 2010 7.30pm

Suk Scherzo Fantastique Catherine Jones reviews Mahler Symphony No.1 ‘Much has been said and written about the RLPO’s young conductor, but what has happened at Hope Street over the past four years is as the result of a real partnership between Phil and Petrenko. And what a partnership it is now proving. Roll on the Resurrection’.

Editor’s choice December 2009 Shostakovich Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 ‘The Russian Revolution continues in Liverpool. There’s a cliché for you but there’s nothing remotely hackneyed about Vasily Petrenko’s Shostakovich 9. Here again is that string-led Soviet Sound that he found in his recent Tchaikovsky (Manfred Symphony) disc and drama found through lyricism’.

Tim Ashley gives ***** in his review of Shostakovich Symphony No.8 ‘In taking up his post as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's Principal Conductor in 2006, Vasily Petrenko announced his intention of turning the orchestra into an ensemble of international stature. If this great concert was anything to go by, he has, by and large, succeeded. Petrenko's ability to sustain such an unremitting emotional pitch without straying into incoherence was remarkable, though he could not have done so without an orchestra whose playing is now formidable in its intensity.’

Korngold Violin Concerto Dvor˘ák Symphony No.9 ‘From the New World’ Libor Pes˘ek KBE conductor Pavel Šporcl violin

Tickets £18, £25

Libor Pes˘ek KBE conductor Cover Vasily Petrenko photographed by Mark McNulty

Everyone loves Dvor˘ák’s ‘New World’ symphony. With its epic drama, aching nostalgia and unforgettable tunes (just don’t mention the Hovis advert), it’s been a hit everywhere it’s been played for over a century. And nowhere more so than in Liverpool, where the RLPO’s much-loved Conductor Laureate Libor Pes˘ek brings a uniquely personal Czech flair to this greatest of Czech symphonies. Typically, Libor’s bringing a surprise gift from Prague: a delicious miniature by Dvor˘ák’s son-in-law Josef Suk. And he’s joined by violinist Pavel Šporcl (who wowed Phil audiences during his last visit) for the irresistibly glamorous Violin Concerto by Viennese prodigy-turned-Hollywood legend Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

Another treat from the New World – and every bit as tuneful!

Heaven Sent Wednesday 3 November 2010 7.30pm

Mozart Overture: Il Seraglio (the Abduction from the Seraglio) Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No.4 Vasily Petrenko conductor James Ehnes violin Sarah-Jane Brandon soprano

Fairy Tales Tuesday 7 December 2010 7.30pm

Mahler doesn’t have to mean massive – and he never wrote anything more charming, or more tuneful, than his Fourth Symphony. Melodies straight out of Mozart, jangling sleigh bells, and a rapturous finale in which a child imagines a banquet in heaven (sung tonight by the award-winning young soprano Sarah-Jane Brandon) - it almost sounds too charming. But this is still Mahler, after all, and there’s a pitch black sense of humour lurking behind all that tenderness and joy. Expect some grown-up surprises as Vasily Petrenko reaches the latest instalment in the RLPO’s Mahler Edition, and expect pure, glorious song from the superb Canadian violinist James Ehnes (a real Phil favourite in recent seasons) in Mendelssohn’s wonderfully lyrical Violin Concerto.

Ravel Mother Goose Suite Prokofiev Cinderella Suite Tchaikovsky Nutcracker: Act II Vasily Petrenko conductor

Once upon a time ... Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev and Pyotr Tchaikovsky each set out to tell a story. The result was pure magic. As Christmas draws closer, get into the spirit of the season with these three beloved musical fairytales. Ravel’s enchanting Mother Goose and Prokofiev’s tongue-in-cheek take on the story of Cinderella are just the upbeat to a generous festive helping of Tchaikovsky – everyone’s favourite bit of The Nutcracker! The Waltz of the Flowers, the Dance of the Mirlitons, and of course the Sugar Plum Fairy ... you’ll meet them all, as Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO whirl you on a very special pre-Christmas sleigh-ride through the Kingdom of Sweets. Think of it as a musical Selection Box – and go on, spoil yourself!

Tickets £18, £25

Tickets £18, £25

Sarah-Jane Brandon soprano

Vasily Petrenko RLPO Chief Conductor Mark McNulty photographer

Surprise Symphony Tuesday 11 January 2011 7.30pm

Mozart Symphony No.38 ‘Prague’ Mozart Exsultate Jubilate Rossini Overture, La Gazza Ladra Rossini Folleville's aria from Il viaggio a Reims Haydn Symphony No.94 in G major ‘Surprise’ Ottavio Dantone conductor Désirée Rancatore soprano

Memorable Melodies Tuesday 1 February 2011 7.30pm

Mozart, Haydn and Rossini weren’t writing for critics – they wanted their music to drive audiences wild with enthusiasm. The people of Prague danced all night to Mozart’s melodies, so he wrote them a symphony that bursts with energy. Rossini hired the best singers in the business – and made them perform jaw-dropping vocal acrobatics. And Haydn stuck a huge practical joke in the slow movement of his 94th symphony, “just to make the ladies jump”.

Don’t say you weren’t warned!

A seriously fun concert, and 18thcentury music expert Ottavio Dantone is just the maestro to make it fizz.

Even Rossini, meanwhile, would have raised his hat to the flamboyant young Italian soprano Désirée Rancatore.

Stravinsky Circus Polka Finzi Eclogue for piano and strings Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.2 Delius On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring Stravinsky Firebird Suite (1945) Andrew Litton conductor/piano

When a piece makes it into the Classic FM Hall of Fame, you can be sure of one thing – it’s got a good tune. And in this concert, under the entertaining American conductorpianist Andrew Litton, the tunes just keep coming! There’s English music at its most gentle from Finzi and Delius, and Russian music at its most playful in Shostakovich’s big-hearted Second Piano Concerto (to say nothing of the Polka that Stravinsky wrote for a troupe of dancing elephants!).

And then, as a grand finale, there’s Stravinsky’s gorgeous fairy-tale ballet suite. Hear it as one of the great orchestral showpieces of the 20th century, or hear it as the love scene from Shirley Valentine.

Tickets £18, £25

Tickets £18, £25

Désirée Rancatore soprano

Andrew Litton conductor/piano Jonathan Wilkinson photographer

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

A German Requiem Wednesday 9 March 2011 7.30pm

Songs by Brahms and Strauss (Inger Dam-Jensen, soprano, with piano) Brahms A German Requiem Claus Peter Flor conductor Inger Dam-Jensen soprano Gerd Grochowski baritone Preston Cecilian Choral Society

South American Dream Wednesday 11 May 2011 7.30pm

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasiliensis No 9

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Piazzolla Bandoneón Concerto ‘Aconcagua’

Brahms didn’t believe in God, but he did believe in human love, and as he struggled to come to terms with the death of his mother he conceived a different kind of Requiem – music meant to comfort those left behind.

Drawing on biblical texts, the tradition of Bach, and Brahms’ own deeply romantic spirit, the German Requiem is surely the warmest and most tender of all great choral works. The respected German conductor Claus Peter Flor has devoted his life to the German romantic tradition; along with two world-class soloists and the Preston Cecilian Choral Society, there’s no better guide to this radiant and profoundly moving masterpiece.

Villa Lobos Bachianas Brasiliensis No.8 Ginastera Suite from Estancia Roberto Minczuk conductor Per Arne Glorvigen bandoneón

Tickets £18, £25 Inger Dam-Jensen soprano

They say it takes two to tango, but the great Argentinean king of nuevo tango, Astor Piazzolla, could flood a whole orchestra with its dark, sophisticated and powerfully sensuous rhythms. His haunting concerto for bandoneón – the supersize concertina heard in the dance halls of Buenos Aires – is at the passionate heart of this extraordinary concert; a musical tour through South America in the hands of the dynamic Brazilian maestro Roberto Minczuk. VillaLobos’s sumptuous Bachianas Brasiliensis give a flamboyant Latin swing to the spirit of JS Bach; while Ginastera’s earthy ballet suite celebrates the vast beauty and roughcut spirit of the Argentinean grasslands. Music from a new world, bursting with colour and pulsing with emotion – in other words, a concert like nothing else this season.

Tickets £18, £25

Per Arne Glorvigen bandoneón

How to get to Guild Hall

SAVE 25%

By Rail Nearest main line station is Preston.

Approximately 10 minutes walk from the town centre. For further information on train operators and times please phone National Rail Enquiries on 0845 7484950.

When to Book

Ticket Prices

Tuesday 27 April Booking opens for renewing subscribers and Friends of the Phil Monday 24 May Booking opens for all NEW subscribers Monday 7 June Public booking open – all tickets on sale

£18 Blocks A, B, F, G & H £25 Blocks C, D & E

By Bus Preston Bus Station, situated on Tithebarn St. Approximately 5 minutes walk from the Guild Hall.

Booking Information

Book seven concerts

How to Book By post Guild Hall Box Office, Lancaster Rd, Preston, PR1 1HT By telephone 0845 344 2026 By fax 01772 204582 Online (for single tickets from 7 June) www.prestonguildhall.com Booking fees may apply

Book for all seven concerts and SAVE 25% on full prices – you’ll also get priority seating, discounts on parking, and you can pay by direct debit!

Seating Block

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A, B, F, G & H £126 £175 C, D & E

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Discounted Tickets Concessions JSA claimants, students, children and registered disabled get a discount of £2 per ticket.

Information also available at www.liverpoolphil.com D E

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Groups Generous group discounts are available for most concerts depending on the size of your group:

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Groups of 10-29 Groups of 30-49 Groups of 50+

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For more details and to book, call Alison Gainford on 01772 903 202 or email a.gainford@preston.gov.uk G

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