Programme notes 23 October 2010

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Principal Conductor VLADIMIR JUROWSKI* Principal Guest Conductor YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN Leader PIETER SCHOEMAN Composer in Residence JULIAN ANDERSON Patron HRH THE DUKE OF KENT KG Chief Executive and Artistic Director TIMOTHY WALKER

AM†

SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL Saturday 23 October 2010 | 7 pm THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AND OPERA RARA PRESENT A CONCERT PERFORMANCE IN ITALIAN OF

This evening’s performance is dedicated to the memory of Opera Rara’s patron, Dame Joan Sutherland.

Aureliano in Palmira

PROGRAMME £3

Dramma serio in two acts Libretto by FELICE ROMANI Music by GIOACHINO ROSSINI

CONTENTS 2 3

First performed on 26 December 1813 at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan CHARACTERS Aureliano, Emperor of Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, in love with Arsace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arsace, Prince of Persia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Publia, daughter of [the Emperor] Valeriano, secretly in love with Arsace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Licinio, a tribune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The High Priest (Gran Sacerdote) of Isis . . . . . .

Oraspe, general of the Palmyrean forces . . . . .

Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

KENNETH TARVER CATRIONA SMITH SILVIA TRO SANTAFÉ EZGI KUTLU VUYANI MLINDE ANDREW FOSTERWILLIAMS JULIAN ALEXANDER SMITH GEOFFREY MITCHELL CHOIR

LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA MAURIZIO BENINI conductor RENATO BALSADONNA chorus director EDUARDO PORTAL assistant conductor STUART WILD continuo MARIA CLEVA Italian coach

Supported by the John S Cohen Foundation The performance lasts 3 hours including a 20 minute interval after Act 1.

Surtitles for tonight’s performance created and operated by Jonathan Burton from a translation by Jeremy Commons.

The material for tonight’s performance was created for Opera Rara by Ian Schofield.

4 5 6 8 11 13 14 17 18 19 20

List of Players Opera Rara celebrates 40 years History of Orchestra Administration Opera Rara Programme note Synopsis Conductor and cast Opera Rara News Choir / Leader Southbank Centre / Family Concert Supporters Future Concerts

† supported by Macquarie Group

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LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

FIRST VIOLINS Pieter Schoeman* Leader Katalin Varnagy Catherine Craig Thomas Eisner Tina Gruenberg Martin Hรถhmann Chair supported by Richard Karl Goeltz

Robert Pool Florence Schoeman Sarah Streatfeild Yang Zhang Peter Nall Galina Tanney SECOND VIOLINS Joseph Maher Principal Kate Birchall Chair supported by David and Victoria Graham Fuller

Nancy Elan Marie-Anne Mairesse Ashley Stevens Imogen Williamson Sioni Williams Alison Strange Mila Mustakova Elizabeth Baldey VIOLAS Robert Duncan Principal Katharine Leek Susanne Martens Benedetto Pollani Daniel Cornford Sarah Malcolm Martin Fenn Claudio Cavalletti

CELLOS Francis Bucknall Principal Laura Donoghue Santiago Sabino Carvalho + Gregory Walmsley Tom Roff Philip Taylor DOUBLE BASSES Kevin Rundell* Principal Timothy Gibbs Co-Principal George Peniston Richard Lewis FLUTES Susan Thomas* Principal Stewart McIlwham* PICCOLOS Stewart McIlwham* Principal Susan Thomas*

TRUMPETS Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney* Chair supported by Geoff and Meg Mann

TROMBONE Mark Templeton* Principal BASS TROMBONE Lyndon Meredith Principal TIMPANI William Lockhart Guest Principal PERCUSSION Andrew Barclay* Principal Chair supported by Andrew Davenport

Keith Millar

OBOES Ian Hardwick Principal Angela Tennick CLARINETS Robert Hill* Principal Nicholas Carpenter BASSOONS John Price Principal Stuart Russell HORNS Adrian Uren Guest Principal Martin Hobbs

* Holds a professorial appointment in London +

Chevalier of the Brazilian Order of Rio Branco

Chair Supporters The London Philharmonic Orchestra also acknowledges the following chair supporters whose players are not present at this concert: John and Angela Kessler Caroline, Jamie and Zander Sharp Richard and Victoria Sharp Julian and Gill Simmonds Simon Yates and Kevin Roon

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OPERA RARA CELEBRATES 40 YEARS 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of this unique label by bel canto enthusiasts, Patric Schmid and Don White.

Today, the team at Opera Rara dedicates itself to ensuring this important work continues.

Since its foundation, Opera Rara has enriched the lives of generations of opera lovers through the exploration, revival and recording of the forgotten vocal and operatic heritage of the 19th century.

By far the majority of Opera Rara releases are world premieres and the label is also committed to presenting live performances of its recorded repertoire, as is the case this evening. In most instances, the works have been rediscovered by Opera Rara after decades (and, in some cases, over a century) of total neglect. This operatic archaeology requires patient and expert research, ensuring that the best possible editions can be assembled, rehearsed and recorded.

OPERA RARA PATRONS

Sir Mark Elder CBE

Dame Joan Sutherland OM, AC, DEB

Renée Fleming

Juan Diego Flórez

Simon Keenlyside

Opera Rara is a registered charity and makes no profit whatsoever. To find out how you can help the company continue its vital work, please turn to page 14.

Luciano Pavarotti (patron 2003 to 2007) “Opera needs Opera Rara!” © Pavarotti International

Opera Rara would like to thank the following for their support: The John S Cohen Foundation Opera Rara Supporters and Club Members Barry D Adamson Lady Alexander Dr Angus Blair Mr and Mrs D Casstles Geoffrey Collens Mr and Mrs G L Collins William J Conner Michael Conroy Colin Craig Michael De Navarro Mr J.C. Dunstone Robin and Lorna Duval John Gittens Mr A.J. Godfrey CBE Patrick and Marian Griggs

Michael and Margaret Heathcote Peggy Y. Hui Glenn Hurstfield Barry Kernon Virginia Lawlor Barry Lock Dr Ewan Maclean Michele Masella Katie Mavity Stratton Mills Christopher and Dominique Moore Dr Trifon and Thespina Natsis Alison Nicol

John Paine Lord Phillimore Michel Plantevin Margaret Pollock William Rathbone Christopher Roberts Mr and Mrs Peter Rogan Peter Rosenthal Sara Ross Imogen Rumbold Mr and Mrs John Sacher Howard Shewring and Angelo Di Cicco Christopher and Lucie Sims Pat and Martin Spiro

Tim Stevenson Jonathan Taylor Robert Taylor Ann Tooth Penny Treadwell Gerry Wakelin and Ivor Samuels Colin Webster Suzy Webster Rosemary Yablon Anonymous donors The city beverage company Ltd

To find out more about joining the Opera Rara Club contact us at: info@opera-rara.com / Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 2858 Opera Rara would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Peter Moores Foundation for the recording of Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira.

Champagne for pre and interval drinks kindly donated by

OPERA RARA MANAGEMENT TEAM Managing Director Stephen Revell Production Co-ordinator Kim Panter Sales and Finance Manager Susan Bowen Artistic Adviser David Parry Assistant Artistic Adviser Ludmilla Andrew Public Relations and Marketing Consultant Terri Robson Development Consultants Victoria Dickie, Rosemary Pickering Fundraising and Events Consultant Carmen Zgouras Opera Rara Club Co-ordinator Michael Heathcote

OPERA RARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patrick Griggs CBE (Chairman) Ludmilla Andrew, Glenn Hurstfield, Stratton Mills, Alison Nicol, Peter Alward OPERA RARA DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY GROUP Geoffrey Collens, William J Conner, Michael Conroy, Michael Heathcote, Barry Kernon, John Paine, Terri Robson, Peter Rosenthal, Colin Webster Website: www.opera-rara.com

SEE PAGE 10 FOR OPERA RARA’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY PRIZE DRAW! Registered Charity No. 261403

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LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Seventy-eight years after Sir Thomas Beecham founded the London Philharmonic Orchestra, it is recognised today as one of the finest orchestras on the international stage. Following Beecham’s influential founding tenure the Orchestra’s Principal Conductorship has been passed from one illustrious musician to another, amongst them Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt and Kurt Masur. This impressive tradition continued in September 2007 when Vladimir Jurowski became the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor, and in a further exciting move, the Orchestra appointed Yannick Nézet-Séguin, its new Principal Guest Conductor from September 2008. Julian Anderson became the Orchestra’s Composer in Residence in September 2010.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has been performing at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall since it opened in 1951, becoming Resident Orchestra in 1992. It plays there around 40 times each season with many of the world’s most sought after conductors and soloists. Concert highlights in 2010/11 include an exploration of Mahler’s symphonies and complete song cycles during the composer’s anniversary season; the first performances of works by Matteo D’Amico, Magnus Lindberg and Brett Dean; a rare opportunity to hear Rossini’s opera Aureliano in Palmira in collaboration with long term partner Opera Rara; and works by the Orchestra’s new Composer in Residence, Julian Anderson.

The Orchestra also has flourishing residencies in Brighton and Eastbourne, and performs regularly around the UK. It is unique in combining these concert activities with esteemed opera performances each summer at Glyndebourne Festival Opera where it has been the Resident Symphony Orchestra since 1964.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra performs to enthusiastic audiences all round the world. 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 continues to form a significant part of the Orchestra’s schedule and is supported by Aviva, the International Touring Partner of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Tours in 2010/11 include visits to Finland, Germany, South Korea, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra made its first recordings on 10 October 1932, just three days after its first public performance. It has recorded and broadcast regularly ever since, and in 2005 established its own record label. Visit www.lpo.org.uk/shop for the latest releases.

The Orchestra also works with the Hollywood and UK film industries, recording soundtracks for blockbuster motion pictures including the Oscar-winning score for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Orchestra reaches thousands of Londoners through its rich programme of community and school-based activity in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, which includes the offshoot ensembles Renga and The Band, its Foyle Future Firsts apprenticeship scheme for outstanding young instrumentalists, and regular family and schools concerts.

There are many ways to experience and stay in touch with the Orchestra’s activities: visit www.lpo.org.uk, subscribe to our podcast series, download our iPhone application and join us on Facebook and Twitter.

Dame Joan Sutherland The London Philharmonic Orchestra is honoured to pay tribute this evening to one of the world’s greatest singers.

It recalls with pride and affection two memorable performances given at the Royal Festival Hall with Joan Sutherland in the late nineteen sixties. On 29 October 1967, she took part in a performance of Handel’s Messiah (with Monica Sinclair, Peter Baillie and Raymond Myers) and on 19 February 1969 a performance of Handel’s Alcina (with a cast including Mary O’Brien, Margreta Elkins, Kiri Te Kanawa, Monica Sinclair, Ryland Davies, John Gibbs, Ernst Gerold Schramm and John Shirley-Quirk). On both occasions, the London Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Dame Joan’s husband, Richard Bonynge.

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ADMINISTRATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

ARCHIVES

Martin Höhmann Chairman Stewart McIlwham Vice-Chairman Sue Bohling Simon Carrington Lord Currie* Jonathan Dawson* Anne McAneney George Peniston Sir Bernard Rix* Kevin Rundell Sir Philip Thomas* Sir John Tooley* The Rt Hon. Lord Wakeham DL* Timothy Walker AM †

Timothy Walker AM † Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager

Edmund Pirouet Consultant

Sarah Thomas Librarian

Philip Stuart Discographer

Michael Pattison Stage Manager

Gillian Pole Recordings Archive

*Non-Executive Directors

THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC TRUST Pehr Gyllenhammar Chairman Desmond Cecil CMG Richard Karl Goeltz Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Dr Catherine C. Høgel Martin Höhmann Angela Kessler Clive Marks OBE FCA Victoria Sharp Julian Simmonds Timothy Walker AM † Laurence Watt AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, INC. We are very grateful to the Board of the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra for its support of the Orchestra’s activities in the USA. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Charles Russell Solicitors Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP Auditors Dr Louise Miller Honorary Doctor

Alison Atkinson Digital Projects Manager FINANCE David Burke General Manager and Finance Director David Greenslade Finance and IT Manager CONCERT MANAGEMENT Roanna Chandler Concerts Director Ruth Sansom Artistic Administrator Graham Wood Concerts, Recordings and Glyndebourne Manager Alison Jones Concerts Co-ordinator Jenny Chadwick Tours and Engagements Manager Jo Orr PA to the Executive / Concerts Assistant

Camilla Begg Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Ken Graham Trucking Instrument Transportation (Tel: 01737 373305) DEVELOPMENT Nick Jackman Development Director Phoebe Rouse Corporate Relations Manager Sarah Tattersall Corporate Relations and Events Manager Melissa Van Emden Corporate Relations and Events Officer Elisenda Ayats Development and Finance Officer MARKETING

Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant

Kath Trout Marketing Director

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMME

Ellie Dragonetti Marketing Co-ordinator

Matthew Todd Education and Community Director

Frances Cook Publications Manager

Anne Findlay Education Officer

Samantha Kendall Box Office Administrator (Tel: 020 7840 4242)

Isobel Timms Community Officer

Charly Fraser-Annand Intern

Alec Haylor Education and Community Assistant

Valerie Barber Press Consultant (Tel: 020 7586 8560)

Richard Mallett Education and Community Producer

LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 Fax: 020 7840 4201 Box Office: 020 7840 4242 www.lpo.org.uk Visit the website for full details of London Philharmonic Orchestra activities.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra Limited is a registered charity No. 238045.

Front cover picture: E. Poynter ‘Zenobia Captive’ 1878@ Sotheby’s/akg-images.

Programmes printed by Cantate.

†Supported by Macquarie Group

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OPERA RARA C E L E B R AT E S 4 0 Y E A R S

O

Opera Rara is proud to have worked with all the artists featured on these recordings, including‌ Anna Caterina Antonacci, Fanny Ardant, Barry Banks, Daniela Barcellona, Patricia Bardon, Maurizio Benini, Yann Beuron, Rockwell Blake, Graeme Broadbent, Lawrence Brownlee, Patrizia Ciofi, Paul Charles Clarke, Laura Claycomb, Alice Coote, Stephen Costello, Lucy Crowe, Majella Cullagh, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Ryland Davies, Mireille Delunsch, Jane Eaglen, Sir Mark Elder, Rebecca Evans,

G

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OF PERFORMING AND RECORDING

Giuseppe Filianoti, Renée Fleming, Bruce Ford, Andrew Foster-Williams, Alun Francis, Carmen Giannattasio, Eiddwen Harrhy, Judith Howarth, Della Jones, James Judd, Simon Keenleyside, Yvonne Kenny, Jennifer Larmore, Colin Lee, Sir Charles Mackerras, Malcolm Martineau, Annick Massis, William Matteuzzi, Alastair Miles, Nelly Miricioiu, Diana Montague, Paul Nilon, Riccardo Novaro, Mirco Palazzi, David Parry, Mary Plazas, Christopher Purves, Joan Rodgers, Darío Schmunck, Frederica von Stade, Mark Stone, Kenneth Tarver, Ludovic Tézier.

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ROSSINI: AURELIANO IN PALMIRA

‘I am writing like an angel’ is a phrase Rossini was fond of using in letters home. In October 1813, he used it to describe work on his newest commission for La Scala, Milan, a dramma serio entitled Aureliano in Palmira.

Milan was the city where the previous year the 20-yearold rising superstar had triumphed with a new comic epic, La pietra del paragone. Hysterical public demand had ensured a run of 53 performances. Indeed, such was the work’s success, Rossini found himself exempted from military service, no small concession in 1812.

We don’t know whether Rossini was familiar with Pasquale Anfossi’s Zenobia di Palmira which had received its prima in Venice’s Teatro San Benedetto on 26 December 1789. What we do know is that Rossini’s librettist, the 25-year-old Felice Romani, certainly was. His libretto for Aureliano in Palmira is closely modelled on Gaetano Sertor’s text for Zenobia di Palmira.

The story itself is rooted in historical fact. The Emperor Aurelian (c215-75 AD), a man of humble origins who rose to power on the back of a brilliant military career, had done much to restore order within the Roman Empire; and he did indeed tangle with Queen Zenobia whose conquests in Syria, Egypt and Asia Minor were not taken lightly by Rome.

There is no evidence that Aurelian ever met Zenobia and the lover the opera attributes to her, the implausibly sweet-natured Persian warrior Arsace, though Aurelian’s magnanimity to the defeated Zenobia is in the contemporary sources. After ceding Palmyra to the Romans, she was granted a pension and a villa in Tibur – Tivoli as it is today – in the countryside outside Rome.

The first modern theatre version of the subject was Zénobie (Paris 1647) by the classicist and fanatic Aristotelian François Hédelin, or Aubignac as he chose to be known. The first operatic treatment of the play was Matteo Noris’s La Zenobia with music by Giovanni

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Pictures from Opera Rara Archive

In the spring of 1813, Rossini wrote two more hugely successful operas, the heroic melodrama Tancredi, the first opera to win him a Europe-wide reputation, and L’italiana in Algeri, a bravura reworking of an existing libretto which had left an earlier setting by Angelo Anelli looking very limp indeed.

Gioachino Rossini Antonio Boretti, staged in Venice in 1666. In 1694 a newly worked version by Antonio Marchi was set to music by the celebrated Venetian composer Tomaso Albinoni. If the libretto Romani provided for Rossini has its shortcomings, it is because it does little to eliminate the obvious repetitions and redundancies of the 1789 Serto text. The underplaying of the potentially fascinating character of Publia is particularly frustrating.

Rossini himself was not helped by the fact that midway through the composition process his Aureliano, the brilliant young virtuoso tenor Giovanni David, whose La Scala debut this was to have been, was taken ill with smallpox. He was replaced by the Mantuan-born Luigi Mari for whom Rossini wrote noticeably plainer, less adventurous music.

He was also badly let down by the celebrated castrato Giovanni Battista Velluti for whom he had written the role of Arsace. Rossini was 17 when in Bologna in the

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ROSSINI: AURELIANO IN PALMIRA

summer of 1809 he heard Velluti singing alongside the prodigiously gifted young Spanish-born soprano Isabella Colbran. Hearing Velluti and Colbran working together had been a life-changing experience for Rossini. Here was a late representative of the old order of castrati – now doomed to extinction by force of law but leaving behind a sense of the brilliance and tonal homogeneity of their bel canto style – appearing alongside a modern singing actress whose brilliantly developed coloratura technique was in some sense a bequest from the castrati.

will come as no surprise to modern audiences, since Rossini would reuse the piece twice more, in Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra (Naples, 1815) and Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rome, 1816).

In addition to the overture – whose Andante maestoso recurs in Aureliano’s Act 2 as preface to Arsace’s pastoral meditation – the melody of the opera’s opening chorus ‘Sposa del grande Osiride’ would later be redeployed by Rossini in Almaviva’s cavatina ‘Ecco ridente’ in Act 1 of Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Aureliano in Palmira is full of exquisite things. Arsace’s love for Zenobia is expressed at the very Rossini’s librettist, Felice Romani outset in the duet ‘Se tu m’ami’, In the event, Velluti managed to which Stendhal once claimed was outrage colleagues with his selfthe finest of all Rossini’s duets. In Arsace’s presence, regarding antics and disappoint expectation with his Zenobia is all sweetness and accommodation; away from undistinguished singing. ‘Velluti made no more him, she is very much the warrior queen, using coloratura impression on the public than that made by the last of the damsels in the train of Zenobia’ wrote one reviewer, a display as a weapon. view confirmed by the convalescent Giovanni David who In Act 2, the lovers rediscover one another as refugees in noted that ‘Signor Veluti [sic] cut the figure of a an Arcadian landscape. For someone who was easily secondary part’. bored by country vacations, Rossini was a gifted purveyor of the idea of the rural idyll, from his first opera Demetrio Matters were not helped by the fact that eight days e Polibio to his last Guillaume Tell. The lovers’ pastoral vigil before the first night of Aureliano in Palmira, a new in Aureliano in Palmira is enchantingly written in a fresh, production of the much talked about Tancredi had unsentimental style which Rossini had learned in part opened in Milan’s newest auditorium, the Teatro Re. from the music of Haydn. As an image of rustic calm and Aureliano in Palmira has within it much of Tancredi’s continuity amid the carnage of imperial wars, these lyricism and grace without ever being quite in the same pastoral scenes must have struck a responsive chord with league in terms of formal reach and dramatic power. contemporary audiences in 1813.

Rossini put a brave face on things. He wrote to his mother: ‘Everybody says the music [of Aureliano] is divine The opera’s military interludes are highly stylized, though there are memorable small inventions within these but that the singers are dreadful so I don’t lose credit.

Tancredi has caused an irruption in the new theatre that’s episodes, not least the prisoners’ plea to Zenobia, salvaged from the daringly experimental ‘tragic’ finale opened here. I’m really glad that everyone’s having a great time with my music so who cares whether it’s in Rossini had written for the Ferrara revision of Tancredi in this theatre or the other?’.

March 1813. What Aureliano in Palmira lacks in splendour and drive, it makes up for in sensibility and charm.

One point Rossini omitted to mention was that Aureliano in Palmira’s overture had been ‘hugely applauded’. This © Richard Osborne, 2010

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Opera Rara Celebrating 40 Years NEW RELEASE (November 2010)

RECORDING THE WORLD’S RAREST OPERAS

MERCADANTE: I Normanni a Parigi Judith Howarth, Barry Banks, Katarina Karnéus, Riccardo Novaro, Graeme Broadbent, Aled Hall, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Stuart Stratford – conductor Opera Rara continues to explore the fascinating music of Saverio Mercadante with this world premiere recording of substantial highlights from his 1832 I Normanni a Parigi.

ORR249 (1CD) £14.99

SPECIAL OFFER TO AURELIANO IN PALMIRA TICKET HOLDERS To receive Celebrating 40 Years – Then and Now for the special price of £3.99 inc P&P call Opera Rara on +44 (0)20 7613 2858, quoting your seat number. CD offer ends 31 December 2010.

AVAILABLE NOW ROSSINI: Ermione Carmen Giannattasio, Patricia Bardon, Colin Lee and Paul Nilon, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry – conductor ‘Giannattasio is thrilling’ – Hugh Canning, Sunday Times ORC42 (2CD) £28.99

TO ORDER: Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 2858 Email: info@opera-rara.com www.opera-rara.com 134 –146 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3AR OPERA RARA 40TH ANNIVERSARY PRIZE DRAW To celebrate 40 years of recording and performing the world’s rarest operas, Opera Rara is hosting a prize draw. For your chance of winning one of the following prizes just send us your contact details.

1st Prize: A pair of tickets to the first night performance of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Performance takes place on 18 January 2011 (no alternative performance date available).

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To enter the prize draw send your name, address and daytime phone number to us via the contact details above.

Closing date for entries, 30 November 2010. No alternative prizes offered. Winners will be notified within 7 days of closing date.

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SYNOPSIS

THE STORY The scene is set in the Syrian city of Palmyra in the year 273 AD. The Roman Emperor Aurelian has seized Antioch but freed a number of hostages, including the Persian Prince Arsace, Publia, daughter of the Emperor Valeriano, and Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, whose expansionist sallies into Syria, Egypt and Asia Minor have long angered the Roman leadership.

ACT ONE

The original Arsace, the celebrated castrato Giovanni Battista Velluti

Scenes 1-4. Palmyra. The great temple of Isis.

Priests offer sacrifices to the gods Isis and Osiris. A shudder of the altar is taken by the High Priest to be a premonition of disaster. Zenobia and Arsace reassure the people. Arsace expresses his love for Zenobia and vows to defend her throne against the Romans; Zenobia says she will sacrifice both throne and empire to be with him. Military music is heard. The Palmyrene General Oraspe announces that the Romans have reached the banks of the Euphrates. Arsace leaves to confront the invaders. The High Priest praises his courage but reflects that no hero, however great, can prevail if Fate is against him.

makes a plea for Arsace’s release.

Aurelian refuses; only if she surrenders Palmyra to him will he release the prisoners. The prisoners plead with her but she scorns their approach, demanding instead a meeting with Arsace.

Aurelian grants her request but warns that she risks total ruin.

Outraged, she recalls the day when fate smiled on her country and her sword. Left alone with Publia, Aurelian concedes that Zenobia has beauty and courage but insists that he will not be swayed. Privately, Publia wonders at Aurelian’s infatuation and confesses her own love for Arsace.

Scenes 12-15. A castle prison cell.

Arsace laments his fate and separation from Zenobia. He is surprised by the sound of her voice; his only wish had been to see her once more before his death. He urges her not to risk her life; she counters that she could not live without him.

Aurelian orders the removal of Arsace’s shackles but again demands that he forsake Zenobia. The lovers’ recalcitrance reignites his anger. As Zenobia and Arsace bid one another farewell, Aurelian vows to tame the pride of ‘this perfidious pair’.

Scenes 5-7. A battlefield strewn with defeated Persian and Palmyrene soldiers.

Roman soldiers hail their victorious Emperor. Aurelian praises his men but insists that, though the world trembles before Roman might, it honours conquerors who bring peace and liberty in their wake. A defiant Arsace is brought before Aurelian who expresses pity for the young warrior. He invites him to abandon Zenobia but Arsace refuses.

Scenes 8-11. The interior of a magnificent pavilion.

A message that Zenobia seeks a meeting with the Emperor impresses Publia more than it does Aurelian, who wonders at her motive. Entering in state, Zenobia

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

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SYNOPSIS

ACT TWO Scenes 1-4. The Queen’s subterranean treasury.

Palmyrene nobles are in a state of agitation. Zenobia announces that the city has fallen but again refuses to yield to Aurelian. She compares herself to Cleopatra and to Hasdrubal’s daughter Sophonisba who took poison rather than be led in triumph through the streets of Rome.

Publicly Aurelian remains resolute; privately he is in thrall to Zenobia’s severity. News arrives that Arsace has been freed

by Palmyrene soldiers. Zenobia is overjoyed but Aurelian warns that her joy will be short-lived.

Publia and Licinio remind him of the danger of these continuing pleas. As forces muster, Oraspe leads Zenobia to safety.

Scenes 13-14. A secluded spot near the palace. A moonlit night.

Arsace is in hiding, despairing of ever seeing Zenobia again. When Oraspe brings Zenobia to him, a tender reunion ensues. With troops approaching, the lovers contemplate suicide but Arsace is disarmed before he can draw his sword. Aurelian denounces Zenobia and Arsace, threatening them with life-imprisonment in separate cells. The lovers console The original Zenobia, Lorenza Correa themselves with the thought that their resistance will be an example to all Asia. Aurelian is again vexed by their Scenes 5-8. A pleasant hill by the River Euphrates. resolve.

Shepherds express gratitude for their pastoral refuge in a war-torn world. Arsace reflects that here is a place in Scenes 15-17 The palace atrium. which he would willingly dwell if Zenobia was with him. Publia resolves to save Arsace. Her love for him is such Oraspe brings news of Palmyra’s destruction. The that she cannot bear to see him suffer. Her plea to shepherds urge the Palmyrenes to accept their fate but Aurelian is interrupted by news that the Palmyrenes are Arsace and his men are determined to free Zenobia. seeking mercy. Aurelian hears their plea and summons the prisoners. Reasoning that the merciful overlooking Scenes 9-12. A palace atrium. of wrongs is a form of revenge, he offers to release Publia warns Aurelian that the people are rallying to Zenobia and Arsace if they agree to swear eternal fealty Arsace’s cause. Aurelian confesses that his love for to Rome. They accept his offer. Declaring themselves Zenobia is weakening his ability to resist but fresh news loyal Romans, they pray that peace may return to Asia’s of the insurgency rekindles his spirits. ‘The traitor will troubled lands. not see the light of another dawn,’ he tells a terrified Zenobia. Once again he begs her to abandon Arsace, but © Richard Osborne, 2010

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12 | London Philharmonic Orchestra / Opera Rara

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Michela Alessia Marcato

CONDUCTOR AND CAST

MAURIZIO BENINI conductor After studying composition and choral music, Maurizio Benini made his debut at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna with Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino. In 1992 he made his debut at the Teatro alla Scala with La donna del lago and Don Carlo and in La scala di seta at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Between 1984 and 1991 he was Principal Conductor at the Filarmonici del Teatro Comunale in Bologna; from 1995 to 1997 he served as Principal Conductor at the Wexford Festival; and until 2006 he was Principal Conductor at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile. He has just been named Principal Guest Conductor at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

A regular guest at some of the most prestigious theatres in the world, he has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Opéra de Paris, Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Teatro Real in Madrid, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and at important international festivals such as Glyndebourne and Edinburgh. He has made recordings with Opera Rara and Deutsche Grammophon, his most recent being Rossini’s La Cenerentola.

CATRIONA SMITH soprano – Zenobia

SILVIA TRO SANTAFÉ mezzo soprano – Arsace

Catriona Smith completed her studies in 1986 at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, before spending a year at the Opera Studio of the University of Toronto. She made her debut at Covent Garden in 1990, appeared with Scottish Opera as Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel and as Dalila in Handel's Samson, and sang Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier at the Berlin Deutsche Oper, Morgana in Alcina in San Francisco and First Niece in Peter Grimes in Amsterdam.

Spanish mezzo soprano Silvia Tro Santafé specialises in the bel canto repertoire, particularly Rossini, as well as Handel, Mozart, Massenet and 20th century French repertoire.

She has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera, Netherlands Opera, La Monnaie Brussels, Liceu Barcelona and Zurich Opera, as well as at the Salzburg Festival. She has collaborated with conductors such as Neville Marriner, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Charles Dutoit, Jesús LópezCobos, García Navarro, Maurizio Benini, Lorin Maazel, Harry Bicket and Christoph Rousset.

Since 1991 she has been a member of Stuttgart Opera, appearing there as Colombina in Haydn’s Die Feuersbrunst, in the title role of Dinescu’s Eréndira, as Zerlina, Papagena, Pamina, the Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos, Nanetta in Falstaff, Gilda, Gretel, Ännchen, and Norina in I pazzi per progetto. Other roles have included those of Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann, the Celestial Voice in Don Carlo, Sophie, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Konstanze, Lilla in Una cosa rara, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, First Lady in Die Zauberflöte and Coryphée in Alceste.

Most recently she sang the Blue Fairy in The Adventures of Pinocchio and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. In 2003 she was named Kammersängerin of the Stuttgart State Opera.

Last season her roles included Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Washington National Opera, Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia at the Dresden Semperoper, Adalgisa in Norma in Diusburg, Isabella in L’italiana in Algeri at the Vienna State Opera, Dulcinee in Don Quichotte at the Monnaie and the title role in La Cenerentola in Zurich.

Future engagements include Rosina at the Vienna State Opera, San Diego Opera and Deutsche Opera Berlin; a Gala performance of Isabella at the Hannover State Opera; Dorabella in Così fan tutte in Baden-Baden; and Ulisse in Deidamia for Netherlands Opera.

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Help us to ensure the rare and beautiful operas of the 19th Century survive!

“Opera Rara really is doing something special...how much poorer our libraries would be without them” – Gramophone

In our 40th anniversary year, we, at Opera Rara, are faced with a serious challenge.

We would dearly love to continue presenting this forgotten operatic heritage of the 19th century to the world. However, CD sales alone cannot cover all our costs and this gem of a label will not survive without financial support.

As many of you will know, Opera Rara is a registered charity and, over many years, funding has been provided largely by the Peter Moores Foundation, for whose generosity we offer enormous thanks. However, Aureliano in Palmira will be the last of our operas the Peter Moores Foundation is financing. From 2011, we are on our own!

We now plan to return to what Opera Rara did so successfully in the early years: in addition to raising general funds, we are looking to the many lovers of this wonderful repertoire to help fund our work project by project.

Stephen Revell, Managing Director

Opera Rara would like to take this opportunity to invite you to become such a supporter, in return for which we are offering the rare opportunity of tangible involvement in a recording.

Please read the information below and do contact us if you think you can help!

Stephen Revell Managing Director, Opera Rara

HELP FUND Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro Opera Rara’s major 2011 project will be the recording of Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Maida Vale Studios, conducted by David Parry with Carmen Giannattasio in the title role.

The conductor, David Parry, on the opera: “The story is resonant and credible and calls up from Donizetti one of his most deeply-felt, atmospheric and dramatically truthful scores. The opera is concise and hard-hitting and I simply cannot understand why Caterina Cornaro is not in the repertoire: it badly needs the airing of a proper studio recording.”

Well, we are doing just that! And we are offering our supporters the chance to make this recording their own, by spending time with the artists and production teams as they move from rehearsal through to the finished product. Opportunities range from sponsorship of the principal artists to members of the chorus.

To discover more about funding CATERINA CORNARO or funding OPERA RARA, please contact: Stephen Revell +44 (0)20 7613 2858 email: info@opera-rara.com

David Parry (conductor) and Carmen Giannattasio (soprano)

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CAST

KENNETH TARVER tenor – Aureliano

ANDREW FOSTER-WILLIAMS bass baritone – The High Priest

EZGI KUTLU mezzo soprano – Publia

Kenneth Tarver is considered to be one of the outstanding tenore di grazia of his generation, acknowledged for his beauty of tone, virtuosic technique, extensive and even vocal range, coupled with an attractive and elegant stage presence. He is a specialist in the most demanding virtuosic operatic repertoire and has appeared at the world’s most prestigious opera houses, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Bayerische Staatsoper, Dresden Semperoper, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Opéra Comique Paris, La Monnaie Brussels, Metropolitan Opera New York and San Carlo Naples.

Andrew studied at the Royal Academy of Music where he is now an Associate. Operatic roles have included Leone in Handel’s Tamerlano with the Washington National Opera; The Count in Le nozze di Figaro at the Beaune Festival; Alidoro in La Cenerentola for Welsh National Opera; Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress with Basel Chamber Orchestra; Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande for Independent Opera, London; Leporello in Don Giovanni and Colline in La Bohème, for Opera North; the bass arias in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen at the 2009 Glyndebourne Festival and also in Paris and New York; Zebul in Jephtha with Ivor Bolton and Borée in Les Boréades with Emmanuelle Haïm at the Opéra National du Rhin.

The Turkish mezzo soprano Ezgi Kutlu received her vocal training in Ankara, at the Juilliard School of Music in New York and at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and also attended master classes with Elly Ameling and Marilyn Horne. She was a member of the young artists programmes at the Opera Theatre of St Louis, at Opera North in New Hampshire and at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. In 2008 she took part in the Salzburg Festival’s first Young Singers Project.

Notable successes have included the role of Orfeo in Haydn’s L’Anima del Filosofo conducted by Adam Fisher at the Budapest Festival, Gluck’s Orphée et Euridice with Marc Minkowski, Haydn’s L’Infedelta Delusa at the Musikverein conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Rossini’s Otello at Covent Garden, Don Ottavio in the recording of Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Réné Jacobs, Auber’s Fra Diavolo and the Grammy award winning performance as Iopas in Berlioz’s Les Troyens with Sir Colin Davis.

In concert he has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Colin Davis, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Paul McCreesh, L’Orchestre des ChampsElysée and Phillipe Herreweghe, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and Franz Welser-Möst, Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Robin Ticciati and New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Bernard Labadie.

Her roles have included Dorabella in Così fan tutte, the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, Bradamante in Alcina and a highly successful debut as Annio in La clemenza di Tito at the Stuttgart State Opera to where she returned for the role of Ragonde in Le Comte Ory and Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. At the Nuremberg State Theatre she has sung Dorabella, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and Sinaïde in Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon. In 2009 she made a brilliant debut as Angelina in La Cenerentola at Garsington Opera Festival. Future roles include Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda and Il Piacere in Handel’s Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at the Stuttgart State Opera.

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Clive Barda

CAST

VUYANI MLINDE bass baritone – Licinio

JULIAN ALEXANDER SMITH tenor – RENATO BALSADONNA chorus director Oraspe

Vuyani Mlinde studied with Wilhelm Theunissen at the Free State Musicon in South Africa before winning scholarships to the Opera Queensland Young Artists’ Programme, the Royal College of Music and the RCM’s Benjamin Britten International Opera School.

He was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 2007 to 2009, and while there sang Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin, Jake Wallace in La fanciulla del West, Tutor in Elektra and Tom in Un ballo in maschera. Operatic roles for other companies have included Leporello and Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. He has sung at the Royal Festival Hall and Cadogan Hall, his concert repertoire including Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Verdi’s Requiem and Haydn’s The Creation.

Julian Alexander Smith studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal College of Music, gaining a 1st Class Honours degree in Music and numerous awards including the Wilfred Greenhouse Alt Prize for oratorio, a Beverly Creed Scholarship and a bursary from the Welton Foundation. He is a former lay clerk of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

This season Vuyani joins the ensemble of Oper Frankfurt, where he will perform in their productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Don Carlo, Die Zauberflöte, Tosca and Medea in Corinto. He will also sing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Residentie Orkest under Neeme Järvi.

Julian began his career at Glyndebourne and since then his roles have included Mr Porcupine in the European première of Fantastic Mr Fox for Opera Holland Park, Tenor Soloist in a staged production of Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared at the Grimeborn Festival, Dov in Tippett’s The Knot Garden for the Montepulciano International Festival, Italy, Liancourt in Le Roi malgré lui for Grange Park Opera, the title role in Samson and Arcas in Cadmus et Hermione at Dartington Hall, and Famigliari di Seneca in L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Megaron, Athens.

In concert he has sung Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Gwent Bach Choir, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle for Streatham Choral Society and Handel’s Messiah with the London Festival Orchestra.

16 | London Philharmonic Orchestra / Opera Rara

Renato Balsadonna has been chorus director for The Royal Opera House Covent Garden since 2004. Born in Venice, he studied philosophy, piano and composition, worked as a répétiteur in Italy and was Assistant Chorus Master in Basle and at La Monnaie, Brussels, where in 1997 he was appointed Chorus Director. He subsequently worked on numerous La Monnaie productions including several world premières. From 1999 he assisted Norbert Balatsch at the Bayreuth Wagner Festival.

As a guest conductor he has worked with the Frankfurt Opera Chorus, the BBC Singers, the Netherlands Radio Choir, the Rome Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Chorus, and Grant Park Festival Chorus Chicago.

He has made numerous recordings for EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics, Opera Rara and Chandos with such conductors as Benini, Elder, Mackerras, Ono and Pappano.

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CAST

GEOFFREY MITCHELL CHOIR

Patrick Harrison

Sopranos Nina Bennet, Claire Bessent, Rachel Chapman, Suzanne Flowers, Rachel Godshill, Susan Jiwey, Dani May, Helen Miles, Elizabeth Roberts, Rachel Shannon, Debra Skeen, Rosalind Waters Mezzo sopranos Nicola Beckley, Mary Burman, Karen Fodor, Vanessa Heine, Melanie Lodge, Kate Mapp, Alison Place, Ruth Trawford, Kate Warshaw, Jennifer Westwood Tenors Phillip Brown, Mark Chaundy, Benjamin Cooper, Christopher Dee, Philip Dennis, Stephen Douse, Jonathan English, Martin Hindmarsh, Nicholas Keay, William Knight, Peter Long, Andrew McAnerney, Rory O’Connor, Gerald Place, Benjamin Rayfield, Gareth Roberts, James Scarlett, Julian Alexander Smith, Julian Stocker, Peter Wilman, Julian Woodward Basses Stephen Alder, Alistair Bamford, Neil Bellingham, Jeremy Birchall, Francis Brett, Paul Charrier, Trevor Conner, Gabriel Gottlieb, Timothy Hamilton, Ørjan Hartveit, Andrew Kidd, Simon Lobelson, Alastair Merry (also singing the role of Il Pastore), Andrew McWilliams, Tom Oldham, Simon Preece, Matthew Waldren, John Ward Renato Balsadonna Chorus Director The Geoffrey Mitchell Choir came into being in 1971 for concerts with Pink Floyd. Later that year it took part in recordings for EMI with Sir Adrian Boult and Edward Heath and, since then, the Choir has been engaged for all Opera Rara’s studio recordings up to the present day. The first concert in February 1972 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall of Meyerbeer’s Il Crociato in Egitto was recorded by BBC Radio 3, and was highly acclaimed by the musical press.

This was only the first of dozens of prestigious reviews, and of concerts at venues such as Sadlers Wells, The Banqueting House, Whitehall, The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the Coliseum, the Royal Albert Hall for a Prom performance of Offenbach’s Robinson Crusoe and, of course in recent years regular concerts at the Royal Festival Hall.

As well as further recordings, last year saw the Choir singing Fidelio under Daniel Barenboim at the Proms and Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan here at the Royal Festival Hall.

PIETER SCHOEMAN leader Pieter Schoeman was appointed CoLeader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002 and Leader in 2008. Born in 1969 in South Africa he made his debut at the age of ten with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. Since then he has performed as soloist and recitalist in such famous halls as Capella Hall in St Petersburg, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Moscow’s Rachmaninov Hall, Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

As a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, he has performed Arvo Pärt’s Double Concerto and Benjamin Britten’s Double Concerto, which was recorded and released on the Orchestra’s own record label to great critical acclaim. Earlier this month he performed the Brahms Double Concerto with Kristina Blaumane.

In 1995, he became CoConcertmaster of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice in France and has also performed as Guest Concertmaster with the symphony orchestras of Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon and Baltimore. He teaches at Trinity College of Music in London.

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SOUTHBANK CENTRE

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, Concrete and Feng Sushi, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops inside Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Hayward Gallery.

If you wish to get in touch with us following your visit please contact Kenelm Roberts, our Head of Customer Relations, at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk or phone 020 7960 4250.

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

The Mozart Question Sunday 5 December 2010 | 3.30pm Royal Festival Hall An afternoon of music and storytelling, suitable for children aged 8 and over, based on Michael Morpurgo’s well-loved book which tells of one family’s experience of the holocaust and the incredible healing power of music.

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Daniel Pioro violin Michael Morpurgo narrator Alison Reid narrator Simon Reade director Excerpts from: Beethoven Violin Concerto Vivaldi The Four Seasons Strauss The Blue Danube Bach Violin Sonata No. 1 Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik Running time 75 minutes. No interval.

Tickets Under 16: £7 £9 Adult: £14 £18 For booking details see page 20.

Dedicated by the Dorset Foundation in memory of the late Harry M. Weinrebe and supported by a syndicate of individual donors.

18 | London Philharmonic Orchestra / Opera Rara

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We would like to acknowledge the generous support of the following Thomas Beecham Group Patrons, Principal Benefactors and Benefactors: Thomas Beecham Group Mr & Mrs Richard & Victoria Sharp Julian & Gill Simmonds The Tsukanov Family Simon Yates & Kevin Roon

Guy & Utti Whittaker

Commander Vincent Evans Mr Daniel Goldstein Mrs Barbara Green Oliver Heaton Peter MacDonald Eggers Mr & Mrs David Malpas Andrew T Mills Mr Maxwell Morrison Mr Michael Posen Mr & Mrs Thierry Sciard Mr John Soderquist & Mr Costas Michaelides Mr & Mrs G Stein Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Howard & Sheelagh Watson Mr Laurie Watt Mr Anthony Yolland

Principal Benefactors Mark & Elizabeth Adams Jane Attias Lady Jane Berrill Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Mrs Sonja Drexler Mr Charles Dumas David Ellen

Benefactors Mrs A Beare Dr & Mrs Alan Carrington CBE FRS Marika Cobbold & Michael Patchett-Joyce Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen Mr Alistair Corbett Mr David Edgecombe

Garf & Gill Collins Andrew Davenport David & Victoria Graham Fuller Richard Karl Goeltz John & Angela Kessler Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Geoff & Meg Mann Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp Eric Tomsett

Mr Richard Fernyhough Ken Follett Michael & Christine Henry Mr Glenn Hurstfield Mr R K Jeha Mr & Mrs Maurice Lambert Mr Gerald Levin Sheila Ashley Lewis Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Mr Frank Lim Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr Brian Marsh John Montgomery Mr & Mrs Egil Oldeide Edmund Pirouet Mr Peter Tausig Mrs Kazue Turner Lady Marina Vaizey Mr D Whitelock Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd Hon. Life Members Kenneth Goode Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE

The generosity of our Sponsors, Corporate Members, supporters and donors is gratefully acknowledged.

Corporate Members Appleyard & Trew llp AREVA UK British American Business Brown Brothers Harriman Charles Russell Destination Québec – UK Diagonal Consulting Lazard Leventis Overseas Man Group plc Québec Government Office in London Corporate Donor Lombard Street Research In-kind Sponsors Google Inc Heineken The Langham London Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd Sela / Tilley’s Sweets Villa Maria

Trusts and Foundations Allianz Cultural Foundation The Andor Charitable Trust Ruth Berkowitz Charitable Trust The Boltini Trust Borletti-Buitoni Trust The Candide Charitable Trust The John S Cohen Foundation The Coutts Charitable Trust The Dorset Foundation The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The Equitable Charitable Trust The Eranda Foundation The Ernest Cook Trust The Fenton Arts Trust The Foyle Foundation The Jonathan & Jeniffer Harris Trust The Idlewild Trust The Emmanuel Kaye Foundation Maurice Marks Charitable Trust The Michael Marks Charitable Trust Marsh Christian Trust UK Friends of the FelixMendelssohn-Bartholdy Foundation

The Mercers’ Company Adam Mickiewicz Institute Paul Morgan Charitable Trust Maxwell Morrison Charitable Trust Musicians Benevolent Fund The R K Charitable Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation The Rubin Foundation The Samuel Sebba Charitable Trust Sound Connections The Steel Charitable Trust The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation The Swan Trust John Thaw Foundation The Underwood Trust Garfield Weston Foundation Youth Music and others who wish to remain anonymous.

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FUTURE CONCERTS AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL

Wednesday 24 November 2010 | 7.30pm

MAHLER ANNIVERSARY Wednesday 27 October 2010 | 7.30pm Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 (Reformation) Mahler Kindertotenlieder Brahms Symphony No. 3 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Sarah Connolly mezzo soprano 6.00pm–6.45pm | FREE Pre-Concert Event Royal Festival Hall A performance including Arvo Pärt’s The Abbot Agathon with Foyle Future Firsts, members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and soprano Patricia Rozario conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

Stravinsky Scherzo fantastique Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 Shostakovich Symphony No. 11 Vasily Petrenko conductor Oleg Marshev piano 6.15pm–6.45pm | FREE Pre-Concert Event Royal Festival Hall Writer and broadcaster David Nice explores ‘A Symphony of revolutionary songs: Shostakovich’s individuality versus the spirit of 1905’.

Vasily Petrenko and Oleg Marshev Vladimir Jurowski and Sarah Connolly

MAHLER ANNIVERSARY Saturday 30 October 2010 | 7.30pm

JTI FRIDAY SERIES Friday 26 November 2010 | 7.30pm Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K503 Bruckner Symphony No. 9

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 Beethoven (arr. Mahler) Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Günther Herbig conductor Andreas Haefliger piano

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano

Günther Herbig and Andreas Haefliger Kazushi Ono and Nathalie Stutzmann

MAHLER ANNIVERSARY Wednesday 17 November 2010 | 7.30pm

TO BOOK

Tickets £9-£38 | Premium seats £55

R Strauss Death and Transfiguration Mahler Rückert-Lieder Ravel Suites Nos 1 and 2, Daphnis et Chloé

London Philharmonic Orchestra Ticket Office 020 7840 4242 | www.lpo.org.uk Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; no booking fee

Kazushi Ono conductor Nathalie Stutzmann contralto

Southbank Centre Ticket Office | 0844 847 9920 www.southbankcentre.co.uk/lpo Daily, 9am-8pm. £2.50 telephone / £1.45 online booking fees; no fee for Southbank Centre members

20 | London Philharmonic Orchestra / Opera Rara