London Philharmonic Orchestra 29 Apr 2017 Brighton concert programme

MUSIC IS OUR WORLD. WE WANT TO SHARE ITS ASTONISHING POWER AND WONDER WITH YOU in brighton.

Concert programme Brighton Dome lpo.org.uk

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 Composer in Residence magnus lindberg Patron HRH THE DUKE OF KENT KG Chief Executive and Artistic Director TIMOTHY WALKER AM

Brighton Dome Concert Hall Saturday 29 April 2017 | 7.30pm

Sibelius Valse triste (5’) Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (32’) Interval (20’) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 (Pathétique) (45’)

Joshua Weilerstein conductor Mark Bebbington piano

The Steinway concert piano chosen and hired by the London Philharmonic Orchestra for this performance is supplied and maintained by Steinway & Sons, London.

The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide.

CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA IN ASSOCIATION WITH BRIGHTON DOME

Contents 2 Welcome

Orchestra news 3 LPO concerts 2017/18 4 About the Orchestra 5 Leader: Vesselin Gellev 6 Joshua Weilerstein 7 Mark Bebbington 8 On stage tonight 9 Programme notes 13 Sound Futures donors 14 Supporters 16 LPO administration

Welcome

Welcome to Brighton Dome Chief Executive Andrew Comben We hope you enjoy the performance and your visit to Brighton Dome. For your comfort and safety, please note the following: LATECOMERS may not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Some performances may contain no suitable breaks.

SMOKING Brighton Dome is a no-smoking venue.

INTERVAL DRINKS may be ordered in advance at the bar to avoid queues.

PHOTOGRAPHY is not allowed in the auditorium.

RECORDING is not allowed in the auditorium.

Orchestra news

T

hank you for joining us here at Brighton Dome for the final concert in the London Philharmonic Orchestra's 2016/17 Brighton season. We hope you enjoy this evening's performance.

We look forward to returning to Brighton Dome next season for four concerts, and hope you will be able to join us: see right for details. Tickets for the new season will be on sale from next Monday, 1 May. Pick up a season brochure in the foyer today or browse the full concert details online at lpo.org.uk/brighton In the meantime, we’ll be busy over the summer performing at Glyndebourne Festival Opera from May until September, and at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall (see below). We’ll also perform at the Snape Proms in Aldeburgh with Renée Fleming (24 August) and at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest in early September.

Find out more about all our performances at lpo.org.uk

MOBILES, PAGERS AND WATCHES should be switched off before entering the auditorium.

Thank you for your co-operation.

The concert at Brighton Dome on 29 April 2017 is presented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in association with Brighton Dome.

Brighton Dome gratefully acknowledges the support of Brighton & Hove City Council and Arts Council England.

Brighton Dome is managed by Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, which also runs the annual threeweek Brighton Festival in May. brightondome.org | brightonfestival.org

2 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

LPO at the 2017 BBC Proms Last week saw the unveiling of the 2017 BBC Proms season, and we’re delighted to announce that the LPO will perform this summer at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 6 September 2017. Vladimir Jurowski will conduct Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with soloist Alina Ibragimova, together with music by Stravinsky and Britten. Booking for all Proms concerts opens on Saturday 13 May: visit bbc.co.uk/proms or call the Royal Albert Hall Ticket Office on 0845 401 5040.

New on the LPO Label: Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Just released on the LPO Label is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (Eroica), paired with the Fidelio Overture (LPO-0096).

Conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and recorded live in concert, the CD is priced at £9.99. 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.

be m ov e d in bRiGHTon

2017/18 Concert Season at Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ 28 October 2017 7.30pm

The Four Seasons 25 November 2017 7.30pm

Petrenko & Scheherazade 24 February 2018 7.30pm

Discover Hollywood 14 April 2018 7.30pm

Hear Beethoven’s revolutionary ‘Eroica’ Symphony alongside his mighty ‘Emperor’ Piano Concerto.

Witness the imagination and charm of Vivaldi’s evergreen The Four Seasons on a journey into one of music’s most beautiful minds.

Vasily Petrenko conducts Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade alongside music by Tchaikovsky and Berlioz.

Discover Rachmaninoff’s Hollywood in the chrome-plated dazzle of his gorgeous Third Symphony.

Book now at brightondome.org or call 01273 709709 Season discounts of up to 20% available

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 3

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Everything about this performance ... was perfect ... one of the best pieces of orchestral playing I have heard in quite a long time.

Seen and Heard International, February 2015

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.

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 in January 2018 we celebrate the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary partnership with a semi-staged gala performance of Wagner's Das Rheingold. 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

4 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Belief festival in partnership with Southbank Centre continues to the end of 2017, exploring what it means to be human in the 21st century. Then, 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 tour plans for 2017/18 include Japan, Romania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Austria and France.

Vesselin Gellev

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 90 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.

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.

© Benjamin Ealovega

leader

Praised by the New York Times for his ‘warmth and virtuosic brilliance’, Bulgarian violinist Vesselin Gellev has been a featured soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra and Juilliard Orchestra, among others.

He won First Prize at the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York as a member of the Antares Quartet, and has recorded several albums and toured worldwide as Concertmaster of Kristjan Järvi’s Grammynominated Absolute Ensemble.

Prior to joining the LPO as Sub-Leader in 2007, Vesselin was Leader of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in the USA and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy. He has also performed as Guest Leader with numerous orchestras in the UK and abroad including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Vesselin received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, New York, as a student of Robert Mann. He has served on the violin and chamber music faculties of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and the Eleazar de Carvalho Music Festival in Fortaleza, Brazil.

lpo.org.uk facebook.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra twitter.com/LPOrchestra youtube.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra instagram.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 5

Joshua Weilerstein conductor

One of the most promising podium presences of his generation.

Š Felix Broede

LA Times

Joshua Weilerstein is the Artistic Director of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. His clarity of musical expression, unforced manner and deep natural musicianship have led him to conduct extensively in both Europe and America, and his enthusiasm for a wide range of repertoire is combined with an ambition to bring new audiences into the concert hall.

Tonight is Joshua Weilerstein's debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and he is increasingly in demand as a guest conductor. Earlier this season he made his debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducting its family concerts and assisting Mariss Jansons. This season also sees debuts with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic and NDR Hannover orchestras. He returns to the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.

In August 2016 Joshua made his operatic debut conducting Don Giovanni at the Verbier Festival, and stepped in at short notice to conduct the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra with soloists Joshua Bell and George Li. His success at the 2009 Malko Competition, where he was awarded both the First Prize and the Audience Prize, has led to Joshua establishing strong relationships with the Oslo Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony, Stockholm Philharmonic and Swedish Chamber orchestras. Elsewhere in Europe he has conducted the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, SWR Stuttgart,

6 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg.

Joshua Weilerstein believes passionately in programming both traditional and contemporary repertoire. He is committed to presenting, whenever possible, a piece by a living composer in each of his programmes. He also cherishes the value of music education wherever the opportunity arises: he was heavily involved in the Young People’s Concerts series during his time as the Assistant Conductor with the New York Philharmonic, and served as Concertmaster of Discovery Ensemble, a Boston-based chamber orchestra dedicated to presenting classical music to inner-city schools in Boston. With the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, he actively supports the educational and Discovery concerts for children and families.

Joshua feels that open communication between the stage and audience is essential, and he is always excited to hear from musicians and audiences alike.

He is accessible on social media for conversation about the future of classical music, programming, and the experience of concert-going. facebook.com/joshuaweilerstein @JoshWeilerstein

Mark Bebbington piano

Bebbington is without doubt one of Britain's finest pianists.

© Rama Knight

Michel Fleury, Classica

The critical plaudits that have greeted Mark Bebbington’s performances and recordings have singled him out as a British pianist of the rarest refinement and maturity. Internationally recognised as a champion of British music in particular, Mark has recorded extensively for the SOMM ‘New Horizons’ label to unanimous critical acclaim. He has the enviable record of having been awarded seven consecutive five-star reviews in BBC Music Magazine. His most recent CDs include three British piano concertos with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, an all-Gershwin album with Leon Botstein and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Recording of the Month from MusicWeb International), and ‘The Piano Music of Vaughan Williams’, which reached No. 3 in the UK Classical Charts.

Symphony Orchestra, and gave a masterclass and recital of British music at Bard College. In the UK he has performed concertos with the Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia orchestras, the London Mozart Players, the Orchestra of the Swan and the BBC Concert Orchestra. He has featured both as soloist and recitalist on BBC television and radio, and on major European television and radio networks.

Mark's premiere recordings include Bax’s Piano Concertino coupled with Ireland’s Piano Concerto and Legend, and premieres of Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia and Mathias’s first two Piano Concertos with the Ulster Orchestra.

Mark’s programming demonstrates a commitment to the music of our time and he regularly includes contemporary composers as diverse as Toru Takemitsu, Julian Anderson, John McCabe, David Matthews, Pierre Boulez and Elliot Carter in his recital series.

In addition to concerto recordings, in 2015 Mark completed his Ireland and Bridge solo piano series and released a CD of Alwyn’s piano works. As well as his BBC Music Magazine success, he has won Gramophone magazine's Editor’s Choice, International Record Review's ‘Outstanding’ accolade and many others.

Forthcoming projects include continuing releases for the SOMM label, appearances in major concert series and festivals both in the UK and throughout Europe (including a debut at the Husum Piano Rarities Festival in Germany and as part of the Bordeaux International Festival), and, closer to home, concerto performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (with whom tonight's concert marks his debut) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He recently completed a twoweek tour with the Czech National Orchestra. Mark will return to the USA for concerts with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and make his Israel debut on tour with the Israel Camerata.

Over recent seasons Mark has toured throughout Europe and the USA (both as recitalist and as soloist with some of the world’s leading orchestras), as well as the Far East and North Africa. He recently played Richard Strauss's little-known Piano Concerto for the Left Hand at Carnegie Hall with the American

Mark studied at the Royal College of Music, where he was a recipient of numerous international awards and prizes including a Leverhulme Scholarship, a Winston Churchill Fellowship and the Ivan Sutton Recording Prize – the latter awarded to the one outstanding graduate of the combined London music colleges. He later studied in Italy with the legendary Aldo Ciccolini.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 7

On stage tonight

First Violins Vesselin Gellev Leader Ilyoung Chae Chair supported by the Candide Trust

Katalin Varnagy Chair supported by Sonja Drexler

Martin Höhmann Geoffrey Lynn Chair supported by Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp

Caroline Frenkel Alice Cooper Hall Jeff Moore Maeve Jenkinson Georgina Leo Galina Tanney Non Peters Emily Mowbray Jacqueline Roche Second Violins Dania Alzapiedi Guest Principal Kate Birchall Nancy Elan Fiona Higham Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley

Joseph Maher Ashley Stevens Harry Kerr Sheila Law Emma Wragg Alberto Vidal Nicole Stokes Margaret Jackson

Violas Fiona Winning Guest Principal Benedetto Pollani Laura Vallejo Naomi Holt Alistair Scahill Charles Cross Richard Cookson Martin Wray Sarah Malcolm Martin Fenn Cellos Steffan Morris Guest Principal David Lale Santiago Carvalho† Chair co-supported by Molly & David Borthwick

Gregory Walmsley Elisabeth Wiklander Chair supported by Drs Oliver & Asha Foster

Susanna Riddell Philip Taylor Jane Lindsay Double Basses George Peniston Principal Laurence Lovelle Iván Rubido González Jakub Cywinski Nathan Knight Kate Addis

Flutes Amy Yule Guest Principal Hannah Grayson Fiona Slominska Piccolo Fiona Slominska Oboes Jennifer Brittlebank Guest Principal Sue Böhling* Chair supported by Dr Barry Grimaldi

Clarinets Thomas Watmough Principal Emily Meredith Bass Clarinet Paul Richards Principal Bassoons Jonathan Davies Principal Gareth Newman Horns John Ryan* Principal Chair supported by Laurence Watt

Alex Wide Duncan Fuller Gareth Mollison Stephen Craigen

Trumpets Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney* Chair supported by Geoff & Meg Mann

David Hilton Trombones Peter Moore Guest Principal Richard Ward Bass Trombone Lyndon Meredith Principal Tuba Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal Timpani William Lockhart Guest Principal Percussion Henry Baldwin* Principal Keith Millar

* Holds a professorial appointment in London † Chevalier of the Brazilian Order of Rio Branco Meet our members: lpo.org.uk/players

The London Philharmonic Orchestra also acknowledges the following chair supporters whose players are not present at this concert: Andrew Davenport • William & Alex de Winton • Friends of the Orchestra • Sir Simon Robey • Victoria Robey OBE Bianca & Stuart Roden • Eric Tomsett • Neil Westreich

8 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme notes

Speedread ‘All happy families resemble one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.’ The opening of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina has always been cause for debate. Yet the famous Russian author’s observation about the various shades of unhappiness could well apply to the sometimes sorrowful works featured in tonight’s programme, all of which were written by composers who knew and loved the work of Tolstoy. Sibelius’s Valse triste, a ghostly memory of a waltz, became one of his most popular hits and reveals something of the symptomatic melancholy of his music. Rachmaninoff had been particularly low ahead of writing his Second Piano Concerto, following the disastrous

Jean Sibelius

premiere of his First Symphony. The composer’s friends even arranged for him to meet Tolstoy, in the hope that it might rekindle his inspiration.

When Rachmaninoff finally revealed his new Piano Concerto to the world, many were dazzled by its virtuosity, though other passages – not least the central Adagio – indicate much more doleful thoughts. Nobody, however, hearing Rachmaninoff’s idol Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathétique’ Symphony could be in any doubt of its prevailing mood. Written just months before his death, this lachrymose masterpiece, composed with an unspoken and highly personal programme in mind, became the composer’s own Requiem.

Valse triste

1865–1957

Famous as a stand-alone concert work, Sibelius’s Valse triste began life as part of incidental music for a play by the composer’s brother-in-law, Arvid Järnefelt.

Kuolema, a strangely symbolic drama, concerns the young Paavali, whose father has died and whose mother is on her deathbed as the curtain rises on Act I. Feeling ill, she falls asleep and begins to dream of dancers filling the room. Paavali’s mother joins them, but is constantly interrupted by the figure of death knocking at her door.

This eerie scene called for particularly evocative music and Sibelius provided a piece marked ‘Tempo di valse lente’. Further theatrical productions in Scandinavia used the haunting dance, though it was after its first concert performance by the Philharmonic Society in Helsinki in 1904 that Valse triste, as it was retitled, took on a life of its own – indeed, the original theatrical version does not survive.

Blossoming from pizzicato notes into bowed life and with muted strings, Sibelius’s slow waltz strikes an otherworldly note. The harmonies are somewhat indistinct and although the music eventually moves towards G major, the feeling of a minor key is apparent throughout. After the melody has slowly wended its chromatic way, a happier, lightly tripping section follows, whose equal four-bar phrases recall the waltzes of Vienna. But like so many reminiscences, this Valse triste turns sour, bursting out as a danse macabre, before closing with a sorrowful sigh.

Please note that this piece replaces the originally advertised work.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 9

Programme notes continued

Serge Rachmaninoff 1873–1943

Rachmaninoff first made his name as a pianist.

A virtuoso in the grand tradition of Chopin and Liszt, his fame soon spread beyond Russia. He came to London in 1899 and made his debut at the Queen’s Hall. At the same concert, he conducted his orchestral work The Rock, as well as playing his imposing Prelude in C sharp minor and other piano pieces. Although happy with the success of the concert, the Philharmonic Society had expected Rachmaninoff to appear with his Second Piano Concerto (not a note of which had been written). Truth be told, Rachmaninoff was in no mood to compose.

The premiere of his First Symphony in 1897 had been a disaster. Although the quality of the performance was partly to blame, there can be no doubt that his compatriot Cui’s description of a ‘programme symphony on the Seven Plagues of Egypt’ had significantly dented Rachmaninoff’s pride. For three years, he hardly wrote a note. Something – or someone – had to break the deadlock.

Although busying himself with his newfound career as a conductor (as well as regular appearances at the piano), Rachmaninoff’s composing ambitions seemed dead in the water. Friends arranged for him to meet Tolstoy, in an attempt to rekindle the composer’s inspiration, but it was useless. Instead, it was a hypnosis-practising physician who finally achieved the necessary breakthrough and Rachmaninoff slowly returned to composition, first completing passages of his opera Francesca da Rimini and then beginning his much-vaunted Second Piano Concerto.

The work emerges from a period of self-doubt with an ever-emboldening sequence of chords. They trigger

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 Mark Bebbington piano 1 Moderato 2 Adagio sostenuto – Più animato – Tempo I 3 Allegro scherzando

tearing arpeggios and a bruised string theme. A more yearning second section moves us into a major key via a flare of horns. Having been submerged within the thick textures of the orchestra, the piano now comes to the surface. Rising melodies are accompanied by tumbling left-hand arpeggios, giving a feeling of emotional freedom. Thick chromatic harmonies intensify these gestures, while various solos from the woodwind and horns weave amorous dialogues with the piano.

A development follows, seemingly unaffected by the turmoil of what has gone before. But once we reach a restatement of the opening themes, the piano’s manic march figure underlines that the feelings professed are not to be taken lightly.

At the beginning of the second movement, as at the opening of the Concerto, the piano plays a series of arpeggios, though here they are much more reflective.

A flute states a new theme which is passed to the clarinet, sounding against a halo of strings. Harmonic shifts deepen these sentiments in a series of variations, moving freely between orchestra and piano.

The finale begins with a whirlingly impudent dance, shifting us back to the overriding C minor tonality.

Snappy rhythms and virtuoso blurs give way to a pounding rhapsody. There is evidently unfinished emotional business and the rapid tempo slumps into a brooding new theme. The piano responds, complete with aching suspensions, and it is this material that comes to dominate. Although the orchestra tries to whip up the tempo, the piano leads it in a huge restatement of the principal melody, triumphant in its amorous glory, before the assembled forces launch into a joyful coda.

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

10 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–93

At the beginning of 1893, the year in which he died, Tchaikovsky wrote to his beloved nephew ‘Bob’ Davïdov.

While on my travels I had an idea for another symphony – a programme work this time, but its programme will remain a mystery to everyone – let them guess. But the Symphony will be called ‘Programme Symphony’ (No. 6) […] This programme is imbued with subjectivity. During my journey, while composing it in my thoughts, I often wept a great deal.

And so began the life of Tchaikovsky’s enigmatic ‘Pathétique’ Symphony. Some have seen it as the completion of a series of symphonies concerning the subject of fate, beginning with the brooding Fourth and the ‘Manfred’, continuing in their triumphant successor, the Fifth, and concluding with the ‘Pathétique’.

Dedicated to ‘Bob’, with whom Tchaikovsky had developed a serious infatuation – if not a relationship – the Symphony has also been described as a ‘tragedy of the heart’. Its allusions to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Bizet’s Carmen certainly indicate a love outside society’s norms, while the references to Tchaikovsky’s own fate-obsessed stage works further outline this tacit programme. The composer’s (gay) brother Modest highlighted the narrative when he gave the Symphony its famous sobriquet.

The work begins with a bleak Adagio in B minor, the central key of the ‘Manfred’ Symphony, Swan Lake and The Queen of Spades. Its rising gestures will return in contrary motion at the end of the Symphony, but here they echo the opening of Beethoven’s ‘Pathétique’ Piano Sonata, as well as music from the Russian Orthodox funeral service. There follows furtive, scurrying sounds and then something more brutal, in marked contrast to the prolonged and unmistakably

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 (Pathétique) 1 Adagio – Allegro non troppo – Andante – Moderato mosso – Allegro vivo – Andante come prima – Andante mosso 2 Allegro con grazia 3 Allegro molto vivace 4 Finale: Adagio lamentoso – Andante

romantic D major second subject that could well represent a pair of lovers.

The second movement is an uneven waltz, in 5/4 time, a perversion of the happy dances in Tchaikovsky’s ballets. Particularly expressive is the return of B minor in the second section, ‘with a little sweetness and plaintively’, whose melodic shape traces the descending line of the D major melody in the first movement, now offering a sad remembrance of things past.

The ensuing Allegro molto vivace sounds more like a finale, with a strident march recalling the last movement of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. Likewise, it looks forward to the Rondo-Burleske in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony and the chilling sounds of Stalinist Russia that would come to characterise Shostakovich’s work.

In Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathétique’, this march leaves a trail of total destruction, as evinced by the final Adagio lamentoso, again suggesting the sombre mood of the Orthodox funeral service as the music peters out into silence.

Death was certainly on Tchaikovsky’s mind when he wrote that his Symphony suggested the mood of his recently departed friend Aleksey Apukhtin’s poem Requiem. Choreographer George Balanchine went even further, suggesting that ‘Tchaikovsky had written his own Requiem’. Indeed, such ideas are given greater substance when placed in the context of the work’s performance history. Within nine days of conducting its premiere in St Petersburg on 28 October 1893, Tchaikovsky was dead – the reasons behind his demise remain a mystery. For a man who had been beleaguered by sadness throughout his life, he had certainly written a fitting epitaph.

Programme notes © Gavin Plumley London Philharmonic Orchestra | 11

‘Burningly intense and focused’ The Telegraph on Freddy Kempf

Freddy Kempf piano Ben Thomson tuba Antoine Marguier conductor

The United Nations Orchestra In aid of

war orphans

Mozart

Overture, The Magic Flute Piano Concerto No 21

Delius

La Calinda

Vaughan Williams

Three English Folk Songs Tuba Concerto

Elgar

Nimrod from Enigma Variations

Sat 1 Jul, 7.30pm Brighton Dome brightondome.org 01273 709709

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 | 13

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

Eric Tomsett Laurence Watt Michael & Ruth West

Orchestra Circle Natalia Semenova & Dimitri Gourji The Tsukanov Family

Silver Patrons Mrs Molly Borthwick Peter & Fiona Espenhahn Mrs Irina Gofman David Goldstone CBE LLB FRICS Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe John & Angela Kessler Vadim & Natalia Levin Mrs Elena Lileeva & Dr Adrian Pabst The Metherell Family Mr Brian Smith The Viney Family Guy & Utti Whittaker

Principal Associates An anonymous donor Mr Peter Cullum CBE Alexander & Elena Djaparidze Dr Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Sergey Sarkisov & Rusiko Makhashvili Neil Westreich

Associates Oleg & Natalya Pukhov Sir Simon Robey Stuart & Bianca Roden Barry Grimaldi William & Alex de Winton Gold Patrons An anonymous donor Mrs Evzen Balko David & Yi Buckley Garf & Gill Collins Andrew Davenport Georgy Djaparidze Sonja Drexler Mrs Gillian Fane Hamish & Sophie Forsyth Drs Oliver & Asha Foster Simon & Meg Freakley David & Victoria Graham Fuller Wim & Jackie Hautekiet-Clare The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Alexandra Jupin & John Bean James R D Korner Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Geoff & Meg Mann Caroline, Jamie & Zander Sharp Julian & Gill Simmonds Virginia Slaymaker

Bronze Patrons An anonymous donor Valentina & Dmitry Aksenov Dr Christopher Aldren Michael Allen Mr Jeremy Bull Richard Buxton Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Bruno De Kegel David Ellen Mrs Marie-Laure Favre-Gilly de Varennes de Bueil Igor & Lyuba Galkin Mr Daniel Goldstein Mr Gavin Graham Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Mr Martin Hattrell Mr Colm Kelleher Rose & Dudley Leigh Drs Frank & Gek Lim Mrs Angela Lynch Peter MacDonald Eggers William & Catherine MacDougall Mr & Mrs David Malpas Mr Adrian Mee Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Noel Otley JP and Mrs Rachel Davies Mrs Rosemarie Pardington

14 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Ms Olga Pavlova Mr Michael Posen Mrs Karmen Pretel-Martines Dr Eva Lotta & Mr Thierry Sciard Tom & Phillis Sharpe Mr & Mrs G Stein Sergei & Elena Sudakova Captain Mark Edward Tennant Ms Sharon Thomas Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Grenville & Krysia Williams Christopher Williams Mr Anthony Yolland Principal Supporters Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Roger & Clare Barron Mr Geoffrey Bateman Mrs A Beare Mr Charles Bott Mr Graham Brady Mr Gary Brass Mr Richard Brass Mr Frederick Brittenden David & Patricia Buck Dr Anthony Buckland Sir Terry Burns GCB Mr Alan C Butler Mr Pascal Cagni Mrs Alan Carrington Dr Archibald E Carter The Countess June Chichester Mr & Mrs Stewart Cohen Mr Alistair Corbett Mr Alfons Cortés Mr David Edwards Ulrike & Benno Engelmann Mr Timothy Fancourt QC Mr Richard Fernyhough Mr Derek B Gray Mr Roger Greenwood Mr Chris Grigg Malcolm Herring Amanda Hill & Daniel Heaf J Douglas Home Ivan Hurry Mr Glenn Hurstfield Mr Peter Jenkins

Per Jonsson Mr Frank Krikhaar Mr Gerald Levin Wg. Cdr. & Mrs M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Paul & Brigitta Lock Mr John Long Mr Nicholas Lyons Mr Peter Mace Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski Elena Mezentseva Andrew T Mills Randall & Maria Moore Dr Karen Morton Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin Pavel & Elena Novoselov Dr Wiebke Pekrull Mr Roger Phillimore Mr James Pickford Andrew & Sarah Poppleton Oleg Pukhov Miss Tatiana Pyatigorskaya Mr Robert Ross Martin & Cheryl Southgate Mr Christopher Stewart Peter Tausig Mr Jonathan Townley Andrew & Roanna Tusa Marina Vaizey Howard & Sheelagh Watson Des & Maggie Whitelock Bill Yoe Supporters Mr Clifford Brown Miss Siobhan Cervin Miss Lynn Chapman Mr Joshua Coger Mr Geoffrey A Collens Timothy Colyer Miss Tessa Cowie Lady Jane Cuckney OBE Ms Holly Dunlap Mr Nigel Dyer Ms Susanne Feldthusen Mrs Janet Flynn Mr Nick Garland Dr Geoffrey Guy The Jackman Family

Mrs Svetlana Kashinskaya Niels Kroninger Mr Christopher Langridge Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington Miss S M Longson Mr David Macfarlane Mr John Meloy Miss Lucyna Mozyrko Mr Leonid Ogarev Mr Stephen Olton Mr David Peters Mr Ivan Powell Mr & Mrs Graham & Jean Pugh Mr Christopher Queree Mr James A Reece Mr Olivier Rosenfeld Mr David Russell Mr Kenneth Shaw Mr Kevin Shaw Mr Barry Smith Ms Natalie Spraggon James & Virginia Turnball Michael & Katie Urmston Timothy Walker AM Mr Berent Wallendahl Mr John Weekes Edward & Catherine Williams Mr C D Yates Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd Hon. Life Members Kenneth Goode Carol Colburn Grigor CBE Pehr G Gyllenhammar Robert Hill Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE 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: Jenny Ireland Co-Chairman William A. Kerr Co-Chairman Xenia Hanusiak Alexandra Jupin

Kristina McPhee David Oxenstierna Natalie Pray Antonia Romeo Hon. Chairman Noel Kilkenny Hon. Director Victoria Robey OBE Hon. Director Richard Gee, Esq Of Counsel Jenifer L. Keiser, CPA, EisnerAmper LLP Stephanie Yoshida Corporate Donors Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP Goldman Sachs Linklaters London Stock Exchange Group Morgan Lewis Phillips Auction House Pictet Bank Corporate Members Gold Sunshine Silver Accenture After Digital Berenberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce Bronze Ageas BTO Management Consulting AG Charles Russell Speechlys Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Willis Towers Watson Preferred Partners Corinthia Hotel London Heineken Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd London Orthopaedic Clinic Sipsmith Steinway Villa Maria In-kind Sponsor Google Inc

Trusts and Foundations Axis Foundation The Bernarr Rainbow Trust The Boltini Trust Borletti-Buitoni Trust Boshier-Hinton Foundation The Candide Trust Cockayne – Grants for the Arts The Ernest Cook Trust Diaphonique, Franco-British Fund for contemporary music The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The Equitable Charitable Trust The Foyle Foundation The Goldsmiths’ Company Lucille Graham Trust Help Musicians UK Derek Hill Foundation John Horniman’s Children’s Trust The Idlewild Trust Kirby Laing Foundation The Leverhulme Trust The London Community Foundation London Stock Exchange Group Foundation Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Marsh Christian Trust The Mercers’ Company Adam Mickiewicz Institute The Stanley Picker Trust The Radcliffe Trust Rivers Foundation The R K Charitable Trust RVW Trust The Sampimon Trust Schroder Charity Trust Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation The David Solomons Charitable Trust Souter Charitable Trust Spears-Stutz Charitable Trust The John Thaw Foundation The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation UK Friends of the FelixMendelssohn-BartholdyFoundation

Garfield Weston Foundation The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust and all others who wish to remain anonymous.

London Philharmonic Orchestra | 15

Administration

Board of Directors Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Stewart McIlwham* President Gareth Newman* Vice-President Roger Barron Richard Brass David Buckley Desmond Cecil CMG Bruno de Kegel Dr Catherine C. Høgel Rachel Masters* Al MacCuish Julian Metherell George Peniston* Kevin Rundell* Natasha Tsukanova Mark Vines* Timothy Walker AM Neil Westreich David Whitehouse* * Player-Director Advisory Council Victoria Robey OBE Chairman Rob Adediran Christopher Aldren Dr Manon Antoniazzi Richard Brass David Buckley 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 Martin Höhmann Rehmet Kassim-Lakha Jamie Korner Clive Marks OBE FCA Stewart McIlwham Nadya Powell Sir Bernard Rix Baroness Shackleton Lord Sharman of Redlynch OBE Thomas Sharpe QC Julian Simmonds Barry Smith Martin Southgate Sir John Tooley Chris Viney Timothy Walker AM Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter

Chief Executive

Education and Community

Public Relations

Timothy Walker AM Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Isabella Kernot Education Director

Albion Media (Tel: 020 3077 4930)

Talia Lash Education and Community Project Manager

Archives

Tom Proctor PA to the Chief Executive / Administrative Assistant Finance

Lucy Sims Education and Community Project Manager

David Burke General Manager and Finance Director

Richard Mallett Education and Community Producer

Frances Slack Finance and Operations Manager

Development

Dayse Guilherme Finance Officer Concert Management Roanna Gibson Concerts Director (maternity leave)

Nick Jackman Development Director Catherine Faulkner Development Events Manager Laura Luckhurst Corporate Relations Manager Rosie Morden Individual Giving Manager

Liz Forbes Concerts Director (maternity cover)

Anna Quillin Trusts and Foundations Manager

Graham Wood Concerts and Recordings Manager

Ellie Franklin Development Assistant

Sophie Kelland Tours Manager Tamzin Aitken Glyndebourne and UK Engagements Manager Alison Jones Concerts and Recordings Co-ordinator

Amy Sugarman Development Assistant Kirstin Peltonen Development Associate Marketing Kath Trout Marketing Director

Jo Cotter Tours Co-ordinator

Libby Papakyriacou Marketing Manager

Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant

Martin Franklin Digital Projects Manager

Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager

Samantha Cleverley Box Office Manager (Tel: 020 7840 4242)

Sarah Holmes Librarian Sarah Thomas Librarian Christopher Alderton Stage Manager Damian Davis Transport Manager Madeleine Ridout Orchestra Co-ordinator and Auditions Administrator

16 | London Philharmonic Orchestra

Rachel Williams Publications Manager Anna O’Connor Marketing Co-ordinator Oli Frost Marketing Assistant

Philip Stuart Discographer Gillian Pole Recordings Archive Professional Services Charles Russell Speechlys Solicitors Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP Auditors Dr Barry Grimaldi Honorary Doctor Mr Chris Aldren Honorary ENT Surgeon Mr Brian Cohen Mr Simon Owen-Johnstone Honorary Orthopaedic Surgeons London Philharmonic Orchestra 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 Box Office: 020 7840 4242 Email: admin@lpo.org.uk lpo.org.uk The London Philharmonic Orchestra Limited is a registered charity No. 238045.

Composer photographs courtesy of the Royal College of Music, London.

Cover design Ross Shaw @ JMG Studio Cover copywriting Jim Davies Printer Cantate