LPO programme 29 Nov 2024 - Swan Lake

2024/25 season at the Southbank Centre

FREE CONCERT PROGRAMME

99524 LH Lindt LPO Excellence Advert Update v2.pdf

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14/08/2024

11:50

Discover Excellence, Expect Delicious.

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Belgravia · Hampstead · Holland Park · Kensington · King’s Road Knightsbridge · Muswell Hill · Notting Hill · Wimbledon

Principal Conductor Edward Gardner supported by Aud Jebsen Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski KBE Patron HRH The Duke of Kent KG Artistic Director Elena Dubinets Chief Executive David Burke Leader Pieter Schoeman supported by Neil Westreich

Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Friday 29 November 2024 | 7.30pm

Swan Lake Weber Overture, Oberon (10’) Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme (18’) Interval (20’) Tchaikovsky Selections from Swan Lake (40’) Tianyi Lu conductor Zlatomir Fung cello *Please note that Tianyi Lu replaces Sir Andrew Davis after the sad news of his death.

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

Concert presented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Contents 2

Welcome LPO news 3 On stage tonight 4 London Philharmonic Orchestra 5 Leader: Pieter Schoeman 6 Tianyi Lu 7 Zlatomir Fung 8 Programme notes 11 Recommended recordings 12 Next concerts 13 Sound Futures donors 14 Thank you 16 LPO administration

London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Welcome

LPO news

Welcome to the Southbank Centre

Brand new recordings: Tippett & Dean on the LPO Label

We’re the largest arts centre in the UK and one of the nation’s top visitor attractions, showcasing the world’s most exciting artists at our venues in the heart of London. We’re here to present great cultural experiences that bring people together, and open up the arts to everyone.

Today (29 November) sees the release of two new titles on the LPO’s own record label. The first features works

by Michael Tippett conducted by Edward Gardner, pairing the Piano Concerto, performed by Steven Osborne, and the Symphony No. 2.

The second is a compilation of works by former LPO Composer-in-Residence Brett Dean, capturing seven performances – including several premiere recordings – from during his residency, including In spe contra spem, Amphitheatre, The Players, and the viola and cello concertos.

Both releases are available as physical CDs from retailers, as well as to stream or download via all major platforms including Apple Music Classical, Spotify and Amazon Music. Scan the QR codes below to listen now!

The Southbank Centre is made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Hayward Gallery, National Poetry Library and Arts Council Collection. We’re one of London’s favourite meeting spots, with lots of free events and places to relax, eat and shop next to the Thames.

We hope you enjoy your visit. If you need any information or help, please ask a member of staff.

You can also email hello@southbankcentre.co.uk or write to us at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Subscribers to our email updates are the first to hear about new events, offers and competitions.

Just head to our website to sign up.

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Christmas gifts from the LPO Thinking about your Christmas shopping? LPO gift vouchers are the perfect option – vouchers can be purchased for any amount, are presented in a smart gift envelope, and can be redeemed against any concert in the LPO season at the Southbank Centre within a year of purchase. Or how about a gift membership to our LPO Friends scheme? Get up close to the Orchestra with opportunities to see behind the scenes at members’ rehearsals and special events throughout the season. It’s the perfect gift for music connoisseurs and newcomers alike. Gift membership starts at just £60 (£6 per month equivalent).

The paper used for all LPO brochures and concert programmes has been sourced from responsibly managed forests, certified in accordance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). It is also Carbon Balanced, meaning the carbon impact of its production is offset by the World Land Trust through the purchase and preservation of ecologically important forestry under imminent threat of clearance.

If you don’t want to take your programme home, please make use of the recycling bins in the Royal Festival Hall foyers. Please also use these bins to recycle any plastic drinks glasses after the concert. Thank you.

Visit lpo.org.uk/gifts to find out more or buy online.

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

On stage tonight First Violins

Cellos

Chair supported by Neil Westreich

Chair supported by Bianca & Stuart Roden

Pieter Schoeman* Leader

Alice Ivy-Pemberton Co-Leader Vesselin Gellev Sub-Leader Kate Oswin Chair supported by Eric Tomsett

Lasma Taimina

Chair supported by Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave

Minn Majoe

Chair supported by Dr Alex & Maria Chan

Elizaveta Tyun Katalin Varnagy Martin Höhmann Yang Zhang Cassandra Hamilton Thomas Eisner

Chair supported by Ryze Power

Katherine Waller Eve Kennedy

Second Violins

Tania Mazzetti Principal Claudia Tarrant-Matthews Ashley Stevens Nynke Hijlkema Fiona Higham

Kristina Blaumane Principal Leo Melvin Waynne Kwon Henry Hargreaves David Lale Jane Lindsay Francis Bucknall Silvestrs Kalniņš Helen Thomas George Hoult

Double Basses

Kevin Rundell* Principal Hugh Kluger George Peniston Tom Walley

Horns

John Ryan* Principal Martin Hobbs Mark Vines Co-Principal Gareth Mollison Amadea Dazeley-Gaist

Trumpets

Paul Beniston* Principal Anne McAneney*

Chair supported in memory of Peter Coe

Cornets

Tom Nielsen Co-Principal Tony Cross

Trombones

Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton

Mark Templeton* Principal

Chair supported by Ian Ferguson & Susan Tranter

David Whitehouse

Laura Murphy Lowri Estell

Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton

Bass Trombone

Lyndon Meredith Principal

Flutes

Juliette Bausor Principal Alberta Brown

Tuba

Kate Birchall Marie-Anne Mairesse Joseph Maher Nancy Elan Sioni Williams Ricky Gore Sheila Law

Piccolo

Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton

Violas

Clarinets

Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley

Stewart McIlwham* Principal

Timpani

Simon Carrington* Principal

Oboes

Ian Hardwick* Principal Alice Munday

Chair supported by Victoria Robey CBE

Percussion

Andrew Barclay* Principal

Rachel Roberts Guest Principal Katharine Leek Lucia Ortiz Sauco Martin Wray

Thomas Watmough Principal

Benedetto Pollani Shiry Rashkovsky Stanislav Popov Raquel López Bolívar Alistair Scahill James Heron

Simon Estell* Helen Storey*

Chair supported by David & Bettina Harden

Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal

Chair supported by Roger Greenwood

Paul Richards*

Chair supported by Gill & Garf Collins

Karen Hutt

Oliver Yates

Harp

Bassoons

Suzy Willison-Kawalec Guest Principal

Chair supported by Friends of the Orchestra

*Professor at a London conservatoire

The LPO also acknowledges the following chair supporters whose players are not present at this concert: Sir Nigel Boardman & Prof. Lynda Gratton | Dr Barry Grimaldi | Sir Simon Robey

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

© Mark Allan

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Sharing the wonder worldwide

Uniquely groundbreaking and exhilarating to watch and hear, the London Philharmonic Orchestra has been celebrated as one of the world’s great orchestras since Sir Thomas Beecham founded it in 1932. Our mission is to share wonder with the modern world through the power of orchestral music, which we accomplish through live performances, online, and an extensive education and community programme, cementing our position as a leading orchestra for the 21st century.

We’re one of the world’s most-streamed orchestras, with over 15 million plays of our content each month. In 2023 we were the most successful orchestra worldwide on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, with over 1.1m followers across all platforms, and in spring 2024 we featured in a TV documentary series on Sky Arts: ‘Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra’, still available to watch via Now TV. During 2024/25 we’re once again working with Marquee TV to broadcast selected live concerts to enjoy from your own living room.

Our home is at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, where we’re at the beating heart of London’s cultural life. You’ll also find us at our resident venues in Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden, and on tour worldwide. In 2024 we celebrated 60 years as Resident Symphony Orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, combining the magic of opera with Glyndebourne’s glorious setting in the Sussex countryside.

Our conductors Our Principal Conductors have included some of the greatest historic names like Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Klaus Tennstedt and Kurt Masur. In 2021 Edward Gardner became our 13th Principal Conductor, and Vladimir Jurowski became Conductor Emeritus in recognition of his impact as Principal Conductor from 2007–21. Karina Canellakis is our current Principal Guest Conductor, and Tania León our Composer-in-Residence.

Soundtrack to key moments Everyone will have heard the Grammy-nominated London Philharmonic Orchestra, whether it’s playing the world’s National Anthems for every medal ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, our iconic recording with Pavarotti that made Nessun Dorma a global football anthem, or closing the flotilla at The Queen’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. And you’ll almost certainly have heard us on the soundtracks for major films including The Lord of the Rings.

Next generations We’re committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians and music-lovers: we love seeing the joy of children and families experiencing their first musical moments, and we’re passionate about inspiring schools and teachers through dedicated concerts, workshops,

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Pieter Schoeman Leader

Today’s young instrumentalists are the orchestra members of the future, and we have a number of opportunities to support their progression. Our LPO Junior Artists programme leads the way in creating pathways into the profession for young artists from under-represented communities, and our LPO Young Composers and Foyle Future Firsts schemes support the next generation of professional musicians, bridging the transition from education to professional careers.

We also recently launched the LPO Conducting Fellowship, supporting the development of two outstanding early-career conductors from backgrounds under-represented in the profession.

© Benjamin Ealovega

resources and training. Reflecting our values of collaboration and inclusivity, our OrchLab and Open Sound Ensemble projects offer music-making opportunities for adults and young people with disabilities and special educational needs.

Pieter Schoeman was appointed Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008, having previously been Co-Leader since 2002. He is also a Professor of Violin at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance.

2024/25 season Principal Conductor Edward Gardner leads the Orchestra in an exciting 2024/25 season, with soloists including Joyce DiDonato, Leif Ove Andsnes, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Víkingur Ólafsson and Isabelle Faust, and works including Strauss’s Alpine Symphony, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe and Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.

Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis joins us for three concerts including Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, and Mozart with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. We’ll also welcome back Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski, as well as guest conductors including Mark Elder, Lidiya Yankovskaya, Robin Ticciati and Kevin John Edusei.

Pieter has performed worldwide as a soloist and recitalist in such famous halls as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Moscow’s Rachmaninoff Hall, Capella Hall in St Petersburg, Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. As a chamber musician he regularly appears at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall.

His chamber music partners have included Anne-Sophie Mutter, Veronika Eberle, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Boris Garlitsky, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Martin Helmchen and Julia Fischer.

Pieter has performed numerous times as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Highlights have included an appearance as both conductor and soloist in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at the Royal Festival Hall, the Brahms Double Concerto with Kristina Blaumane, Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and the Britten Double Concerto with Alexander Zemtsov, which was recorded and released on the LPO Label to great critical acclaim.

Throughout the season we’ll explore the relationship between music and memory in our ‘Moments Remembered’ series, featuring works like Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony, Strauss’s Metamorphosen and John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls. During the season there’ll be the chance to hear brand new works by composers including Freya Waley-Cohen and David Sawer, as well as performances by renowned soloists violinist Gidon Kremer, sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, soprano Renée Fleming and many more.

The season also features tours to Japan, the USA, China and across Europe, as well as a calendar bursting with performances and community events in our Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden residencies.

Pieter has appeared as Guest Leader with the BBC, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon and Baltimore symphony orchestras; the Rotterdam and BBC Philharmonic orchestras; and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Pieter’s chair in the LPO is generously supported by Neil Westreich.

lpo.org.uk

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Tianyi Lu conductor

In August 2024 Tianyi Lu made her BBC Proms debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and cellist Sol Gabetta. This season also sees debuts with the New York Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt and Staatsorchester Stuttgart. Return engagements include the MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Seattle Symphony and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, among others. © Marco Borggreve

Passionately committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and to building a more empathetic world through the arts, Tianyi Lu is on the Board of Directors for the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and an Artist Ambassador for Opera for Peace. She is regularly invited to speak about her experiences in empowering leadership, transforming cultures, resilience and wellbeing. She has appeared on Welsh National Opera’s Podcast ‘The O Word’; has spoken as a guest for London Marathon Events and the ‘Do More Good’ podcast; and conducted and hosted ‘Ears Wide Open’ concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Internationally known for her thrilling energy on the podium, her deeply creative approach to the repertoire, and her open-hearted style of leadership, Chinese-born New Zealander Tianyi Lu collaborates with major orchestras and opera houses worldwide. Her work is driven by an ethos of empowerment, creating connection and compassion across diverse communities through music.

Tianyi Lu completed her Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting with Distinction at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2015, where she studied with David Jones. She has assisted and attended masterclasses with Sir Andrew Davis, Xian Zhang, Daniele Gatti and Bernard Haitink, and is an alumnus of the Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera. Other teachers and mentors have included Sian Edwards, Carlo Rizzi, Neemi Järvi, Alexander Polianichko, Kenneth Kiesler, Carlo Montanaro and Alice Farnham.

After winning First Prize in 2020 at both the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition and the International Conducting Competition ‘Guido Cantelli’ in Italy, Tianyi Lu was appointed Conductor-inResidence with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway, a position she held until the end of the 2023/24 season. She was Principal Conductor of the St Woolos Sinfonia in Wales until 2024, and Assistant Conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from 2017–19.

Tianyi Lu made her London Philharmonic Orchestra debut last December, when she conducted a programme of Beethoven and Rimsky-Korsakov at the Royal Festival Hall. Other recent highlights include concerts and recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. A former Dudamel Fellow, Tianyi made her Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2021, and returned for her Disney Hall debut in April 2023. In autumn 2021, she conducted performances of Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, and in 2023 she appeared at Theater Basel to conduct the world premiere of Bobbi Jene Smith’s production of ‘Marie & Pierre’, composed for the Theater Basel by Celeste Oram.

Sir Andrew Davis CBE, 1944–2024 Tonight’s concert was originally scheduled to be conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Following the sad news of Sir Andrew’s death in April 2024, we were grateful to Tianyi Lu for stepping in to conduct this concert. Sir Andrew was a mentor to Tianyi at the very beginning of her career, and also a dear friend.

She would like to dedicate tonight’s concert ‘in remembrance of the profound impact he had on so many lives’.

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Zlatomir Fung cello

envelops every score he plays in an almost palpable golden aura’. Other recent highlights include returns to the Wigmore Hall and appearances at the Verbier, Dresden, Janáček May and Tsinandali festivals, Cello Biennale, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, ChamberFest Cleveland and Aspen Music Festival.

Alongside demonstrating a mastery of the canon, Zlatomir brings an exceptional insight into the depths of contemporary repertoire, championing composers such as Unsuk Chin, Katherine Balch and Anna Clyne.

In 2023, with the Dallas Symphony under the baton of Gemma New, he gave the world premiere of Katherine Balch’s Whisper Concerto with ‘jaw-dropping brilliance’ (Dallas Morning News), as dedicatee of the work.

In 2019 Zlatomir Fung became the youngest cellist ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. A winner of the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2017 Astral National Auditions, he has also taken top prizes at the 2018 Alice & Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition, the 2016 George Enescu International Cello Competition, the 2015 Johansen International Competition for Young String Players, the 2014 Stulberg International String Competition and the 2014 Irving Klein International Competition. He was selected as a 2016 US Presidential Scholar for the Arts, and was awarded the 2016 Landgrave von Hesse Prize at the Kronberg Academy Cello Masterclasses.

Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, Zlatomir Fung is poised to become one of the preeminent cellists of our time. He made his London Philharmonic Orchestra debut in February 2023, performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations in Brighton and Eastbourne under conductor Gergely Madaras.

Tonight marks his Royal Festival Hall debut.

Last season saw Zlatomir as Artist-in-Residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, appearing in three concerts at London’s Cadogan Hall and touring the UK with the orchestra. In North America, he made his concerto debuts with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Festival and with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Further afield, he made debuts with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and with the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra at the WeiWuYing Festival, and embarked on extensive tours of Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Other recent concerto highlights include his debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lille, BBC Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Of Bulgarian and Chinese heritage, Zlatomir Fung began playing cello at the age of three, and later earned fellowships at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Heifetz International Music Institute, MusicAlp, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. A proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship, he studied at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy, and in 2024 was appointed to the cello faculty there.

This season sees debuts with the Polish National Radio Symphony, Barcelona Symphony and George Enescu Philharmonic orchestras. Further afield, Zlatomir returns to Taiwan to perform the Rococo Variations with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden, and with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with Andreas Delfs. On the recital stage, he appears in New York and Boston, and tours France, Italy and Japan.

Zlatomir Fung was announced as a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Winner in 2022. He plays a circa 1730 cello

by Domenico Montagnana, on loan from a generous benefactor.

Zlatomir Fung made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2021, and was described by Bachtrack as being ‘one of those rare musicians with a Midas touch: he quickly

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Programme notes Carl Maria von Weber 1786–1826

Overture, Oberon 1826

composer, however, the strain of the journey and of numerous rehearsals, performances and social events was too much: on 5 June – the day before he was due to return to Germany – he was found dead in his lodgings in Great Portland Street.

Courtesy of the Royal College of Music, London

Weber composed the overture to Oberon last, completing it only three days before the premiere.

Like his overtures to Der Freischütz and Euryanthe, it presents in concentrated form some of the elements of the ensuing drama, distilling them into a loose sonata structure. In the slow introduction we hear the short horn figure associated with Oberon himself, followed by fragments of fairy music and the march of Charlemagne’s court. The main body of the piece also contains music from the opera, the surging first theme coming from a quartet in Act 2 and the tender second from one of Huon’s arias, while also included is part of the opera’s best-known number, ‘Ocean! Thou mighty monster’.

Programme note © Lindsay Kemp In August 1824 Weber – dangerously ill with tuberculosis but worried for his family’s financial future – accepted an invitation to compose and conduct a new opera for London’s Covent Garden Theatre. Of the two subjects proposed – Goethe’s Faust and Christoph Martin Wieland’s verse romance Oberon – Weber chose the latter, with its juxtaposition of two stories: a quarrel between the fairy-king Oberon and his queen Titania, and the more earthly concerns of Sir Huon of Bordeaux, a knight of Charlemagne.

Although Oberon is considered by some to be Wieland’s finest creation, the English libretto prepared for Weber

by James Robinson Planché is a much less perfect work which turns the poem into a nonsensical mixture of pantomime and spectacle, yet the opera was warmly received at its première on 12 April 1826. For its ailing

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Programme notes Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–93

Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 1876/77 Zlatomir Fung cello

I Moderato quasi Andante II Tema: Moderato semplice III Variazione 1: Tempo del Tema IV Variazione 2: Tempo del Tema V Variazione 3: Andante sostenuto VI Variazione 4: Andante grazioso VII Variazione 5: Allegro moderato VIII Cadenza IX Variazione 6: Andante X Variazione 7 e Coda: Allegro vivo

In the cello, Tchaikovsky found the ideal vehicle for his own brand of melancholy-tinged Romanticism.

And in the cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, the composer encountered the human inspiration he needed to write a handful of works for the instrument. Fitzenhagen, a German, became a student at the Moscow Conservatoire in 1870 where he struck up a friendship with Tchaikovsky, playing the cello in the first performances of the composer’s string quartets.

Soon enough, Tchaikovsky was persuaded to write a series of works for his friend.

the theme himself, which was probably intended as a salute to Mozart. Its cheerful, skipping disposition conceals the severe depression Tchaikovsky was experiencing when he wrote it. His new opera Vakula the Smith and his ballet Romeo and Juliet had both been lampooned by a faction of hostile critics.

Emotional highs and lows were common in Tchaikovsky’s life. They almost always informed the nature of his music, but not always in the most obvious ways.

There’s little overt tragedy in the Variations, which tend to move between wistful lyricism and virtuoso sparkle.

The first was this set of miniatures for cello and orchestra, based on a theme which the composer labelled Rococo – implying the sort of intricacy and grace associated with a certain form of florid late Baroque architecture and design. Tchaikovsky invented

Before the premiere in Moscow in 1877, Fitzenhagen suggested certain changes, and eventually the composer sanctioned a wholesale re-arrangement by the cellist. Fitzenhagen’s version, which is used today despite the publication of Tchaikovsky’s original some

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Programme notes snippets in the orchestra-soloist exchanges of Variation 2 and outlined with skeletal suggestions in the penultimate Andante (in Variation 5 it’s not heard on the cello at all, but the flute). The piece’s delicacy and inventiveness – and its sense of space and freedom – raise it high above the status of a musical distraction.

When Franz Liszt heard the variations in 1879, he declared that ‘here, at last, is music again.’

years ago, jettisons one of Tchaikovsky’s original variations (there were originally nine) and changes the order of the others.

Fitzenhagen’s edition of the piece came to irritate Tchaikovsky, but there’s no denying it gives the work the feel of a full concerto in its clearer sense of shape and of a journey completed. The original theme is easily traceable through the seven variations even when it’s not technically there: it’s merely implied through

Programme note © Andrew Mellor

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

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–93

Selections from Swan Lake 1877

1 Scène 2 Waltz 3 Dance of the Cygnets 4 Pas d’action 5 Hungarian Dance (Czardas) 6 Russian Dance 7 Spanish Dance 8 Neapolitan Dance 9 Scène: Allegro agitato 10 Scène finale

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Programme notes In his three great ballet scores, Tchaikovsky brought to the world of the dance his unique gifts as a melodist and an orchestral colourist, and also a ‘symphonic’ approach to narrative continuity that emancipated music from its previous role in the Russian ballet as mere accompaniment to a series of divertissements. This must have come as a shock to the audiences of his first ballet, the darkly Romantic Swan Lake, when it was produced at the Imperial Theatre in Moscow in 1877.

Tchaikovsky first had the idea of compiling a concert suite from the score at the time of its first revival in 1882, but apparently never carried it out. There are various suites in existence: tonight’s selection is a sequence chosen by conductor Sir Andrew Davis for tonight’s concert before his untimely death earlier this year.

Courtesy of the Royal College of Music, London

The (anonymous) scenario of Swan Lake is based on a German fairytale. The Princess Odette and her attendants have been captured by the evil magician Rothbart, and during the day appear only as swans on an enchanted lake. Tonight’s music begins with the atmospheric ‘Scene’ that begins the second of the four acts, set by the lakeside at nightfall. In a castle near the lake lives Prince Siegfried, who is coming of age and must now choose a bride. Act I is set at his birthday celebrations, and includes the familiar Waltz, with its graceful main melody and ingenious syncopations.

In Act II, Siegfried, out on a night hunt, sees Odette in human form, and falls in love with her. From the extended ‘Dance of the Swans’ at this point, this selection includes the attractive number that in later productions was renamed ‘Dance of the Cygnets’. This is followed by the scene (or ‘Pas d’action’) for the Prince and Odette, with its lyrical solo writing for violin and, later, cello.

Recommended recordings of tonight’s works

Act III takes place at a ball in the castle, at which Siegfried is expected to choose a bride. The guests are entertained by a series of national dances, beginning with a Hungarian Dance or czardas, in the traditional slow–fast form, followed by a Russian Dance (a virtuoso violin showpiece), a Spanish Dance and a Neapolitan Dance. At the ball, Siegfried is tricked by Rothbart into pledging himself to the magician’s daughter Odile, disguised by magic as Odette. When the deception is revealed, he rushes through a storm to the lakeside.

In the dramatic final Scene, he begs Odette’s forgiveness, and they are united in death beneath the waves, thus vanquishing Rothbart’s magic and freeing the other swans from the spell.

by Laurie Watt Weber: Overture, Oberon The Hanover Band | Anthony Halstead (Nimbus Records: download via Presto Classical) Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) | Berlin Philharmonic | Herbert von Karajan Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia ‘Evgeny Svetlanov’ | Vladimir Jurowski (Pentatone)

Programme note © Anthony Burton

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Next Southbank Centre concerts lpo.org.uk

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Wednesday 15 January 2025 | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall R Strauss Metamorphosen Berg Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 2 Edward Gardner conductor Isabelle Faust violin

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Saturday 18 January 2025 | 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall

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Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

Wednesday 22 January 2025 | 7.30pm Queen Elizabeth Hall Perry Requiem for Orchestra Evan Williams Dead White Man Music (Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Ensemble) Vivaldi The Four Seasons Richard Egarr conductor/harpsichord Alice Ivy-Pemberton violin

London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

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 CBE Emmanuel & Barrie Roman The Underwood Trust

Welser-Möst Circle William & Alex de Winton John Ireland Charitable Trust The Tsukanov Family Foundation Neil Westreich

Tennstedt Circle Valentina & Dmitry Aksenov Richard Buxton The Candide Trust Michael & Elena Kroupeev Kirby Laing Foundation Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Alexey & Anastasia Reznikovich Sir Simon Robey Bianca & Stuart Roden Simon & Vero Turner The late Mr K Twyman

Solti Patrons Ageas John & Manon Antoniazzi Gabor Beyer, through BTO Management Consulting AG Jon Claydon Mrs Mina Goodman & Miss Suzanne Goodman Roddy & April Gow The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Mr James R.D. Korner Christoph Ladanyi & Dr Sophia Ladanyi-Czernin Robert Markwick & Kasia Robinski The Maurice Marks Charitable Trust

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Haitink Patrons Mark & Elizabeth Adams Dr Christopher Aldren Mrs Pauline Baumgartner Lady Jane Berrill Mr Frederick Brittenden David & Yi Yao Buckley Mr Clive Butler Gill & Garf Collins Mr John H Cook Mr Alistair Corbett Bruno De Kegel Georgy Djaparidze David Ellen Christopher Fraser OBE David & Victoria Graham Fuller Goldman Sachs International Mr Gavin Graham Moya Greene Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Tony & Susie Hayes Malcolm Herring Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Mrs Philip Kan Rehmet Kassim-Lakha de Morixe Rose & Dudley Leigh Lady Roslyn Marion Lyons Miss Jeanette Martin Duncan Matthews KC Diana & Allan Morgenthau Charitable Trust Dr Karen Morton Mr Roger Phillimore Ruth Rattenbury The Reed Foundation The Rind Foundation Sir Bernard Rix David Ross & Line Forestier (Canada)

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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 Querée The Rosalyn & Nicholas Springer Charitable Trust Timothy Walker CBE AM Christopher Williams Peter Wilson Smith Mr Anthony Yolland and all other donors who wish to remain anonymous

London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

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

Anonymous donors The American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra William & Alex de Winton Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Aud Jebsen In memory of Mrs Rita Reay Sir Simon & Lady Robey CBE

Orchestra Circle Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Neil Westreich

Principal Associates

An anonymous donor Mrs Irina Andreeva Steven M. Berzin Richard Buxton Gill & Garf Collins In memory of Brenda Lyndoe Casbon In memory of Ann Marguerite Collins Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave Patricia Haitink George Ramishvili In memory of Kenneth Shaw The Tsukanov Family Mr Florian Wunderlich

Associates

In memory of Len & Edna Beech Sir Nigel Boardman & Prof. Lynda Gratton The Candide Trust Stuart & Bianca Roden In memory of Hazel Amy Smith

Gold Patrons

An anonymous donor David & Yi Buckley Dr Alex & Maria Chan In memory of Allner Mavis Channing In memory of Peter Coe Michelle Crowe Hernandez Hamish & Sophie Forsyth Virginia Gabbertas MBE Jenny & Duncan Goldie-Scot Mr Roger Greenwood Malcolm Herring Julian & Gill Simmonds

Drs Frank & Gek Lim Andrew T Mills Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill John Nickson & Simon Rew Peter Noble & L Vella Mikhail Noskov & Vasilina Bindley Simon & Lucy Owen-Johnstone Andrew & Cindy Peck Mr Roger Phillimore Mr Michael Posen Marie Power Sir Bernard Rix Baroness Shackleton Tim Slorick Sir Jim Smith Mrs Maria Toneva Mr Joe Topley & Ms Tracey Countryman Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Andrew & Rosemary Tusa Galina Umanskaia Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood The Viney Family Mr Rodney Whittaker Grenville & Krysia Williams Joanna Williams

Mr Brian Smith Mr Jay Stein Eric Tomsett The Viney Family Guy & Utti Whittaker

Silver Patrons

David Burke & Valerie Graham Clive & Helena Butler John & Sam Dawson Ulrike & Benno Engelmann Fiona Espenhahn in memory of Peter Luke Gardiner Prof. Erol & Mrs Deniz Gelenbe The Jeniffer & Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Iain & Alicia Hasnip John & Angela Kessler Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva Dr Irene Rosner David Tom & Phillis Sharpe Jenny Watson CBE Laurence Watt

Bronze Patrons

Anonymous donors Chris Aldren Michael Allen Alexander & Rachel Antelme Annie Berglof Nicholas Berwin Lorna & Christopher Bown Mr Bernard Bradbury Richard & Jo Brass Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Emmanuelle & Thierry d’Argent Mrs Elizabeth Davies Guy Davies Cameron & Kathryn Doley Ms Elena Dubinets David Ellen Cristina & Malcolm Fallen Mr Daniel Goldstein David & Jane Gosman Mr Gavin Graham Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Eugene & Allison Hayes J Douglas Home Mr & Mrs Jan Mr & Mrs Ralph Kanza Mrs Elena Kolobova & Mr Oleg Kolobov Rose & Dudley Leigh Wg. Cdr. M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF

Principal Supporters

Anonymous donors Julian & Annette Armstrong Chris Banks Mr John D Barnard Roger & Clare Barron Mrs A Beare Chris Benson Peter & Adrienne Breen Dr Anthony Buckland Mr Julien Chilcott-Monk David & Liz Conway Mr Alistair Corbett David Devons Deborah Dolce In memory of Enid Gofton Prof Emeritus John Gruzelier Mrs Farrah Jamal Bruce & Joanna Jenkyn-Jones Per Jonsson Tanya Joseph Mr Ian Kapur Jozef & Helen Kotz Mr Peter Mace Peter Mainprice Miss Rebecca Murray Mrs Terry Neale Mr Stephen Olton

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Mr James Pickford Neil & Karen Reynolds Mr Robert Ross Kseniia Rubina Mr Andrea Santacroce & Olivia Veillet-Lavallée Penny Segal Priscylla Shaw Michael Smith Mr & Mrs G Stein Dr Peter Stephenson Ben Valentin KC Sophie Walker Christopher Williams Liz Winter Elena Y Zeng

Supporters

Anonymous donors Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Robert & Sarah Auerbach Dr Simona Cicero & Mr Mario Altieri Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington Sarah Connor Miss Tessa Cowie Andrew Davenport Stephen Denby Mr Simon Edelsten Steve & Cristina Goldring In memory of Derek Gray Nick Hely-Hutchinson The Jackman Family Molly Jackson Jan Leigh & Jan Rynkiewicz Mr David MacFarlane Simon Moore Simon & Fiona Mortimore Dana Mosevicz Dame Jane Newell DBE Diana G Oosterveld Mr David Peters Mr & Mrs Graham & Jean Pugh Clarence Tan Tony & Hilary Vines Dr June Wakefield Mr John Weekes Mr Roger Woodhouse Mr C D Yates

Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd

London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

Thank you

Hon. Life Members Alfonso Aijón Carol Colburn Grigor CBE Pehr G Gyllenhammar Robert Hill Keith Millar Victoria Robey CBE Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE Cornelia Schmid Timothy Walker CBE AM Laurence Watt

Thomas Beecham Group Members

Sir Nigel Boardman & Prof. Lynda Gratton David & Yi Buckley In memory of Peter Coe Dr Alex & Maria Chan Garf & Gill Collins William & Alex de Winton The Friends of the LPO Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave Mr Roger Greenwood Barry Grimaldi David & Bettina Harden Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Mr & Mrs John Kessler Sir Simon Robey Victoria Robey OBE Stuart & Bianca Roden Julian & Gill Simmonds Eric Tomsett Neil Westreich Guy & Utti Whittaker

LPO Corporate Circle Principal

Bloomberg Carter-Ruck Solicitors French Chamber of Commerce Ryze Power

Tutti

German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce Lazard Natixis Corporate Investment Banking Walpole

Preferred Partners

Board of the American Friends of the LPO

Jeroboams Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd Neal’s Yard Remedies OneWelbeck Sipsmith Steinway & Sons

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: Simon Freakley Chairman Kara Boyle Jon Carter Jay Goffman Alexandra Jupin Natalie Pray MBE Damien Vanderwilt Marc Wassermann Elizabeth Winter Catherine Høgel Hon. Director

In-kind Sponsor Google Inc

Trusts and Foundations

ABO Trust Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne BlueSpark Foundation The Boltini Trust Candide Trust Cockayne Grants for the Arts in London Dunard Fund Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation Foyle Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation Garrick Charitable Trust The Golsoncott Foundation Jerwood Foundation John Coates Charitable Trust John Horniman’s Children’s Trust John Thaw Foundation Idlewild Trust Institute Adam Mickiewicz Kirby Laing Foundation The John S Cohen Foundation The Lennox Hannay Charitable Trust Kurt Weill Foundation Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Lucille Graham Trust The Marchus Trust Maria Bjӧrnson Memorial Fund PRS Foundation The R K Charitable Trust The Radcliffe Trust Rivers Foundation Rothschild Foundation Scops Arts Trust Sir William Boreman’s Foundation TIOC Foundation Vaughan Williams Foundation The Victoria Wood Foundation The Viney Family The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust

LPO International Board of Governors Natasha Tsukanova Chair Mrs Irina Andreeva Steven M. Berzin Shashank Bhagat Irina Gofman Olivia Ma George Ramishvili Florian Wunderlich

and all others who wish to remain anonymous.

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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 29 November 2024 • Swan Lake

London Philharmonic Orchestra Administration Board of Directors

New Generation Board

Finance

Marketing

Dr Catherine C. Høgel Chair Nigel Boardman Vice-Chair Mark Vines* President Kate Birchall* Vice-President Emily Benn David Buckley David Burke Michelle Crowe Hernandez Deborah Dolce Elena Dubinets Simon Estell* Tanya Joseph Katherine Leek* Minn Majoe* Tania Mazzetti* Jamie Njoku-Goodwin Neil Westreich David Whitehouse* Simon Freakley (Ex officio – Chairman of the American Friends of the LPO) *Player-Director

Ellie Ajao Peter De Souza Vivek Haria Rianna Henriques Pasha Orleans-Foli Zerlina Vulliamy

Frances Slack Finance Director

Kath Trout Marketing & Communications Director

Advisory Council

Roger Barron Chairman Christopher Aldren Kate Birchall Richard Brass Helen Brocklebank YolanDa Brown OBE David Burke Simon Burke Simon Callow CBE Desmond Cecil CMG Jane Coulson Andrew Davenport Guillaume Descottes Cameron Doley Elena Dubinets Lena Fankhauser Christopher Fraser OBE Jenny Goldie-Scot Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Nicholas Hely-Hutchinson DL Dr Catherine C. Høgel Martin Höhmann Jamie Korner Andrew Neill Nadya Powell Sir Bernard Rix Victoria Robey CBE Baroness Shackleton Thomas Sharpe KC Julian Simmonds Daisuke Tsuchiya Mark Vines Chris Viney Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter

Dayse Guilherme Finance Manager Jean-Paul Ramotar Finance & IT Officer

General Administration

Education & Community

Elena Dubinets Artistic Director

Talia Lash Education & Community Director

David Burke Chief Executive Ineza Grabowska PA to the Executive & Office Manager

Lowri Davies Eleanor Jones Education & Community Project Managers

Concert Management

Hannah Smith Education & Community Co-ordinator

Roanna Gibson Concerts & Planning Director Graham Wood Concerts & Recordings Manager

Claudia Clarkson Regional Partnerships Manager

Maddy Clarke Tours Manager

Sophie Lonergan (née Harvey) Marketing Manager Rachel Williams Publications Manager Gavin Miller Sales & Ticketing Manager Josh Clark Data, Insights & CRM Manager Georgie Blyth Press & PR Manager Greg Felton Digital Creative Alicia Hartley Digital & Marketing Co-ordinator Isobel Jones Marketing Co-ordinator

Archives Philip Stuart Discographer

Madeleine Ridout Glyndebourne & Projects Manager

Development

Gillian Pole Recordings Archive

Alison Jones Concerts & Artists Co-ordinator

Laura Willis Development Director Rosie Morden Individual Giving Manager

Professional Services

Owen Mortimer Corporate Relations Manager

Dora Kmezić Concerts & Recordings Co-ordinator

Anna Quillin Trusts & Foundations Manager

Tom Cameron Concerts & Tours Assistant

Eleanor Conroy Development Events Manager

Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant

Al Levin Development Co-ordinator

Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager

Holly Eagles Development Assistant

Helen Phipps Orchestra & Auditions Manager

Nick Jackman Campaigns & Projects Director

Sarah Thomas Martin Sargeson Librarians

Kirstin Peltonen Development Associate

Laura Kitson Stage & Operations Manager Stephen O’Flaherty Deputy Operations Manager

Charles Russell Speechlys Solicitors Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP Auditors Dr Barry Grimaldi Honorary Doctor Mr Chris Aldren Honorary ENT Surgeon Mr Simon Owen-Johnstone Hon. Orthopaedic Surgeon 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 Printer John Good Ltd Cover photograph Jason Bell 2024/25 season design JMG Studio Printer John Good Ltd

Benjamin Wakley Deputy Stage Manager

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