LSO Summer 2014 Concert Guide

London Symphony Orchestra Living Music

‘The impact of this startling concert by the London Symphony Orchestra pinned one back by the ears.’

The Telegraph

London’s Symphony Orchestra lso.co.uk Box Office 020 7638 8891

LSO Season 2013/14 Summer Concert Guide

LSO summer highlights Music in colour THE COMPLETE SCRIABIN SYMPHONIES Enter a world of swirling soundscapes and vivid musical colours, as the LSO and Valery Gergiev explore Alexander Scriabin’s five symphonies, alongside meditative works by French composer Messiaen and Romantic piano concertos by Liszt and Chopin.

Page 6

Birtwistle Strauss 150

SIR HARRISON BIRTWISTLE AT 80

MEET THE INSATIABLY CURIOUS COMPOSER

The Barbican celebrates the 80th

Explore vivid tone poems and

living composers with a two-week

an operatic masterpiece by

series, including a performance of

Richard Strauss, and get an

Earth Dances by the LSO.

insight into his life and career

Page 13

at our LSO Discovery Day. Page 10 2

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

birthday of one of the UK’s greatest

‘The LSO played with huge virtuosity and it was undeniably exciting.’

Martin Kettle, The Guardian

LSO Invites NEW FACES ON THE PODIUM The LSO invites a line-up of guest conductors and some new faces to perform with the Orchestra. This summer we welcome Daniele Gatti, Pablo Heras-Casado, Leonidas Kavakos, Fabio Luisi and Jonathan Nott, who promise to stamp their own interpretations on major works.

Page 8

Russian piano works BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS In our final series of BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts at LSO St Luke’s this season, four spectacularly virtuosic Russian pianists give us a taste of their national tradition.

Page 17

Eclectica AT THE BARBICAN & LSO ST LUKE’S Dynamic conductor Kristjan Järvi teams up with vocalist and oud player Dhafer Youssef for a concert eclipsing cultural boundaries, while at LSO St Luke’s we’re joined by Scottish singing dynasty The Campbells of Greepe for an evening full of beauty, wit and colour.

Pages 12 & 16

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‘The LSO’s zestful performance splendidly blasted the Square’s pigeons into the air.’

The Times on BMW LSO Open Air Classics 2013

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BMW LSO OPEN AIR CLASSICS

DISCOVER PROKOFIEV Live and free in Trafalgar Square – bring a picnic and a rug and enjoy London’s Symphony Orchestra in this iconic location.

BMW LSO Open Air Classics Sun 11 May 6.30pm, Trafalgar Square

BMW LSO OPEN AIR CLASSICS Programme to include: Prokofiev Extracts from ‘Lieutenant Kijé’ * Romeo & Juliet – Suite Valery Gergiev conductor Paul Rissmann presenter LSO On Track Young Musicians * Guildhall School Musicians * Free entry Arrive early to secure your place as the gates will close once the Square has reached capacity. No glass or furniture is allowed in the Square.

FIND OUT MORE Watch a video from last year’s event lso.co.uk/openair #lsoopenair

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Music in colour

‘A composer pushing at the boundaries of tonality in the first decade of the 20th century. The way the harmonies revolve and float … is authentically radical, as is its massive structure, built from the tiniest fragments.’

Andrew Clements, The Guardian on Scriabin’s Fourth Symphony

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MUSIC IN COLOUR – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

‘A composer with his own voice, from his own world.’

Valery Gergiev on Scriabin

THE COMPLETE SCRIABIN SYMPHONIES

Sun 30 Mar 7.30pm

A heady world of swirling soundscapes and vivid musical colours …

Scriabin Symphony No 1 Liszt Piano Concerto No 2 Scriabin Symphony No 4 (‘The Poem of Ecstasy’)

When you listen to a performance

The cornerstones of Scriabin’s

Valery Gergiev conductor Denis Matsuev piano Ekaterina Sergeeva mezzo-soprano Alexander Timchenko tenor London Symphony Chorus

of Scriabin’s music, you enter a heady

relatively short career (he died aged 43)

world of swirling soundscapes and

include a large body of piano music

vivid musical colours. While the Russian

(some of which you can hear in a series

composer and pianist’s career took root

of BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts

Thu 10 Apr 7.30pm

amidst the impassioned lyricism of the

at LSO St Luke’s, also in April) and

Romantic era (born in 1872, he was

five symphonies, which the LSO and

a contemporary of Rachmaninov), he

Valery Gergiev delve into. Three concerts

gradually cultivated a musical style that

trace a path through his music – from

Messiaen L’ascension Scriabin Symphony No 5 (‘Prometheus, Poem of Fire’) Scriabin Symphony No 2

was thoroughly his own – intense,

the First Symphony, a tribute to the

ethereal, full of lush orchestral sounds

divine power of art, to his visionary

and built upon a quirky mix of mystical

‘Prometheus, Poem of Fire’, via the

and philosophical ideas.

‘Poem of Ecstasy’, a brilliantly coloured

At the heart of his music was an

Valery Gergiev conductor Denis Matsuev piano London Symphony Chorus Supported by LSO Patrons

work that reflects the composer’s pursuit

Sun 13 Apr 7.30pm

unwavering belief in the spiritual power

of spiritual euphoria through music.

of art; Scriabin held that there was

These are matched with works that

something supernatural about music,

complement Scriabin’s mystical

that it could reach beyond everyday

outpourings: two meditative pieces by

Messiaen Les offrandes oubliées Chopin Piano Concerto No 2 Scriabin Symphony No 3 (‘The Divine Poem’)

life and transport those experiencing

French composer Messiaen, inspired

it into a spiritual realm. As his career

by his Catholic faith, and Romantic

progressed, he became fascinated

piano concertos by Liszt and Chopin.

by the marriage of the senses between music and colour, envisioning a multi-

Valery Gergiev conductor Daniil Trifonov piano Thu 3 & 10 Apr 1pm, LSO St Luke’s BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

sensory unification of the arts that

SCRIABIN SONATAS

would, in his own words, ‘herald the

Scriabin’s Sonatas Nos 3, 5 & 9 performed by Russian pianists Yevgeny Sudbin and Boris Giltburg.

birth of a new world’.

See page 17

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Sun 27 Apr 7.30pm

DANIELE GATTI

Mahler Symphony No 7 Daniele Gatti conductor Wed 14 May 7.30pm

PABLO HERAS-CASADO Ravel Alborada del gracioso Prokofiev Violin Concerto No 2 Shostakovich Symphony No 10 Pablo Heras-Casado conductor Roman Simovic violin Fri 6 Jun 7.30pm

LEONIDAS KAVAKOS Beethoven Overture: Prometheus Triple Concerto Symphony No 3 (‘Eroica’) Leonidas Kavakos conductor/violin Enrico Pace piano Tim Hugh cello

LSO Invites NEW FACES ON THE PODIUM It’s an exciting time at the LSO this summer as we welcome a line-up of guest conductors to perform with the Orchestra.

Thu 19 Jun 7.30pm

FABIO LUISI

While all have distinguished careers, performing around the globe to

Mozart Piano Concerto No 23 K488 Bruckner Symphony No 8

critical adulation, this series, which began last September, marks one of the

Fabio Luisi conductor Lise de la Salle piano

own interpretations on major works.

Sun 22 Jun 7.30pm

first opportunities to hear them conduct the forces of the LSO, stamping their The first on the podium this summer is Italian conductor Daniele Gatti.

A familiar face in London’s concert halls, Gatti returns to the LSO after a gap

FABIO LUISI

of almost two decades to conduct Mahler’s awe-inspiring Seventh Symphony.

Strauss Ein Heldenleben Beethoven Mass in C major

He is followed in May by Pablo Heras-Casado, a conductor whose career

Fabio Luisi conductor Christiane Oelze soprano Anna Stephany mezzo-soprano Timothy Oliver tenor Matthew Rose bass London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director

known Baroque composers and avant-garde contemporary music. His debut

6pm Guildhall Artists at the Barbican

his debut with the LSO in June. Later that month, Fabio Luisi, Principal

Sun 29 Jun 7.30pm

JONATHAN NOTT

has embraced everything from the traditional symphonic repertoire to littleconcert with the Orchestra mixes a Spanish-inspired piece by Ravel with works

by Russian masters Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

LSO audiences will recognise Leonidas Kavakos as a sought-after violinist and the focus of the 2012/13 UBS Soundscapes: LSO Artist Portrait series.

He now devotes an increasing amount of his career to conducting, making Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, takes to the podium for two concerts, which include Bruckner’s immense Eighth Symphony and Beethoven’s Mass in C major.

British conductor Jonathan Nott closes the LSO’s 2013/14 series

Beethoven Symphony No 2 Messiaen Turangalîla-symphonie

on 29 June. Originally trained as a choral scholar, Nott moved to Germany

Jonathan Nott conductor Steven Osborne piano Cynthia Millar ondes-Martenot

system and became a conductor. As Principal Conductor of the Bamberg

6pm Guildhall Artists at the Barbican

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after his studies, where he immersed himself in the country’s Kapellmeister Symphony Orchestra, he’s known for his creative programmes and in June he pairs a Beethoven symphony with Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie, a complex and breathtaking tapestry of exotic sound.

LSO INVITES – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

DANIELE GATTI

PABLO HERAS-CASADO

LEONIDAS KAVAKOS

Born 1961, Italy

Born 1977, Spain

Born 1967, Greece

Current positions Music Director Orchestre National de France

Current positions Principal Conductor Orchestra of St Luke’s (New York)

They say Daniele Gatti set up a racing heartbeat and drew sounds you couldn’t quite believe you were hearing.

The Times

They say A luminous and urgent performance … Heras-Casado is the thinking person’s idea of a hotshot young conductor.

The New York Times

They say With relaxed, expressive hands he painted lines in space indicating mood, shaping and intention; [they] followed his lead with perfection.

Bachtrack

LSO SINGING DAY Join David Lawrence for an LSO Singing Day on Beethoven’s Mass prior to the LSO’s concert with Fabio Luisi on 22 Jun. See page 19 for details.

LSO INVITES CONTINUES IN THE 2014/15 SEASON Rafael Payare Thu 9 Oct 2014 David Afkham Sun 1 Feb 2015 FABIO LUISI

JONATHAN NOTT

Born 1959, Italy

Born 1962, England

Current positions Principal Conductor Metropolitan Opera New York General Music Director Zurich Opera

Current positions Chief Conductor Bamberg Symphony Orchestra

They say Luisi giving the score a fleet, frothy energy …

The New York Times

They say A thoughtful interpreter, with fresh ideas and a fluid yet focused technique … he can confound expectations.

The New York Times

Tugan Sokhiev 30 Apr 2015 Krzystof Urbanski 3 May 2015 and we welcome back Pablo Heras-Casado 28 Jun 2015 All the 2014/15 season concerts are on sale now at lso.co.uk/201415season

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Strauss 150 RICHARD STRAUSS

FABIO LUISI

Meet the insatiably curious composer Born in Munich in 1864, Richard Strauss began composing at the age of six, the first steps of a career that spanned over 60 years at the forefront of musical life in Europe. This summer, 150 years after his birth, the LSO is set to explore his legacy with a series focusing on some of his towering achievements as a composer, plus an LSO Discovery Day that will give an insight into his life and career.

A contemporary of Mahler and Elgar, Strauss touched on almost every genre over the course of his career, as the musical world around him shifted from the late-Romanticism of the 19th century to the shocking innovations of modernism.

His tone poems, written at the turn of the century, represent his first breakthrough; in these evocative orchestral works, which use music to tell a story, Strauss was able to give voice to the artistic, literary and philosophical influences that his insatiably curious mind absorbed.

The LSO’s concerts this summer survey this vivid, imaginative music. Macbeth, an early work, is conducted by

NIKOLAJ ZNAIDER

Sir Mark Elder, alongside the lively tale of mischievous folk prankster Till Eulenspiegel. Don Juan, the tone poem that made Strauss’ name when he was 24 years old, is paired with the iconic Also sprach Zarathustra conducted by Nikolaj Znaider, and towards the end of the season Fabio Luisi conducts Ein Heldenleben, the portrait of ‘a hero’s life’.

After establishing his formidable reputation in orchestral music, Strauss turned his attention to opera, writing works that captivated and sometimes scandalised the public. This summer, Sir Mark Elder conducts extracts from Der Rosenkavalier, one of Strauss’ most popular works, a comic opera set in 18th-century Vienna, which gently pastiches the Italian operas of the Classical era.

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STRAUSS 150 – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

‘A performance of such fierce certainty and architectural coherence.’

The Times on Sir Mark Elder and the LSO

SIR MARK ELDER

SIR MARK ELDER ALSO CONDUCTS …

Thu 1 May 7.30pm

Thu 8 May 7.30pm

Strauss Don Juan Brahms Double Concerto Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra

Mozart Symphony No 38 (‘Prague’) Strauss Scenes from ‘Der Rosenkavalier’

Nikolaj Znaider conductor Roman Simovic violin Tim Hugh cello

Sir Mark Elder conductor Anne Schwanewilms Marschallin Sarah Connolly Octavian Lucy Crowe Sophie

UBS SOUNDSCAPES

Supported by LSO Premier

Sir Mark Elder conductor Nicola Benedetti violin

Supported by Baker & McKenzie LLP

6pm Guildhall Artists at the Barbican 6pm Guildhall Artists at the Barbican Sun 4 May 10am–5.30pm Barbican and LSO St Luke’s LSO DISCOVERY DAY

RICHARD STRAUSS A morning rehearsal at the Barbican followed by discussion and lectures with Dr Barbara Eichner (Oxford Brookes University) and a special performance of Strauss’ Metamorphosen, performed by LSO players plus Orchestral Artistry musicians from the Guildhall School, at LSO St Luke’s.

Sun 22 Jun 7.30pm

Thu 12 Jun 7.30pm

DVORˇÁK

Bruch Scottish Fantasy Dvorˇák Symphony No 8

This concert also features a new work

by Alastair Putt, an LSO Panufnik Composer Scheme commission (supported by the Helen Hamlyn Trust)

Strauss Ein Heldenleben Beethoven Mass in C major Fabio Luisi conductor Christiane Oelze soprano Anna Stephany mezzo-soprano Timothy Oliver tenor Matthew Rose bass London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director

6pm Guildhall Artists at the Barbican

6pm Guildhall Artists at the Barbican Take part in an LSO Singing Day on Beethoven’s Mass in C major.

See page 19 for details.

Sun 4 May 7.30pm Strauss Wind Serenade Mozart Piano Concerto No 22 K482 Strauss Macbeth Strauss Till Eulenspiegel Sir Mark Elder conductor Imogen Cooper piano

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ECLIPSING CULTURAL BORDERS As one of today’s most dazzling musicians on the jazz/world music circuit, Tunisian vocalist and oud player Dhafer Youssef came from humble beginnings.

Growing up as a young boy entirely enthralled by music, but without money to pay for lessons or buy an instrument, Youssef made his own oud and picked up by ear a wealth of music, with no concern for being bound by genres.

By 1990 Youssef’s thirst for music had brought him to Vienna, where he eked out a living while taking advantage of every musical opportunity available to him, eventually leading to a collaboration with Kristjan Järvi and the Tonkünstler Orchestra based there. Working with some of the world’s most creative musicians, he found a thrilling context in which he could combine the spiritual quality of Sufi (the inner, mystical dimension of Islam) with contemporary jazz, creating a distinctive sound that has become synonymous with his name.

Meanwhile, Estonian-American conductor Kristjan Järvi, younger son of the esteemed conductor Neeme Järvi and brother of conductor Paavo Järvi, grew up in a New York household that couldn’t be more musical, and became assistant conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen at the LA Philharmonic upon graduating from Michigan State University. Though equally at home with

‘The Tunisian singer’s voice is an extraordinary instrument, soaring wordlessly from rapturous tenor to keening falsetto.’

The Times on Dhafer Youssef’s vocals

the classical repertoire, his curiosity for the non-traditional and passion for collaboration led him to found the award-winning Absolute Ensemble, noted for its innovative cross-genre syntheses.

On 24 April these two pioneering eclectics come together in a concert that eclipses cultural boundaries while honouring both musicians’ parent traditions.

Dhafer Youssef will give the UK premiere of new orchestral works, including arrangements from his latest album which traverse the sacred to the profane, divine to terrestrial, complemented beautifully by the haunting ‘holy minimalism’ of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s Third Symphony. As thrilling as it is thoughtprovoking, this celebration of mysticism and music promises to remind us of the rapture all musicians and music-lovers have in common.

Youssef & Järvi Thu 24 Apr 7.30pm ECLECTICA AT THE BARBICAN

DANCE OF THE INVISIBLE DERVISHES Arvo Pärt Fratres Arvo Pärt Symphony No 3 Dhafer Youssef UK premieres from ‘Birds Requiem’ & other CDs

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JÄRVI ~ BIRTWISTLE – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

Kristjan Järvi conductor Dhafer Youssef oud / vocals Eivind Aarset electric guitar Kristjan Randalu piano Phil Donkin bass Chander Sarjoe drums

Birtwistle

Fri 16 May 7pm

BBC SO: GAWAIN Harrison Birtwistle Gawain (concert hall staging) BBC Symphony Orchestra Martyn Brabbins conductor John Lloyd Davies director BBC Singers Soloists include: Leigh Melrose Gawain Sir John Tomlinson The Green Knight LSO SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Tue 20 May 7.30pm

LSO: EARTH DANCES Harrison Birtwistle Earth Dances Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 London Symphony Orchestra Daniel Harding conductor Paul Lewis piano Supported by Toshiba of Europe Limited

SIR HARRISON BIRTWISTLE AT 80 This May the Barbican celebrates the 80th birthday of one of the UK’s greatest living composers.

For Sir Harrison Birtwistle, music and theatre have always been inextricably linked. One of his earliest pieces, composed when he was just eleven, was a work for three mimes and a solo clarinet (his instrument) and even in his

Sun 25 May 7.30pm, Milton Court

BCMG: KNUSSEN

Harrison Birtwistle Programme includes: Monody for Corpus Christi; Fantasia on all the Notes; Silbury Air Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Oliver Knussen conductor

instrumental works, there is always drama within the shaping of the music.

The Barbican’s celebration of Birtwistle’s 80th birthday is centred upon performances of two of his major music theatre works. Gawain dramatises the mysterious Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with sombre, often shattering, power. In Yan Tan Tethera, a mythical-cum-supernatural opera, Birtwistle employs his characteristic combination of machine-like instrumental writing and lyricism to tell the story of shepherds counting their sheep and encountering not angels, but the Antichrist.

Landscapes, whether real or imaginary, ritual or mundane, have always featured prominently in Birtwistle’s musical world and he is in his way as profoundly

Sun 25 May from 3pm, Barbican

BBC SO STUDY AFTERNOON Thu 29 May 7.30pm

BRITTEN SINFONIA Harrison Birtwistle Yan Tan Tethera (concert hall staging) Britten Sinfonia Baldur Brönnimann conductor

English a composer as any of his predecessors from the early part of the 20th century. The LSO’s 20 May concert features the elemental Earth Dances which conjures up Earth’s rotation interspersed with flashes of lightning, and the five-day celebration closes with a programme from Britten Sinfonia that places Birtwistle’s music alongside pieces by Holst and Vaughan Williams to trace the three composers’ responses to landscape and national identity.

For full details, visit barbican.org.uk/birtwistle

Fri 30 May 7.30pm, Milton Court

BRITTEN SINFONIA

A fascinating programme tracing landscape and national identity

by Birtwistle, Vaughan Williams and Holst.

Britten Sinfonia Baldur Brönnimann conductor Britten Sinfonia Voices lso.co.uk 020 7638 8891

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Sir Simon Rattle Sun 1 Jun 7.30pm Beethoven Violin Concerto Henze Being Beauteous Schumann Symphony No 2

‘Rattle conducts with a missionary zeal, as if he believes every note.’

The Times on Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle conductor Veronika Eberle violin Anna Prohaska soprano

Having spent nigh on two decades bolstering the reputation of the City of

Sold out, returns only

Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and gaining them a world-class concert hall

Simon Rattle: is there a more famous name in the conducting world today?

in the process, Rattle (that’s Sir Simon, to you and me) has, since 1999, held the post of Principal Conductor at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, one of SIR SIMON RATTLE RETURNS

the world’s pre-eminent ensembles. Here, Rattle has cemented his reputation

IN THE 2014/15 SEASON

as both a musician of the ultimate artistic calibre and a devotee of orchestral community engagement and music education initiatives.

Schumann Sun 11 Jan 2015

But it seems that Rattle has not forgotten his UK roots. On 27 July 2012,

Stravinsky Thu 15 Jan 2015

the Liverpool-born and bred maestro held the torch high for London and

Dvorˇák Thu 2 Jul 2015

demonstrated a thoroughly English sense of humour as he conducted the LSO

Walton Sun 5 Jul 2015

in the most commented-on part of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Chariots of Fire with British icon Mr Bean

All the 2014/15 season concerts

guesting on synthesiser. The LSO is delighted to welcome Sir Simon back

are on sale now at

to the Barbican, in a programme which includes Henze’s rarely performed

lso.co.uk/201415season

Being Beauteous for soprano, harp and four cellos.

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SIR SIMON RATTLE ~ FAMILY CONCERTS – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

LSO Family Events

Trains, Planes & Automobiles BRING YOUR FAMILY TO MEET OURS Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Whizz around the globe with the LSO and presenter Paul Rissmann to discover music that’s all about get-up-and-go. From the Sunday morning of Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, to John Adams’ futuristic

Sun 15 Jun 2.30pm LSO DISCOVERY FAMILY CONCERT

TRAINS, PLANES & AUTOMOBILES FOR 7- TO 12-YEAR-OLDS

Tim Redmond conductor Paul Rissmann presenter

Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Mussorgsky’s Baba Yaga, the witch who gets around in a hut on chicken legs (yes, really) come and find out if you have what it takes to keep up with the Orchestra. The LSO Youth Choir will be on hand to help us dance through London Underground in Paul Rissmann’s thrilling tube-themed participation song.

Other family-friendly events include our free Friday lunchtime concert series at

Pre-concert foyer events and crèche information at lso.co.uk/familyconcerts

LSO St Luke’s (see page 19), which this term will offer the chance to explore Beethoven

Fri 27 Jun 12.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

and his contemporaries. Don’t miss Inside Out, our al fresco series on the lawns

LSO DISCOVERY

outside LSO St Luke’s (see page 19). And especially created for younger children, join Vanessa King and LSO musicians as they re-tell the popular story Giraffes Can’t Dance (Friday 27 June). Visit lso.co.uk/bringyourfamily for more.

STORYTELLING WITH VANESSA KING SUITABLE FOR UNDER-5S

£3 per person + booking fee (under 12 months free, no ticket required) Supported by AXA Investment Managers

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‘Five voices, one family, three generations, and a treasury of Gaelic song. These performances feel close to the wind, rain and sun.’

Songlines on The Campbells of Greepe

Eclectica SONGS OF FAMILY AND OF HOME Join Scottish singing dynasty The Campbells of Greepe for an evening full of beauty, wit and colour from the inspiringly beautiful Isle of Skye

We close our season of UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica performances celebrating song and stories of family and of home with The Campbells of Greepe, one of the great dynasties of Gaelic song, on Tuesday 15 April.

The family’s roots lie in a tiny crofting township on the Isle of Skye, where music was the constant accompaniment to everyday life.

Pipers and singers who love to dance, it’s no surprise that the group are considered the masters of puirt-a-beul, Gaelic mouth music, and their performances encompass a whole musical world – pibroch songs (a form of pipe music featuring variations on a traditional theme), work songs and the songs of their own community.

For the final UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica of the season, LSO St Luke’s will welcome three generations of the family, plus special guests including virtuoso American step-dancer Nic Gareiss and award-winning piper Lorne MacDougall, for a lively evening full of beauty, wit and colour.

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Tue 15 Apr 8pm, LSO St Luke’s UBS SOUNDSCAPES: ECLECTICA

GAELIC CONNECTIONS The Campbells of Greepe Lorne MacDougall pipes Nic Gareiss step-dancer Finlay Wells guitar Euan Burton bass The Campbells of Greepe, a Gaelic singing dynasty who hail from the Isle of Skye in Scotland, bring their live multi-media show to London, featuring music and dance performed by the five professional singers in the family and their regular band.

ECLECTICA ~ RUSSIAN PIANO WORKS – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

‘There was more to this performance than barnstorming bravura.’

The Guardian on Nikolai Demidenko

Russian piano works

Thu 27 Mar 1pm, LSO St Luke’s

NIKOLAI DEMIDENKO

Glinka Notturno in F minor (‘La séparation’) Blumenfeld Notturno-fantasia in E major Medtner Two Fairy Tales Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibiton Nikolai Demidenko piano Thu 3 Apr 1pm, LSO St Luke’s

YEVGENY SUDBIN

Shostakovich Three Preludes Op 34 Nos 6, 17 & 24 Rachmaninov Three Preludes Op 32 Nos 12 & 5; Op 23 No 5 Scriabin Sonatas Nos 5 & 9 Mozart (arr Sudbin) Lacrimosa Sudbin A la minute (paraphrase on Chopin’s Waltz in D-flat major Op 64 No 1) Yevgeny Sudbin piano Thu 10 Apr 1pm, LSO St Luke’s

BORIS GILTBURG

Scriabin Sonata No 3 Rachmaninov Moments musicaux Op 16 Nos 1, 2 & 4 Prokofiev Sonata No 7 Boris Giltburg piano Thu 17 Apr 1pm, LSO St Luke’s

DENIS KOZHUKHIN

Taneyev Prelude and Fugue Rachmaninov Variations on a Theme of Corelli Prokofiev Sonata No 9 Denis Kozhukhin piano

BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Four sparkling recitals from four master Russian pianists For the final series of BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts in the 2013/14 season, LSO St Luke’s will host four leading Russian pianists, who each give us a taste of their own venerable national tradition. These four sparkling recitals take in a selection of the greatest Russian Romantic piano works, from Mussorgsky’s evocative Pictures at an Exhibition – his most celebrated work for the piano – to lesser-known but equally imaginative pieces by Taneyev and Blumenfeld.

Along with music by Russian masters Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich, there is a particular focus on sonatas by Scriabin, running in tandem with Valery Gergiev’s series of the composer’s complete symphonies with the LSO at the Barbican. The selection of pieces charts a journey through Scriabin’s career, from early Romantic lyricism to the intense, mysterious chromaticism of his later works.

With some of the most world’s skilled and spectacularly virtuosic pianists joining us for the series, including International Tchaikovsky Competitionwinner Nikolai Demidenko, these recitals promise to bring the 2013/14 season of BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts to a dazzling conclusion. lso.co.uk 020 7638 8891

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EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW A whole world of music in one concert, performed by the LSO and participants from LSO Discovery.

Rites of Passage Forget what you think you know about classical concerts: Rites of Passage uncovers the pure emotion and excitement of what it is to experience a live

Mon 23 Jun 7.30pm LSO DISCOVERY

symphony orchestra. Celebrating the incredible journeys on which music can

RITES OF PASSAGE

take you – both audiences and performers alike – this summer’s concert paints

Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten LSO Create new work Britten Four Sea Interludes Howard Moody Invictus 46664 Shostakovich Symphony No 10: Allegro

the full spectrum of orchestral colours: from the beautiful bells and strings of Arvo Pärt through Britten’s brooding seascapes to the swagger and spectacle of Shostakovich.

If you’re new to the concert hall or just looking for a different take on classical music, this concert, featuring some of the most dramatic and atmospheric music ever written, will deliver in spades. A truly inter-generational event involving groups from across LSO Discovery, Rites of Passage will enthral all ages and remind us that experiencing inspirational live music can be a transformative rite of passage for us all.

Ben Gernon conductor Rachel Leach presenter London Symphony Orchestra LSO Create LSO On Track Next Generation Tickets £10 £15 £20 (£5 under-18s) + booking fee

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LSO DISCOVERY – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

IN DEPTH

LSO DISCOVERY CONCERTS

Sun 4 May 10am–5.30pm Barbican and LSO St Luke’s

Fri 9 & 23 May; 13 Jun, 11 Jul 12.30–1.15pm, LSO St Luke’s

Sat 5 Jul 7.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

LSO DISCOVERY DAY

LSO DISCOVERY

STRINGS ACADEMY SHOWCASE

See page 11

FOR ALL AGES OVER 5

During the first week of July, LSO St Luke’s will be awash with some of the most talented young string players from across the UK. As well as working together in large ensembles, they will work on solo performances with LSO players. Join them for this concert, which forms the culmination of the week’s work.

RICHARD STRAUSS

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Rachel Leach presenter

Sun 22 Jun 10am–5.30pm Barbican and LSO St Luke’s LSO SINGING DAY

BEETHOVEN MASS A morning rehearsal at the Barbican watching the LSO and London Symphony Chorus, followed by an afternoon workshop with David Lawrence singing Beethoven’s Mass (in German accompanied by piano) at LSO St Luke’s. Some sight-singing ability is required.

Free entry, just turn up on the day Supported by Rothschild Charities Committee and LSO Patrons

Tickets £7 (£5 concessions) + booking fee

Fri 6 & 27 Jun; 11 Jul 1.15–2pm, front lawn outside LSO St Luke’s

Supported by the Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation, The Derek Hill Foundation, The Fidelio Charitable Trust, The Polonsky Foundation, The Winship Foundation and Help Musicians UK

LSO DISCOVERY

INSIDE OUT

Tickets £17 + booking fee (includes music hire)

Visit lso.co.uk/insideout for details

Visit lso.co.uk/singingdays

Sat 28 Jun 7.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

Part of LSO Sing, generously supported by the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust

LSO DISCOVERY

Mon 30 Jun 6.30pm, LSO St Luke’s MUSICIANS’ COMPANY DEBATE

A HAPPY LIFE IS A CREATIVE LIFE: WHY EVERY CHILD NEEDS MUSIC Richard Morrison chair Panel includes: Darren Henley Classic FM Kathryn McDowell LSO Do children get enough music in schools, or out of school? Has the Government got the balance right between the arts, the humanities and the sciences in the school curriculum? Richard Morrison, the chief music critic of The Times, offers a wide-ranging survey of music education in Britain, illustrated by performances from the talented youngsters of the LSO Youth Choirs, Tomorrow’s Warriors and the Purcell School.

He then chairs a panel discussion.

Free entry, booking essential In association with The Worshipful Company of Musicians

Join LSO musicians and guest performers from the Guildhall School as regular presenter Rachel Leach explores music by Beethoven and his contemporaries.

LSO DISCOVERY

SOUNDHUB SHOWCASE The first-year LSO Soundhub composers Maxim Boon, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, Laurence Osborn, Helen Papaioannou, Robert Szymanek and Laurence Tompkins showcase their new works following a year of pushing compositional boundaries.

Tickets £7 (£5 concessions) + booking fee Supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Hinrichsen Foundation

Sat 27 Jul 7.30pm, LSO St Luke’s LSO DISCOVERY

DIGITAL TECH GROUP + SOUNDHUB Join us for a special evening of music created by LSO Soundhub associate composer Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian, featuring performances by members of the LSO St Luke’s Digital Tech Group.

Tickets £7 (£5 concessions) + booking fee Digital Technology Group is supported

by LSO Friends. LSO Soundhub is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Hinrichsen Foundation.

MASTERCLASS Mon 19 May 7pm, Guildhall School, Lecture Recital Room ORCHESTRAL ARTISTRY MASTERCLASS

LORENZO IOSCO BASS CLARINET LSO Principal Bass Clarinet Lorenzo Iosco coaches musicians from the Guildhall School’s Orchestral Artistry course.

Free entry, just turn up on the day

lso.co.uk 020 7638 8891

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JOIN US ACROSS THE CITY THIS SUMMER From our annual concert in St Paul’s Cathedral to Crowd Out – one of the biggest choral events mounted in the City – and the epitome of summer concert going, the BBC Proms.

LSO in the City The LSO has been part of the City of London Festival throughout its 51 year history and during that time, the cornerstone of the celebrations has been the LSO’s performance in one of Britain’s most-loved and cherished places, St Paul’s Cathedral. Performances over the years that have ricocheted across the vast, cavernous space have included some of the most memorable concerts in the LSO’s history – most recently, Sir Colin Davis conducting Berlioz’s Requiem in 2012, now committed to disc on LSO Live. This year will see two performances of two monumental works – Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony with LSO Principal Guest Conductor Daniel Harding, and Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Ninth Symphony with Myung-Whun Chung and the London Symphony Chorus.

Meanwhile across town, don’t miss the LSO’s performances at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and an event that will go down in London’s history books – Crowd Out. Featuring 1,000 people who have been brought together to perform this enormous work for massed voices in Arnold Circus (Shoreditch), the piece has been specially written so anyone can get involved and will make for a performance spectacle rarely seen.

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LSO IN THE CITY – FULL BOOKING INFORMATION ON BACK COVER

LSO CONCERTS

‘Whomever you chose to thank and praise for it, this was an awesome night.’

The Guardian on LSO at St Paul’s Cathedral

Thu 3 Jul 8pm, St Paul’s Cathedral

Dates to be annouced Royal Albert Hall

CITY OF LONDON FESTIVAL

LSO AT THE 2014 BBC PROMS

Krzysztof Penderecki Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima Bruckner Symphony No 9

The 2014 BBC Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall will be announced on Thursday 24 April.

Visit bbc.co.uk/proms to find out more.

BRUCKNER’S NINTH

Daniel Harding conductor Tickets £5 £10 £15 £25 £32 £42 £48 + booking fee Part of the City of London Festival Supported by Mizuho

Tue 15 Jul 8pm, St Paul’s Cathedral

Sun 21 Jun 3.30pm & 6pm, Arnold Circus Bandstand

CITY OF LONDON FESTIVAL

SPITALFIELDS MUSIC/LSO DISCOVERY

Beethoven Symphony No 9 (‘Choral’)

David Lang composer Simon Halsey conductor

BEETHOVEN’S CHORAL Myung-Whun Chung conductor London Symphony Chorus Tickets £5 £10 £15 £25 £32 £42 £50 + booking fee

OTHER EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY

CROWD OUT

1,000 Londoners join together to perform this new awe-inspiring work for massed voices inspired by football chant.

Part of the City of London Festival

Free entry, no ticket required

To book, visit colf.org

Co-commissioned by Spitalfields Music, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Berlin Philharmonic. Produced in partnership with LSO Discovery, THAMES, Barbican-Guildhall Creative Learning Division and Friends of Arnold Circus. Supported

by Arts Council England and Spitalfields Music’s New Music Commission Fund.

lso.co.uk 020 7638 8891

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The Barbican

OUR HOME AT THE BARBICAN Set in the City Cultural Quarter funded by the Corporation of London, the LSO, Barbican and Guildhall School are an alliance leading the world in arts and learning.

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THE BARBICAN ~ HOW TO FIND US

EXTRAS

barbican.org.uk

RELAXING WITH FOOD, DRINK AND FRIENDS Foyer Bars and Cafés: The ideal place to meet and catch up ahead of the concert or to enjoy a drink at the interval.

Martini Bar (Level 1): Enjoy a touch of glamour at the Barbican’s stylish new bar. Choose from a selection of classic and modern martinis, or a glass of bubbly.

Barbican Foodhall (Level G): The lively Barbican Foodhall offers hot dishes and salads from a counter-top service as well as a wide range of homemade cakes, teas and coffees.

Barbican Lounge (Level 1): The stylish Barbican Lounge offers a chic relaxed ambience to enjoy a pre-concert drink or seasonal small plates from the tapas-style menu.

Reservations 020 7382 6180.

Gin Joint by Searcys (Level 2): Offering brasserie dining and the most extensive gin list in the City, all enhanced by stunning views across the Barbican lakeside.

Both full dining and bar menus are available.

Reservations 020 7588 3008.

FIND US

lso.co.uk/yourvisit

BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS LSO ST LUKE’S UBS and LSO Music Education Centre 161 Old Street, EC1V 9NG The Barbican is in the heart of the City of London with LSO St Luke’s just a short walk away.

Underground and Train stations The Barbican is closest to Moorgate and Barbican, with Liverpool Street, Bank and Farringdon nearby.

For LSO St Luke’s use Old Street (Exit 7).

Bus routes 153 Beech Street; 21, 43, 76, 141, 205, 214 City Road; 55 and 243 Old Street.

Parking The Barbican’s on-site car parks, also convenient for LSO St Luke’s, cost £8 from 5pm on weekdays (£7.50 if pre-booked) and £8 per day at weekends.

KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE We’ll send ticket buyers an email a day before their selected concert with the latest travel details and links to other useful information such as programme downloads.

Bath Street

St Luke’s Close

Helmet Row

Bunhill Row

Whitecross Street

Golden Lane

Chiswell Street MILTON COURT

Silk Street

Moor Lane

Beech Street

lso.co.uk 020 7638 8891

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LSO SEASON 2013/14 Book at lso.co.uk or call 020 7638 8891 or buy in person or by post Box Office, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London. EC2Y 8DS. (opening times at lso.co.uk/yourvisit) Ticket prices as below unless otherwise stated.

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lso.co.uk

BARBICAN CONCERT TICKETS £10 £15 £20 £28 £37 + booking fee Book 3–4 concerts save 15%, 5+ save 20% Multi-buy discounts will not be applied to 21 Jan BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS £10 (£9 concessions) + booking fee Book any four concerts for £8 each UBS SOUNDSCAPES: ECLECTICA CONCERTS £10 £15 £22 + booking fee LSO DISCOVERY DAYS Full day tickets £17 (£13.50 concessions) £12 afternoon only (from 2.30pm at LSO St Luke’s) + booking fee LSO SINGING DAYS £17 + booking fee (includes music hire)

You can get this guide in large print, audio and electronic formats.

Contact 020 7588 1116 or email access@lso.co.uk

LSO DISCOVERY FAMILY CONCERTS £5 under-16s, £10 adults + booking fee Suitable for families with 7- to 12-year-olds GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE Receive a 20% discount Call 020 7382 7211 (10am–5pm Mon-Fri) BOOKING FEES (per transaction) There is no fee when booking in person or for free events.

When booking across venues, only one fee is charged.

Barbican Hall £3 online / £4 by phone LSO St Luke’s / LSO Discovery Events £0.60 online / £0.70 by phone

The LSO is funded by Arts Council England in partnership with the City of London Corporation, which also provides the Orchestra’s permanent home at the Barbican.

LSO Registered Charity in England No 232391 Cover photo Igor Emmerich Other photos Felix Broede, Simon Dodd, Igor Emmerich, Sasha Gusov, Kevin Leighton, Barbara Luisi, K Miura, Thomas Mueller, Jim Rakete, Bill Robinson, Alberto Venzago

DISABLED VISITORS Join the Barbican Access Membership scheme to inform us of your access requirements. Members may be eligible for reductions on tickets, limited in number and subject to availability. Full details are available online at barbican.org.uk/access and at the Box Office.

Tickets can be exchanged for another LSO concert or credit vouchers valid for six months, provided that you return them to the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings). Administration fee applies.

All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined.

Print Cantate Communications Design PIN Creative Editor Edward Appleyard 24

BOOKING INFORMATION

Information correct at time of going to print.

The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. Refunds will only be given in the event of a concert being cancelled.