CONCERTS

Conducting
Steven Osborne piano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
Stravinsky Suite No.1 for small orchestra
Stravinsky Apollon Musagète for strings
Stravinsky Concerto for Piano and Winds

RLPO Note
On 6 April, it will have been 50 years since Stravinsky passed away in New York. Join us online for our tribute one of the most important composers of the 20th century. His music has been at the heart of the Orchestra’s journey with Vasily Petrenko over the past 15 years, but these pieces have not been performed by the Orchestra before. This is Stravinsky at his best: From the whimsy of the Suite, to the beautiful score for Balanchine’s choreography and then the vitality of the Concerto for Piano and Winds. Pianist Steven Osborne returns to our stage. He last appeared with the Orchestra in Messiaen’s Turangalîla Symphony in 2018.

The concert will be available to watch from 7pm on Tuesday 6 April, preceded by a live preconcert talk on Zoom at 7pm with BBC Radio 3 broadcaster and author Stephen Johnson, and a post-concert Zoom q and a session with musicians, conductors and staff in a sort of ‘post-match analysis’, where you can ask questions and participate. Further information on how to join the Zoom will be sent to you after you purchase a ticket.

Conducting
Nicola Benedetti, violin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
BEETHOVEN King Stephen Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No.5

Streaming from 15 – 29 April

Royal Albert Hall’s Note:
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and their Music Director Designate Vasily Petrenko take to the Royal Albert Hall stage once again with a feast of music from composing giants, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, all recorded at the Hall and brought directly to the comfort of your own home as a streamed performance.

Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. Heralded for her captivating performances, she boasts a hectic schedule of international performances, alongside producing award-winning albums and dedicating herself as a committed ambassador for music education. In this special performance, Nicola gives a dazzling performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

Standing proud between composing giants Beethoven and Tchaikovsky is our own musical titan, Vasily Petrenko, who brings his own unique flair to these popular masterpieces. Beethoven’s Hungarian-flavoured Overture to King Stephen is a fascinating gem that complements his immortal Fifth Symphony. Its powerful opening motif, described as ‘fate knocking at the door’, dominates the whole work, with a calm Andante and stirring Scherzo moving through to a glorious finale.

Conducting
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture, Nocturne and Scherzo
Schubert Overture ‘In the Italian style’
Beethoven Symphony No.2

RLPO Note
Mendelssohn was just 18 when he wrote his famous overture. He travelled 80 miles through the snow to hear his first big public success but it was 16 years before he wrote the rest of the music for Shakespeare’s iconic play. After two years of sketching which coincided with his realisation that his hearing was becoming a problem, Beethoven produced his Second Symphony, one of the last works he was able to hear performed. Schubert’s spirited and colourful Overture completes the programme.

The concert will be available to watch from 7pm on Tuesday 20 April, preceded by a live preconcert talk on Zoom at 7pm with BBC Radio 3 broadcaster and author Stephen Johnson, and a post-concert Zoom q and a session with musicians, conductors and staff in a sort of ‘post-match analysis’, where you can ask questions and participate. Further information on how to join the Zoom will be sent to you after you purchase a ticket.

Conducting
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
Poulenc Sinfonietta
Gerhard Alegrías Suite from the ballet Divertissement Flamenco
Falla El amor brujo – Ballet Suite

RLPO Note
Dance rhythms infuse much of this concert, from Falla’s popular suite from the ballet El amor brujo (Love, the Magician) to Roberto Gerhard’s toe-tapping music based on Flamenco dance form (including a very important non-conducting role for the conductor!) Poulenc’s charming Sinfonietta completes the programme.

The concert will be available to watch from 7pm on Tuesday 4 May, preceded by a live preconcert talk on Zoom at 7pm with BBC Radio 3 broadcaster and author Stephen Johnson, and a post-concert Zoom q and a session with musicians, conductors and staff in a sort of ‘post-match analysis’, where you can ask questions and participate. Further information on how to join the Zoom will be sent to you after you purchase a ticket.

Conducting
Ruxandra Donose mezzo soprano
Pavel Černoch tenor
Oslo Philharmonic

Programme
Alexander von Zemlinsky Kleider machen Leute: Prelude and Intermezo, Act II
Alexander von Zemlinsky Es war einmal: Prelude and Intermezzo
Alma Mahler Lieder
Gustav Mahler Das Lied von der Erde

Oslo Philharmonic note
The lyrics of Das Lied von der Erde span drinking songs, loneliness, beauty, and death.

Gustav Mahler (1860−1911) had recently lived through the worst days of his life when he wrote Das Lied von der Erde. In 1907 he had both lost his daughter to scarlet fever and been diagnosed with an incurable heart defect.

The same year, Hans Bethge’s book Die chinesische Flöte was published, with German translations of Chinese poetry. Mahler was deeply fascinated by the book and selected seven poems for Das Lied von der Erde. The themes range from drinking songs, via loneliness and beauty, to death in the last song, called Der Abschied – The Farewell.

In 1900, Gustav Mahler conducted the premiere of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s opera Es war einmal. That same year, Zemlinsky became Alma Mahler’s (née Schindler) teacher of composition, and they initiated a relationship before she later married Gustav Mahler. Here, we present a selection from Zemlinsky’s operas and from Alma Mahler’s songs.

Conducting
Ruxandra Donose mezzo soprano
Pavel Černoch tenor
Oslo Philharmonic

Programme
Gustav Mahler Das Lied von der Erde

Oslo Philharmonic note
The lyrics of Das Lied von der Erde span drinking songs, loneliness, beauty, and death.

Gustav Mahler (1860−1911) had recently lived through the worst days of his life when he wrote Das Lied von der Erde. In 1907 he had both lost his daughter to scarlet fever and been diagnosed with an incurable heart defect.

The same year, Hans Bethge’s book Die chinesische Flöte was published, with German translations of Chinese poetry. Mahler was deeply fascinated by the book and selected seven poems for Das Lied von der Erde. The themes range from drinking songs, via loneliness and beauty, to death in the last song, called Der Abschied – The Farewell.

In 1900, Gustav Mahler conducted the premiere of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s opera Es war einmal. That same year, Zemlinsky became Alma Mahler’s (née Schindler) teacher of composition, and they initiated a relationship before she later married Gustav Mahler. Here, we present a selection from Zemlinsky’s operas and from Alma Mahler’s songs.

Conducting
Paul Lewis, piano
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
TCHAIKOVSKY Overture to The Voyevoda Op.3
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No.1
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.5

Streaming from 6 – 20 May

Tickets available from 6 April, 12:00 BST

Royal Albert Hall’s Note:
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and their Music Director Designate Vasily Petrenko present monumental masterpieces from two of the greatest composers of all time, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, in the stunning finale of their series of streamed concerts from the Royal Albert Hall.

Internationally acclaimed pianist Paul Lewis performs regularly with the world’s greatest orchestras and is a multi-award-winning recording artist. Beethoven himself was a phenomenally gifted pianist and wrote five piano concertos that display a wealth of power and originality. Highly regarded for his interpretations of Beethoven, Paul Lewis performs Piano Concerto No.1 as part of this special concert.

Powerhouse conductor Vasily Petrenko is a notable interpreter of Tchaikovsky’s thrilling music. His Overture to The Voyevoda is a lively and, at times, dramatic opener, conjuring images of the Volga river. Completing this concert is one of the greatest romantic symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth, which offers the listener a profound insight into the composer’s tumultuous and emotional life.

Conducting
Paul Lewis, piano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
Delius Two pieces for small orchestra: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Summer night on the river
Prokofiev Sinfonietta

RLPO Note
Welcome back! Let’s open Liverpool Philharmonic Hall doors again with evocations of the British countryside as imagined by Frederick Delius. Then Liverpool’s own Paul Lewis conjures up the beauty and freshness of Beethoven’s first piano concerto. And of course Vasily wants to welcome us back with music of his homeland with Prokofiev’s youthful Sinfonietta. Music to lift the spirits!

Conducting
Paul Lewis, piano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
Delius Two pieces for small orchestra: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Summer night on the river
Prokofiev Sinfonietta

RLPO Note
Welcome back! Let’s open Liverpool Philharmonic Hall doors again with evocations of the British countryside as imagined by Frederick Delius. Then Liverpool’s own Paul Lewis conjures up the beauty and freshness of Beethoven’s first piano concerto. And of course Vasily wants to welcome us back with music of his homeland with Prokofiev’s youthful Sinfonietta. Music to lift the spirits!

Conducting
Kian Soltani Cello
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

JONATHAN DOVE Sunshine
DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto
ELGAR Symphony No.1

RPO Note
Vasily Petrenko concludes the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2020-21 series at Southbank Centre. Opening the concert is an inspired work by contemporary British composer Jonathan Dove, Sunshine, which he describes as being a piece written to evoke the feelings of ‘standing in a patch of sunlight, feeling warmth spread through my body, and a glow of happiness.’ Dvořák’s Cello Concerto follows, with its lyrical and intimate themes performed here by former RPO Artist in Residence Kian Soltani, whose playing has been praised for its ‘dazzling intonation and clarity’ (The Washington Post).

A leading light of English classical music, Elgar’s orchestral legacy remains beloved. A staple of pre-First World War Romanticism, his Symphony No.1 received a rapturous reception upon its 1909 premiere and has maintained its popularity ever since. With powerful motifs and a melodic weight that recall Brahms and Wagner, the significance Elgar gives to the clarity of the Symphony’s theme in creating meaning is indicated in the first score marking, ‘Nobilmente e semplice’ – noble and simple. From chromatic dissonances in the first movement to the heroic resolution of the final movement, this symphonic tour-de-force receives a thrilling treatment from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s incoming Music Director Vasily Petrenko.

Conducting
Nancy Fabiola Herrera, mezzosoprano
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC)

Programme
J. S. Bach: The Musical Offering, Ricercare, BWV 1079 (arrang. Anton Webern) (1747) 8′
Arnold Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder: Lied der Waldtaube (chamber version) (1900-1911) 13′
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 in D “The Reformation”, Op.107 (1830) 27′

OBC Note
Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 was written as a tribute to the Protestant Reformation on the occasion of the third centenary of the Augsburg Confession (1530), the first official description of the principles of Lutheranism. The composer was a scholar of Baroque music and, in particular, of Johann Sebastian Bach, and so this symphony can be construed as a tribute to the moral and religious principles of the Eisenach-born composer. The symphony’s programmatic structure traces the evolution of Lutheranism in Germany through the incorporation of different chorales and liturgical hymns, like the Dresdner Amen (Dresden amen) sequence by Johann Gottlieb Naumann or the chorale Ein feste Burg is unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress is our God) by Luther.

In 1922, Arnold Schoenberg wrote a version for chamber orchestra of one of his Gurre-Lieder, composed between 1900 and1911 to accompany Chamber symphony No. 1, op. 9. In this version, where the lied is isolated from previous accompanying ones, listeners can focus on the variation and combination of motifs until, in the words of the composer, «a quasi-sonata form» is achieved.
In one of his few orchestral works, Anton Webern–one of Schoenberg’s disciples and a leading member of the 20th century’s avant-garde movement–resurrects the masterly six-voice fugue from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Musikalisches Opfer‎ (Musical Offering).

Conducting
Nancy Fabiola Herrera, mezzosoprano
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC)

Programme
J. S. Bach: The Musical Offering, Ricercare, BWV 1079 (arrang. Anton Webern) (1747) 8′
Arnold Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder: Lied der Waldtaube (chamber version) (1900-1911) 13′
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 in D “The Reformation”, Op.107 (1830) 27′

OBC Note
Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 was written as a tribute to the Protestant Reformation on the occasion of the third centenary of the Augsburg Confession (1530), the first official description of the principles of Lutheranism. The composer was a scholar of Baroque music and, in particular, of Johann Sebastian Bach, and so this symphony can be construed as a tribute to the moral and religious principles of the Eisenach-born composer. The symphony’s programmatic structure traces the evolution of Lutheranism in Germany through the incorporation of different chorales and liturgical hymns, like the Dresdner Amen (Dresden amen) sequence by Johann Gottlieb Naumann or the chorale Ein feste Burg is unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress is our God) by Luther.

In 1922, Arnold Schoenberg wrote a version for chamber orchestra of one of his Gurre-Lieder, composed between 1900 and1911 to accompany Chamber symphony No. 1, op. 9. In this version, where the lied is isolated from previous accompanying ones, listeners can focus on the variation and combination of motifs until, in the words of the composer, «a quasi-sonata form» is achieved.
In one of his few orchestral works, Anton Webern–one of Schoenberg’s disciples and a leading member of the 20th century’s avant-garde movement–resurrects the masterly six-voice fugue from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Musikalisches Opfer‎ (Musical Offering).