SignumClassics 2 CDs

SignumClassics THE PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA SIGCD133

S I G C D 1 3 2 christoPh von DohnÁnyi sir charles mackerras Brahms no.2 & symPhony no.4

S I G C D 1 3 5 VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY sir charles mackerras Schubert shOstaKOVIch festive overture Symphony no.9 symPhony no.5 schuBert symPhony no.9 www.signumrecords.com www.philharmonia.co.uk

Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000

SignumClassics Philharmonia orchestra SIGCD168

S I G C D 1 3 2

s c h u B e r t christoPh von DohnÁnyi Brahms Sir Brahms symPhony no.2 & symPhony no.4

S I G C D 1 3 3

Brahms sir charles mackerras

s c h u B e r t schuBert symPhony no.9 sir anDrew Davis S I G C D 1 4 8

Brahms Elgar christoPh von DohnÁnyi s c h u B e r t strauss elgar s t r a u s s till eulensPiegels lustige streiche enigma variations (alassio) In the South (Alassio) www.signumrecords.com www.philharmonia.co.uk serenaDe for strings Available through record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 Serenade for Strings Sir Andrew Davis

SignumClassics Philharmonia orchestra 2 CDs SIGCD132

S I G C D 1 3 3 Brahms sir charles mackerras Christoph von DohnÁnyi

sir charles mackerras schuBert shOstaKOVIch s c h u B e r t symPhony no.9

S I G C D 1 3 5 vlaDimir ashkenaZy christoPh von DohnÁnyi shOstaKOVIch festive overture symPhony no.5 Brahms Elgar Brahms Symphony no.2 & Symphony no.4 symPhony no.2 & symPhony no.4 www.signumrecords.com www.philharmonia.co.uk Symphony No.1 Available through record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 Symphony No.2 www.signumrecords.com www.philharmonia.co.uk Overture, Froissart Available through record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 Froissart•Symphony No.1 Elgar Elgar Symphony No.2 Froissart•Symphony no.1•Symphony No.2 Elgar: 1 and 2 and Overture, Froissart (1857-1934) In the monumental Victorian era, with Britain Germans, Britain was ‘Das Land ohne Musik’ CD 1 1 Overture, Froissart, Op.19 15.01 ruling the waves and at the zenith of its (‘the country without music’) in the Nineteenth economic, military, industrial and imperial Century, and the island certainly comes up Symphony No.1 in A flat major, Op.55 power, artists, architects, poets and polymaths short when musical luminaries are the name of 2 I. Andante nobilmente e semplice - allegro 7.32 seemed to be ten-a-penny. The likes of Paxton, the game. This is hardly to say that the British 3 II. Allegro 7.53 Alfred Waterhouse and George Gilbert Scott Isles were not awash with great music – they 4 III. Adagio 11.45 were erecting the grandest or most innovative certainly were, but little of it was indigenous. 5 IV. Allegro - lento - allegro molto 12.11 structures, from sophisticated private residences, While Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven had rapidly places of worship and on to Whitehall and the become staples of the orchestral, chamber Total timings 54.23 Crystal Palace. Alma-Tadema, Burne-Jones, and instrumental classical canon, music Millais and co. visited classical poise, pre- for religious purposes had been somewhat CD 2 Symphony No.2 in E flat major, Op.63 Raphaelite beauty and artistic controversy stifled ever since the Puritan tirades against 1 I. Allegro vivace e nobilmente 18.54 on the Royal Academy, while Dickens, Wilde, liturgical and theatrical music. The oratorios 2 II. Larghetto 13.56 Tennyson, Lewis Carroll and the Brownings of Handel neatly side-stepped these issues by 3 III. Rondo - presto 8.38 measured conservatism with outright scandal, being neither liturgical in initiation nor purely 4 IV. Moderato e maestoso 15.56 either on the stage or in published volumes. theatrical in conception. Instead they were And then there were others, such as John regarded as merely sacred and dramatic, Total timings 57.23 Ruskin and William Morris whose brilliance which seemed to please everyone, even many shone over numerous arts and disciplines. a hard-line Nonconformist. This template was set before Victoria became monarch and Philharmonia Orchestra While Great Britain was making the running Handelian oratorio, rather than opera, was Sir Andrew Davis conductor in most of the arts and crafts, music seemed setting the musical pulse of the nation. By barely to be on the agenda – at least so far the time Victoria and Albert were Queen and www.signumrecords.com as home-grown talent was concerned. To the Prince Consort, Mendelssohn was already

2 3 well known in Britain, having edited a few of composition until later in life. His first major Hall. Elgar’s close friend and musical confidante, theme while the third continues to develop it Handel’s oratorios for publication in London work for orchestra was the concert overture wrote of the London performance: in one of the most beautiful slow movements and was busily breathing Bach’s St Matthew Froissart, Op.19 which was premièred to that Elgar composed. The Finale resumes Passion back to life again in the public excellent reviews in 1890 at the Three Choirs The Hall was packed … I saw [Hubert] Parry, the musical argument and the struggles of consciousness. His oratorio, Elijah, composed Festival in Elgar’s own heartland of Worcester. E[dward] German … the first movement the opening movement before ending in a for the Birmingham Festival in 1846, and now By turns rip-roaring, noble and romantic, the [Elgar] was called out; again, several times resplendent restatement of the ‘great beautiful with an English text, further endeared him to overture is a splendid evocation of the life after the third, and then came the great tune’ with which the symphony commenced, the British public and helped re-invigorate and events described by the famous medieval moment. After that superb Coda the audience now in fully resplendent orchestral garb. English composers into moving toward the chronicler Jean Froissart. With the success seemed to rise at E[lgar] when he appeared. European mainstream. As to orchestral of a lengthy orchestral piece behind him, Never heard such frantic applause after any Attempts have been made to give the music, the fascination with the Viennese Elgar initially attempted to write a symphony novelty, nor such shouting. Five times he had symphony an extra-musical programme, to appear before they were pacified. People School of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven was based on the life of the military hero, General but Elgar himself saw none but the ‘wide stood up and even on their seats to get a view. gradually picking up on the later Romantic Gordon of Khartoum. The press carried notices experience of human life, a great charity (love) symphonists and increasingly Schubert, to the effect that Elgar was working on it in and a massive hope in the future’. Further, The great Austrian conductor Schumann, Brahms and others were being 1899, the same year as the highly successful in a lecture given in 1905 Elgar appears to not only wielded the baton at the symphony’s played by groups such as the Crystal Palace première of the Enigma Variations. This ‘Gordon presage his own emergence as a symphonist: early performances but was also the work’s Orchestra and, by the turn of the century, Symphony’ seems not to have amounted to dedicatee. He was thrilled by the piece, calling even ’s orchestral works were a great deal in terms of a remotely finished I hold that the symphony without a programme it, ‘The greatest symphony of modern times’. receiving fine notices in the United Kingdom. product, and indeed his Symphony No.1 in A is the highest development of art ... It seems Jaeger himself considered the work’s third In England, the likes of William Sterndale flat major, Op.55 did not appear until almost to me that because the greatest genius of movement, ‘not only one of the very greatest Bennett, Edward German, Arthur Sullivan a decade later, in 1908. He was not to be our days, Richard Strauss, recognises the slow movements since Beethoven, but I consider and Hubert Parry were not quite taking the hurried into producing a sub-standard work symphonic-poem as a fit vehicle for his it worthy of that master’. Praise indeed. splendid achievements, some writers are symphonic bull by the horns with the gusto and even accepted and subsequently refused a inclined to be positive that the symphony that their continental counterparts managed. commission for a symphony in 1904 from the The work opens with what Elgar’s wife Alice, is dead ... but when the looked-for genius Leeds Festival Committee. The Symphony proved noted in her diary as, ‘E … Playing great comes, it may be absolutely revived. For the first great British symphonies of well worth the wait and was spectacularly well- beautiful tune – ie the tune of the Symphony, the modern times which have stood the test of received at its world première at the Free Trade one which opens and closes it and influences Was Elgar really referring to himself? Who time and can lay claim to admission to the Hall, Manchester on 3 December 1908 and many musical happenings along the way’. This knows, but if so then he was certainly not far symphonic canon, we must turn to Edward almost riotously cheered to the rafters on its expansive, noble melody does indeed infuse the off the mark. Much encouraged by the success Elgar, who, like Brahms, left symphonic London première four days later at the Queen’s symphony. The second movement reverses this of the First Symphony, there wasn’t long to

4 5 wait for another. After completing his Violin didn’t care for in the piece. It is written for explains anything it directs the listener to One absolute certainty, straight from the Concerto for Fritz Kreisler, again to tumultuous similar orchestral forces and contains Elgar’s the many questions and battles that rage at creator’s pen is that the third movement was, acclaim, the Symphony No.2 in E flat major, trademark wistfulness as well as plenty of times in the symphony and point rather more ‘sketched on the piazza of S. Mark, Venice. Op.62 was completed in double-quick time gusto. It is certainly a more complex work and towards Elgar’s own inner complexity than to I took down the rhythm of the opening bars and again performed at the Queen’s Hall on is rather less dramatic than the First Symphony, any overt influence from the outer world. Even from some itinerant musicians who seemed to 24 May 1911, now with the composer on the although both works are clearly identifiably by the funereal, elegiac Larghetto which might be take a great satisfaction in the broken accent rostrum. Dedicated to the recently deceased the same composer writing in the same idiom. considered as mourning the death of Edward VII of the first four bars’. There are numerous other King Edward VII, this time there was to be It has been suggested that the symphony’s was written, according to the composer, before utterances which either muddy the waters or no jubilant celebration: the hall was some peaceful ending did not engender the rapturous the death of the King, and that the spirit of possibly supply flickers of actual extra-musical way from a sell-out and, according to one behaviour from audiences which may have the work as a whole, ‘is intended to be of high influences. But as already noted, Elgar himself newspaper critic, the audience reacted to the reacted more favourably to a rousing finale. & pure joy: there are retrospective passages has already explained his symphonic credo: work with ‘much favour, though with rather less of sadness but the whole of the sorrow is ‘I hold that the symphony without a programme enthusiasm than usual’. Another described The composer’s annotations for a programme smoothed out & ennobled in the last movement, is the highest development of art’. And the reaction thus: ‘the symphony was received note on the work give mention to the occasional which ends in a calm & I hope & intend, with both of his symphonies, Elgar certainly with unhesitating and most cordial warmth’. extra-musical inspiration. While these are elevated mood’. And yet, the composer Herbert reached the pinnacle of his own complex, Such damning with faint praise was a shock to informative they in no way tell us what any Howells, in a 1938 broadcast, remembered exuberant, thoughtful and splendid art. Elgar who asked his friend and the orchestra’s particular passage or movement is actually Elgar describing the slow movement as leader, W.H. Reed, ‘What is the matter with about and Elgar was less than willing to indeed that of a funeral cortège for a king. © M Ross them, Billy? They sit there like a lot of stuffed encourage too much speculation – his gnomic pigs’. Subsequent performances were very utterances are often about as much help as poorly attended and there was to be no the composer likely wanted them to be. For repeat of the 90-odd performances the First example, above the first movement, which Symphony received in its first year. Elgar was he described as ‘tremendous in energy’ he Biographies so put-out that not even his appointment to wrote a quotation from Shelley on the score: the Order of Merit in George V’s Coronation ‘Rarely, rarely comest thou, / Spirit of Delight’. Honours list did much to lift his spirits. He later further explained, ‘To get near the Sir Andrew Davis productions presented in the 2009-2010 season. mood of the symphony the whole of Shelley’s Maestro Davis is the Conductor Laureate of the These days the Second Symphony is hailed at poem may be read, but the music does not Since 2000, Sir Andrew Davis has served as Music Toronto Symphony (having previously served as least as much as the First, and it is therefore illustrate the whole of the poem, neither does Director & Principal Conductor of Lyric Opera of the Principal Conductor), the Conductor Laureate difficult to pinpoint quite what the audience the poem wholly elucidate the music’. If this Chicago, where he will conduct three of the eight of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (having served

6 7 as the 2nd longest running Chief Conductor since on the Onyx Classics label, which won Gramophone’s its founder, Sir ) and the former Music coveted “Best of Category – Concerto” award. Director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Recent releases include Beethoven’s with violinist Min-Jyn Kim and the Philharmonia Born in 1944 in Hertfordshire, England, Maestro Orchestra on the Sony label and a solo recital of The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the world’s Centre, and now also includes De Montfort Hall Davis studied at King’s College, Cambridge, operatic favorites sung by soprano great orchestras. Acknowledged as the UK’s in Leicester, the Anvil in Basingstoke and a series where he was an organ scholar before taking with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on the foremost musical pioneer, with an extraordinary of partnerships across Kent and the Thames up the baton. His diverse repertoire ranges Decca label, which in 2008 won the Solti Prize recording legacy, the Philharmonia leads Gateway, based in Canterbury. The Orchestra’s from baroque to contemporary, and his vast from the French Académie du Disque Lyrique. the field for its quality of playing, and for its international extensive touring schedule each credits span the symphonic and innovative approach to audience development, season involves appearances at the finest operatic and choral worlds. Sir Andrew is a great In 1992, Maestro Davis was created a residencies, music education and the use of concert halls across Europe, the USA and Asia. proponent of twentieth-century works including Commander of the British Empire for his services new technologies in reaching a global audience. those by Janácˇek, Messiaen, Boulez, Elgar, to British music, and in 1999 he was made a Together with its relationships with the world’s During its first six decades, the Philharmonia Tippett, and Britten, in addition to the core Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours List. most sought-after artists, most importantly its Orchestra has collaborated with most of the symphonic and operatic composers’ works. In 1991, he received the Royal Philharmonic Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa- great classical artists of the 20th century. Society/Charles Heidsieck Music Award. Pekka Salonen, the Philharmonia Orchestra Conductors associated with the Orchestra include With the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Maestro is at the heart of British musical life. Furtwängler, Richard Strauss, Toscanini, Cantelli, Davis has led concerts at the London Proms In the 2009-2010 season he conducts productions Karajan and Giulini. Otto Klemperer was the first and on tour to Hong Kong, Japan, the US, and of Tosca, Faust, and The Damnation of Faust at Today, the Philharmonia has the greatest claim of of many outstanding Principal Conductors, and Europe. He has conducted all of the major and Hansel and Gretel any orchestra to be the UK’s National Orchestra. other great names have included Lorin Maazel orchestras of the world from the Chicago at the Metropolitan Opera. He will be seen on It is committed to presenting the same quality, live (Associate Principal Conductor), Symphony to the Berlin Philarmonic to the Royal the podium with the New York Philharmonic, music-making in venues throughout the country (Principal Conductor and Music Director) and Concertgebouw, and at opera houses and festivals the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the as it brings to London and the great concert halls (Music Director). As well as throughout the world including the Metropolitan Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia of the world. Every year the Orchestra performs Esa-Pekka Salonen, current titled conductors are Opera, La Scala and the Bayreuth Festival. Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. more than 200 concerts, as well as presenting Christoph von Dohnányi (Honorary Conductor Sir Andrew makes return appearances with the chamber performances by the Soloists of the for Life), Sir Charles Mackerras (Principal Guest Maestro Davis is also a prolific recording artist. BBC Symphony Orchestra at and Philharmonia Orchestra, and recording scores for Conductor), Kurt Sanderling (Conductor Emeritus) He has recorded for Decca, Deutsche in London, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra films, CDs and computer games. Since 1995 the and Vladimir Ashkenazy (Conductor Laureate). Grammophon, Warner Classics International, and to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Orchestra’s work has been underpinned by its Capriccio, EMI, and CBS. In 2008, Sir Andrew much admired UK Residency Programme, which The Philharmonia Orchestra continues to pride released Elgar’s Violin Concertos featuring violinist For more information about Maestro Davis, please began with the launch of its residencies at the itself on its long-term collaborations with the James Ehnes and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra visit his web site at www.sirandrewdavis.com. Bedford Corn Exchange and London’s Southbank finest musicians of our day, supporting new as 8 9 Throughout its history, the Philharmonia Orchestra became the first ever classical music organisation has been committed to finding new ways to bring its to be shortlisted for a BT Digital Music Award, top quality live performance to audiences worldwide, and in the same year the Orchestra presented and to using new technologies to achieve this. the first ever concert webcast. Now more than Many millions of people since 1945 have enjoyed 3500 people a month download free monthly their first experience of classical music through a Philharmonia video podcasts, which include artist Philharmonia recording, and in 2008/9 audiences interviews and features on repertoire and projects; can engage with the Orchestra through webcasts, these films are also watched by more than 60,000 podcasts, downloads, computer games and film people on YouTube. Recording and broadcasting scores as well as through its unique interactive both continue to play a significant part in the music education website launched in 2005, Orchestra’s activities: since 2003 the Philharmonia The Sound Exchange (www.philharmonia.co.uk/ has enjoyed a major partnership with Classic thesoundexchange), which is now visited by almost FM, as The Classic FM Orchestra on Tour, as well 2 million people a year. In 2005 the Philharmonia as continuing to broadcast on BBC Radio 3. well as established artists. This policy extends into has commissioned more than 100 new works from Overture, Froissart recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, 12 April 2007 the Orchestra itself, where many of the players composers including Sir , Sir Producer - Misha Donat Engineer - Mike Cox for Floating Earth have solo or chamber music careers as well as Peter Maxwell Davies, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Symphony No. 1 recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, 12 April 2007 their work with the Orchestra. The Philharmonia’s James MacMillan. The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Producer - Misha Donat Engineer - Mike Cox for Floating Earth Martin Musical Scholarship Fund has for many years joint series with SBC, Clocks and Clouds: The Symphony No. 2 recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, 20 May 2007 supported talented musicians at the start of their Music of György Ligeti, won the Royal Philharmonic Producer - Misha Donat Engineer - Mike Hatch for Floating Earth careers and a new Orchestral Award, inaugurated Society’s Best Concert Series Award in 1997 and Photo credit - Richard Haughton in 2005, allows two young players every year to Related Rocks: The Music of Magnus Lindberg, was Design - Richard Slaney (for the Philharmonia Orchestra) and Andrew Giles gain performing experience within the Orchestra. nominated for an RPS Award. Other recent awards for the Orchestra include the RPS Large Ensemble www.signumrecords.com www.philharmonia.co.uk The Orchestra is also recognised for its innovative Award and two Evening Standard Awards for programming policy, at the heart of which is a Outstanding Artistic Achievement and Outstanding ® 2010 The copyright in this recording is owned by Philharmonia Orchestra © 2010 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd. commitment to performing and commissioning Ensemble. In May 2007 PLAY.orchestra, a ‘virtual Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. new works by leading composers, among them the Philharmonia Orchestra’ created in partnership Licenses for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, Artistic Director of its Music of Today series, Julian with Southbank Centre and Central St Martin’s or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. Anderson. Since 1945 the Philharmonia Orchestra College of Art, won the RPS Education Award. SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected]

10 11