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Home , Gruppen, London Sinfonietta, Oliver Knussen, Trans (Stockhausen)

2017/18 SEASON londonsinfonietta.org.uk #UnfinishedBusiness

stockhausen: Concert Programme

WELCOME Welcome to tonight’s concert, the last major Welcome to ’s Royal Festival project in the autumn part of our 50th Anniversary Hall. Please do not hesitate to approach our Duty Season: Unfinished Business. Here, we have Manager and ushers with any questions you may been reflecting on just some of the brilliant music have. Please note that refreshments are from the Sinfonietta’s history. Karlheinz not allowed in the concert hall. Stockhausen was one of the great advocates We hope you enjoy the concert this evening. for the in its first decade, helping us If you wish to get in touch with us following your establish a world-wide reputation. We are proud to visit please contact the Visitor Experience Team have worked not only with him, but also many of at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London his music’s interpreters – and I’m hugely grateful SE1 8XX, by phoning 020 3879 9555 or email to Pascal Rophé who has come to this project late [email protected]. We look in the day to replace the sadly indisposed forward to seeing you again soon. . Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward This is our third major Stockhausen collaboration Gallery are closed for essential refurbishment with The Royal Academy of Music’s Manson until 2018. During this period, Southbank Centre’s Ensemble – to whom we are hugely grateful – resident are performing in venues following (2013) and (2015). including St John’s Smith Square. We are proud of the fact that, working with Southbank Centre, we have been presenting such Find out more at southbankcentre.co.uk/sjss masterpieces of the 20th century for many years. And we know from working with young musicians in projects like these (and our own Academy) that we can inspire the next generation to make the curation and performance of new music their personal and professional passion. We celebrate our 50th Anniversary in a concert on 24 January – please do join us for this special occasion. Beyond that, for the rest of the season, we will be producing commissions, premieres and collaborations staged in both the concert hall and site specific locations, alongside schools work, public participation and projects to train young artists. The London Sinfonietta has evolved into an ensemble for the 21st century, but we will always make a more compelling future by taking account of our past. Keep in touch Many thanks to our supporters for tonight and of the London Sinfonietta – not least Arts Council londonsinfonietta.org.uk England who provide such an important platform @Ldn_Sinfonietta upon which we can build. And you can support us as well – we can promise experiences that will @londonsinfonietta last in your memory for the rest of your life. Andrew Burke @londonsinfonietta Chief Executive

Stockhausen: Trans Wednesday 6 December 2017 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall

Karlheinz Stockhausen Zodiac () for 1. Virgo 2. Libra 3. Scorpio 4. Sagittarius 5. Capricorn 6. Aquarius 7. Pisces 8. Aries 9. Taurus 10. Gemini

Interval

Karlheinz Stockhausen Trans for orchestra and tape

Pascal Rophé conductor London Sinfonietta side-by-side with Royal Academy of Music Manson Ensemble Sound Intermedia sound projection Sophie Motley stage director Tony Simpson lighting designer Jonathan Berman assistant conductor

The London Sinfonietta is grateful to Arts Council England for their generous support of the ensemble, as well as the many other individuals, trusts and businesses who enable us to realise our ambitions. KARlHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN (1928–2007)

Karlheinz Stockhausen and Mesias Maiguashea at the Studio for of WDR, Cologne, 1971 © Werner Scholz Not since Beethoven has one composer obtained The wildness of his cantata and the such a mythical status as Karlheinz Stockhausen. cacophony of sound that is Gruppen owe much to A controversial individual whose candidness these other sources. and eccentricities have provoked as much With Gesang der Jünglinge he became the first revulsion as they have intrigue, Stockhausen composer to integrate seamlessly electronic and can nevertheless lay claim to the creation of natural sound sources, while iconic works such more new musical movements than any other as the Helikopter-Streichquartett pushed the composer of the 20th century. boundaries of musical performance to hitherto While Stockhausen claimed to have been undreamed-of limits. In itself, this was just one educated on , the brightest star in our sky, component of Stockhausen’s giant opera project, he was actually brought up in a village near , which comprises seven full-length operas, Cologne and later studied with Darius Milhaud one for every day of the week, totalling some and Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire. 29 hours of music. His studies with Messiaen sparked an interest While his later works took on a mystical quality in exploring serial procedures, which led to that saw him fall out of favour in some circles, the his earliest works in this vein, the ‘punktuelle’ unparalleled levels of bold experimentation across (‘pointist’ or ‘punctual’) piece and his catalogue of 300 works in every imaginable his first set of Klavierstücke. But Stockhausen’s genre have left an indelible imprint on the history interest in rigorous formalism was tempered by of Western music that few composers of the future a sense of raw vitality and infectious energy – a will be able to replicate. hangover from the jazz music he had listened to during the post-war years. © Jo Kirkbride Zodiac (1974/2004/2007) Trans (1971) For orchestra For orchestra and tape The London Sinfonietta shared a special working Trans (meaning ‘across’ or ‘transition’) is as much relationship with Karlheinz Stockhausen, and a piece of theatre as it is a . across its 50 year history, the ensemble has given Its unusual and ethereal atmosphere is the result six UK premieres and three world premieres of a dream that Stockhausen had in December (including new versions) of his works since 1968. 1970. On waking, he jotted down some notes: Tonight’s programme showcases the challenging demands of Stockhausen’s repertoire, which has “Dreamt orchestral work...orchestra sits in come to form an important thread in the London series...sound wall opens with different intervals Sinfonietta’s programme. Stockhausen’s eclectic at periods of about twenty seconds, allowing and individual personality can be witnessed music behind this wall to come through – throughout tonight’s programme, with its dreamy brass and woodwinds mixed – and I hear low visions and astrological influences. instruments that are the fundamentals; in timbres Zodiac (or Tierkreis in German) was originally they’re coloured like organ mixtures. With each written for music boxes as part of a larger theatre low melodic line of one of the lower instruments piece for percussion Musik im Bauch (Music in the there are several instruments in parallel, playing Belly). It was reworked several times for various softer and colouring this low sound...at the same arrangements and in his final years Stockhausen time I hear the sound of a weaving chair.” produced tonight’s two versions for orchestra Trans is visual experience with the musicians which include five star-signs each. He completed of the orchestra (and conductor) obscured by a Fünf weitere Sternzeichen (Five more star-signs) vividly lit gauze. The only musicians you see are the night before he died on 4 December 2007, the immobile string players, who hold a series of just over ten years ago, and was thought to be sustained notes throughout, and are instructed to planning the orchestration of two more star-signs move ‘like puppets’. Stockhausen believed at the Cancer and Leo (his own) in the new year. time that orchestral musicians were losing their In tonight’s programme, the melodies of Zodiac artistic and technical integrity, as they churned represent ten star-signs and Stockhausen ensured out symphonies like factory workers – Trans is the specific characteristics of each are apparent perhaps a comment on this mentality. by studying friends and family. Aquarius is based Nearly all of the musical action we hear in Trans on the traits of his youngest daughter Julika, who is unseen, with three distinct layers that co-exist originally inspired Musik in Bauch. Although some through the entire piece: have more than twelve notes, the star-signs are 1. Four groups of wind and brass primarily based on tone rows. Libra, for example, 2. On stage holding a drone includes fourteen notes, with F sharp and D sharp 3. Tape part of a loom shuttle panning from left appearing in different octaves. Each melody to right/right to left is centred around a different chromatic pitch and distinct tempo – the score’s performance Stockhausen used the sound of the loom shuttle notes stating clearly that the metronome tempi structurally to divide the piece into sections and must be adhered to in order to represent each often as a trigger, activating or stopping certain characteristic accurately. Rhythms are also musical figures. The piece comes across as arranged serially and aim to create an element of episodic, yet sounds like it’s very loosely put contrast across the series of signs. together, playful and irreverent. Stockhausen is trying to make the audience imagine what In Cologne, as a tribute to Karlheinz Stockhausen, theatrical misdemeanours are being played out the relevant Zodiac melody (according to time of by the musicians who are hidden away, whilst year) is played everyday at noon on the 48-bell teasing us with the monotony of the statically carillon in the tower of the Town Hall. visible string section. © Niamh Collins © Niamh Collins / Philip Cashian PASCAL Rophé Pascal Rophé is committed to the operatic repertoire which he considers, like contemporary music, should be as accessible to audiences as the more mainstream repertoire. He devotes himself, on average, to two operatic productions per season (Pélléas et Mélisande with Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Thaïs for Opera di Roma, both Der fliegende Holländer and Dialogue des Carmélites at the Budapest Spring Festival). Among the contemporary operas he has championed are Michael Jarrell’s Galilée for Geneva’s Grand Théâtre, Ahmed Essyad’s Héloïse et Abélard for the Châtelet, Michèle Reverdy’s Medée for Opéra de Lyon, and most recently,

© Ben Ealovega Bruno Mantovani’s L’Autre Côté for the Cité de la Musique. In April 2011 he premiered Akhmatova, conductor the latest opera by Bruno Mantovani at the Opera One of France’s most sought after conductors, national de Paris. In spring 2013 he conducted Pascal Rophé is currently Music Director of the Anna Caterina Antonacci and the Luxemburg Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, a position Philharmonic Orchestra in La Voix Humaine by he has held since the 2014/15 season. Poulenc and the Secret de Suzanne by Wolf-Ferrari in Paris and Luxemburg. Although known as one of the foremost exponents of 20th century repertoire and invited regularly by For his extensive discography of recordings all the major European ensembles dedicated to made with the orchestras of Radio France, contemporary music, Pascal Rophé has also built BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National up an enviable reputation for his interpretations Orchestra of Wales, Orchestre de la Suisse of the great symphonic repertoire of the 18th Romande, Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and 19th centuries. From 1992, after studying and Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, at the Conservatoire National Superieur de he has received numerous awards and been Musique de Paris and winning second prize at unanimously praised by the press. the 1988 Besançon International Competition, he A recording of works by Dutilleux was released collaborated closely with and the on BIS in 2016 to celebrate the centenary of the Ensemble InterContemporain. birth of Dutilleux. Last season also saw him open In France and abroad, Pascal works with many the Angers-Nantes Opera with a concert version major orchestras including the orchestras of Radio of Lohengrin; after which he returned to NFM France, Iceland Symphony, Philharmonia, BBC Wroclaw Philharmonic, the Seoul Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of and Philharmonia orchestras, as well as Wales, RTE National Symphony, Orchestre de la Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. In Asia, he Suisse Romande, RAI Torino, Norwegian Radio made his debuts with the Taiwan Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra China Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony and Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. He also orchestras and continued his work with the served for three years as Music Director of the orchestra of Hyogo Performing Arts Centre. Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra until © Kajimoto Music June 2009. london sinfonietta Michael Cox flute/* The London Sinfonietta is one of the world’s Rebecca Larsen flute leading contemporary music ensembles. Formed Gareth Hulse * in 1968, the group’s commitment to making Melinda Maxwell oboe new music has seen it commission over 400 Mark van de Wiel * works and premiere many hundreds more. Our ethos today is to constantly experiment with Jordan Black clarinet the art form, working with the best composers * and performers and collaborating with artists Michael Thompson horn* from alternative genres and disciplines. We are Christian Barraclough committed to challenging perceptions, provoking Torbjorn Hultmark trumpet new possibilities and stretching our audiences’ Matthew Gee imaginations, often working closely with them as creators, performers and curators of the events Joan Atherton violin* we stage. Miranda Fulleylove violin Resident at Southbank Centre and Artistic Hillaryjane Parker violin Associate at , with a busy touring Rebecca Dinning violin schedule across the UK and abroad, the London Sophie Mather violin Sinfonietta’s core eighteen Principal Players, are Charlotte Reid violin some of the best musicians in the world. Thomas Aldren violin Holding a leading position in education work, we Georgia Hannant violin believe that arts participation is transformational Judith Choi-Castro violin to individuals and communities, and that new Gemma Sharples violin music is relevant to people’s lives. This belief is Fiona Winning enacted through primary and secondary school Zoe Matthews viola concerts across the UK, interactive family events, Lourenço Macedo Sampio viola and the annual London Sinfonietta Academy; an James Heron viola unparalleled opportunity for young performers and conductors to train with our Principal Players. Tim Gill * Bozidar Vokotic cello The London Sinfonietta has also broken new Alexander Rolton cello ground by creating ’s Clapping Enno Senft * Music app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Lynda Houghton double bass a participatory rhythm game that has been downloaded over 200,000 times worldwide. Clive Williamson celeste The ensemble’s latest recordings include George Elizabeth Burley sampler Benjamin’s opera Into the Little Hill (Nimbus; David Hockings percussion* 2017), a collaboration with Norwegian saxophonist Joe Richards percussion Marius Neset on Snowmelt (ACT; 2016), a limited Helen Tunstall harp* edition run of LPs with the artist as part of his White Cube exhibition in 2015, and *London Sinfonietta Principal Player a disc of Sir ’s music which topped the classical music chart in 2015.

londonsinfonietta.org.uk Manson Ensemble Laura Davies flute The Manson Ensemble is the Royal Academy Stephen Bennett flute of Music’s specialist contemporary music Kaede Yamamoto oboe ensemble. Its first concert was at the Aldeburgh Isabella Pincombe oboe Festival in 1968, and it plays regularly at the Sacha Gibbs-McPhee clarinet Academy and in festivals around Britain. Nelson Sinclair-Strong clarinet The group has collaborated closely with student Luke English composers from the Academy, as well as Matthew Kitteringham contrabassoon composers and performers from The Juilliard Illiam Quane trumpet School, New York. Since its foundation, the Lucy Humphris trumpet ensemble has performed major works – in the presence of the composer – by Berio, Boulez, Stuart Beard Carter, Donatoni, Henze, Kagel, Knussen, Kurtág, violin Madeleine Pickering Lutosławski, Maxwell Davies, Messiaen and David Shaw violin Penderecki and, in more recent years, with Savannah Brown violin , George Benjamin, Harrison Eva de Vries violin Birtwistle, Beat Furrer and . Jure Smirnov Ostir violin Other highlights for the Manson Ensemble violin Kaho Nagano include performing and recording the music of Johanna Roehrig violin Frank Zappa as part of a Roundhouse/Zappa Allessandra Pavoni Belli violin Family Trust festival; the world premiere of Austra Steke violin Daniel Cohen’s The Pleasure Garden – a new Jacob Ventura violin score written for Alfred Hitchcock’s first silent Charlie Brookes violin film of the same name – in association with Sofia Silva Sousa viola the British Film Institute; and, most recently, Abigale Bowen viola the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Beyond the Nathalie Green-Buckley viola Score – A Pierre Dream with Susanna Mälkki Sophia Rees viola at the . Joel Siepmann cello A major series of side-by-side projects with the Thomas Isaac cello London Sinfonietta began in 2002 with György Francesca Cull cello Kurtág’s Double and has been followed Emre Ersahin double bass by 14 significant performances including the UK Harry Rylance organ premieres of Nono’s Prometeo and Grisey’s Les espaces acoustiques. Recent collaborations have Emmanuel Joste percussion included Stockhausen’s Gruppen and Hymnen percussion Luke Taylor and Thomas Adès’s In Seven Days in the Royal Festival Hall.

London Sinfonietta would like to 2002 John Hodgson trombone thank the following organisations and 2003 Philip Meaden Alistair Mackie trumpet individuals for their support: 2004 Professor Sir Barry Ife CBE Jonathan Morton violin 1 (supported by 2009 Susan Grollet in memory of Mark Paul & Sybella Zisman) TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, Arts Grollet Joan Atherton violin 2 (supported by Council England, The Barbara Whatmore 2010 Lucy de Castro & Nick Morgan Robert Clark & Susan Costello) Charitable Trust, The Boltini Trust, British 2012 Trevor Cook viola (supported by Council, Britten-Pears Foundation, The 2013 Antonia Till Nick & Claire Prettejohn) John S Cohen Foundation, Cockayne 2017 Paul & Sybella Zisman Tim Gill cello (supported by Sir Stephen – Grants for the Arts, The D’Oyly Carte 2018 Lark (Group) Limited Oliver QC) double bass (supported by Charitable Trust, Ernest Cook Trust, Ernst LEAD PIONEERS Enno Senft von Siemens Music Foundation,The John Bird Anthony Mackintosh) Fenton Arts Trust, Garfield Weston Robert Clark & Susan Costello Helen Tunstall harp Foundation, Help Musicians UK, Régis Cochefert David Hockings percussion Hinrichsen Foundation, Idlewild Trust, Anthony Mackintosh John Constable Emeritus Principal John Ellerman Foundation, Jerwood Belinda Matthews (supported by John Bird) Charitable Foundation, London Music Stephen Morris David Sheppard Sound Intermedia Fund, The London Community Foundation, Sir Stephen Oliver QC (supported by Penny Jonas) The Nugee Foundation, PRS for Music Antonia Till Ian Dearden Sound Intermedia (supported by Penny Jonas) Foundation, The RVW Trust, The Serge ARTISTIC PIONEERS Koussevitzky Music Foundation Anton Cox LONDON SINFONIETTA COUNCIL Paul Zisman chairman CORPORATE PARTNERS John Hodgson Lark (Group) Limited Nicholas Hodgson Andrew Burke Walter A. Marlowe Régis Cochefert HONORARY PATRONS Ian Dearden John Bird Julie Nicholls Simon Osborne Annabel Graham Paul Sir Harrison Birtwistle Alistair Mackie Alfred Brendel KBE Ruth Rattenbury David & Jenni Wake-Walker Belinda Matthews ENTREPRENEURS Margarita Wood Jonathan Morton Sir Vernon Ellis Matthew Pike Annabel Graham Paul CREATIVE PIONEERS Sally Taylor Penny Jonas Ian Baker Ariane Bankes LONDON SINFONIETTA STAFF Anthony Mackintosh Andrew Burke Chief Executive Robert McFarland Andrew Burke Jeremy & Yvonne Clarke Craig West General Manager Michael & Patricia McLaren-Turner Elizabeth Davies Head of Finance Sir Stephen Oliver QC Rachel Coldicutt Dennis Davis Natalie Marchant Concerts & Projects Matthew Pike Manager Nick & Claire Prettejohn Richard & Carole Fries John Goodier Hannah Bache Concerts and Touring Paul & Sybella Zisman Coordinator The London Sinfonietta Council Patrick Hall Chris Heathcote Lindsay Wilson Projects Manager Sinfonietta Circle Andrew Hunt Sean Watson Participation & Learning 1970 Frank and Linda Jeffs Frank & Linda Jeffs Officer 1972 Robert McFarland Philip Meaden Joanne McIntosh Head of Development 1973 Dennis Davis Andrew Nash Strategy (maternity cover) 1974 Camilla & Anthony Frances Spalding Sam Delaney Individual Giving Assistant Whitworth-Jones Iain Stewart Vicky Trigle Trusts, Foundations & 1975 John Bird Mark Thomas Corporate Partnerships Assistant 1976 Patricia McLaren-Turner Fenella Warden Rosanna Haas Marketing Manager 1977 Janis Susskind OBE Jane Williams Niamh Collins Marketing Officer 1978 Walter A. Marlowe Plus those generous Lead, Artistic and Adam Flynn Administration & Recordings 1979 Tony Bolton Creative Pioneers who prefer to remain Officer 1980 Mark Thomas anonymous, as well as our loyal group of LONDON SINFONIETTA AMBASSADORS 1981 Michael McLaren-Turner Pioneers. Anthony Mackintosh 1982 Rosemary Gent Robert McFarland 1984 Robert Clark & Susan Costello PRINCIPAL PLAYERS flute (supported by Michael Sir Stephen Oliver QC 1985 Louise Mitchell Michael Cox & Patricia McLaren-Turner) Penny Jonas 1986 Stephen Williamson oboe 1988 P.E. Duly Gareth Hulse FREELANCE & CONSULTANT STAFF clarinet (supported by Concert Manager 1991 Régis Cochefert & Thomas Ponsonby Mark van de Wiel Hal Hutchison Régis Cochefert) Personnel Manager 1990 Stephen & Dawn Oliver Lesley Wynne bassoon Lighting Designer 1992 Stephen Morris John Orford Tony Simpson sound 1997 Rosie Oliver & Cathy Haynes Simon Haram Maija Handover uk horn (supported by 1999 Penny Jonas Michael Thompson Belinda Matthews) 2001 Ruth Rattenbury

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Find out more at londonsinfonietta.org.uk/support-us UNFINISHED BUSINESS 50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON 50th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT : Wednesday 24 January 2018, THE GENDER AGENDA Royal Festival Hall Thursday 12 April 2018, Queen Elizabeth Hall ls open CoMA, Saturday 3 March 2018, St Leonard’s BEACONS Sound Out: Schools Concert, Wednesday 16 May 2018, Monday 19 March 2018, Royal Festival Hall Queen Elizabeth Hall

Turning Points: Space-TIME MIX: LONDON SINFONIETTA Saturday 24 March 2018, & TOM JENKINSON Kings Place Friday 8 June 2018, Purcell Room reSponse: andreas gursky /nick drake: cave March 2018, June 2018, Printworks Hayward Gallery londonsinfonietta.org.uk

Images clockwise from left: 50th Anniversary Concert (24 January), The Gender Agenda (12 April), Beacons (16 May), Cave (June)