Sunday 2 June 2019 7–9.10pm Barbican LSO SEASON CONCERT ARTIST PORTRAIT: DANIIL TRIFONOV Traditional A Selection of Hymns & Songs Ives A Symphony: New England Holidays EMPEROR Interval Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5, ‘Emperor’ Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Daniil Trifonov piano Felix Mildenberger assistant conductor Samuel West narrator London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director Matthew Hamilton associate chorus director Welcome Latest News On our Blog recital here in the Barbican and collaborating LSO AT THE BBC PROMS 2019 LOOKING BACK ON THE PUBLIC DOMAIN with LSO Principal Trumpet Philip Cobb in Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet The LSO performs Walton’s Belshazzar’s Two months ago, over 500 singers came and Strings with Principal Guest Conductor Feast on Tuesday 20 August at the BBC together in the Barbican foyers to open that Gianandrea Noseda. Proms, with a 300-strong choir conducted evening’s concert with a unique performance by Sir Simon Rattle. The programme also of David Lang’s the public domain. We look Today we also hosted an LSO Discovery includes Varèse’s Amériques – a portrait of a back at this astonishing performance and Day centred on Charles Ives. This morning, modern city in sound – and French composer the people who brought it to life. we welcomed participants to watch a final Charles Koechlin’s Les bandar-log from rehearsal for tonight’s concert, followed by a The Jungle Book, completed in 1939. discussion and presentation on Ives’ music LSO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY GROUP: elcome to tonight’s LSO concert led by Dr William Brooks at LSO St Luke’s, WORKS IN PROGRESS at the Barbican, as the Orchestra’s with live musical examples performed by NEW COMMISSIONS FOR 2020/21 Conductor Laureate Michael Tilson members of the LSO and musicians from This month’s LSO Discovery Showcase, Thomas continues his long commitment the Guildhall School. George Stevenson and Joel Järventausta, two ‘One Night, One Thousand and One Stories’ to the music of Charles Ives, conducting composers participating in the LSO Panufnik on 6 June, features pieces for electronics, A Symphony: New England Holidays. I hope you enjoy the concert and will join Scheme, have been commissioned to write live performance and video presented This work evokes Ives’ experiences of us again soon. The 2019/20 season marks new music for the Orchestra to perform in by Ife Olalusi and Ken Burnett, members music heard on national holidays during Michael Tilson Thomas’ 50th year working the LSO’s 2020/21 season at the Barbican. of the LSO Discovery Digital Technology his childhood in New England, tying into with the Orchestra. To celebrate this These commissions support composers at a Group. We spoke to Ken and Ife about their the LSO’s 2018/19 season theme of ‘roots anniversary, he will return in the 2019/20 critical stage in their careers, providing them inspirations and influences, and how they’ve and origins’. Before the Symphony begins, season to conduct Berlioz’s Romeo and with time, resources and expertise. written and produced music for the concert. the London Symphony Chorus will perform Juliet, Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony and extracts from the hymns which inspired the Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with soloist piece, later joining in for the work’s finale. Nicola Benedetti. WELCOME TO TONIGHT’S GROUPS Read these articles and more at • lso.co.uk/blog In the second half, pianist Daniil Trifonov Welcome to the Gerrards Cross Community joins the Orchestra as soloist in Beethoven’s Association attending tonight’s concert. spirited Fifth Piano Concerto, a landmark in the concerto repertoire. Daniil Trifonov Please ensure all phones are switched off. will return twice more in June as part of his Kathryn McDowell CBE DL Photography and audio/video recording LSO Artist Portrait series, performing a solo Managing Director are not permitted during the performance. 2 Welcome 2 June 2019 Tonight’s Concert In Brief Daniil Trifonov In Conversation onight’s concert begins with PROGRAMME CONTRIBUTORS Scriabin’s ‘Poem of Ecstasy’ … a performance by the London That’s the piece which started my love for Symphony Chorus of the traditional Lindsay Kemp is a senior producer for BBC classical music. I was already playing the American songs that influenced Charles Radio 3, including programming lunchtime piano when I first heard it. Once I did, I had Ives’ A Symphony: New England Holidays. concerts at Wigmore Hall and LSO St Luke’s. Scriabin fever! I think that for the next five The symphony is an enigmatic masterpiece He is also Artistic Advisor to York Early Music years I played more than half of the piano by one of the great innovators of American Festival, Artistic Director of Baroque at the music that Scriabin wrote. classical music. Edge Festival, and a regular contributor to Gramophone magazine. What do you do in your downtime? Written between 1897 and 1913, New I really enjoy hiking and walking, especially England Holidays is a four-movement work Andrew Stewart is a freelance music in the mountains. I like to do long trips, say inspired by the sounds and experiences of journalist and writer. He is the author of The 10 to 30 kilometres in length. I was always national holidays celebrated in New England, LSO at 90 and contributes to a wide variety interested in geography – I suppose that’s where Ives grew up. The sounds of marching of specialist classical music publications. where it comes from. And in city planning – bands converge with hymn tunes, gospel I enjoy exploring London on foot, that’s one songs and ceremonial brass in Ives’ music, Wendy Thompson studied at the Royal of my favourite activities while here. I also which blends rich orchestral textures with College of Music, before taking an MMus sometimes do some light coding. experiments in dissonance and bitonality, in musicology at King’s College, London. and melodic instrumental solos. In addition to writing about music What do you listen to beyond classical music? What advice would you give to an aspiring she is Executive Director of Classical Outside of classical, I would say one of musician at the outset of their career? The second half comprises Beethoven’s Arts Productions, a major supplier of the most interesting experiences for me is I would say that it’s good to explore, to go ‘Emperor’ Concerto, one of the composer’s independent programmes to BBC Radio. listening to the band King Crimson, especially beyond just piano literature and understand most extrovert creations. Written in E-flat the early albums from the 1970s, like In the that the piano does not exist in a vacuum. major, the same key as his Third Symphony, Court of the Crimson King and Larks’ There are other arts and other musics. ‘Eroica’, the soloist is hero, with sparkling To mark his LSO Artist Portrait, Tongues in Aspic. I really like their music, it’s I think it’s very important to listen widely, passage-work and trills against a lush Daniil Trifonov has curated a selection very instrumental rock. My father used to to orchestral music and opera, and to enjoy orchestral backdrop. A stirring opening of recordings for Apple Music’s Classical be in a rock band too. He played keyboards other art forms as well. Movies, literature, movement is followed by a serene, hymnic radio channel. in this underground band back in the 1980s and of course painting – it all helps. Adagio in the distant key of B major. As the when he was studying. I quite like the sound Adagio fizzles to its close, a contemplative Visit applemusic.com/lso of the electric guitar, but the furthest I’ve Read the full interview at postlude for solo piano segues into a to listen now. ventured from the piano is an organ! lso.co.uk/blog glittering, dance-like finale. Tonight’s Concert 3 50th Anniversary with the LSO in 2019/20 Berlioz: Romeo and Juliet 10 November 2019 HALF SIX FIX Prokofi ev: Symphony No 5 13 November 2019 TILSON Michael Tilson Thomas: Agnegram Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Prokofi ev: Symphony No 5 with Nicola Benedetti violin 14 November 2019 THOMAS Explore the new season at lso.co.uk/201920season Charles Ives A Symphony: New England Holidays – Hymns & Songs o introduce Ives’ New England Great God, We Sing That Mighty Hand Shining Shore Home, Sweet Home Holidays, Michael Tilson Thomas (Verses 1 & 3) (Verses 1 & 3) conducts the London Symphony ‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we Chorus in a short selection of the hymns Great God, we sing that mighty hand My days are gliding swiftly by, may roam, and songs that inspired the Symphony. Set By which supported still we stand. And I, a pilgrim stranger, Be it ever so humble there’s no place to music in 1828, ‘Great God, We Sing That The opening year Thy mercy shows; Would not detain them as they fly – like home! Mighty Hand’ was sung as a Lutheran hymn Let mercy crown it till it close. Those hours of toil and danger. A charm from the skies seems to hallow in New England’s churches. Around the us there, same time, John Hatton’s setting of With grateful hearts the past we own; For now we stand on Jordan’s strand; All seek it through the world, tis’ ne’er ‘O God, Beneath Thy Guiding Hand’ became a The future, all to us unknown, Our friends are passing over; met with elsewhere! popular Anniversary hymn, and David Nelson We to Thy guardian care commit And, just before, the shining shore penned ‘My Days are gliding swiftly by’. And, peaceful, leave before Thy feet.