London Orchestra Living Music

Wed 6 & Wed 13 Nov 2013 7.30pm Barbican Hall

ROMEO AND JULIET

Berlioz Romeo and Juliet

Valery Gergiev conductor Olga Borodina mezzo-soprano Kenneth Tarver Evgeny Nikitin bass-baritone London Symphony Chorus Guildhall School Chorus chorus director

6 Nov in partnership with the Royal Philharmonic Society

13 Nov supported by LSO Friends

BERLIOZ: FANTASY, REALITY, IMAGINATION London’s Symphony Orchestra

There will be no interval during tonight’s concert Concert finishes approx 9.20pm

13 Nov filmed by Mezzo for future broadcast across 2 Welcome 6 & 13 November 2013

Welcome Living Music Kathryn McDowell In Brief

Tonight’s concert forms part of LSO Principal LSO PLAY Conductor ’s exploration of the music of Berlioz, a major series that takes in eight See a different side of the London Symphony concerts at the Barbican and a tour to venues in Orchestra through LSO Play, an innovative online the , , and . platform that allows you to immerse yourself in an orchestral concert. Watch Valery Gergiev conduct This evening, we hear one of the composer’s most Ravel’s Boléro, control views of the performance revolutionary works – the choral symphony Romeo from within the different sections of orchestra, and Juliet, inspired by Berlioz’s love of Shakespeare. and learn more about the instruments and players. To bring the drama of this work to life, it’s a pleasure to be joined by soloists Olga Borodina, Kenneth play.lso.co.uk Tarver and Evgeny Nikitin, along with the London Symphony Chorus and a chorus from the Guildhall School. We are particularly delighted to have the LSO LIVE SALE ON iTUNES opportunity to take this programme to Paris for a performance later this month at the Salle Pleyel, This month, iTunes is holding a world-wide campaign where the LSO is International Resident Orchestra. discounting the entire LSO Live catalogue. Get up to 40% off your favourite recordings by the London I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Symphony Orchestra, including best-sellers Holst’s the Royal Philharmonic Society, whose members The Planets, award-winning Prokofiev’s Romeo and join us on 6 November as part of their bicentenary Juliet and the monumental Berlioz’s Grande Messe celebrations, and LSO Friends, for their support des morts. Sale ends 26 November. of the 13 November concert and their continuing commitment to the work of the Orchestra. iTunes.com/lsolive

Thank you also to our media partners for this series, Classic FM, and to our filming and broadcast A WARM WELCOME TO TONIGHT’S GROUPS partner Mezzo, who will record the 13 November concert for later broadcast. The LSO offers great benefits for groups of 10+ including 20% off standard ticket prices, a dedicated I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance, and will booking phone line and, for bigger groups, free hot join us again for another concert in the series, drinks and the chance of a private interval reception. which continues at the Barbican until 14 November. At these two concerts we are delighted to welcome: The Mariinsky Theatre Trust, The Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity and Brook Green UK DMC.

Kathryn McDowell CBE DL lso.co.uk/groups Managing Director lso.co.uk 3

Royal Philharmonic Society 200 Years at the Heart of Music

‘For centuries the RPS has been the beating heart and LSO PLAY conscience of British musical life.’ EXPLORE THE ORCHESTRA

Richard Morrison, The Times View performances from a new perspective, watch up to four cameras at one time, The UK’s orchestral tradition started in 1813 when and use the orchestra visualisation to the Philharmonic Society of London mounted the learn more about the instruments … first public season of concerts. 200 years on and this unique organisation is still at the heart of music: rps200.org/join supporting and working creatively with talented young performers and composers, championing excellence, and encouraging audiences to listen to, and talk about, great music.

New music has always been central to the RPS, and tonight’s concert reminds us that Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet was first introduced to the UK at a Philharmonic Society concert on 10 March 1881, conducted by Mr W G Cousins. The concert took place at St James’ Hall and, according to the programme, the orchestra was increased to precisely 100 members and joined by a chorus of 150 singers from the Upper of the South London Choral Association plus twelve professional vocalists under the direction of Mr Leonard C Venebles. This was the first time that Berlioz’s work had featured in a Philharmonic Society concert in nearly 30 years following his visit in 1853, when he conducted a Get to see what the Orchestra sees programme of his music including Harold in when they make music and explore and the overture Le carnaval romain. Ravel’s Boléro up close.

play.lso.co.uk 4 Programme Notes 6 & 13 November 2013

Hector Berlioz (1803–69) Romeo and Juliet Op 17 (1839)

Dramatic symphony after Shakespeare’s tragedy Almost from the moment that the 23-year-old Libretto by Émile Deschamps Berlioz saw an English company’s performance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the Odéon 1 INTRODUCTION – FIGHTING, TUMULT, INTERVENTION Theatre in Paris in September 1827, ideas for some OF THE PRINCE: ALLEGRO FUGATO kind of musical response began to crowd into PROLOGUE: MODERATO his mind. But the article in an English newspaper, STROPHES: ANDANTE AVEC SOLENNITÉ which later reported that as he left the theatre he SCHERZETTO: ALLEGRO LEGGIERO exclaimed, ‘I shall write my grandest symphony on the play’, could not have been more wrong. 2 ROMEO ALONE, SADNESS, MUSIC AND DANCING, THE CAPULETS’ FEAST: ANDANTE MALINCONICO Writing a symphony of any kind was the last thing E SOSTENUTO – LARGHETTO ESPRESSIVO – ALLEGRO Berlioz would have been thinking of at that stage of his career. His musical education, since coming to 3 LOVE SCENE: THE CAPULETS’ GARDEN, SILENT AND Paris from the provinces six years before – a boy of DESERTED: ALLEGRETTO – ADAGIO 17 who had never heard an orchestra – had been largely devoted to the operas and sacred music of 4 SCHERZO: QUEEN MAB: PRESTISSIMO the French classical school. The crucial discovery of Beethoven, and of the symphony as a major 5 JULIET’S FUNERAL PROCESSION: ANDANTE NON TROPPO LENTO art-form, lay several months ahead.

6 ROMEO AT THE CAPULETS’ TOMB – The Revelation of Beethoven INVOCATION, AWAKENING OF JULIET: ALLEGRO AGITATO E DISPERATO CON MOTO – LARGO – Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet comes out of Beethoven ALLEGRO VIVACE ED APPASSIONATO ASSAI almost as much as Shakespeare – out of the revelation of the Beethovenian symphony at 7 FINALE – THE CROWD RUSHES TO THE CEMETERY, concerts at the Paris Conservatoire, where Berlioz BRAWL OF CAPULETS AND MONTAGUES, was a student, in 1828: the symphony as a dramatic FRIAR LAURENCE’S RECITATIVE AND ARIA, medium every bit as vivid and lofty as opera, and OATH OF RECONCILIATION: ALLEGRO – LARGHETTO the symphony orchestra as a vehicle of unimagined SOSTENUTO – ALLEGRO NON TROPPO – ALLEGRO – expressive power and subtlety, of infinite possibility. ALLEGRO MODERATO – ANDANTE UN POCO MAESTOSO From that time on, his aspirations turned in a new direction, towards the dramatic concert work, VALERY GERGIEV CONDUCTOR culminating, twelve years after the epiphany at the OLGA BORODINA MEZZO-SOPRANO Odéon, in Romeo and Juliet. KENNETH TARVER TENOR EVGENY NIKITIN BASS-BARITONE For Berlioz, listening to the Beethoven LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS and studying the scores in the Conservatoire Library, GUILDHALL SCHOOL CHORUS the sheer variety of their compositional procedures SIMON HALSEY CHORUS DIRECTOR and the clearly distinct character of each work lso.co.uk Programme Notes 5

BERLIOZ AND SHAKESPEARE reinforced the lessons of Shakespeare: continual naïve old cackling nurse; the stately hermit, striving Berlioz described his first encounter reinvention of form in response to the demands of in vain to calm the storm of love and hate whose with Shakespeare (when he saw the poetic material. Each of his three symphonies tumult has carried even to his lowly cell; and then Hamlet at the Odéon Theatre in 1827) is cast in a different form, and adopts a different the catastrophe, extremes of ecstasy and despair as a ‘thunderbolt’ that revealed the solution to the problem of communicating dramatic contending for mastery, passion’s sighs turned ‘meaning of dramatic grandeur, content: in the Symphonie fantastique a written to choking death; and, at the last, the solemn oath beauty, truth’. The playwright proved programme, in Harold in Italy movement titles, in sworn by the warring houses, too late, on the bodies an enduring influence on Berlioz: Romeo and Juliet choral recitative, setting out – as in of their star-crossed children, to abjure the hatred the composer wrote works inspired Shakespeare’s ‘Two houses, both alike in dignity …’ – through which so much blood, so many tears, by The Tempest, King Lear, Hamlet the action distilled in the movements that follow. were shed.’ and an opera based on Much Ado About Nothing (Béatrice and Benedict). ‘Beethoven opened before Much of this will feature in the symphony that me a new world of music, Paganini’s princely gift – a cheque for 20,000 francs, which relieved Berlioz of the heavy burden of debt – as Shakespeare had revealed enabled him to write. a new universe of poetry’. The Formal Plan Berlioz, in his Memoirs, on the profound influence of Beethoven and Shakespeare The work finally performed in the Conservatoire Hall in November 1839 was the result of long and careful NICCOLÒ PAGANINI (1782–1840) The project occupied Berlioz for a long time. In Italy, consideration of ends and means. ‘Romeo and Juliet, was a celebrated violinist, violist and in 1831–32, he discusses with Mendelssohn a Dramatic Symphony, with chorus, vocal solos, and composer. He commissioned Berlioz’s possible orchestral scherzo on Queen Mab (a fairy prologue in chanted recitative, after Shakespeare’s Harold in Italy and, although he never that Mercutio refers to in a famous speech), and – tragedy, dedicated to Niccolò Paganini’, is its title. actually played the solo viola part, he under the (to him) negative impact of Bellini’s 1830 Berlioz’s later preface has an ironic edge: ‘There was overwhelmed when he heard opera The Capulets and the Montagues – imagines will doubtless be no mistake as to the genre of this the work performed, and sent Berlioz an ideal scenario for a dramatic work: work’. In fact there has been a great deal. Yet (as the a gift of 20,000 francs, along with a preface continues), ‘although voices are frequently congratulatory letter, just days later. ‘To begin, the dazzling ball at the Capulets, where employed, it is neither a concert opera nor a cantata amid a whirling cloud of beauties young Montague but a choral symphony’. first sets eyes on ‘sweet Juliet’ whose constant love will cost her her life; then the furious battles in the Nowadays, Mahler’s multi-movement vocal-orchestral streets of , the ‘fiery Tybalt’ presiding like the constructions are accepted as symphonies, but very spirit of rage and revenge; the indescribable they were long disputed. In Berlioz’s Romeo and night scene on Juliet’s balcony, the lovers’ voices Juliet the balance between the symphonic and the ‘like softest music to attending ears’ uttering a love narrative is exactly calculated (with the wordless as pure and radiant as the smiling moon that shines love scene at the heart of the work, structurally and its benediction upon them; the dazzling Mercutio emotionally). The more one studies it the stronger and his sharp-tongued, fantastical humour; the its compositional grasp appears. So far from being 6 Programme Notes 6 & 13 November 2013

Hector Berlioz Romeo and Juliet (continued)

arbitrary – an awkward compromise between Laurence. At the same time the two movements symphony and opera or oratorio – the scheme is preceding the Finale take on an increasingly logical and the mixture of genres (the joint legacy descriptive character, the funeral dirge merging into of Shakespeare and Beethoven) precisely gauged. an insistent bell-like tolling and the Tomb Scene taking the work still nearer to narrative. In this way The fugal Introduction, depicting the feud of the two the fully dramatic Finale evolves out of what has families, establishes the principle of dramatically gone before. explicit orchestral music and then, using the bridge INSTRUMENTAL DRAMA of instrumental recitative (as in Beethoven’s Ninth), No Berlioz score is more Although voices are used throughout crosses over into vocal music. Choral Prologue now abundant in lyric poetry, in a the work, much of the drama – states the argument, which Choral Finale will resolve, including the scenes involving and prepares for the themes, dramatic and musical, sense of the magic and brevity Romeo and Juliet – is delivered in the to be treated in the core of the symphony by the of love, in ‘sounds and sweet instrumental music. In his preface orchestra. In addition, the two least overtly dramatic to the score, Berlioz wrote that he movements, the adagio (Love Scene) and the airs’ of so many kinds … ‘had recourse to the language of scherzo, are prefigured, the one in a contralto solo instruments which, in this case, celebrating the rapture of first love, the other in a Thematic resemblances and echoes constantly link is richer, more varied, less precise scherzetto for tenor and semi-chorus which introduces the different sections. The Introduction’s trombone and, in its very vagueness, the mischievous Mab. At the end, the Finale brings recitative, representing the Prince’s rebuke to the incomparably more powerful’. the drama fully into the open in an extended choral warring families, is formed from the notes of their movement that culminates in the abjuring of the angry fugato, stretched out and ‘mastered’; the ball hatreds depicted orchestrally at the outset. music is transformed to give the departing guests their dreamlike song; in the Tomb Scene Juliet The Use of Voices wakes (clarinet) to the identical notes of the rising cor anglais phrase in the opening section of the Throughout, voices are used enough to keep them adagio, and this is followed by the great love theme, THE LIBRETTO was written by before the listener’s attention, in preparation for now blurred and torn apart as the dying Romeo the French poet Émile Deschamps their full deployment. In the Love Scene the songs relives it in distorted flashback. And in the Finale, (1791–1871). However, it was based of revellers on their way home from the ball float as the families’ vendetta breaks out again over the on the performance of the play that across the stillness of the Capulets’ garden. Two bodies of their children, the return of the opening Berlioz saw at the Odéon Theatre in movements later, in the Funeral Procession, the fugato unites the two extremes of the vast score. 1827, which used an edited version Capulet chorus is heard. The use of chorus thus The principle is active to the end: Friar Laurence’s by the British actor, playwright and follows what Berlioz (in an essay on the Ninth oath of reconciliation takes as its point of departure theatre manager David Garrick; this Symphony) called ‘the law of crescendo’. the Introduction’s B minor feud motif, reborn in a explains the occasional departures broad, magnanimous B major. from Shakespeare’s original story. It also works emotionally: having begun as onlookers, the voices become participants, just Within his outward form the music is motivically as the anonymous contralto and the Mercutio-like close-knit. At the same time no Berlioz score is more tenor give way to an actual person, the saintly Friar abundant in lyric poetry, in a sense of the magic lso.co.uk Programme Notes 7

Musicians of the and brevity of love, in ‘sounds and sweet airs’ of so many kinds: the flickering, fleet-footed scherzo, which stands not only for Mercutio’s Queen Mab Mariinsky speech but for the whole nimble-witted, comic- fantastical, fatally irrational element in the play, and Theatre in which strings and wind seem caught up in some gleeful yet menacing game; the noble swell of the great extended melody which grows out of the questioning phrases of ‘Roméo seul’; the awesome unison of cor anglais, horn and four bassoons in Romeo’s invocation in the Capulets’ tomb; the haunting beauty of Juliet’s funeral procession (an addition to the play by David Garrick, whose edited version of Romeo and Juliet Berlioz saw at the Odéon Theatre); the adagio’s deep-toned harmonies and spellbound melodic arcs, conjuring the moonlit night and the wonder and intensity of the passion that flowers beneath it.

Programme Note © David Cairns Ensembles from the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra perform in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s new state-of-the-art Milton Court Concert Hall

Wed 19 Feb Mariinsky Brass Ensemble

Thu 20 Mar k

Mariinsky Wind Quintet .u g r

Mariinsky UK tour supported by BP o an. c barbi 8 Artist Biographies 6 & 13 November 2013

Valery Gergiev ‘A memorable performance of huge Conductor theatricality and vividness.’ The Guardian

A prominent figure in all the world’s major concert Mariinsky Label releases this past summer and halls, Valery Gergiev is the Artistic and General this autumn include Prokofiev’s The Gambler Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, and on DVD, Wagner’s Das Rheingold, Shostakovich’s since 1988 has taken the Mariinsky ballet, opera, Symphony No 8 and Strauss’ Die Frau ohne and orchestra ensembles to more than 45 countries, Schatten, also on DVD. garnering universal acclaim. Gergiev’s 25 years of leadership has also resulted in The Mariinsky Gergiev has led numerous composer-centred concert Concert Hall (2006) and the new Mariinsky II cycles in New York, London and other international (May 2013) alongside the classic Mariinsky Theatre. cities, including Brahms, Dutilleux, Mahler, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner’s Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Ring cycle. He has introduced audiences around the Orchestra since 2007, Gergiev performs with the world to several rarely performed Russian operas. LSO at the Barbican, BBC Proms, and Edinburgh He also serves as Chair of the Organisational International Festival, as well as on extensive tours Committee of the International Tchaikovsky of Europe, North America, and Asia. In July 2013 he Competition, Honorary President of the Edinburgh led the debut international tour of the National Youth International Festival and Dean of the Faculty of Principal Conductor Orchestra of the United States of America, an orchestra Arts at the St Petersburg State University. London Symphony Orchestra founded by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, and in 2016 he will assume the post of Principal Gergiev’s many awards include the title of People’s Music Director Conductor of the Munich Philharmonic. He is also Artist of Russia, the Dmitri Shostakovich Award, Mariinsky Theatre founder and Artistic Director of the Stars of the the Polar Music Prize, Netherland’s Knight of the White Nights Festival and New Horizons Festival in Order of the Dutch Lion, Japan’s Order of the Rising Principal Conductor St Petersburg, Moscow Easter Festival, Rotterdam Sun and the French Order of the Legion of Honour. World Orchestra for Peace Philharmonic Gergiev Festival, Mikkeli Music Festival, Red Sea Classical Music Festival in Eilat, Israel, as well VALERY GERGIEV IN 2014 Artistic Director as Principal Conductor of the World Orchestra for Peace. MUSIC IN COLOUR: SCRIABIN SYMPHONIES Stars of the White Nights Festival Gergiev’s recordings on LSO Live and the Mariinsky Sun 30 Mar 7.30pm Artistic Director Label continually win awards in Europe, Asia and Scriabin Symphony No 1 Moscow Easter Festival America. His recent releases on LSO Live include Scriabin Symphony No 4 (‘The Poem of Ecstasy’) Szymanowski’s and the composer’s entire symphonic works, and Brahms’ First and Second Thu 10 Apr 7.30pm Supported by LSO Patrons Symphonies, his Tragic Overture, and the Variations Scriabin Symphony No 5 (‘Prometheus, Poem of Fire’) on a Theme of Haydn. Earlier releases include the Scriabin Symphony No 2 symphonies of Tchaikovsky and Mahler, as well as Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Strauss’ Elektra. Sun 13 Apr 7.30pm Scriabin Symphony No 3 (‘The Divine Poem’)

Box Office 020 7638 8891 | lso.co.uk lso.co.uk Artist Biographies 9

Olga Borodina Kenneth Tarver Mezzo-soprano Tenor

Grammy-award winning mezzo- Kenneth Tarver is considered to soprano Olga Borodina is a star be one of the outstanding of the Kirov Opera, regularly tenore-di-grazia (lyric tenor, a appearing with the major voice type which is light and agile) opera houses and orchestras of his generation. A specialist in around the world. Winner of the Mozart and demanding virtuosic Rosa Ponselle and Barcelona operatic repertoire, he has Competitions, she made her appeared at the most prestigious highly acclaimed European debut opera houses and concert halls at the Royal Opera House in 1992, around the world, performing sharing the stage with Plácido both well-known and seldom- Domingo in Samson and Delilah – performed works with conductors performances that launched her such as Riccardo Chailly, Pierre international solo career. Boulez, , René Jacobs and Bobby McFerrin. Olga Borodina has since returned to Covent Garden on many occasions, and also performs frequently Recent appearances include Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict with Robin at the in New York, making her debut in Boris Ticciati, Rossini’s at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Godunov in 1997. She has made many concert appearances with the Handel’s Messiah with the New York Philharmonic, Mozart’s Die Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under James Levine at Carnegie Hall, Entführung aus dem Serail in Berlin, Rameau’s Les Indes galantes in and has performed with the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors. Toulouse, Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice at Staatsoper , Traetta’s In recital, she has performed in venues in London (Wigmore Hall, Barbican), Antigone at the Staatsoper Berlin, and Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa at Milan (La Scala), Vienna (Konzerthaus), San Francisco (Davies Symphony the Musikverein in Vienna conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Other Hall), Rome (Accademia di Santa Cecilia), Hamburg (Staatsoper), highlights of his career include Rodion Shchedrin’s My Age, My Wild Paris (Théatre des Champs Elysées) and (Concertgebouw), Beast, Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Verbier Festival, a film of Judith Weir’s among others. Recent highlights have included Amneris in Aida at Armida for Channel 4, and Mozart’s at the Tanglewood Festival both the and the Metropolitan Opera, and a conducted by James Levine. Future plans include The Barber of Seville televised gala from Avery Fisher Hall in New York. in Berlin, L’Italiana in Algeri at the Opéra National de Paris, and Handel’s Joshua at the Händel-Festspiele in Goettingen. Olga Borodina’s releases on Philips Classics include a number of operas, solo recital recordings and, recently, the double album His recording catalogue includes collaborations with Deutsche A Portrait of Olga Borodina featuring a collection of songs and arias. Grammophon, LSO Live (including the Grammy-winning Her recent Verdi Requiem recording with the Chicago Symphony conducted by Sir ), Opera Rara (, Orchestra and Riccardo Muti won two Grammys in 2011. ) and Harmonia Mundi (Don Giovanni, ).

Olga Borodina was awarded People’s Artist of Russia in 2002, and in A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Oberlin College 2007 was the recipient of the State Prize, the highest accolade in Russia. Conservatory of Music, and Yale University School of Music, Kenneth was a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artist Development Program and the Staatsoper Stuttgart Ensemble. 10 Artist Biographies 6 & 13 November 2013

Evgeny Nikitin Simon Halsey Bass-baritone Chorus Director

Originally from Northern Russia, Simon Halsey is one of the world’s Nikitin entered the St Petersburg leading conductors of choral Conservatory in 1992. Combining repertoire, regularly conducting his studies with his first solo prestigious orchestras and engagement at the Mariinsky worldwide. Halsey holds the Theatre, he was soon invited to position of Chief Conductor of major theatres and festivals in the Berlin Radio Choir, and has Europe, the Americas and Asia. been Chorus Director of the 2002 marked his debut at the CBSO Chorus for over 25 years. Metropolitan Opera House in Since 2012 he has been Choral Prokofiev’s War and Peace. Director of the London Symphony He made his Parisian debut at the Orchestra and London Symphony Théâtre du Châtelet in the title Chorus, working closely with LSO role of Rubinstein’s The Demon, Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev and he returned in 2005 to sing and leading choral strategy the title role of Boris Godunov. across the LSO’s performance and education programmes. Halsey’s work with the choir has been He made his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper in 2008 as Jochanaan said to have caused a ‘spectacular transformation’ (Evening Standard). (Strauss’ Salome) and was reinvited for the roles of Klingsor (Wagner’s Simon Halsey also holds the positions of Artistic Director of the Parsifal) and Telramund (Lohengrin). He will sing The Flying Dutchman ’s Youth Choral Programme and Director of the this season, and will appear in a major new production in 2016. Other BBC Proms Youth Choir. recent engagements include the title role in The Flying Dutchman in Baden Baden, Toronto and Leipzig; Amfortas (Parsifal) in Berlin Recent projects with the Berlin Radio Choir include Mozart’s and Valencia; Pizarro (Fidelio) in Valencia; Boris Godunov in Nice and The Magic Flute with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir at the Mariinsky Theatre; Tomski (The Queen of Spades), Gunther in the Orchestra’s new Easter residence in Baden-Baden. As Director (Götterdämmerung) and the title role of Dallapiccola’s Il Prigioniero at of the BBC Proms Youth Choir, Halsey rehearsed young singers from all the Paris Opera; and Rangoni and Klingsor at the Metropolitan Opera. over the UK to perform Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony during the Recent concert performances include Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances First Night of the 2013 BBC Proms. Recent projects with the London of Death at the Schleswig Holstein Festival and the Berlin Philharmonic, Symphony Chorus and Orchestra include Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater, Rubinstein’s The Demon at the Barbican, and Verdi’s Requiem with the and Song of the Night with Valery Gergiev, and Brahms’ Requiem. National Symphony Orchestra Washington. Halsey has worked on countless major recording projects, many of This season, Nikitin will sing Orest in Strauss’ Elektra at the Paris Opera which have won major awards, including several Gramophone Awards and The Flying Dutchman at the Bayerische Staatsoper, and will make and Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. He won the Grammy Award his debut at the Gran Teatre del in Barcelona in Il Prigioniero. for Best Choral Performance in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Halsey was presented with the prestigious Bundesverdienstkreuz Erste Klasse, His recordings include Amfortas (Parsifal) with the Mariinsky/Gergiev Germany’s Order of Merit by State Cultural Secretary André Schmitz in and the Berlin Radio Symphony/Janowski, Rangoni (Boris Godunov) and Berlin, in recognition of outstanding services to choral music in Germany. Remeniuk (Prokofiev’s Semyon Kotko) for Philips Classics. lso.co.uk Artist Biographies 11

London Symphony Chorus On stage

President Emeritus The London Symphony Chorus was formed in 1966 SOPRANOS André Previn KBE to complement the work of the London Symphony Kerry Baker, Louisa Blankson, Carol Capper, Julia Chan, Ann Cole, Jessica Collins, Shelagh Connolly, Sarah Flower, Lorna Flowers, Orchestra. The partnership between the LSC and Joanna Gueritz, Maureen Hall, Isobel Hammond, Jessica Harris, Vice Presidents LSO was developed and strengthened in 2012 with Emily Hoffnung*, Kuan Hon, Gladys Hosken, Claire Hussey, Hiroko Kamijimi, Helen Lawford*, Debbie Lee, Irene McGregor, Claudio Abbado the joint appointment of Simon Halsey as Chorus Alison Marshall, Jane Morley, Dorothy Nesbit, Jenny Norman, Director of the LSC and Choral Director for the Emily Norton, Maggie Owen, Isabel Paintin, Oktawia Petronella, LSO. The LSC also partners other major orchestras Carole Radford, Liz Reeve, Rebecca Sands, Chen Shwartz, Luisa Simoes, Amanda Thomas*, Joanna Turner, Lizzie Webb Patron and has worked internationally with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, Boston Symphony and the ALTOS European Union Youth Orchestra. The LSC tours Hetty Boardman-Weston, Elizabeth Boyden, Gina Broderick*, Jo Buchan*, Lizzy Campbell, Sarah Castleton, Janette Daines, Chorus Director extensively throughout Europe and has visited North Maggie Donnelly, Linda Evans, Lydia Frankenburg*, Christina Gibbs, Simon Halsey America, Israel, Australia and South East Asia. Rachel Green, Yoko Harada, Amanda Holden, Valerie Hood, Jo Houston, Elisabeth Iles, Vanessa Knapp, Marina Kurkina, Gilly Lawson, Belinda Liao*, Anne Loveluck, Etsuko Makita, Chairman The Chorus has recorded extensively; recent releases Liz McCaw, Aoife McInerney, Jane Muir, Caroline Mustill, Lydia Frankenburg include Britten’s with Gianandrea Helen Palmer, Susannah Priede, Lucy Reay, Maud Saint-Sardos, Lis Smith, Jane Steele, Margaret Stephen, Claire Trocmé, Agnes Vigh Noseda, Haydn’s The Seasons, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Deputy Chorus Director/ Feast, Verdi’s , and the world premiere of Accompanist James MacMillan’s St John Passion all under the late David Aldred, Paul Allatt, Ted Black, Matt Fernando, Matthew Flood, Simon Goldman, Jesse Hollister, Warwick Hood, Tony Instrall, Roger Sayer Sir Colin Davis; and with Valery Gergiev, Mahler’s John Marks, Alastair Mathews, Ian Mok, John Moses*, Dan Owers, Symphonies Nos 2, 3 and 8. The recent recording Chris Riley, David Rowe, Richard Street, Anthony Stutchbury, Simon Wales, James Warbis, Brad Warburton, Robert Ward*, Chorus Director assisted by of Götterdämmerung with the Hallé under Sir Mark Paul Williams-Burton Neil Ferris Elder won a Gramophone award. BASSES lsc.org.uk Last season the Chorus undertook critically Peter Avis, Bruce Boyd, Andy Chan, Steve Chevis, James Chute, Dieter Claassen, Damian Day, Ian Fletcher, Robert French, acclaimed performances of Mozart’s Requiem, Robert Garbolinski*, John Graham, Gergo Hahn, Owen Hanmer*, Brahms’ Requiem, Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater Richard Harding, J-C Higgins, Antony Howick, Thomas Kohut, and Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust. Forthcoming Gregor Kowalski*, Georges Leaver, Geoff Newman, Peter Niven, Tim Riley, Alan Rochford, Zac Smith, Gordon Thomson, Jez Wareing, concerts this season include Berlioz’s Romeo and Anthony Wilder, Paul Wright Juliet, Haydn’s , the world premiere * denotes committee member of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Tenth Symphony, Beethoven’s Mass in C major and a series of a cappella concerts including the Rachmaninov LSO SINGING DAYS Vespers and Tallis’ Spem in Alium. Why not join in an LSO Singing Day at LSO St Luke’s? If you’ve sung before, but it’s a long while since you The 2014 tour includes: picked up a score, or if you’re an active singer and St David’s Hall, Cardiff 11 May would just like the opportunity to sing with members Newbury Festival 23 May of the LSC and with the LSO choral team, why not take The Anvil, Basingstoke 31 May. part? To find out more, visit lso.co.uk/singingdays. 12 The Orchestra 6 & 13 November 2013

London Symphony Orchestra Guildhall Singers On stage On stage

FIRST VIOLINS VIOLAS FLUTES HORNS MEZZO-SOPRANOS Join the Roman Simovic Leader Edward Vanderspar Adam Walker Timothy Jones Holly-Marie Bingham London Symphony Carmine Lauri Malcolm Johnston Alex Jakeman Benjamin Jacks Claire Bournez Lennox Mackenzie German Clavijo Jonathan Durrant Jessica Dandy Chorus Nigel Broadbent Lander Echevarria PICCOLO Nicolas Fleury Bethan Langford Ginette Decuyper Anna Green Sharon Williams Jonathan Lipton Simon Halsey Chorus Director Gerald Gregory Robert Turner TENORS OBOES Jörg Hammann Jonathan Welch TRUMPETS Richard Bignall Fabien Thouand Join the London Symphony Maxine Kwok-Adams Julia O’Riordan Philip Cobb Aidan Coburn Michael O’Donnell Claire Parfitt Fiona Dalgliesh Roderick Franks Eduard Mas Bacardit Chorus to sing Tallis’ iconic Gerald Ruddock Elgan Thomas Laurent Quenelle Caroline O’Neill COR ANGLAIS Spem in Alium and the Harriet Rayfield Robert Smith Christine Pendrill BASSES Colin Renwick CELLOS Rachmaninov Vespers in a TROMBONES Jake Gill Ian Rhodes Rebecca Gilliver CLARINETS UK tour during May 2014. Dudley Bright Olivier Gagnon Sylvain Vasseur Alastair Blayden Andrew Marriner James Maynard Johannes Kammler Rehearsals start in central Jennifer Brown Chi-Yu Mo SECOND VIOLINS Mary Bergin James Quilligan BASS TROMBONE London in February. David Alberman Noel Bradshaw BASSOONS Paul Milner They are also currently recruiting Sarah Quinn Daniel Gardner Rachel Gough Miya Vaisanen Hilary Jones Joost Bosdijk TUBA additional singers for this David Ballesteros Amanda Truelove Daniel Jemison Patrick Harrild season’s programme which Matthew Gardner Eve-Marie Caravassilis Dominic Morgan includes Haydn’s The Creation Belinda McFarlane TIMPANI Philip Nolte DOUBLE BASSES Nigel Thomas and a world premiere symphony Joel Quarrington Paul Robson Antoine Bedewi by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Julian Gil Rodriguez Colin Paris PERCUSSION Naomi Bach Nicholas Worters Master of the Queen’s Music. Neil Percy William Melvin Patrick Laurence For further information either David Jackson Hazel Mulligan Matthew Gibson Thomas Goodman Sam Walton mail [email protected] Jani Pensola Christopher Thomas or call/text 07970 783529. HARPS Bryn Lewis Karen Vaughan lsc.org.uk

LSO STRING EXPERIENCE SCHEME

Established in 1992, the LSO String Experience The Scheme is supported by: London Symphony Orchestra Editor Scheme enables young string players at the Fidelio Charitable Trust Barbican Edward Appleyard start of their professional careers to gain The Lefever Award Silk Street [email protected] work experience by playing in rehearsals Musicians Benevolent Fund London and concerts with the LSO. The scheme EC2Y 8DS Photography auditions students from the London music Igor Emmerich, Kevin Leighton, conservatoires, and 20 students per year Registered charity in England No 232391 Bill Robinson, Alberto Venzago are selected to participate. The musicians Details in this publication were correct Print Cantate 020 3651 1690 are treated as professional ’extra’ players at time of going to press. (additional to LSO members) and receive fees Advertising Cabbell Ltd 020 3603 7937 for their work in line with LSO section players.