Sunday 16 February 2020 7–9.25pm Barbican LSO SEASON CONCERT BEETHOVEN ‘CHORAL’ SYMPHONY Berg Lulu – Suite Interval Beethoven Symphony No 9, ‘Choral’ Sir Simon Rattle conductor Iwona Sobotka soprano Anna Stéphany mezzo-soprano Robert Murray tenor Florian Boesch baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director Part of Beethoven 250 at the Barbican Tonight’s concert is being filmed for broadcast by Mezzo Welcome Latest News On Our Blog the Orchestra is joined by the full force of SIX NEW COMPOSERS APPOINTED TO BEETHOVEN 250 TIMELINE the London Symphony Chorus, led by THE PANUFNIK COMPOSERS SCHEME Chorus Director Simon Halsey. Soloist Find out about the life and work of this Iwona Sobotka returns to the stage, From a record number of applications, musical titan, discover key moments in the alongside Anna Stéphany, Robert Murray we are delighted to announce six new world that Beethoven knew, and see how his and Florian Boesch, all of whom are composers have been appointed to the LSO legacy continues long after his death. coming back to the LSO after performances Panufnik Composers Scheme for 2020/21. across previous seasons. It is a pleasure to AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES HOYLE welcome back this talented group of singers • lso.co.uk/more/news following Wednesday’s Half Six Fix concert Ahead of the world premiere of his piece here at the Barbican, and we look forward Thymiaterion on 27 February, previous warm welcome to this LSO concert to forthcoming performances on tour to Panufnik composer James Hoyle tells us at the Barbican, conducted by LSO Hamburg and Baden-Baden. WELCOME TO TONIGHT’S GROUPS about the people and music that inspire Music Director Sir Simon Rattle. him, and what it’s like to be a young Tonight we continue our celebrations of We extend thanks to our media partner Adele Friedland & Friends composer in the 21st century. the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Mezzo, who are filming tonight’s Gerrards Cross Community Association as part of a wider Beethoven 250 series at performance for broadcast. University of Oxford Ertegun House • lso.co.uk/more/blog the Barbican. Vågen Upper Secondary School I hope that you enjoy the concert and Maria Sturdy-Morton & Friends Throughout January and February, that you are able to join us again soon. Matthew McCabe, Family & Friends Sir Simon has paired the music of Beethoven At the end of the month, Elim Chan with that of a 20th-century master, Alban conducts a programme of contemporary Groups of ten or more receive exclusive Berg, tonight opening with the suite from and 20th-century music. Looking ahead to discounts to LSO concerts, with 20% off all the latter’s opera Lulu. We are delighted March, gospel choirs from across London ticket prices, or 30% off when booking two to welcome soprano Iwona Sobotka – who join forces with the Orchestra for a concert or more concerts within the season at the first performed with the Orchestra in the curated and conducted by André J Thomas. • same time. Extra benefits are available to 2017 UK premiere of Andrew Norman’s larger groups. children’s opera A Trip to the Moon – for Please ensure all phones are switched off. the performance of the suite. Find out more at Photography and audio/video recording • lso.co.uk/groups are not permitted during the performance. In the second half, Sir Simon conducts Kathryn McDowell CBE DL Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ symphony, for which Managing Director 2 Welcome 16 February 2020 Tonight’s Concert In Brief Coming Up he first half of tonight’s concert movement, with its world-famous choral Thursday 27 February 7.30pm Sunday 1 March 7pm invites us to explore one of Berg’s setting of Friedrich Schiller’s Ode to Joy, Barbican Barbican final works, his second opera Lulu, has since reached out across all generations which he began composing in 1929. Berg and humanity to become one of the most DAPHNIS AND CHLOE SYMPHONIC GOSPEL SPIRIT soon came to realise that, given the political recognisable anthems of hope and freedom climate of 1930s Germany, production of found in classical music. On the tremendous James Hoyle Thymiaterion (world premiere)* The moving power of gospel music meets the full opera would be near impossible, so Ninth Symphony, Sir Simon could not be Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 3 the dynamism of the LSO, in a concert he set to work instead on a concert suite of clearer: ‘there is nothing quite like it’. • Elizabeth Ogonek All These Lighted Things conducted and curated by André J Thomas. Lulu. Premiered in November 1934, orchestra – three little dances for orchestra and soprano unravel the ultimately tragic Ravel Daphnis and Chloe – Suite No 2 André J Thomas conductor story of the eponymous Lulu, in this haunting NaGuanda Nobles soprano yet sumptuous portrait of a darker side to PROGRAMME CONTRIBUTORS Elim Chan conductor Jason Dungee tenor humanity. When Berg passed away in 1935, Lukáš Vondráček piano his opera remained incomplete at just two Paul Griffiths has been a critic for nearly Saturday 7 March 2.30pm acts long, though this orchestral suite gave a 40 years, including for The Times and The *Commissioned through the Panufnik Composers Barbican glimpse of what he had planned for the third. New Yorker, and is an authority on 20th- Scheme, generously supported by Lady Hamlyn and 21st-century music. Among his books and The Helen Hamlyn Trust LSO DISCOVERY FAMILY CONCERT We turn to Beethoven for the second half are studies of Boulez, Ligeti and Stravinsky. HOW TO BUILD AN ORCHESTRA of tonight’s concert, and his epic ‘Choral’ He also writes novels and librettos. Friday 28 February 1pm symphony. Composed between 1822 LSO St Luke’s When it comes to making music, there’s and 1824, his ninth (and last complete) Andrew Stewart is a freelance music journalist nothing like an orchestra! Learn how the symphony begins with subdued tremolo and writer. He is the author of The LSO at 90, BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT instruments come together to make onstage strings, gradually building from a bleak and contributes to a wide variety of specialist RUSSIAN ROOTS magic, based on a new children’s book. vastness to a full orchestral swell. The classical music publications. inner movements move through a skipping Step into a world of history, folk heritage Jessica Cottis conductor scherzo and a tender adagio, before the Lindsay Kemp is a senior producer for and rich musical tradition, exploring Russian Rachel Leach presenter symphony reaches what Sir Simon Rattle BBC Radio 3, including programming music from across the centuries. calls its ‘immensely joyful finale’. He lunchtime concerts at Wigmore Hall and 12–2.15pm Barbican Foyers explains how the symphony starts from LSO St Luke’s. He is also Artistic Advisor to Lawrence Power viola Free Family Workshops ‘the heaviest music and gradually ascends York Early Music Festival, Artistic Director of Pavel Kolesnikov piano to a kind of heaven, the finale flying in Baroque at the Edge Festival and a regular the air’. Beethoven’s unconventional fourth contributor to Gramophone magazine. Recorded for future broadcast by BBC Radio 3 Tonight’s Concert 3 Beethoven 250 at the Barbican / by Dr Joanne Cormac COMING UP AT THE BARBICAN Wednesday 4 March 7.30pm This season the Barbican, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Academy of MISSA SOLEMNIS Ancient Music and Guildhall School of Music & Drama celebrate 250 years since the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. But what is his relevance today? Beethoven’s musical vision of the divine is unleashed by the forces of the BBC Beethoven is the ultimate creative genius. social change. It is a powerful symbol of Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and soloists. He epitomises the popular, romanticised hope, revisited in times of political struggle, image of the great composer. Beethoven a celebration of freedom and brotherhood. Wednesday 8 April 7.30pm suffered. He was taciturn, isolated, and lacking in social graces. He endured the The popular image can be problematic. ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER worst affliction imaginable for a musician: Beethoven’s vocal and choral music, or deafness. In spite of all this (many, including simply the works that do not contain Three of Beethoven’s most celebrated Wagner, would argue because of all this), journeys of struggle to redemption, are violin sonatas from one of the world’s he managed to compose some of the most rarely performed because they do not comply pre-eminent violinists. breathtaking, transcendental, sublime with our perception of the heroic, suffering music of the Western canon. At first, the artist. The Barbican’s innovative, inclusive Monday 11 May 7.30pm composer’s deafness was understood as a and occasionally irreverent programme, barrier to his compositional prowess: the in contrast, will question the myths. The GARDINER CONDUCTS: SYMPHONY NO 1 reason for the bizarre, jarring sounds of the Beethoven we hear will be refreshingly late string quartets. Later, it was seen as the unfamiliar at times. From the anarchic chords that open his key to his greatness, enabling Beethoven to First, Beethoven’s symphonies are more access profound, inward truths. Beethoven’s music endures. Its universal than just music: they’re acts of revolution. themes mean that it remains relevant to Living through turbulent revolutionary times, almost any time and place. It has been heard Thursday 14 May 7.30pm Beethoven was an advocate for political in prisons, concentration camps, at the fall of reform. He saw a powershift away from the Berlin Wall, in films, and in venues across GARDINER CONDUCTS: NOS 4 AND 5 the aristocracy. His political beliefs were the globe. Now, 250 years after his birth, more ambivalent and changeable than his Beethoven belongs to everyone.