City Halls Glasgow Season 09/10 bbc.co.uk/bbcsso Donald Runnicles Chief Conductor Ilan Volkov Principal Guest Conductor Stefan Solyom Associate Guest Conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk Conductor Laureate Elizabeth Layton Leader I am delighted to welcome you to the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s 2009/10 City Halls Thursday Night Series, in my first season as Chief Conductor of this wonderful orchestra. We can promise you a superbly varied musical diet, filled with marvellous music including a few pieces you may not have come across before. I’m joined by a distinguished group of conductors and soloists whose artistry will bring something special to the orchestra’s performances and I’m especially happy that my brilliant predecessor Ilan Volkov maintains his close association with the orchestra as Principal Guest Conductor. We can promise you some exciting music making; I hope you’ll want to join us! Donald Runnicles 2009/2010 Season The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s BOHEMIAN RHAPSODIES 2009/10 Series is our fourth at City Halls and the first under new Chief Conductor Donald 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Runnicles. These 15 concerts are packed with the Bohemian Czech composer Bohuslav great masterpieces in programmes that also Martinů, and the 20th anniversary of ‘The introduce some new and neglected pieces, Velvet Revolution’ so we take the opportunity making our Thursday night concerts in Glasgow to celebrate the great tradition of Czech music truly fresh and exciting. Our home since in five concerts that include Martinů’s five piano its opening in 2006 after extensive rebuilding, concertos. Overshadowed somewhat by his City Halls has come to be recognised as one Moravian compatriot Janáček, Martinů’s music of Britain’s best concert halls, with its unique has exhilarating energy and a bracing sense combination of intimacy and sonic splendour. of the great outdoors that is very appealing. Of course we hope you’ll come to all of our Along with Dvořák’s three most popular concerts, but to help you through the riches symphonies and Janáček’s stunning Sinfonietta, on offer we have arranged them under three these concerts promise some of the most broad themes: Maestros’ Choice, Bohemian intriguing and exciting listening of the season. Rhapsodies and North by North-East: NORTH BY NORTH-EAST MAESTROS’ CHOICE Following last season’s successful series of A collection of six irrestible programmes that all Rachmaninov’s piano concertos, the great showcase the respective talents of Chief Russian’s three glorious symphonies head Conductor Donald Runnicles and Principal up this marvellous quintet of concerts Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov. These two highlighting music from the North. The distinguished musicians have, with the BBC implacable, granite-hewn Tenth Symphony of SSO, given some of the finest concerts heard Shostakovich continues the Russian theme in Scotland in recent years, and this season while the greatest of all Nordic composers they are joined by some superb soloists, Sibelius, represented by his Violin Concerto, is including soprano Christine Brewer and in the virtuoso hands of Scotland’s popular violinist James Ehnes. Great symphonies by international soloist Nicola Benedetti. There’s Mahler, Bruckner, Beethoven and Sibelius also storm-tossed sea music by Benjamin feature alongside ravishingly colourful music Britten and beautiful Burns’ songs from Thea by Ravel and Richard Strauss, and landmark Musgrave to add a British flavour to the works from our own time by Sir Peter Northern mix. With leading conductors and Maxwell Davies and James MacMillan. soloists such as Vassily Sinaisky, Lisa Milne and Simon Trpčeski, every one of these concerts has something to look forward to. DON’T FORGET our Preludes and Codas (free to ticket-holders) – popular pre- and post-concert events that allow you to learn All concerts will be recorded for future transmission, something about the music and musicians, or or broadcast live on BBC Radio 3: bbc.co.uk/radio3 to enjoy a little extra music from some of our soloists after the main programme. All entirely Denotes that concert will be broadcast live optional, but a great way to make the most at 7.00pm. of your evening at City Halls! barbara doWnie GLASGOW SEASON 2009/10 02&03 “The symphony MUst be liKE the World. IT MUst embrace everything.” GUSTAV MAHLER, 1907 CONCERT 1 CONCERT 2 MAESTROS’ CHOICE 1 MAESTROS’ CHOICE 2 THUrsday, 8 OctOBER 2009, 7.30pm THUrsday, 15 OctOBER, 7.30pm Beethoven SYmphonY NO.1 Macmillan the confession Berg Seven EarlY Songs of isobel gowdie Mahler SYmphonY NO.1 ‘Titan’ moZart piano concerto no.25, K.503 ravel daphnis et chloÉ (complEte) HEIDI MELTON, soprano Donald RUnnicles, conductor Shai Wosner, piano EdinbUrgh Festival ChorUS Chief Conductor Donald Runnicles begins Donald RUnnicles, conductor his first season at the helm of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with two Hearing the complete Daphnis and Chloé with great works from the Austro-German chorus is an overwhelming experience. Few symphonic tradition. Runnicles and the BBC scores have the opulent richness of sound that SSO have already given some memorable Ravel conjures up in this magical music, and performances of Mahler together, at the Donald Runnicles and the orchestra will surely Edinburgh International Festival and in revel in its virtuosity. New York-based Israeli London at the BBC Proms, and their pianist Shai Wosner is a BBC Radio 3 New interpretation of the magnificent First Generation Artist whose rising international Symphony will be eagerly awaited. Influenced reputation has already taken him to some of by both Mahler and Richard Strauss, Alban the world’s greatest orchestras. The Confession Berg’s lushly scored, late romantic songs of Isobel Gowdie, premiered by the BBC SSO complete this marvellous programme. in 1990, has become one of the most often played modern British compositions around Ken MacQuarrie, Controller BBC the world. A long-established BBC SSO Scotland in conversation with Gavin Reid, party piece, this performance will mark Director BBC SSO. James MacMillan’s 50th birthday year in truly dramatic style. Heidi Melton gives a short post-concert recital. Writer and broadcaster Stephen Johnson introduces James MacMillan’s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie. He’s joined by the historian Louise Yeoman to discuss witchcraft in 17th Pre-Concert Preludes take place in the Recital century Scotland. Room between 6.45pm and approximately 7.10pm, except for the Bohemian Rhapsodies and North Shai Wosner plays Mozart’s Variations on by North-East concerts which start at 6.15pm. a theme of Gluck, K.455. Post-Concert Codas begin approximately 10 minutes after the end of the main concert. peter isaacs GLASGOW SEASON 2009/10 04&05 “I have more SKill, BUT he is greater.” RICHARD STRAUSS ON SIBELIUS CONCERT 3 CONCERT 4 MAESTROS’ CHOICE 3 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODIES 1 THUrsday, 29 October, 7.30pm THUrsday, 12 November, 7.00pm (please note start time) Richard StraUss Don Juan: SYmphonic Poem DvořÁK Overture: Carnival Beethoven Piano Concerto NO.4 Martinů Piano Concerto NO.3 Sir Peter MAXWell Davies New Work DvořÁK SYmphonY NO.9 ‘From the (World Premiere, BBC Commission) New World’ SibeliUS SYmphonY NO.7 Ivo KahaneK, piano Stefan Vladar, piano Stefan Solyom, conductor Ilan VolKov, conductor The young Czech pianist Ivo Kahanek had Ilan Volkov, in his new role as Principal Guest a major success with Martinů’s music at Conductor, begins this concert with the the 2007 BBC Proms, and here he launches scintillating adventures of Strauss’ amorous our Bohemian Rhapsodies series with the anti-hero Don Juan and brings it to a composer’s powerful Third Piano Concerto. resounding close with the single, soaring It’s a work which has tragic overtones linked arc of wonderful music that is Sibelius’ final to his American exile and feelings of alienation symphony. Between these, a new piece from from his homeland. Dvořák’s great ‘New Sir Peter Maxwell Davies to celebrate his 75th World Symphony’ was similarly composed birthday year, and Beethoven’s most genial when he was living in the United States, piano concerto played by leading Austrian but here the mood is more one of grateful pianist Stefan Vladar. homage to the country that welcomed him so openly. Full of electric drama and inspired Sir Peter Maxwell Davies in conversation melodies, it’s a work that amply justifies its with Gavin Reid, Director BBC SSO. status as one of the best loved symphonies of all. Stefan Vladar plays Haydn’s Piano Sonata in C major, Hob.XVI/50. Stephen Johnson discusses Czech musical connections. Ivo Kahanek plays excerpts from Janáček’s On an Overgrown Path and Martinů’s Three Czech Dances. timothy RUndle GLASGOW SEASON 2009/10 06&07 “I shoUld be glad if something occUrred to me as A main idea that occUrs to DVOŘÁK only by the Way.” JOHANNES BRAHMS CONCERT 5 DISCOVERING MUSIC BOHEMIAN RHAPSODIES 2 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODIES THUrsday, 19 November, 7.00pm MONDAY, 23 NOVEMBER, 2.00PM (please note start time) to be recorded for future broadcast in BBC Radio 3’s series Discovering Music JanÁčEK The Fiddler’S Child Martinů Piano Concerto NO.1 Martinů Piano Concerto NO.2 DvořÁK SYmphonY NO.8 Martinů Three Inventions Piers Lane, piano Stephen Johnson, presenter Petr Altrichter, conductor Martin Roscoe, piano TecWyn Evans, conductor Leading Czech conductor Petr Altrichter, Principal Conductor of the Prague Symphony Though Bohuslav Martinů may not be a Orchestra, brings his countryman Dvořák’s household name in the UK, as a composer his ebullient Eighth Symphony to City Halls. The reputation stands alongside that of Stravinsky sunniest of the composer’s symphonies, it’s full and Bartók. Stephen Johnson, pianist Martin of lilting melodies and infectious, folk dance- Roscoe and the BBC SSO unfold the story inspired rhythms.