9 Oct programme - London Symphony Orchestra

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Welcome News Welcome to the Barbican where, in anticipation of the Britten centenary celebrations in 2013, we are delighted to present two performances of the composer’s War Requiem conducted by Gianandrea Noseda and featuring an outstanding line-up of solo singers alongside the LSO. This seminal work was first performed in Coventry Cathedral almost 50 years ago, in 1962, to mark the building’s reconsecration after the original 14th-century structure was destroyed in World War II. Since then it has become a central part of the concert hall repertoire. It is a pleasure to welcome back to direct these performances Gianandrea Noseda (last with the LSO at the Barbican in October 2010), a conductor with a particularly glowing reputation in the opera world. Joining him on stage are soprano Sabina Cvilak, baritone Simon Keenlyside and tenor Ian Bostridge. In a recently published feature article in The Guardian, Ian Bostridge wrote that ‘The Requiem is a masterpiece of the deepest emotional and moral depth‘ and a ‘contraption of musical ingenuity’; in today’s volatile world it is as relevant now as it ever was. Kathryn McDowell LSO Managing Director Mahler Symphony No 9: ‘Outstanding Recording’ We were delighted to hear that our LSO Live recording of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, conducted by Valery Gergiev, was given the International Record Review’s Outstanding Recording award: ‘Nothing can detract from the excellence of this disc: it is quite outstanding in every respect’ The recording can be purchased online from the LSO website for £8.99. lso.co.uk/lsolive On tour in New York Later this month, the Orchestra will give three concerts at the Lincoln Center in New York, where it holds a residency. As well as performing tonight’s War Requiem programme, Sir Colin Davis will join the Orchestra for a reprise of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (greatly received at this year’s BBC Proms) and LSO favourite Nikolaj Znaider will take centre stage for the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Don’t forget to check the tour blog for all the latest from backstage! lso.co.uk/whatson lsoontour.wordpress.com Keep your finger on the Pulse with our Student Scheme The LSO is constantly striving to bring high quality music to as wide an audience as possible. One of the ways we do this is through our Student Ambassador Scheme, Pulse, an initiative which has already brought thousands of young adults closer to the LSO. Visit the webpage below to read all about it and download an information pack. A very warm welcome to all students attending the 11 October concert, one of a selection of designated Student Nights this season. We hope you enjoy it – be sure to drop us an email to let us know how you got on. lso.co.uk/pulse 2 Welcome & News Kathryn McDowell © Camilla Panufnik
Benjamin Britten (1913–76) Composer Profile ‘Composing is like driving down a foggy road toward a house. Slowly you see more details of the house – the colour of the slates and bricks, the shape of the windows. The notes are the bricks and the mortar.’ Benjamin Britten Benjamin Britten received his first piano lessons from his mother, a prominent member of the Lowestoft Choral Society who also encouraged her son’s earliest efforts at composition. In 1924 he heard Frank Bridge’s tone-poem The Sea and began to study composition with him three years later. After leaving Gresham’s School, Holt, in 1930 he gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. Here he studied composition with John Ireland and piano with Arthur Benjamin. Britten attracted wide attention when he conducted the premiere of his ‘Simple’ Symphony in 1934. He worked for the GPO Film Unit and various theatre companies, collaborating with such writers as W H Auden and Christopher lsherwood. The first performance of his opera Peter Grimes on 7 June 1945 opened the way for a series of magnificent stage works mainly conceived for the English Opera Group. In June 1948 Britten founded the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts, for which he subsequently wrote many new works. By the mid-1950s he was generally regarded as the leading British composer, helped by the international success of operas such as Albert Herring, Billy Budd and The Turn of the Screw. One of his greatest masterpieces, the War Requiem, was first performed on 30 May 1962 for the festival of consecration of St Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry: its anti-war message reflecting the composer’s pacifist beliefs. A remarkably prolific composer, Britten completed works in almost every genre and for a wide range of musical abilities, from those of schoolchildren and amateur singers to such artists as Mstislav Rostropovich, Julian Bream and Peter Pears. Composer Profile © Andrew Stewart Music’s better shared! There’s never been a better time to bring all your friends to an LSO concert. Groups of 10+ receive a 20% discount on all tickets, plus a host of additional benefits. Call the dedicated Group Booking Line on 020 7382 7211 visit lso.co.uk/groups or email groups@barbican.org.uk On Sunday 9 October we welcome the Embassy of Slovenia, Mr A Mosley and friends and Ilsipario Musicale (Milan), and on Tuesday 11 October we welcome The Leys School (Cambridge), Latymer Upper School (Hammersmith) and Mr D Stewart and friends. Programme Notes 3
Page 1: Sunday 9 and Tuesday 11 October 201
Page 5 and 6: But the ‘promise to Abraham’ us
Page 7 and 8: Baritone solo Bugles sang, saddenin
Page 9 and 10: 3 Offertorium Boys Domine Jesu Chri
Page 11 and 12: For by my glee might many men have
Page 13 and 14: Sabina Cvilak Soprano Sabina Cvilak
Page 15 and 16: LSO Pulse Student Scheme - Welcome
Page 17 and 18: Not your average requiem Britten’
Page 19 and 20: London Symphony Chorus President Si

9 Oct programme - London Symphony Orchestra

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