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AberdeenSeason 09/10

Music Hall

Every season the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra brings some of its most important concerts to The Music Hall. That is especially true in 2009/10, when the orchestra’s new Chief Conductor Donald Runnicles, in his inaugural season, leads no fewer than three of the orchestra’s six programmes. Now regarded as one of Britain’s most distinguished conductors, Donald Runnicles is joined by three internationally renowned soloists. Six great symphonies, by Mahler, Dvořák, Elgar, Beethoven and Rachmaninov form the core of our concerts. And once again we’re pleased to be co-operating with sound, North-East Scotland’s contemporary music festival, to introduce the Scottish Premiere of music by James MacMillan. As if all these riches were not enough, there’s our perennial festive favourite, Christmas Classics, always a sell-out. Nothing beats the thrill of a live performance by a fine orchestra in a great hall. Make a regular Friday night date with the BBC SSO this season!

Donald Runnicles Chief ConductorIlan Volkov Principal Guest Conductor Stefan SolyomAssociate Guest ConductorJerzy Maksymiuk Conductor LaureateElizabeth Layton Leader

FRIDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2009, 7.30PM

BEEThOVEn SyMPHONy NO.1 BERg SEvEN EARLy SONGS MAhLER SyMPHONy NO.1 ‘TiTAN’

hEIDI MELTOn, SOPRANO DOnALD RunnICLES, CONDuCTOR

Chief Conductor Donald Runnicles begins his first season at the helm of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with two great works from the Austro-German symphonic tradition. Runnicles and the orchestra have already given some memorable performances of Mahler together, at the Edinburgh international Festival and in London at the BBC Proms, and their interpretation of the magnificent First Symphony will be eagerly awaited. influenced by both Mahler and Richard Strauss, Alban Berg’s lushly scored, late romantic songs complete this marvellous programme.

FRIDAY, 20 nOVEMBER, 7.30PM

JAMES MACMILLAn THE SACRiFiCE: THREE iNTERLuDES MOzART PiANO CONCERTO NO.22, DVOřák SyMPHONy NO.8

PIERS LAnE, PiANO PETR ALTRIChTER, CONDuCTOR

Leading Czech conductor Petr Altrichter, Principal Conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra, brings his countryman Dvořák’s ebullient Eighth Symphony to Aberdeen. The sunniest of Dvořák’s symphonies, it is full of lilting melodies and infectious, folk dance inspired rhythms. Australian pianist Piers Lane joins the orchestra in Mozart’s delightfully good-humoured E flat concerto. And to celebrate James MacMillan’s 50th birthday year, the concert begins with a chance to hear music from our leading composer’s most recent opera.

This concert is part of sound, North East Scotland’s contemporary music festival

COnCERT 1 COnCERT 2

1&2ABERDEEn SEASOn 2009/10

“ThE SYMPhOnY MuST BE LIkE ThE wORLD. IT MuST EMBRACE EVERYThIng.”

GuSTAv MAHLER, 1907

K.482

FRIDAY, 18 DECEMBER, 7.30PM

JAMIE MACDOugALL, PRESENTER STEPhEn BELL, CONDuCTOR

Always one of the most popular events in Aberdeen’s pre-Christmas calendar, Christmas Classics offers you a musical stocking crammed with sweetmeats from Tchaikovsky to Leroy Anderson, as well as many other seasonal favourites - and there’ll be a few choice surprises too! Once again your host is leading tenor and popular broadcaster, the inimitable Jamie MacDougall. Tickets always sell fast, so don’t leave it too late before buying yours!

FRIDAY, 29 JAnuARY 2010, 7.30PM

BEEThOVEn OvERTuRE: PROMETHEuS SIBELIuS viOLiN CONCERTO ELgAR SyMPHONy NO.1

JuLIAn RAChLIn, viOLiN DOnALD RunnICLES, CONDuCTOR

The renowned conductor Hans Richter, rehearsing Elgar’s First Symphony for its premiere in 1908, declared it “the greatest symphony of modern times”. it has never lost its emotional power, with its movingly elegiac sense of the approaching end of the Edwardian era. Dating from just a few years earlier, Sibelius’s Violin Concerto has a dark, elemental power of its own and is always a formidable technical challenge for its soloist. Expect an outstanding interpretation from Lithuanian-born Julian Rachlin, who is now established as one of the leading violinists of his generation. “Be silent because now you will hear something really unbelievable. The young man is violinist Julian Rachlin”. Die Welt, Berlin

With the exception of Christmas Classics, which will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, all concerts will be recorded for future transmission on BBC Radio 3.

bbc.co.uk/radio3bbc.co.uk/scotland

ChRISTMAS CLASSICS COnCERT 4

ABERDEEn SEASOn 2009/10

“ThERE IS MuSIC In ThE AIR. ALL YOu hAVE TO DO IS TAkE AS MuCh AS YOu REquIRE.”

EDWARD ELGAR

06&07

FRIDAY, 19 MARCh, 7.30PM

wAgnER OvERTuRE AND vENuSBERG MuSiC FROM TANNHäuSER RIChARD STRAuSS SONGS BEEThOVEn SyMPHONy NO.7

ChRISTInE BREwER, SOPRANO DOnALD RunnICLES, CONDuCTOR

The international reputation of Donald Runnicles as a Wagner conductor has been forged in the world’s leading opera houses, including vienna, Berlin, Bayreuth, New york and San Francisco. The wonderful overture and virtuosic venusburg Music from Tannhäuser make a superb start to this programme which features one of today’s finest sopranos, Christine Brewer, in a ravishing selection of songs by Richard Strauss. “The apotheosis of the dance” was how Wagner described the extraordinary rhythmic energy of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony - music that truly sounds as if it was conceived in a white heat of inspiration.

FRIDAY, 30 APRIL, 7.30PM

LYADOV EiGHT RuSSiAN FOLK-SONGS STRAVInSkY viOLiN CONCERTO RAChMAnInOV SyMPHONy NO.2

BORIS BROVTSYn, viOLiN VASSILY SInAISkY, CONDuCTOR

vassily Sinaisky, always a welcome visitor to Aberdeen with the BBC SSO, ends the season with the vast, richly romantic canvas of Rachmaninov’s most popular symphony. The stormy drama and endless outpouring of great melodies in the Second Symphony make for a perfect climax to the season. As an ideal foil for the Rachmaninov - Stravinsky’s cool, elegant Violin Concerto, played by young Moscow- born violinist Boris Brovtsyn.

COnCERT 5 COnCERT 6

“OnLY OnE PLACE IS CLOSED TO ME, AnD ThAT IS MY Own COunTRY – RuSSIA.”

RACHMANiNOv iN AN iNTERviEW FOR THE MuSiCAL TiMES, 1930

3&4

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Opens Friday 15 May 2009.

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As usual, we have a terrific season of music-making in store for you – and want to offer you the chance to get the best possible deal at the earliest possible stage.

We expect demand for tickets for the BBC SSO’s 2009/10 season to be high. To make it easier for you to secure the seats you want we have a generous package of subscription offers. Subscriptions can be booked in advance of general booking in an exclusive postal priority booking period.

By booking a Subscription you will: · Benefit from advance booking ahead of general on sale date – making it easier to secure the seats you want. Subscription booking opens on Tuesday 28 April (by post only). · Save up to 25% on your booking – with a Subscription you can save as much as £30 (per person). · Plan your year of classical music in one booking.

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Simply decide which concerts you would like to book: a 5-concert (excluding Christmas Classics), or a 6-concert package and where you would like to sit. Then fill in the form overleaf, tear off and return to Aberdeen Box Office using the address provided. Subscription booking is by post only.

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BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraBBC ScotlandCity HallsCandleriggsGlasgow G1 1NQTel: 0141-552 0909E-mail: bbcsso@bbc.co.uk bbc.co.uk/bbcsso

All the concerts in this series are promoted in association with The Music Hall.

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The information carried in this brochure was correct at the time of publishing. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra reserves the right to amend artists and programmes for any of the listed concerts if necessary.

The BBC SSO would like to thank Mark hamilton for the photography of players featured in this brochure. Brochure design: www.weared8.com