bbc symphony orchestra season brochure 2012-13

The Barbican’s Associate Orchestra

2012–13bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

Concerts

TOTAl ImmersIOn & ThrIllIng new wOrksThe BBC Symphony Orchestra’s imaginative Total Immersion days have become a fixture in the musical calendar and this season we are expanding our scope to embrace an ever more varied and alluring line-up: Oliver Knussen, one the UK’s foremost composer-conductors, is joined by a host of glittering artists for his 60th birthday; Takemitsu is the focus of a fascinating day, Sounds from Japan, exploring Japanese contemporary and traditional music. New from the North celebrates Per Nørgård’s 80th birthday with two important premieres and a host of original voices from Denmark and Finland, performed by some of the finest Nordic exponents. Plus, 18 UK and world premieres.

All The wOrld’s A sTAge …Opera and story-telling is always close to the heart of a BBC Symphony Orchestra season, and this year we present Ravel’s two delightful comedies, L’heure espagnole and L’enfant et les sortilèges, the latter presented with surrealistically beautiful live video. A rare treat will be Donizetti’s Belisario, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, and further highlights include Grieg’s riveting Peer Gynt and Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky screened with Prokofiev’s coruscating live score.

BesT Of BrITIshBritish talent is a focus for this season, with a lively exploration of the works of Michael Tippett, one of the truly original 20th-century British composers, and a host of works by his successors, including Oliver Knussen, David Sawer, Mark Simpson and Anna Clyne. Stephen Hough, pianist extraordinaire and composer, is our Artist in Focus, and rubs shoulders with other Great Brits Steven Osborne, Susan Bullock, Benjamin Grosvenor, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Alice Coote and Claire Booth.

ArTIsT fOcusStephen Hough is a unique presence in the piano world, a performer who combines the virtuosity and creativity of the great 19th- century composer-pianists, with the illuminating scholarship and engaging writing style of a 21st-century sage. In his three concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra he returns to the two great concertos of Brahms, each coupled with one of Tippett’s symphonies, and Hummel’s ebullient Concerto in A minor.

2012–13Welcome to the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s 2012–13 season at the Barbican. Our unique role is to celebrate and refresh the great orchestral tradition, and to take the art form into the future. This season offers an exceptionally rich mix of cutting-edge new works, operatic gems, classical masterpieces, music from other cultures and a live film-score. With a dreamlike presentation of a Ravel opera, the revival of Donizetti’s long-neglected Belisario, all four Tippett symphonies plus his triple and piano concertos, and 18 world and UK premieres, all performed by world-class soloists and conductors, the BBC Symphony Orchestra presents an exciting programme you simply cannot hear anywhere else.

Chief Conductor DesignateSakari Oramo

Conductors LaureateJi∑í B∆lohlávekSir Andrew Davis

Artist in AssociationOliver Knussen

Concerts

exciting

3bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

TOTAl ImmersIOn & ThrIllIng new wOrksThe BBC Symphony Orchestra’s imaginative Total Immersion days have become a fixture in the musical calendar and this season we are expanding our scope to embrace an ever more varied and alluring line-up: Oliver Knussen, one the UK’s foremost composer-conductors, is joined by a host of glittering artists for his 60th birthday; Takemitsu is the focus of a fascinating day, Sounds from Japan, exploring Japanese contemporary and traditional music. New from the North celebrates Per Nørgård’s 80th birthday with two important premieres and a host of original voices from Denmark and Finland, performed by some of the finest Nordic exponents. Plus, 18 UK and world premieres.

All The wOrld’s A sTAge …Opera and story-telling is always close to the heart of a BBC Symphony Orchestra season, and this year we present Ravel’s two delightful comedies, L’heure espagnole and L’enfant et les sortilèges, the latter presented with surrealistically beautiful live video. A rare treat will be Donizetti’s Belisario, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, and further highlights include Grieg’s riveting Peer Gynt and Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky screened with Prokofiev’s coruscating live score.

BesT Of BrITIshBritish talent is a focus for this season, with a lively exploration of the works of Michael Tippett, one of the truly original 20th-century British composers, and a host of works by his successors, including Oliver Knussen, David Sawer, Mark Simpson and Anna Clyne. Stephen Hough, pianist extraordinaire and composer, is our Artist in Focus, and rubs shoulders with other Great Brits Steven Osborne, Susan Bullock, Benjamin Grosvenor, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Alice Coote and Claire Booth.

ArTIsT fOcusStephen Hough is a unique presence in the piano world, a performer who combines the virtuosity and creativity of the great 19th- century composer-pianists, with the illuminating scholarship and engaging writing style of a 21st-century sage. In his three concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra he returns to the two great concertos of Brahms, each coupled with one of Tippett’s symphonies, and Hummel’s ebullient Concerto in A minor.

2012–13Welcome to the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s 2012–13 season at the Barbican. Our unique role is to celebrate and refresh the great orchestral tradition, and to take the art form into the future. This season offers an exceptionally rich mix of cutting-edge new works, operatic gems, classical masterpieces, music from other cultures and a live film-score. With a dreamlike presentation of a Ravel opera, the revival of Donizetti’s long-neglected Belisario, all four Tippett symphonies plus his triple and piano concertos, and 18 world and UK premieres, all performed by world-class soloists and conductors, the BBC Symphony Orchestra presents an exciting programme you simply cannot hear anywhere else.

Chief Conductor DesignateSakari Oramo

Conductors LaureateJi∑í B∆lohlávekSir Andrew Davis

Artist in AssociationOliver Knussen

Concerts

exciting

3bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

wednesdAy 3 OcTOBer | 7.30pm

michael Zev gordonBohortha (Seven Pieces for Orchestra)BBC COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

mahlerRückert-lieder

shostakovichSymphony no. 4

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conductorAlice Coote mezzo-soprano

Shostakovich was never closer to the spirit of mahler than in his phantasmagoric fourth symphony, written and withdrawn during Stalin’s Great Terror. The composer intended it to be his ‘Symphonic Credo’, and it’s a work with an astonishing spectrum of characters and styles, from satire to high tragedy, romanticism to grotesquerie, all fuelled with a near-delirious life force. Shostakovich was fascinated by mahler’s vast extended forms, but the composer’s Rückert-Lieder belong to another world: each is a tiny, transparently-scored psychodrama, and will be performed by one of the UK’s most treasured mezzo-sopranos, Alice Coote. The concert begins with a seven-movement exploration of our awareness of time passing by michael Zev Gordon. Bohortha is a tiny hamlet on the Cornish coast with no roads leading from it: in Gordon’s words, ‘a beautiful image of open-endedness’.

BBc sO PlusPre-concert talk | 6.00pm | Fountain RoomAn introduction to tonight’s concert.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

frIdAy 12 OcTOBer | 7.30pm

haydnSymphony no. 101 in D major, ‘The Clock’

hummelPiano Concerto in A minor

ravell’heure espagnole

Josep Pons conductorStephen Hough pianoRuxandra Donose ConcepcionJacques Imbrailo RamiroJean-Paul Fouchécourt TorquemadaJulien Behr GonzalveDavid Wilson-Johnson Don inigo Gomez

Haydn’s own ‘Clock’ Symphony prefaces L’heure espagnole, Ravel’s delightful one-act comedy about a cuckolded clockmaker, the first of two Ravel operas this season. Romanian mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose has already won plaudits as the feisty and far-from-immaculate Concepcion, while celebrated young baritone Jacques imbrailo takes on the role of hunky muleteer, lugging grandfather clocks up and down stairs for her while she attempts to seduce the local romeos — until she notices the size of Ramiro’s biceps. Catalan conductor Josep Pons lends idiomatic spice to this glittering cast. High spirits continue with Hummel’s elegant Concerto in A minor, to be performed by our Artist in Focus this season, the incomparable Stephen Hough.

BBc sO Plus fAmIly6.00pm | Fountain RoomAn introduction to tonight’s concert for families.See page 22 for details.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

JUKKA-PEKKA SARASTE

STEPHEN HOUGH

TippettTriple Concerto

wagner, arr. VliegerThe Ring – an Orchestral Adventure

Mark Wigglesworth conductorLeopold Trio

Our Tippett series opens with a rare opportunity to hear his Triple Concerto, a masterpiece of his late period when he confessed he had ‘turned my back with some pleasure on the cruel world’. Characterised by rapt lyricism, the concerto follows the course of a day through twilight to night and dawn, punctuated with magical interludes infused with gamelan-like percussion, inspired by the composer’s travels in Bali. Top soloists isabelle van Keulen, lawrence Power and Kate Gould of the leopold Trio join forces with mark Wigglesworth for this radiant journey. As part of our opera strand comes Henk de Vlieger’s exuberant arrangement of Wagner’s great Ring cycle as a four-part symphony, taking in all the major scenes, beginning with Das Rheingold’s magnificent Prelude and culminating in the destruction of the Gods and Valhalla.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10 SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT

distinctive4 BBC Symphony Orchestra 5bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

Total Immersion

Oliver Knussen at 60 SUNDAy 4 NOVEMBER

Sounds from Japan SATURDAy 2 FEBRUARy

New from the North SATURDAy 9 MARCH

The BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Total immersion days have become landmark events on the london music scene. They boast not only superlative performances of the music of our time, but explore the imaginative world behind it in films, talks, creative projects with young musicians and encounters with the composers themselves. This season we are extending the scope of these in-depth portraits to include groups of linked composers, so creating a vital context in which to hear some beguiling new music, exploring the nordic countries and Japan.

OlIver knussen AT 60Oliver Knussen is one of the most inspirational figures in British music. Equally gifted as composer, conductor and teacher, he has produced an extraordinary body of work whose vitality and quality seem to shine brighter with each passing year. As composer Julian Anderson has written, ‘Knussen is that rarity … a composer whose music is both complex and aurally coherent’; he combines the spontaneous and the constructed, the playful and profound.

sOunds frOm JAPAn‘First, devote yourself to the simple act of listening,’ wrote the late pioneering Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, ‘Only then you will understand the purpose of music.’ Sound and silence, day and night, the sonorities of East and West meet in his works of mesmerising, twilit poetry. He inspired two generations of uniquely cosmopolitan Japanese composers, whose works we’ll hear alongside a fascinating exploration of Japanese traditional music.

new frOm The nOrThRecent decades have seen a stream of powerful and original music flowing from Nordic countries. New from the North focuses on the visionary, elusive works of Dane Per Nørgård, in celebration of his 80th birthday, alongside his distinguished compatriot Hans Abrahamsen and a host of dynamic Finnish composers including Magnus Lindberg, Jouni Kaipainen, Kaija Saariaho and the young Sebastian Fagerlund.

Save money to all events with a Total immersion Day Pass. There is a choice of pass for each day, reflecting the range of ticket prices for the evening concert. Day Passes are available by telephone or in person only. See the information on each Total immersion day for prices.

6 BBC Symphony Orchestra

sundAy 28 OcTOBer | 7.00pm

donizettiBelisario

Sir Mark Elder conductor

Cast to include:Joyce El-Khoury AntoninaNicola Alaimo BelisarioRussell Thomas AlamiroCamilla Roberts ireneAlastair Miles JustinianJulia Sporsén eudoraPeter Hoare eutropioDarren Jeffery CenturionBBC Singers

Sir mark elder has made it his mission in recent years to revive the fortunes of the great bel canto operas, with pioneering performances and persuasive, vivid recordings. in this concert staging, a collaboration with Opera Rara, of which he is Artistic Director, elder tackles Donizetti’s lyric tragedy Belisario, which traces the fortunes of the 6th-century Byzantine General. it achieved huge popularity in its day and the title-role provides a marvellous vehicle for the talents of Sicilian baritone nicola Alaimo. Prepare for a performance of high passion and drama from a wonderful cast, including rising Canadian star Joyce el-Khoury as the accusing wife Antonina, stunning young soprano Camilla Roberts as his daughter irene and internationally celebrated bass Alastair miles as the emperor Justinian.

Concert Staging Sung in Italian with English surtitles

BBc sO PlusStudy Afternoon | 2.30pm–5.30pm | Mozart RoomAn afternoon exploring Donizetti’s Belisario.

Produced by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Opera Rara

Tickets £40 | £34 | £26 | £18 | £12

wednesdAy 3 OcTOBer | 7.30pm

michael Zev gordonBohortha (Seven Pieces for Orchestra)BBC COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

mahlerRückert-lieder

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conductorAlice Coote mezzo-soprano

Shostakovich was never closer to the spirit of mahler than in his phantasmagoric fourth symphony, written and withdrawn during Stalin’s Great Terror. The composer intended it to be his ‘Symphonic Credo’, and it’s a work with an astonishing spectrum of characters and styles, from satire to high tragedy, romanticism to grotesquerie, all fuelled with a near-delirious life force. Shostakovich was fascinated by mahler’s vast extended forms, but the composer’s Rückert-Lieder belong to another world: each is a tiny, transparently-scored psychodrama, and will be performed by one of the UK’s most treasured mezzo-sopranos, Alice Coote. The concert begins with a seven-movement exploration of our awareness of time passing by michael Zev Gordon. Bohortha is a tiny hamlet on the Cornish coast with no roads leading from it: in Gordon’s words, ‘a beautiful image of open-endedness’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

haydnSymphony no. 101 in D major, ‘The Clock’

hummelPiano Concerto in A minor

ravell’heure espagnole

Josep Pons conductorStephen Hough pianoRuxandra Donose ConcepcionJacques Imbrailo RamiroJean-Paul Fouchécourt TorquemadaJulien Behr GonzalveDavid Wilson-Johnson Don inigo Gomez

Haydn’s own ‘Clock’ Symphony prefaces L’heure espagnole, Ravel’s delightful one-act comedy about a cuckolded clockmaker, the first of two Ravel operas this season. Romanian mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose has already won plaudits as the feisty and far-from-immaculate Concepcion, while celebrated young baritone Jacques imbrailo takes on the role of hunky muleteer, lugging grandfather clocks up and down stairs for her while she attempts to seduce the local romeos — until she notices the size of Ramiro’s biceps. Catalan conductor Josep Pons lends idiomatic spice to this glittering cast. High spirits continue with Hummel’s elegant Concerto in A minor, to be performed by our Artist in Focus this season, the incomparable Stephen Hough.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

JUKKA-PEKKA SARASTE

STEPHEN HOUGH

TippettTriple Concerto

wagner, arr. VliegerThe Ring – an Orchestral Adventure

Mark Wigglesworth conductorLeopold Trio

Our Tippett series opens with a rare opportunity to hear his Triple Concerto, a masterpiece of his late period when he confessed he had ‘turned my back with some pleasure on the cruel world’. Characterised by rapt lyricism, the concerto follows the course of a day through twilight to night and dawn, punctuated with magical interludes infused with gamelan-like percussion, inspired by the composer’s travels in Bali. Top soloists isabelle van Keulen, lawrence Power and Kate Gould of the leopold Trio join forces with mark Wigglesworth for this radiant journey. As part of our opera strand comes Henk de Vlieger’s exuberant arrangement of Wagner’s great Ring cycle as a four-part symphony, taking in all the major scenes, beginning with Das Rheingold’s magnificent Prelude and culminating in the destruction of the Gods and Valhalla.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10 SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT

distinctive4 BBC Symphony Orchestra 5bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

Total Immersion

Oliver Knussen at 60 SUNDAy 4 NOVEMBER

Sounds from Japan SATURDAy 2 FEBRUARy

New from the North SATURDAy 9 MARCH

The BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Total immersion days have become landmark events on the london music scene. They boast not only superlative performances of the music of our time, but explore the imaginative world behind it in films, talks, creative projects with young musicians and encounters with the composers themselves. This season we are extending the scope of these in-depth portraits to include groups of linked composers, so creating a vital context in which to hear some beguiling new music, exploring the nordic countries and Japan.

OlIver knussen AT 60Oliver Knussen is one of the most inspirational figures in British music. Equally gifted as composer, conductor and teacher, he has produced an extraordinary body of work whose vitality and quality seem to shine brighter with each passing year. As composer Julian Anderson has written, ‘Knussen is that rarity … a composer whose music is both complex and aurally coherent’; he combines the spontaneous and the constructed, the playful and profound.

sOunds frOm JAPAn‘First, devote yourself to the simple act of listening,’ wrote the late pioneering Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, ‘Only then you will understand the purpose of music.’ Sound and silence, day and night, the sonorities of East and West meet in his works of mesmerising, twilit poetry. He inspired two generations of uniquely cosmopolitan Japanese composers, whose works we’ll hear alongside a fascinating exploration of Japanese traditional music.

new frOm The nOrThRecent decades have seen a stream of powerful and original music flowing from Nordic countries. New from the North focuses on the visionary, elusive works of Dane Per Nørgård, in celebration of his 80th birthday, alongside his distinguished compatriot Hans Abrahamsen and a host of dynamic Finnish composers including Magnus Lindberg, Jouni Kaipainen, Kaija Saariaho and the young Sebastian Fagerlund.

Save money to all events with a Total immersion Day Pass. There is a choice of pass for each day, reflecting the range of ticket prices for the evening concert. Day Passes are available by telephone or in person only. See the information on each Total immersion day for prices.

sundAy 28 OcTOBer | 7.00pm

donizettiBelisario

Sir Mark Elder conductor

Cast to include:Joyce El-Khoury AntoninaNicola Alaimo BelisarioRussell Thomas AlamiroCamilla Roberts ireneAlastair Miles JustinianJulia Sporsén eudoraPeter Hoare eutropioDarren Jeffery CenturionBBC Singers

Sir mark elder has made it his mission in recent years to revive the fortunes of the great bel canto operas, with pioneering performances and persuasive, vivid recordings. in this concert staging, a collaboration with Opera Rara, of which he is Artistic Director, elder tackles Donizetti’s lyric tragedy Belisario, which traces the fortunes of the 6th-century Byzantine General. it achieved huge popularity in its day and the title-role provides a marvellous vehicle for the talents of Sicilian baritone nicola Alaimo. Prepare for a performance of high passion and drama from a wonderful cast, including rising Canadian star Joyce el-Khoury as the accusing wife Antonina, stunning young soprano Camilla Roberts as his daughter irene and internationally celebrated bass Alastair miles as the emperor Justinian.

Concert Staging Sung in Italian with English surtitles

BBc sO PlusStudy Afternoon | 2.30pm–5.30pm | Mozart RoomAn afternoon exploring Donizetti’s Belisario.

Produced by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Opera Rara

Tickets £40 | £34 | £26 | £18 | £12

sundAy 4 nOvemBer

Total Immersion: Oliver Knussen at 60Oliver Knussen himself is joined by a host of celebrated performers for this exploration of his jewel-like masterpieces. From the touching piano solo Lullaby for Sonya, written ‘with my ears, and nothing else’, to the more intricate, multi-layered Océan de terre, the programmes span 40 years of his art, and trace the chain of works inspired by Ophelia’s tragic descent into madness and death, Orphelia’s Last Dance and the Symphony No. 3. Barrie Gavin’s affectionate film prefaces two evening concerts in which soprano Claire Booth sings the dreamlike Whitman Settings, while American violinist Leila Josefowicz presents the fine-spun Violin Concerto, a resounding achievement of recent years.

sATurdAy 3 nOvemBerThe Barbican presents Oliver Knussen’s operas Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop as part of its Barbican Weekender. For full details visit barbican.org.uk

cOncerT | 6.00pm | music Hall Guildhall School of music & Drama

Oliver knussenAutumnal for Violin and Piano Variations Secret Psalm Prayer Bell Sketch Ophelia’s last Dance

Ryan Wigglesworth pianoHuw Watkins piano

Tickets £12 (unreserved seating)

cOncerT | 8.00pm | Barbican Hall

Oliver knussenFlourish with Fireworks Choral Whitman Settings Horn Concerto Two Organa Requiem - Songs for Sue Symphony no. 3

BBC Symphony OrchestraOliver Knussen conductorClaire Booth sopranoMartin Owen horn

Tickets £24 | £20 | £16 | £12 | £8

day Pass £43 | £40 | £37 | £34 | £30

Oliver knussenmasks Three little Fantasies Trumpets Songs without Voices Sonya’s lullaby Océan de terre

Guildhall Music EnsembleRichard Baker conductor

fIlm & dIscussIOn | 3.00pm Barbican Cinemas

sounds from the Big white house:Oliver knussen at 50

A film made to celebrate Oliver Knussen’s 50th birthday. The composer talks about the perils of early fame, about meeting Stravinsky and demonstrates his amazing collection of mechanical toys. music performed by the london Sinfonietta and BBC SO includes excerpts from Where the Wild Things Are and the Horn Concerto.UK | 2001 | DiR. BARRie GAVin | 60minS

Plus a discussion on Oliver Knussen and his influence on British music.

Tickets £6

sATurdAy 2 feBruAry

Total Immersion: Sounds from JapanTAKEMITSU AND THE NEW GENERATION

Takemitsu was the pivotal figure in opening up a creative dialogue between Western and Japanese music. When he retreated to his mountain villa to write November Steps, significantly, he took Debussy’s Jeux with him. The result was a haunting, twilit masterpiece which employs the shakuhachi and biwa, to be performed here beside works of Takemitsu’s contemporaries and of the next generation, including the dynamic Dai Fujikura. Film has been an important medium for these composers, and Takemitsu’s film scores are explored in our first event. Don’t miss, too, the rare opportunity to hear traditional Japanese instrumentalists play alongside members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

free evenT | 7.00pm | Barbican Foyer

music from BBC SO learning partners and members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra as part of the BBC SO’s Diverse Orchestra Japan week.

Akira nishimura Bird Heterophonymisato mochizuki musubiTakemitsu november Steps, for shakuhachi, biwa and orchestradai fujikura Atom UK PRemieRe

Toshio hosokawa Woven DreamsUK PRemieRe

Akira miyoshi litania pour Fuji

BBC Symphony OrchestraKazushi Ono conductorKifu Mitsuhashi shakuhachiKumiko Shutou biwa

Tickets £24 | £20 | £16 | £12 | £8

day Pass £48 | £45 | £42 | £38 | £35

TAlk & fIlm | 10.30am | Barbican Cinemas

music for the movies: Toru TakemitsuTakemitsu composed the scores for almost 100 films, including Kurosawa’s epic Ran, based on King Lear. This documentary includes interviews with Takemitsu and clips from some of the films.US | 1994 | DiR. CHARlOTTe ZWeRin | 58minS

Plus an introduction to music in Japan today

Tickets £6

cOncerT | 1.00pm | lSO St luke’s

Takemitsu Rain SpellTakemitsu Tree lineJo kondo Surface, Depth and Colour dai fujikura Secret Forest

Guildhall Music Ensemble Sian Edwards conductor

fIlm | 3.00pm | Barbican Cinemas

Thirteen steps Around TakemitsuA portrait of Takemitsu filmed at his country home and in Tokyo, featuring the composer in conversation as well as performances of A Flock Descends on the Pentagonal Garden and excerpts from his chamber music.UK | 1987 | DiR. BARRie GAVin | 70minS

Tickets £6

cOncerT | 5.00pm | Barbican HallTraditional music from Japan plus a meeting of musical cultures with musicians from the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Kifu Mitsuhashi shakuhachiKumiko Shutou biwa

Tickets £128 9bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestraBBC Symphony Orchestra

TORU TAKEMITSU

sundAy 4 nOvemBer

Total Immersion: Oliver Knussen at 60Oliver Knussen himself is joined by a host of celebrated performers for this exploration of his jewel-like masterpieces. From the touching piano solo Lullaby for Sonya, written ‘with my ears, and nothing else’, to the more intricate, multi-layered Océan de terre, the programmes span 40 years of his art, and trace the chain of works inspired by Ophelia’s tragic descent into madness and death, Orphelia’s Last Dance and the Symphony No. 3. Barrie Gavin’s affectionate film prefaces two evening concerts in which soprano Claire Booth sings the dreamlike Whitman Settings, while American violinist Leila Josefowicz presents the fine-spun Violin Concerto, a resounding achievement of recent years.

sATurdAy 3 nOvemBerThe Barbican presents Oliver Knussen’s operas Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop as part of its Barbican Weekender. For full details visit barbican.org.uk

Oliver knussenAutumnal for Violin and Piano Variations Secret Psalm Prayer Bell Sketch Ophelia’s last Dance

Ryan Wigglesworth pianoHuw Watkins piano

Oliver knussenFlourish with Fireworks Choral Whitman Settings Horn Concerto Two Organa Requiem - Songs for Sue Symphony no. 3

BBC Symphony OrchestraOliver Knussen conductorClaire Booth sopranoMartin Owen horn

Tickets £24 | £20 | £16 | £12 | £8

day Pass £43 | £40 | £37 | £34 | £30

Oliver knussenmasks Three little Fantasies Trumpets Songs without Voices Sonya’s lullaby Océan de terre

Guildhall Music EnsembleRichard Baker conductor

sounds from the Big white house:Oliver knussen at 50

A film made to celebrate Oliver Knussen’s 50th birthday. The composer talks about the perils of early fame, about meeting Stravinsky and demonstrates his amazing collection of mechanical toys. music performed by the london Sinfonietta and BBC SO includes excerpts from Where the Wild Things Are and the Horn Concerto.UK | 2001 | DiR. BARRie GAVin | 60minS

Plus a discussion on Oliver Knussen and his influence on British music.

Tickets £6

sATurdAy 2 feBruAry

Total Immersion: Sounds from JapanTAKEMITSU AND THE NEW GENERATION

Takemitsu was the pivotal figure in opening up a creative dialogue between Western and Japanese music. When he retreated to his mountain villa to write November Steps, significantly, he took Debussy’s Jeux with him. The result was a haunting, twilit masterpiece which employs the shakuhachi and biwa, to be performed here beside works of Takemitsu’s contemporaries and of the next generation, including the dynamic Dai Fujikura. Film has been an important medium for these composers, and Takemitsu’s film scores are explored in our first event. Don’t miss, too, the rare opportunity to hear traditional Japanese instrumentalists play alongside members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

free evenT | 7.00pm | Barbican Foyer

music from BBC SO learning partners and members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra as part of the BBC SO’s Diverse Orchestra Japan week.

Akira nishimura Bird Heterophonymisato mochizuki musubiTakemitsu november Steps, for shakuhachi, biwa and orchestradai fujikura Atom UK PRemieRe

Toshio hosokawa Woven DreamsUK PRemieRe

Akira miyoshi litania pour Fuji

BBC Symphony OrchestraKazushi Ono conductorKifu Mitsuhashi shakuhachiKumiko Shutou biwa

Tickets £24 | £20 | £16 | £12 | £8

day Pass £48 | £45 | £42 | £38 | £35

TAlk & fIlm | 10.30am | Barbican Cinemas

music for the movies: Toru TakemitsuTakemitsu composed the scores for almost 100 films, including Kurosawa’s epic Ran, based on King Lear. This documentary includes interviews with Takemitsu and clips from some of the films.US | 1994 | DiR. CHARlOTTe ZWeRin | 58minS

Plus an introduction to music in Japan today

Tickets £6

cOncerT | 1.00pm | lSO St luke’s

Takemitsu Rain SpellTakemitsu Tree lineJo kondo Surface, Depth and Colour dai fujikura Secret Forest

Guildhall Music Ensemble Sian Edwards conductor

fIlm | 3.00pm | Barbican Cinemas

Thirteen steps Around TakemitsuA portrait of Takemitsu filmed at his country home and in Tokyo, featuring the composer in conversation as well as performances of A Flock Descends on the Pentagonal Garden and excerpts from his chamber music.UK | 1987 | DiR. BARRie GAVin | 70minS

Tickets £6

cOncerT | 5.00pm | Barbican HallTraditional music from Japan plus a meeting of musical cultures with musicians from the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Kifu Mitsuhashi shakuhachiKumiko Shutou biwa

Tickets £128 9bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestraBBC Symphony Orchestra

TORU TAKEMITSU

sATurdAy 9 mArch

Total Immersion: New from the NorthPER NøRGåRD AND MUSIC FROM DENMARK AND FINLAND

It was conductor Sergiu Celibidache who said: ‘Only the mind of a new time in the new millennium will be able to understand the scope of Nørgård’s music.’ The delicate weave of his organic creations may be better known from his film scores, (including Hedda Gabler and Babette’s Feast) but the legendary Dane has exerted a powerful influence on British composers. To celebrate his 80th birthday we’re delighted to welcome Nørgård to the Barbican and to present the UK premiere of his Symphony No. 8 and the world premiere of his String Quartet No. 11, along with a glittering array of pieces by Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho and Hans Abrahamsen.

cOncerT | 6.00pm | St Giles Cripplegate

Programme to include:

Per nørgård like a Child; Ut Rosaesa-Pekka salonen Two Songs from Kalender Rödeinojuhani rautavaara Canticum mariae VirginisPlus music by Bo Holten, Olli Kortekangas and Jussi Chydenius

BBC SingersJames Morgan conductor

Tickets £12

sunleif rasmussen Prelude for Brass UK PRemieRe

sebastian fagerlund Clarinet Concerto UK PRemieRe

magnus lindberg new work UK PRemieRe

Per nørgård Symphony no. 8 UK PRemieRe

BBC Symphony OrchestraJohn Storgårds conductorChristoffer Sundqvist clarinet

Tickets £24 | £20 | £16 | £12 | £8

free evenT | 10.00pm | Barbican foyer

Complete your Total immersion experience with a free late-night event curated by BBC SO learning. expect extraordinary collaborations between members of the BBC SO and nordic artists.

day Pass £48 | £45 | £42 | £38 | £35

fIlm | 10.15am | Barbican Cinemas

hedda gabler

Fiona Shaw stars as ibsen’s tragic anti-heroine in a BBC production of ibsen’s play, with music by Per nørgård.UK | 1992 | DiR. DeBORAH WARneR | 127minS

Tickets £6

hans Abrahamsen String Quartet no. 3, ‘motet’ lOnDOn PRemieRe

Jouni kaipainen String Quartet no. 6, ‘The Terror Run’kaija saariaho Terra memoriamPoul ruders String Quartet no. 42013 ROyAl PHilHARmOniC SOCieTy / BRiTTen-PeARS FOUnDATiOn COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

Vertavo Quartet

Tickets £12

Timeless harvest

martin Verdet’s atmospheric films follows Per nørgård, cellists Valter Despalj and Ralph Kirschbaum and the Kroger Quartet at work at Frederiksdal manor on the Danish island of lolland.FRAnCe | 2009 | DiR. mARTin VeRDeT | 59minS

Plus Per nørgård in conversation with Stephen Johnson on his music and the UK premiere of his Symphony no. 8.

Tickets £6

JAMES CRABB

sATurdAy 24 nOvemBer | 7.30pm

Janá∂ekThe Cunning little Vixen – suite, arr. JílekUK PRemieRe

rolf hindThe Tiniest House of Time, for accordion and orchestraBBC COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

rimsky-korsakovSheherazade

Jakub Hr≤ša conductorJames Crabb accordion

Tales from the stage underpin this imaginative programme, featuring a newly-arranged suite from Janá∂ek’s zestful drama of woodland life The Cunning Little Vixen and Rimsky-Korsakov’s glittering orchestral evocation of scenes from the Arabian Nights, in which the lead violinist plays the seductive Princess Sheherazade herself. Composer and pianist Rolf Hind has a reputation for throwing fresh light on all he touches, and this is his first major work for accordion, inspired by the irrepressible virtuoso James Crabb.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

enthralling

10 BBC Symphony Orchestra 11bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

sATurdAy 9 mArch

Total Immersion: New from the NorthPER NøRGåRD AND MUSIC FROM DENMARK AND FINLAND

It was conductor Sergiu Celibidache who said: ‘Only the mind of a new time in the new millennium will be able to understand the scope of Nørgård’s music.’ The delicate weave of his organic creations may be better known from his film scores, (including Hedda Gabler and Babette’s Feast) but the legendary Dane has exerted a powerful influence on British composers. To celebrate his 80th birthday we’re delighted to welcome Nørgård to the Barbican and to present the UK premiere of his Symphony No. 8 and the world premiere of his String Quartet No. 11, along with a glittering array of pieces by Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho and Hans Abrahamsen.

cOncerT | 6.00pm | St Giles Cripplegate

Programme to include:

Per nørgård like a Child; Ut Rosaesa-Pekka salonen Two Songs from Kalender Rödeinojuhani rautavaara Canticum mariae VirginisPlus music by Bo Holten, Olli Kortekangas and Jussi Chydenius

BBC SingersJames Morgan conductor

Tickets £12

sunleif rasmussen Prelude for Brass UK PRemieRe

sebastian fagerlund Clarinet Concerto UK PRemieRe

magnus lindberg new work UK PRemieRe

Per nørgård Symphony no. 8 UK PRemieRe

BBC Symphony OrchestraJohn Storgårds conductorChristoffer Sundqvist clarinet

Tickets £24 | £20 | £16 | £12 | £8

free evenT | 10.00pm | Barbican foyer

Complete your Total immersion experience with a free late-night event curated by BBC SO learning. expect extraordinary collaborations between members of the BBC SO and nordic artists.

day Pass £48 | £45 | £42 | £38 | £35

fIlm | 10.15am | Barbican Cinemas

hedda gabler

Fiona Shaw stars as ibsen’s tragic anti-heroine in a BBC production of ibsen’s play, with music by Per nørgård.UK | 1992 | DiR. DeBORAH WARneR | 127minS

Tickets £6

hans Abrahamsen String Quartet no. 3, ‘motet’ lOnDOn PRemieRe

Jouni kaipainen String Quartet no. 6, ‘The Terror Run’kaija saariaho Terra memoriamPoul ruders String Quartet no. 42013 ROyAl PHilHARmOniC SOCieTy / BRiTTen-PeARS FOUnDATiOn COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

Vertavo Quartet

Tickets £12

Timeless harvest

martin Verdet’s atmospheric films follows Per nørgård, cellists Valter Despalj and Ralph Kirschbaum and the Kroger Quartet at work at Frederiksdal manor on the Danish island of lolland.FRAnCe | 2009 | DiR. mARTin VeRDeT | 59minS

Plus Per nørgård in conversation with Stephen Johnson on his music and the UK premiere of his Symphony no. 8.

Tickets £6

JAMES CRABB

sATurdAy 24 nOvemBer | 7.30pm

Janá∂ekThe Cunning little Vixen – suite, arr. JílekUK PRemieRe

rolf hindThe Tiniest House of Time, for accordion and orchestraBBC COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

rimsky-korsakovSheherazade

Jakub Hr≤ša conductorJames Crabb accordion

Tales from the stage underpin this imaginative programme, featuring a newly-arranged suite from Janá∂ek’s zestful drama of woodland life The Cunning Little Vixen and Rimsky-Korsakov’s glittering orchestral evocation of scenes from the Arabian Nights, in which the lead violinist plays the seductive Princess Sheherazade herself. Composer and pianist Rolf Hind has a reputation for throwing fresh light on all he touches, and this is his first major work for accordion, inspired by the irrepressible virtuoso James Crabb.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

enthralling

10 BBC Symphony Orchestra 11bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

sATurdAy 1 decemBer | 7.30pm

schumannPiano Concerto in A minor

mahlerSymphony no. 2 in C minor, ‘Resurrection’

Ji∑í B∆lohlávek conductorChen Reiss sopranoKatarina Karnéus mezzo-sopranoFrancesco Piemontesi pianoGuildhall Symphony Chorus

A performance of mahler’s mighty ‘Resurrection’ Symphony is always an occasion. From its menacing opening to its delightful ländler to the luminous choral crescendo leading to spiritual exaltation, it’s one of mahler’s most inspired works. Swedish mezzo-soprano Katarina Karnéus makes a welcome return to these shores, partnered by rising israeli star soprano Chen Reiss under the baton of Conductor laureate Ji∑í B∆lohlávek. Another rising star is Swiss-born Francesco Piemontesi, a former BBC Radio 3 new Generation Artist, noted for the intelligence and distinctive insight of his interpretations. He tackles Schumann’s Romantic concerto, a love letter in music to its first performer, Clara Schumann.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

frIdAy 7 decemBer | 7.30pm

BerioSinfonia

verdi, orch. Berioeight Romances, for tenor and orchestra

verdiFour Sacred Pieces

Josep Pons conductorSarah-Jane Brandon sopranoAtalla Ayan tenorSynergy VocalsBBC Symphony Chorus

Two fascinating concert works by the king of italian opera, Giuseppe Verdi, alongside one of the most startling and original vocal works of the 20th century by compatriot luciano Berio. Synergy Vocals take on the amplified solo parts originally written for the Swingle Singers in Berio’s 1969 Sinfonia, in which fragments of text decrying war and racial segregation jostle with quotations from the classical canon in a shimmering multi-layered melée. it was Berio, too, who penned the imaginative orchestration of Verdi’s rarely-performed eight Romances for tenor and orchestra, here featuring the exciting young Brazilian Atalla Ayan. We end with Verdi’s rousing Four Sacred Pieces, including the beguiling Ave Maria for unaccompanied voices.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

griegPeer GyntCOmPleTe inCiDenTAl mUSiC

Marc Minkowski conductorMiah Persson SolveigAnn Hallenberg AnitraJohannes Weisser Peer GyntBBC SingersActors from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Who can resist Grieg’s vivid Peer Gynt, scored for ibsen’s play, especially when presented by the vivacious marc minkowski with an ideal cast? melting mezzo-soprano miah Persson is the faithful Solveig, while the marvellous Ann Hallenberg and Johannes Weisser take up the parts of the Bedouin Anitra and the hapless rake Peer Gynt himself. The BBC SO performs the whole score with all its highly-coloured episodes, from the poignancy of ‘Solveig’s Song’, to the hollering trolls in the ‘Hall of the mountain King’ and the timeless serenity of ‘morning mood’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

MIAH PERSSON

ATALLA AyAN

KATARINA KARNÉUS

12 13bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

schumannPiano Concerto in A minor

mahlerSymphony no. 2 in C minor, ‘Resurrection’

Ji∑í B∆lohlávek conductorChen Reiss sopranoKatarina Karnéus mezzo-sopranoFrancesco Piemontesi pianoGuildhall Symphony Chorus

A performance of mahler’s mighty ‘Resurrection’ Symphony is always an occasion. From its menacing opening to its delightful ländler to the luminous choral crescendo leading to spiritual exaltation, it’s one of mahler’s most inspired works. Swedish mezzo-soprano Katarina Karnéus makes a welcome return to these shores, partnered by rising israeli star soprano Chen Reiss under the baton of Conductor laureate Ji∑í B∆lohlávek. Another rising star is Swiss-born Francesco Piemontesi, a former BBC Radio 3 new Generation Artist, noted for the intelligence and distinctive insight of his interpretations. He tackles Schumann’s Romantic concerto, a love letter in music to its first performer, Clara Schumann.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

frIdAy 7 decemBer | 7.30pm

BerioSinfonia

verdi, orch. Berioeight Romances, for tenor and orchestra

verdiFour Sacred Pieces

Josep Pons conductorSarah-Jane Brandon sopranoAtalla Ayan tenorSynergy VocalsBBC Symphony Chorus

Two fascinating concert works by the king of italian opera, Giuseppe Verdi, alongside one of the most startling and original vocal works of the 20th century by compatriot luciano Berio. Synergy Vocals take on the amplified solo parts originally written for the Swingle Singers in Berio’s 1969 Sinfonia, in which fragments of text decrying war and racial segregation jostle with quotations from the classical canon in a shimmering multi-layered melée. it was Berio, too, who penned the imaginative orchestration of Verdi’s rarely-performed eight Romances for tenor and orchestra, here featuring the exciting young Brazilian Atalla Ayan. We end with Verdi’s rousing Four Sacred Pieces, including the beguiling Ave Maria for unaccompanied voices.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

griegPeer GyntCOmPleTe inCiDenTAl mUSiC

Marc Minkowski conductorMiah Persson SolveigAnn Hallenberg AnitraJohannes Weisser Peer GyntBBC SingersActors from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Who can resist Grieg’s vivid Peer Gynt, scored for ibsen’s play, especially when presented by the vivacious marc minkowski with an ideal cast? melting mezzo-soprano miah Persson is the faithful Solveig, while the marvellous Ann Hallenberg and Johannes Weisser take up the parts of the Bedouin Anitra and the hapless rake Peer Gynt himself. The BBC SO performs the whole score with all its highly-coloured episodes, from the poignancy of ‘Solveig’s Song’, to the hollering trolls in the ‘Hall of the mountain King’ and the timeless serenity of ‘morning mood’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

MIAH PERSSON

ATALLA AyAN

KATARINA KARNÉUS

12 13bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra

frIdAy 11 JAnuAry | 7.30pm

Anna clynenight FerryUK PRemieRe

BrittenPiano Concerto

elgarSymphony no. 1 in A flat major

Andrew Litton conductorBenjamin Grosvenor piano

Two leading lights in a new generation of British artists grace this evening: Benjamin Grosvenor, the youngest soloist ever to open the Proms in 2011, performs Britten’s brilliant, youthful piano concerto, while composer Anna Clyne, whose dazzlingly inventive rewind was such a hit for the BBC SO, returns with a major new work commissioned by the Chicago SO, Night Ferry. The transatlantic theme continues when well-loved American champion of British music Andrew litton takes on elgar’s monumental First Symphony. Widely hailed as ‘the first great english symphony’, this rich and poetic work is a complex weave of nobility, aching sadness and, in the composer’s words, ‘massive hope’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

elgarOverture ‘Cockaigne (in london Town)’

Qigang chenReflet d’un temps disparulOnDOn PRemieRe

raymond yiuThe london Citizen exceedingly injuredWORlD PRemieRe

haydnSymphony no. 104 in D major, ‘london’

Long yu conductorLi-Wei Qin cello

Our capital city is the theme for this lively evening, beginning with elgar’s scintillating Overture and ending with Haydn’s final glorious symphony, written during his last stay in london. Blazing with wit, craft and earthiness, it captures the essence of the composer. The city is conjured up again by Hong Kong-born Raymond yiu, already acclaimed for his intricate blend of Western and eastern sonorities. He describes The London Citizen Exceedingly Injured as a ‘symphonic game’ which takes its musical cues from elgar’s Cockaigne Overture and the nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and lemons’. To conduct this and Chinese-French composer Qigang Chen’s new work is one of China’s leading conductors, long yu, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

sATurdAy 9 feBruAry | 7.30pm

eisenstein’s Alexander nevskyMartyn Brabbins conductorCatherine Wyn-Rogers mezzo-sopranoBBC Symphony Chorus

The BBC Symphony Orchestra’s film events are always popular, and this presents one of the great collaborations of all time — Prokofiev’s coruscating score to eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky. it is said that the director was so impressed with the precision with which Prokofiev captured each mood, he encouraged him to write the music first for some parts. The epic tale of the medieval prince defeating the Teutonic knights on a frozen lake was particularly welcomed by the Soviet authorities in 1939, but it’s proved to be a timeless classic. The BBC Symphony Chorus provides the rich, rousing choruses while Catherine Wyn-Rogers gives voice to the heart of the story in her poignant song searching for rival suitors on the field of the dead.

Produced by the Barbican and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR

dramatic

Anna clynenight FerryUK PRemieRe

BrittenPiano Concerto

elgarSymphony no. 1 in A flat major

Andrew Litton conductorBenjamin Grosvenor piano

Two leading lights in a new generation of British artists grace this evening: Benjamin Grosvenor, the youngest soloist ever to open the Proms in 2011, performs Britten’s brilliant, youthful piano concerto, while composer Anna Clyne, whose dazzlingly inventive rewind was such a hit for the BBC SO, returns with a major new work commissioned by the Chicago SO, Night Ferry. The transatlantic theme continues when well-loved American champion of British music Andrew litton takes on elgar’s monumental First Symphony. Widely hailed as ‘the first great english symphony’, this rich and poetic work is a complex weave of nobility, aching sadness and, in the composer’s words, ‘massive hope’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

elgarOverture ‘Cockaigne (in london Town)’

Qigang chenReflet d’un temps disparulOnDOn PRemieRe

raymond yiuThe london Citizen exceedingly injuredWORlD PRemieRe

haydnSymphony no. 104 in D major, ‘london’

Long yu conductorLi-Wei Qin cello

Our capital city is the theme for this lively evening, beginning with elgar’s scintillating Overture and ending with Haydn’s final glorious symphony, written during his last stay in london. Blazing with wit, craft and earthiness, it captures the essence of the composer. The city is conjured up again by Hong Kong-born Raymond yiu, already acclaimed for his intricate blend of Western and eastern sonorities. He describes The London Citizen Exceedingly Injured as a ‘symphonic game’ which takes its musical cues from elgar’s Cockaigne Overture and the nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and lemons’. To conduct this and Chinese-French composer Qigang Chen’s new work is one of China’s leading conductors, long yu, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

sATurdAy 9 feBruAry | 7.30pm

eisenstein’s Alexander nevskyMartyn Brabbins conductorCatherine Wyn-Rogers mezzo-sopranoBBC Symphony Chorus

The BBC Symphony Orchestra’s film events are always popular, and this presents one of the great collaborations of all time — Prokofiev’s coruscating score to eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky. it is said that the director was so impressed with the precision with which Prokofiev captured each mood, he encouraged him to write the music first for some parts. The epic tale of the medieval prince defeating the Teutonic knights on a frozen lake was particularly welcomed by the Soviet authorities in 1939, but it’s proved to be a timeless classic. The BBC Symphony Chorus provides the rich, rousing choruses while Catherine Wyn-Rogers gives voice to the heart of the story in her poignant song searching for rival suitors on the field of the dead.

Produced by the Barbican and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR

dramatic

frIdAy 15 feBruAry | 7.30pm

dieter schnebelSchubert FantasiaUK PRemieRe

david sawerFlesh and BloodBBC COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

schubertSymphony no. 9 in C major, ‘Great’

Ilan Volkov conductorChristine Rice mezzo-sopranoMarcus Farnsworth baritone

Theatre is at the heart of David Sawer’s incisive and original music, and his new commission Flesh and Blood is a dramatic scena featuring star soloists Christine Rice and marcus Farnsworth. Dieter Schnebel’s Schubert Fantasia recalls dreamlike fragments from Schubert’s G major Piano Sonata refracted through a shimmering haze of dissonant harmonies. 150 years earlier, Schubert wrote his ‘Great’ ninth Symphony, a powerful feat of sustained momentum, driven by buoyant rhythms, explosive emotions and vast, inexorable climaxes which ilan Volkov will no doubt shape with his characteristically dynamic vision.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

ProkofievScythian Suite

BlochSchelomo

nielsenSymphony no. 4, ‘The inextinguishable’

Thomas Dausgaard conductorJian Wang cello

An invigorating programme explodes into life with Prokofiev’s wild Scythian Suite. ernst Bloch’s heart-rending appeal to peace, Schelomo, given voice here by the distinguished cellist Jian Wang, is answered by Carl nielsen’s thrilling Fourth Symphony, ‘The inextinguishable’, in which the human spirit battles for a future. As he wrote, after the outbreak of the First World War, ‘i have an idea for a duel between two sets of timpani, it has to do with war.’ it’s one of the most riveting moments in the symphony, bursting into the finale and developing into a reckless tour de force that resolves into radiant optimism.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

CHRISTINE RICE

frIdAy 1 mArch | 7.30pm

BeethovenTriple Concerto

TippettSymphony no. 3

David Robertson conductorSusan Bullock sopranoAlexandra Soumm violinNicolas Altstaedt celloIgor Levit piano

Beethoven’s dynamic spirit was crucially significant to michael Tippett and here we’ll hear Beethoven’s own elegant Triple Concerto played by three superlative BBC Radio 3 new Generation Artists, beside Tippett’s Third Symphony. in this dramatic work Tippett confronts Beethoven’s ninth Symphony and its ecstatic vision of brotherhood with the tragic reality of the 20th century. in the wonderfully uplifting Blues of the finale, sung here by Susan Bullock, he roots man’s essential state in sorrow rather than joy, while ultimately offering a dream of ‘the peaceable kingdom’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

John AdamsThe Chairman Dances

TippettPiano Concerto

Alexander Vedernikov conductorSteven Osborne piano

Steven Osborne has won awards for his masterly recordings of Tippett’s piano music, noted for the intoxicating freshness, detail and illumination he brings to each work. The Piano Concerto of 1955 was written in the wake of Tippett’s opera The Midsummer Marriage, and shares its sense of melodious ecstasy, finishing with a dazzlingly virtuosic Vivace. The streak of menace in Adams’s charming foxtrot from Nixon in China darkens into fear in Shostakovich’s bitter, intense symphony, written in the depths of wartime Russia. Alexander Vedernikov, formerly of the Bolshoi Theatre, conducts.

BBc sO Plus fAmIly6.00pm | Fountain RoomAn introduction to tonight’s concert for families. Please note this BBC SO Plus Family event includes the 6.00pm workshop and the first half of the concert only, as the second half of the concert is less suitable for this age range. See page 22 for details.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

STEVEN OSBORNE

DAVID ROBERTSONRic

16 17bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestraBBC Symphony Orchestra

THOMAS DAUSGAARD

dieter schnebelSchubert FantasiaUK PRemieRe

david sawerFlesh and BloodBBC COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

schubertSymphony no. 9 in C major, ‘Great’

Ilan Volkov conductorChristine Rice mezzo-sopranoMarcus Farnsworth baritone

Theatre is at the heart of David Sawer’s incisive and original music, and his new commission Flesh and Blood is a dramatic scena featuring star soloists Christine Rice and marcus Farnsworth. Dieter Schnebel’s Schubert Fantasia recalls dreamlike fragments from Schubert’s G major Piano Sonata refracted through a shimmering haze of dissonant harmonies. 150 years earlier, Schubert wrote his ‘Great’ ninth Symphony, a powerful feat of sustained momentum, driven by buoyant rhythms, explosive emotions and vast, inexorable climaxes which ilan Volkov will no doubt shape with his characteristically dynamic vision.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

ProkofievScythian Suite

BlochSchelomo

nielsenSymphony no. 4, ‘The inextinguishable’

Thomas Dausgaard conductorJian Wang cello

An invigorating programme explodes into life with Prokofiev’s wild Scythian Suite. ernst Bloch’s heart-rending appeal to peace, Schelomo, given voice here by the distinguished cellist Jian Wang, is answered by Carl nielsen’s thrilling Fourth Symphony, ‘The inextinguishable’, in which the human spirit battles for a future. As he wrote, after the outbreak of the First World War, ‘i have an idea for a duel between two sets of timpani, it has to do with war.’ it’s one of the most riveting moments in the symphony, bursting into the finale and developing into a reckless tour de force that resolves into radiant optimism.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

CHRISTINE RICE

BeethovenTriple Concerto

David Robertson conductorSusan Bullock sopranoAlexandra Soumm violinNicolas Altstaedt celloIgor Levit piano

Beethoven’s dynamic spirit was crucially significant to michael Tippett and here we’ll hear Beethoven’s own elegant Triple Concerto played by three superlative BBC Radio 3 new Generation Artists, beside Tippett’s Third Symphony. in this dramatic work Tippett confronts Beethoven’s ninth Symphony and its ecstatic vision of brotherhood with the tragic reality of the 20th century. in the wonderfully uplifting Blues of the finale, sung here by Susan Bullock, he roots man’s essential state in sorrow rather than joy, while ultimately offering a dream of ‘the peaceable kingdom’.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

John AdamsThe Chairman Dances

TippettPiano Concerto

Alexander Vedernikov conductorSteven Osborne piano

Steven Osborne has won awards for his masterly recordings of Tippett’s piano music, noted for the intoxicating freshness, detail and illumination he brings to each work. The Piano Concerto of 1955 was written in the wake of Tippett’s opera The Midsummer Marriage, and shares its sense of melodious ecstasy, finishing with a dazzlingly virtuosic Vivace. The streak of menace in Adams’s charming foxtrot from Nixon in China darkens into fear in Shostakovich’s bitter, intense symphony, written in the depths of wartime Russia. Alexander Vedernikov, formerly of the Bolshoi Theatre, conducts.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

STEVEN OSBORNE

DAVID ROBERTSONRic

THOMAS DAUSGAARD

frIdAy 26 APrIl | 7.30pm

Poulencles animaux modèles – suite

ravell’enfant et les sortilèges

Stéphane Denève conductorSingers from the Royal Academy of Music

To crown our opera theme this season, we present Ravel’s fantastical opera L’enfant et les sortilèges, in a specially devised concert version using live film, and performed by talented young singers from the Royal Academy of music with Stéphane Denève. in a score teeming with invention, Ravel tells the magical story of a young boy driven to cruelty by boredom, who provokes the animals and objects around him to spring to life and conspire against him in a phantasmagorical parade. Wearing digital masks, the singers are transported into dreamlike virtual scenes on screens above the stage. Devised by Jean-Baptiste Barrière, this promises to be an exciting new way to experience Ravel’s colourful and comic masterpiece. Poulenc’s charming musical bestiary from the ballet Les animaux modèles makes the perfect introduction.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

Jonathan lloydold racketROyAl PHilHARmOniC SOCieTy elGAR BURSARy COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

BrahmsPiano Concerto no. 1 in D minor

Sir Andrew Davis conductorStephen Hough piano

Our Artist in Focus, Stephen Hough, returns to perform Brahms’s tumultuous First Piano Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis. Hough has written of the ‘burst of utter, natural, divine genius’ that propels this concerto, ‘its flame flares with such intensity, and such promise of more to come, that i find myself overwhelmed by it’. As part of our Tippett retrospective, we come to his fourth and final symphony, which follows a life-cycle from birth to death in a single movement, complete with breathing effects; an astonishing example of the imaginative vitality of the composer’s late years. Jonathan lloyd, whose own Fourth Symphony was written for the BBC SO, makes a welcome return with a new work for strings.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

SIR ANDREW DAVIS

mark simpsonA mirror-fragment …lOnDOn PRemieRe

BeethovenViolin Concerto in D major

Martyn Brabbins conductorNicola Benedetti violin

Tippett found inspiration for the Promethean energy and structural force of his Second Symphony in Beethoven’s own symphonies: the vigorously assertive opening Allegro, and balletic curlicues of the scherzo-like Presto owe much to his hero’s example, while the mosaic-like orchestration of the slow movement hint at the shimmering orchestral tapestries Tippett was to explore later in his career. Appropriately, Beethoven’s Apollonian Violin Concerto prefaces the performance, presented by nicola Benedetti. One of our most promising young composers, mark Simpson, clarinettist winner of the 2006 BBC young musician competition and already a BBC Proms young Composer, is represented by his richly imagined tone-poem A mirror-fragment … .

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

STÉPHANE DENÈVE

NICOLA BENEDETTI

’enf

rtilè

Poulencles animaux modèles – suite

ravell’enfant et les sortilèges

Stéphane Denève conductorSingers from the Royal Academy of Music

To crown our opera theme this season, we present Ravel’s fantastical opera L’enfant et les sortilèges, in a specially devised concert version using live film, and performed by talented young singers from the Royal Academy of music with Stéphane Denève. in a score teeming with invention, Ravel tells the magical story of a young boy driven to cruelty by boredom, who provokes the animals and objects around him to spring to life and conspire against him in a phantasmagorical parade. Wearing digital masks, the singers are transported into dreamlike virtual scenes on screens above the stage. Devised by Jean-Baptiste Barrière, this promises to be an exciting new way to experience Ravel’s colourful and comic masterpiece. Poulenc’s charming musical bestiary from the ballet Les animaux modèles makes the perfect introduction.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

Jonathan lloydold racketROyAl PHilHARmOniC SOCieTy elGAR BURSARy COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

BrahmsPiano Concerto no. 1 in D minor

Sir Andrew Davis conductorStephen Hough piano

Our Artist in Focus, Stephen Hough, returns to perform Brahms’s tumultuous First Piano Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis. Hough has written of the ‘burst of utter, natural, divine genius’ that propels this concerto, ‘its flame flares with such intensity, and such promise of more to come, that i find myself overwhelmed by it’. As part of our Tippett retrospective, we come to his fourth and final symphony, which follows a life-cycle from birth to death in a single movement, complete with breathing effects; an astonishing example of the imaginative vitality of the composer’s late years. Jonathan lloyd, whose own Fourth Symphony was written for the BBC SO, makes a welcome return with a new work for strings.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

SIR ANDREW DAVIS

mark simpsonA mirror-fragment …lOnDOn PRemieRe

BeethovenViolin Concerto in D major

Martyn Brabbins conductorNicola Benedetti violin

Tippett found inspiration for the Promethean energy and structural force of his Second Symphony in Beethoven’s own symphonies: the vigorously assertive opening Allegro, and balletic curlicues of the scherzo-like Presto owe much to his hero’s example, while the mosaic-like orchestration of the slow movement hint at the shimmering orchestral tapestries Tippett was to explore later in his career. Appropriately, Beethoven’s Apollonian Violin Concerto prefaces the performance, presented by nicola Benedetti. One of our most promising young composers, mark Simpson, clarinettist winner of the 2006 BBC young musician competition and already a BBC Proms young Composer, is represented by his richly imagined tone-poem A mirror-fragment … .

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

STÉPHANE DENÈVE

NICOLA BENEDETTI

’enf

rtilè

sATurdAy 25 mAy | 7.30pm

wolfgang rihmnähe-Fern-1UK PRemieRe

mahlerDes Knaben Wunderhorn – selection

shostakovichSymphony no. 11, ‘The year 1905’

Ingo Metzmacher conductorJohan Reuter baritone

High, gleaming sonorities and a sense of enchantment link Wolfgang Rihm’s new piece with mahler’s beguiling songs from the magical folktale collection, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, sung by the much sought-after Danish baritone Johan Reuter. Songs of a very different kind permeate Shostakovich’s dramatic 11th Symphony, an almost cinematic evocation of the 1905 Revolution. The composer wove nine popular revolutionary songs into his dramatic portrayal, with its ominous, icy opening and terrifying Bloody Sunday massacre during which 1,000 workers were gunned down. Shostakovich chose the dark-toned violas for his poignant lament for the dead, before a tumultuous finale that whips up an urgent fervour for justice.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

frIdAy 17 mAy | 7.30pm

Jonathan lloydnew ballsROyAl PHilHARmOniC SOCieTy elGAR BURSARy COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

BrahmsPiano Concerto no. 2 in B flat minor

James Gaffigan conductorStephen Hough piano

This, the second of our concerts featuring Stephen Hough performing Brahms, opens with another new piece by Jonathan lloyd, this time for the BBC SO winds. Brahms’s Piano Concerto no. 2 is an epic, highly symphonic work. Famous for the glorious cello melody that opens the slow movement as well as a corruscating and innovative Scherzo, this masterful concerto is hugely admired by Hough. Completing the cycle of Tippett symphonies we reach the first, a work conceived while Tippett was in prison as a conscientious objector and completed as war ended in 1945. Bursting with vitality and insistent rhythms, it has many of hallmarks of his later style, with a darkly Purcellian set of variations and a highly wrought double fugue to finish.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

waltonOverture ‘Scapino’

BowenViola Concerto

vaughan williamsFive Tudor Portraits

John Wilson conductorLawrence Power violaRosie Aldridge mezzo-sopranoNeal Davies baritoneBBC Symphony Chorus

John Wilson returns to the BBC Symphony Orchestra to conduct an all-British programme. leading violist lawrence Power has proved a persuasive champion of york Bowen’s gloriously Romantic concerto, written for lionel Tertis in 1908, and this provides the emotional core for a concert lit with ribald humour. Walton’s ingenious ‘comedy overture’ Scapino, an exhilarating orchestral showpiece, finds a spirited echo in Vaughan Williams’s earthy Five Tudor Portraits. Setting texts by Henry Viii’s one-time tutor John Skelton, Vaughan Williams conjured up five vivid character sketches, from the drunken elinor Rumming to the charming Pretty Bess, a scherzo for the tattered Jolly Rutterkin, and Jane Scroop’s heartfelt Requiem to her pet sparrow.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

powerful

JOHN WILSON

STEPHEN HOUGH

sATurdAy 25 mAy | 7.30pm

wolfgang rihmnähe-Fern-1UK PRemieRe

mahlerDes Knaben Wunderhorn – selection

shostakovichSymphony no. 11, ‘The year 1905’

Ingo Metzmacher conductorJohan Reuter baritone

High, gleaming sonorities and a sense of enchantment link Wolfgang Rihm’s new piece with mahler’s beguiling songs from the magical folktale collection, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, sung by the much sought-after Danish baritone Johan Reuter. Songs of a very different kind permeate Shostakovich’s dramatic 11th Symphony, an almost cinematic evocation of the 1905 Revolution. The composer wove nine popular revolutionary songs into his dramatic portrayal, with its ominous, icy opening and terrifying Bloody Sunday massacre during which 1,000 workers were gunned down. Shostakovich chose the dark-toned violas for his poignant lament for the dead, before a tumultuous finale that whips up an urgent fervour for justice.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

Jonathan lloydnew ballsROyAl PHilHARmOniC SOCieTy elGAR BURSARy COmmiSSiOn: WORlD PRemieRe

BrahmsPiano Concerto no. 2 in B flat minor

James Gaffigan conductorStephen Hough piano

This, the second of our concerts featuring Stephen Hough performing Brahms, opens with another new piece by Jonathan lloyd, this time for the BBC SO winds. Brahms’s Piano Concerto no. 2 is an epic, highly symphonic work. Famous for the glorious cello melody that opens the slow movement as well as a corruscating and innovative Scherzo, this masterful concerto is hugely admired by Hough. Completing the cycle of Tippett symphonies we reach the first, a work conceived while Tippett was in prison as a conscientious objector and completed as war ended in 1945. Bursting with vitality and insistent rhythms, it has many of hallmarks of his later style, with a darkly Purcellian set of variations and a highly wrought double fugue to finish.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

waltonOverture ‘Scapino’

BowenViola Concerto

vaughan williamsFive Tudor Portraits

John Wilson conductorLawrence Power violaRosie Aldridge mezzo-sopranoNeal Davies baritoneBBC Symphony Chorus

John Wilson returns to the BBC Symphony Orchestra to conduct an all-British programme. leading violist lawrence Power has proved a persuasive champion of york Bowen’s gloriously Romantic concerto, written for lionel Tertis in 1908, and this provides the emotional core for a concert lit with ribald humour. Walton’s ingenious ‘comedy overture’ Scapino, an exhilarating orchestral showpiece, finds a spirited echo in Vaughan Williams’s earthy Five Tudor Portraits. Setting texts by Henry Viii’s one-time tutor John Skelton, Vaughan Williams conjured up five vivid character sketches, from the drunken elinor Rumming to the charming Pretty Bess, a scherzo for the tattered Jolly Rutterkin, and Jane Scroop’s heartfelt Requiem to her pet sparrow.

Tickets £30 | £25 | £20 | £15 | £10

powerful

JOHN WILSON

STEPHEN HOUGH

BBc sO learning

music together as a family, while exploring it in a fresh and exciting way. Aimed at those aged 7 upwards, whatever instrument you play, at whatever level, you can come and join in the fun.

PlAy wITh The BBc sOThese sessions give amateur musicians the chance to play fantastic orchestral repertoire alongside members of the BBC SO and great conductors at the legendary BBC maida Vale Studios.

if you would like to find out more about BBC SO learning projects please email [email protected].

BBc sO Plus Pre-cOncerT TAlks & sTudy AfTernOOnsmany concerts are preceded by a free pre-concert talk, which is an ideal way of finding out more about the music that you will hear in the concert. The talks are given by a range of guest speakers and sometimes include an interview with a composer whose music is to be performed.

Pre-concert talks and Study Afternoons are free to ticket-holders for the evening concert. Please note however that the capacity of the Fountain and mozart Rooms is limited, so please arrive early for events in these venues in order to avoid disappointment.

sTudIO cOncerTs AT mAIdA vAleThe BBC Symphony Orchestra has a long tradition of free studio recordings open to the public. Concerts take place at the Orchestra’s home, maida Vale Studios in West london, and programmes include a fascinating mixture of contemporary and rarely heard works alongside music at the heart of the concert repertoire, often performed by BBC new Generation Artists.

Full details of Studio Concerts are usually available six weeks in advance of the concert on the BBC SO’s website and at bbc.co.uk/tickets. Free tickets are available online from bbc.co.uk/tickets or by phone on 0370 901 1227.UK-wide rate. Charged at no more than 01/02 geographic numbers from a BT landline. Charges from mobile phones may be higher.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is committed to adventurous and innovative education work. BBC SO Learning works with families, schools, students and amateur musicians of all ages in creative projects that explore the Orchestra’s innovative programming, including the unique Total Immersion days. Everyone is welcome to take part and these are just some of the events that you can get involved in.

BBc sO Plus fAmIlyBBC SO Plus Family is a series of free, family-friendly workshops which take place before seven specially selected BBC Symphony Orchestra concerts at the Barbican, and which give family groups the chance to experience live classical music for just £5 a ticket (plus booking fee). These workshops are led by members of the orchestra and event presenters in a fun and interactive way, introducing you to the music you’ll be hearing in the evening’s concert. if you play an instrument bring it along as there will be a chance for you to join in. your ticket includes a concert by the BBC SO in the Barbican Hall which takes place after the workshop. BBC SO Plus Family is specifically designed for family groups with children between the ages of 8 and 16 and at least one of your group must be aged 16 or under. These concerts are not recommended for children under the age of 8. Call the Barbican Box Office and quote ‘BBC SO Plus Family’ to buy your tickets, or book online and quote 040679 for a reduced booking fee. Please note that spaces are limited and tickets sell out quickly!

2012 12 October; 24 november2013 18 January; 22 February, 22 march, 12 & 26 AprilPlease note that BBC SO Plus Family events on 22 march and 12 April include the 6.00pm workshop and the first half of the concert only, as the second half of the concert is less suitable for this age range.

BBc sO fAmIly OrchesTrA & chOrusThe BBC SO Family Orchestra & Chorus is a chance for the whole family to make music together. Families of any shape or size, all instruments, including singers, are welcome, and no previous experience is required. There is no charge, and participants work alongside members of the BBC SO. it’s a great way to enjoy playing

how to Book

sTudenTs

The BBC SO’s Student Zone offers discounted tickets to selected concerts and other benefits. Visit bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra to find out more and to sign up.

grOuPs

Groups of 10 or more save 20% on selected concerts. Call 020 7382 7211 10.00am–5.00pm mon–Fri.

dIsABled cusTOmers

Visitors with access requirements who have joined the Barbican’s Access membership scheme can inform the Barbican of their access requirements, receive information in alternative formats and may be eligible for reductions on tickets. Any available discounted tickets are limited in number and subject to availability — please book early to avoid disappointment. Full details will be sent with your membership information.

you can join the scheme online at www.barbican.org.uk.

you can also download the joining form and send to: Barbican Access membership, Box Office, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, london eC2y 8DS.

TIckeT exchAnge

Tickets can be exchanged for any other event (subject to availability) or for a credit voucher valid for six months, provided they are returned 24 hours before the performance. An administration fee of £2.50 applies to this service.Booking and administration fees were correct at time of going to press but are subject to change. Please call the Barbican Box Office for details.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra reserves the right to make changes to advertised programmes and artists. All details were correct at time of going to press.

OnlIne BOOkIng

barbican.org.ukSecure online booking 24 hours a day. Choose your exact seating location and benefit from a reduced booking fee of £2.00 per transaction.

By TelePhOne

020 7638 8891Open from 10.00am–8.00pm (mon–Sat), 11.00am–8.00pm Sun and bank holiday). Booking fee of £3.50 per transaction applies. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes.

Minicom (for deaf customers) 020 7928 7297

SMS Textphone 020 7256 9577

By POsT

Send a cheque payable to Barbican Centre. Please enclose an SAe or add 50p to the total amount to cover postage and send to: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, london eC2y 8DS.

In PersOn

Advance ticket desk at Silk Street entrance open 10.00am–9.00pm (mon–Sat), 12.00pm–9.00pm (Sun and bank holiday).

mulTI-Buy Offers

Book the same number of seats for 3 or more concerts at the same time and save money.

3–5 concerts 15% discount6 or more concerts 20% discount

fAmIlIes

Tickets half price to people aged 16 and under. See page 22 for details of BBC SO Plus Family discounts.