Conductor - David Josefowitz
SuPPORTED BY THE FRIDART FOUNDATION
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"HURSDAY 21sT MAy 7.30pPm, BARBICAN CENTRE
Beethoven Mozart Festival
Beethoven
Overture: Egmont
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat (“Emperor”)
Allegro con brio; Largo; Rondo: Allegro - Presto
Interval (20 minutes)
Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor (“Choral”’) opus 125
Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso; Molto vivace; Adagio molto e cantabile; Allegro assai
with Mary Nelson (soprano); Jeanette Ager (mezzo); Robert Carlin (tenor); Julian Saipe (bass)
Egmont is a five-act tragedy by Goethe. The action of the play takes place in 16" century Brussels and concerns the
efforts of Count Egmont to liberate the Netherlanders from the Spanish Hapsburg yoke. He is in love with Cléarchen, a
burgher’s daughter, who tries to help him organize a revolt, without success, and who eventually committs suicide.
Towards the end of the play, Egmont, about to be executed, has a vision in which Clarchen appears to him as the
personification of freedom; as the vision fades and he awakes, he proclaims that heis happy to die for freedom, the
cause for which he has lived and fought, and he prophesies the coming of victory. Beethoven’s music to the play dates
from 1810, and was commissioned for a production at the Hofburgtheaterin Vienna that year. The incidental music is
unjustly neglected and seldom heard, whereas
the overture has become most popular.
The Emperor Piano Concerto, the last Beethoven composed, dates from 1809. The nickname was not Beethoven'’s as a staunch republican it was a word he particularly disliked — but it does have an historical connection in as much as
Beethoven was working on the concerto when, in the late spring of 1809, Nappleon marched into Vienna. The key of E
flat, however is one that prompted a certain breadth in Beethoven’s music —as is also found in the Eroica Symphonyand if the description Emperoris inappropriate, the term heroic aptly describes this aspect of Beethoven’s style. The
concerto boasts several innovative features: the piano’s opening flourish preventing the orchestra from beginning its
customary exposition; the lack of a full-blown cadenza laterin the movement; and the linking of the adagio to the rondo
finale, with the Rondo theme anticipatedin the final bars of the slower tempo. But the most remarkable aspect of the
workis its sense of scale and proportion and its balance between symphonic structure and pianistic virtuosity. The
pianist is never allowed to flaunt his skills, but they are used to the full to enhance the symphonic writing —the result is
a work of majestic, if not imperial splendour. © Ann Manly
Beethoven’s work is often divided into three creative periods: the early music, bearing the influence of Haydn and the
Viennese school, the middle period in which he was exploring new directions and pushing back the boundaries of the
classical style, and the final years which include the late piano sonatas, quartets and the Ninth Symphony.
Written in 1823, when Beethoven was totally deaf, this monumental work takes the classical four-movement symphony
and stretches the form to its utmost limits. It was by far the longest symphony written to date, andis scored for a large
orchestra, four soloists and chorus. The opening is Wagnerianin concept as the main themeis gradually moulded from
the most basic elements, the interval of a fifth, before blazing forth portentouslyin the full orchestra. The whole movement,
one of the longest that Beethoven ever wrote, is a struggle between opposing forces, tensing and relaxing as the human
spirit battles against its fate. Beethoven reversed the traditional order of the central movements, placing the scherzo
first. It is a powerful, rhythmical assault, displacing the apparently foursquare phrasing with accents and additional
bars, to create an unsettling sense of massive forward propulsion. The fluid trio section is in an altogether more tranquil
vein. The glorious hymn-like slow movement is a set of variations on a serene melody first stated in the violins, each
variation melting almost imperceptibly into the next to create a seamless line of radiant beauty.
The great orchestral scream that opens the finale heralds a series of recitatives in the lower strings, while brief excerpts
of the preceding movements are presented before being summarily dismissed. The famous Ode to Joy melody is
simply announced before being subjected to a series of variations. The baritone soloist emulates the opening instrumental
recitatives and the quartet of soloists, choir and orchestra close the symphony in a mood of unbridled optimism.
Beethoven himself was never completely happy with the inclusion of the human voice in the finale and even contemplated.
reworking the material into a purely instrumental version. However, response to the premiere was broadly speaking
favourable, a soloist recalled that she had to lead Beethoven by the hand onto the stage to receive the applause: “His turning
around, and the sudden conviction thereby forced on everybody that he had not done so before because he could not hear
what was going on, acted like an electric shock on all those present, and a volcanic explosion of sympathy and admiration
“ llowed, which was repeated again and again, and seemed as if it would never end.” ©James Pestell 1997
Abbey Simon has been hailed as a super-virtuoso whose appearances in the concert halls of the world are eagerly
anticipated not only by music lovers, but by professional musicians who come to hear him spin his own particular brand
of magic. Over the last 50 years, he has performed with virtually all the major orchestras in the music capitals of six
continents. He is recognised as one of the grand masters of the piano. Through the years, critics have hailed Abbey
Simon’s mastery and noted that his playing has its rooted in the great pianists of the past. Improvising at the piano at
the age of three, he had natural perfect pitch and started taking lessons at the age of five. After studying with David
Saperton, son-in-law of the celebrated pianist Leopold Godowsky, Saperton took him to play for the great pianist Josef
Hofmann.
At the age of eight, Abbey Simon was accepted by Hofmann as his scholarship student at the Curtis
Institute, where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster.
On graduating from the Curtis institute, Abbey Simon won numerous awards and made his official début in New York’s
Town Hall as winner of the prestigious Naumberg Award. Following this success he performed at the Carnegie Hall a
number of times before his début tour of Europe in 1949. His success in Europe was so great that he did not return to
the USA for some twelve years.
Abbey Simon has been the recipient of the Federation of Music Clubs Award, the National Orchestral Association
Award, and the Ford Foundation Award. Following his début in Europe he received the Harriet Cohen Medal and the
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Award. One of the most recorded classical artists of all time, he has recorded Liszt,
Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, all of the Rachmaninov concertos and the entire works of Ravel (on Philips, EMI, Vox and
HMV). He has become so closely associated with the music of Chopin that the International Chopin Society invited him
to be the only guest artist at their recent gala benefit concert in New York, followed by a Chopin performance at the
Kennedy Centre which drew rave reviews.
Guildford Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1947 by the Borough of Guildford to perform major works from the
choral repertoire. The choir has grown in stature and reputation under the batons of such eminent British musicians as
Sir Charles Groves, Vernon Handley and Sir David Willcocks, the latter being the Choir’'s President. As well as
performing standard choral repertoire, the Choir has developed an interest in 20" century British music and has recorded
Gerald Finzi’s Intimations of Immortality and Patrick Hadley’s The Trees So High under Vernon Handley. They performed
Britten’s War Requiem with the Freiburger Bachchor in Freiburg Munster in 1993, and took part in the VE Day celebrations
in front of HM The Queen in Hyde Park. Last weekend they sang Handel’s Israel in Egyptin Freiburg. Their Chorusmaster
is Jeremy Backhouse.
Conductor David Josefowitz studied music and science in Berlin, Switzerland and the USA, receiving a Ph.D. for
research into plastics for the record industry. In 1946 he co-founded the Concert Hall Record Club and produced over
2,000 LPs - including firsts such as Vivaldi’'s Four Seasons - winning over 50 international awards. He began conducting
in the 1960s, recording with Frankfurt and Hamburg Radio, later with the Vienna State Symphony, Paris Opera, and
Monte Carlo Orchestras. The artists with whom he worked — Pierre Monteux, Markevitch, Schuricht, Walter Goehr and
Fritz Busch — enhanced David’s musical development, and he now encourages young talent through the LSCO.
London Soloists Chamber Orchestra comprises some of Britain’s most talented musicians, many of whom have
embarked on successful careers as solo artists. They perform regularly at the South Bank Centre, the Barbican and St
Martin-in-the-Fields, and have appeared at the Wigmore Hall and St John’s Smith Square. They have toured Spain,
Italy, Switzerland and France, performed at festivals and broadcast on Swiss and French Radio.
Violin 1
Viola
Flute
Martin Smith
Elizabeth Williams
Imogen Taylor
Roy Theaker
Stephanie Chambers
Sue Appel
Rachael Arning
Jong On Lau
Jane Koster
Jane Harris
Belinda Dunn
Andrew Bernadi
Cello
Padraic Savage
Maria Cooper
Andrew Hines
Helen Cox
Horn
Kevin Elliott
Christine Norsworthy
Terry Shew
Andrew Sutton
Percussion
Mark Taylor
Victoria Brawn
Trumpet
Jason Holling
Clare Hoskins
Julian Brewer
Oboe
Matthew King
Penny Bradshaw
Alex Cromwell
Emma Black
Clarinet
Violin 2
Duncan Moulton
Mandy Bunvill
Trombone
Ulrike Kipp
Kalina Krusteva
Barry Deacon
Amos Miller
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Double Bass
Bassoon
Omar Khokher
Daniel Mullin
Tomas Wanat
David Whitehouse .
Alison Strange
Michael Mansbridge
Robert Garrigos
David Williams
Joe Berty
Jo Turner
Lucy Cantrill
Timpani
Paul Philbert
Daniel Roberts
In accordance with the requirements of the licensing authority, persons shall not be permitted to stand or sit in any of the gangways intersecting the seating or to sit in any other gangways.
Photography, recording, smoking, eating and drinking are not permitted in the auditorium. Audience participation. Would you please try to restrain coughing until the normal breaks in the
performance. During tests in the hall, a note played mezzo forte on the hom measured approximately 65 decibels of sound. A single uncovered cough gave the same reading. A handkerchief placed
over the mouth when coughing assists in obtaining a pianissimo. If you do not need to use your hearing aid during the concert, please make sure that it is switched off. Another distraction is the
digital watch: both audience and performers would appreciate alarms and chimes being turned off or suppressed. Members of the public are reminded that no camera, tape recorder, other type
of recording apparatus, food or drink may be brought into the auditorium. It is illegal to record any performance, or part thereof, unless prior arrangements for formal consent have been made
with the Hall Management/Managing Director/Trustees and the concert promoter concerned.
Management: Nick Bomford tel.: 01483 282666.
Wednesday 13th May 7.30pm
Purcell Room
Mozart
Divertimento K138
Thursday 26 February 7.30pm
Piano Concerto K449
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Violin Concerto No. 3
Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Symphony No. 29 K201
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)
Thursday 21st May 7.30pm
Wednesday 4 March 7.30pm
Barbican Centre
Purcell Room
Beethoven
Mozart
Overture: Egmont
Piano Concerto No. 9 K271 (Jeunehomme)
Piano Concerto No.
5 (Emperor)
Rondo for violin K269
Symphony No. 9 (Choral)
Sinfonia Concertante
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Symphony No. 37
XMVRLe
Friday 5th June 7.30pm
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Monday 16 March 7.45pm
Mozart Overture: The Magic Flute
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 6 in D
Mozart Overture: Don Giovanni
Beethoven Concert Rondo for Piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
Mozart Symphony No. 35 (Haffner)
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Mozart Concert-rondo K382
Beethoven Symphony No. 2
Monday 15th June 7.30pm
Barbican €entre To benefit mencap
Thursday 2 April 7.30pm
Leopold Mozart Trumpet Concerto
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Beethoven Triple Concerto
Verdi Requiem
Mozart Concerto for two pianos
Beethoven Symphony No. 8
Saturday 25th April 7.30pm
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Friday 26th June 7.30pm
Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)
St Martinzin-the-Fields
Mozart Flute Concerto
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2
Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5
Mozart Symphony No. 40
Saturday 9th May 7.30pm
Saturday. 4th-4uly 7.30pm \
Beethoven
Overture: Coriolan
Piano Concerto No. 4
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Mozart Overture: The Marriage of Figaro
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
Beethoven Romance for violin
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 K459
Mozart Horn Concerto No. 3
(Corona’rior;&\
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Mozart Coronation
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Mass K317 -
Beethoven Choral Fantasy
£15, £12, £9, £6
Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ
QEH: £15)£12,£10, £7 ' PR: £13, £10, £7
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Tickets from the Bookshop-in-the-Crypt Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm
Box office Royal Festival Ha“, London SE1 8XX
Queen Elizabeth Hall
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Ticket offers and prices (which include VAT) are subject to change and availability. Purchases are non-refundable.
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London Soloists (1983) Ltd. (reg. charity N 291550) reserves the right to substitute artists and vary programmes as necessary.
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Management: Nick Bomford, tel. 01483 282666