Royal LiverpoolPhilharmonicOrchestraPreston Concerts2011/2012

Vasily PetrenkoChief Conductor–Preston Guild Hall Box Office 0845 344 2026prestonguildhall.com

Libor Pes̆ekKBE

Libor Pešek’sFrenchCollectionFriday 7 October7.30pm

It’s always a treat when conductorlaureate Libor Pes̆ek returns to Preston,and tonight he shares one of his privatepassions – Frenchmusic. Expect all histrademark elegance and panache as hethrows a real fête à la francaise, fromthe delicious tunes of Bizet’s Carmenand Fauré’s haunting Pavane to thegorgeousmusical landscapes ofDebussy’s Iberia and LaMer: pureMonet for the ears. Not forgettingDelibes’ elegant ballet score and afragrant musical bouquet from theOrchestra’s brilliant Principal Oboe,Jonathan Small in Jean Francaix’sexquisite miniature concerto. Liverpoolto Paris: and a lot quicker than theEurostar!

Tickets £19, £26

DebussyLaMer

FrancaixL’Horloge de Flore (Flora’s Clock)

BizetCarmen Suite No.1

FauréPavane

DebussyIberia–Libor Pešek KBE conductorJonathan Small oboe

Tim Ashley gives 5* in his reviewof Ottavio Dantone andDésiréeRancatore’s performance inJanuary, 2011

“The Royal LiverpoolPhilharmonic Orchestra’s recentrenaissance hasmade it apliable ensemble, receptive tostylistic variety from a range ofconductors. Dantone kept hisforces big, but brought periodclarity and baroque opulence tothe proceedings … Bliss, fromstart to finish.”

Geoffrey Norris reviewsShostakovich’s SymphonyNo.10(Naxos) (November 2010)

“Petrenko and the Royal

Liverpool Philararmonic

Orchestra have achieved a

triumph. The orchestral playing

is ripe, detailed, lithe,

concentrated and intense …

This is a terrific performance.”

Anna Picard reviews the Orchestraand Vasily Petrenko’s performance ofBrahmsSymphonyNo.1 in January,2011

'‘The orchestral balance is easy andsuave, the playing uninhibited andengaged. Petrenko intensified thesound for Brahms First Symphony, itslacerating openingmovement sharplyaccented with the throaty attack of theviolas, its Andante pricked throughwith the honeyed violin solos ofleader, James Clark. There was earthhere and heaven too, food for theheart andmind.”

Best Concert of 2010Hugh Canning

“Under the charismatic Vasily

Petrenko, the Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic Orchestra outshone stiff

competition at the opening Proms

weekendwith a thrilling Tchaikovsky

Manfred Symphony.”

Critical Acclaim

Kathryn Stott

Fire and IceTuesday 8 November7.30pm

“Some composers mix colourfulcocktails” said Jean Sibelius. “I offerpure, cool water”. Certainly, you’llnever hear anything purer or moreinvigorating than his majestic FifthSymphony: beginning with a northernsunrise, inspired by a flight of swansand ending with a tune so great and sosimple that once you’ve heard it, you’llnever forget it. Vasily Petrenkoconducts, but first, Lancashire lassKathryn Stott brings her special brandof poetry toMozart’s noble final pianoconcerto. Grieg’s Symphonic Dances,meanwhile, aren’t so much cocktails asdelicious musical canapés – ararely-heard (and wonderfully catchy)treat for anyone who loves his musicfor Peer Gynt.

Tickets £19, £26

GriegSymphonic Dances

MozartPiano Concerto No. 27 in B flat,K595

SibeliusSymphony No.5–Vasily Petrenko conductorKathryn Stott piano

EugeneUgorski

PicturesTuesday 29 November7.30pm

Ahut on hen’s legs, dancing slave-girls,luminous skulls…sounds spectacular?It’s amazing whatMussorgsky achievedwith a head full of stories, an ear formusical colour, and a few shots ofvodka! In his first Preston appearance,the acclaimed Polish conductorMichalDworzynsky unlocks a real Russianjewel-box of a concert. Whether itsBorodin’s dangerously seductivedances, Mussorgsky’s fantastic galleryfull of musical pictures, or Glazunov’ssumptuous forgotten gem of a violinconcerto (with a passionate soloist),you’re guaranteed one thing: terrifictunes in fabulous colours. Kodály’sfeisty set of Hungarian folkdancesmight come from further west, butthey’ve got fire to spare. There’ll be noletting-up!

Tickets £19, £26

BorodinPolovtsian Dances

GlazunovViolin Concerto

KodalyDances fromGalanta

MussorgskyPictures at an Exhibition–Michal Dworzynsky conductorEugene Ugorski violin

Nikolai Lugansky©JamesMcMillan | Onyx

Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’Sunday 15 January2.30pm

One great composer: three incredibleworlds. From blazing joy to blindingrage, no composer captured humanemotion withmore passion, or poetry,than Ludwig Van Beethoven. Tonight’sconcert squeezes a lifetime of feelinginto two extraordinary hours, from thebrilliant sunshine of the ‘Prometheus’overture to Beethoven’s Fourth pianoconcerto, which so transfixed the 26-year-old Robert Schumann upon firsthearing that he “sat in my place withoutmoving amuscle or even breathing”.The great Russian virtuoso NikolaiLugansky brings all his mastery to bear,before Vasily Petrenko and theOrchestra set out on a cheerful rambleacross the woods and fields ofBeethoven’s lovely ‘Pastoral’symphony. Hear it as the most serene ofall Romantic symphonies, or simplyrelax by Beethoven’s brook and listen tothe birdsong.

Tickets £19, £26

BeethovenOverture, Prometheus

BeethovenPiano Concerto No.4

BeethovenSymphony No.6 ‘Pastoral’–Vasily Petrenko conductorNikolai Lugansky piano

Carl Davis CBE (Hons)

The FilmMusicof JohnWilliams:80thBirthday CelebrationTuesday 7 February 7.30pm

No-one writes a big film theme likeJohnWilliams: that’s why he’s theworld’s most popular living classicalcomposer. And if you think his music isthrilling on the big screen, just waituntil you hear it played live! Join film-music maestro Carl Davis and theOrchestra for a blockbuster 80thbirthday tribute to JohnWilliams andthe legendary movie composers whoinspired him. It’s just hit after hit afterhit, including StarWars, Schindler’sList, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’sStone, Superman, E.T., Raiders of theLost Ark, Jaws, Citizen Kane, StarTrek, TheMagnificent Seven - and amultiplex-loadmore!

Tickets £19, £26

Carl Davis CBE (Hon) conductor

Preston Series 2011/2012 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

SimonTrpc̆eski &Vasily Petrenko©Mark McNulty

DreamTeamMonday 26March7.30pm

There’s something about Frenchcomposers!WhenHector Berlioz wantedto impress a girl, he couldn’t just writeher a simple love song. His FantasticSymphony is just that, a headlong,opium-fuelled fantasy of obsessive love,violent betrayal, satanic rites and deathon the guillotine. It’ll knock yousideways. By comparison, Camille Saint-Saëns led a blameless life, but that didn’tstop one critic saying that his SecondPiano Concerto “begins in church andends in a bordello!”Whatever; it’salmost indecently entertaining, andwhen theworld-beating dream-team ofVasily Petrenko, the Orchestra and theincredible Simon Trpc̆eski cometogether again, there’ll be no shortage ofje ne sais quoi. Debussy’s sensuousRonde de Printemps gets the sap rising.

Tickets £19, £26

“Trpc̆eskiwas born to play thismusicandPetrenko to conduct it.”The Telegraph

DebussyRonde de Printemps

Saint-SaënsPiano Concerto No.2

BerliozSymphonie Fantastique–Vasily Petrenko conductorSimon Trpc̆eski piano

StephenHough©GrantHiroshima

Rachmaninov’sPianoConcertoNo.3Tuesday 15May7.30pm

It’s been called the Everest of pianoconcertos, and fans of the film Shinewill know that it’s brokenmany a lesserpianist. But Rachmaninov’s Third PianoConcerto is also Imperial Russia’s lastgreat showpiece, glowing with emotionand surging with Rachmaninov’sincomparable romantic tunes. And ifany pianist alive can scale its peaks, it’sthe incredible Stephen Hough – the ladfromWirral who’s been hailed as theworld’s most brilliant keyboardvirtuoso. Tonight, though, hemeetsanother phenomenon – the astonishingteenage conductor Ilyich Rivas, thelatest star to emerge from Venezuela’sinspirational music education system.Dvor̆ák’s lovely, neglected SymphonicVariations and Brahms’ riotousAcademic Festival Overture should lethim stretch his wings.

Tickets £19, £26

BrahmsAcademic Festival Overture

Dvor̆ákSymphonic Variations

RachmaninovPiano Concerto No.3–Ilyich Rivas conductorStephen Hough piano

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic OrchestraPreston Series 2011/2012

Ticket Prices£19 Blocks A, B, F, G &H / £26 Blocks C, D & E

When toBookWednesday 11May Booking opens for renewingsubscribers and Friends of the Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic Orchestra

Monday 6JuneBooking opens for allNEW subscribers (priority booking deadline for

renewals is Sunday 5 June)

Monday 20June Public booking open –all tickets on sale

How toBookBypostGuild Hall Box Office, Lancaster Rd,Preston, PR1 1HT

By telephone 0845 344 2026By fax01772 204582Online (for single tickets from 20 June)www.prestonguildhall.com Booking feesmay apply

DiscountedTicketsConcessionsUnder 25s and students can purchase tickets for just £7

on production of appropriate identification (subject to

availability and not all seating sections may be offered).

Registered disabled receive a discount of £2 per ticket.

GroupsGenerous group discounts are available for most concerts

depending on the size of your group:

Groups of 10-29 10% offGroups of 30-49 15% offGroups of 50+ 20% off

Formore details and to book, call AlisonGainford on01772 903 202 or email a.gainford@preston.gov.uk

£133 £99.75 £33.25 £19.95

£182 £136.50 £45.50 £27.30

FullPrice

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A,B,F,G&H

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How to get toGuildHallByRailNearestmain line station is Preston. Approximately

10minuteswalk from the town centre. For further

information on train operators and times please

phoneNational Rail Enquiries on 0845 7484950.

ByBusPrestonBus Station, situated onTithebarn St.

Approximately 5minuteswalk from theGuildHall.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society. A company limited by guarantee.Registered in England number 88235. Registered charity number 230538

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Thanks to the Cityof Liverpool for itsfinancial support