Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the London Symphony Orchestra join forces once again for the latest installment in their critically acclaimed exploration of Felix Mendelssohn's symphonies. Commonly known as the 'Reformation' Symphony, Mendelssohn's Symphony No.5 was written in 1830 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Augsberg confession - a seminal event in the Protestant Reformation. Allusions to the symphony's title and inspiration are to be heard throughout; the Dresden Amen is cited by the strings in the first movement whilst the finale is based on Martin Luther's well-known chorale Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott ('A Mighty Fortress is Our God'). Coupled with this are two of Mendelssohn's overtures, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage and Ruy Blas, both inspired by literary works. Completing the album, the overture Ruy Blas was commissioned by the Leipzig Theatre as an overture to Victor Hugo's tragic drama of the same name. 'Gardiner's Mendelssohn with the LSO packs a surprisingly hefty punch.' (Evening Standard)
Widely recognized as one of the leading conductors of his generation, LSO Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda presents the first release in a new series exploring Tchaikovsky's final three symphonies. Urgent, supercharged and violent in places, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.4 is said to reflect the turmoil he found himself in while composing: a disastrous marriage, struggles with his sexuality and severe depression. Yet, despite the gloomy outlook, the symphony proves undoubtedly that Tchaikovsky knew how to fill his works with memorable melodies. Known for his mastery of Russian repertoire, for this album Noseda pairs Tchaikovsky with a masterpiece by his fellow countryman, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, performed here in Ravel's iconic orchestration.
In 1781, the Zong - a British slave ship - left Ghana with twice the number it was designed to carry, bound for Jamaica. The ship's owners claimed that drinking water was running low, and ordered the crew to throw more than 130 living enslaved people overboard. Over 200 years later, Jamaica has become a place of significance for Witter-Johnson. As a young child, she often spent her six-week summer holiday visiting extended family in Jamaica, taking trips to a favorite beach on the south coast. It was here that she witnessed a terrible fatal accident at one end of the beach, yet at the other end, a baptism and celebration was taking place. Witter-Johnson explores this spectrum of events tied together by their central themes of ancestry, family and the ocean, noting that even amidst the darkness of death, there is still room for joy. Combining alternative R&B with classical, and with influences from soul, hip hop and reggae, Ayanna Witter-Johnson is the definition of an eclectic soul. Th
While living in Paris at the turn of the century, Maurice Ravel was commissioned to write a ballet by the impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, Serge Diaghilev. The result was music of fluid, delicate beauty - a languid drama of danger and desire. The plot of Daphnis et Chloe is adapted from a second-century Greek erotic pastoral, and tells the captivating story of love and longing between the humble goatherd Daphnis and shepherdess Chloe. When Chloe is abducted by pirates, Daphnis calls upon higher powers to aid his pursuit. These forces of nature are mirrored in the score through Ravel's characteristic lush orchestration and vivid melodies. Interjections from a wordless chorus - sung in this performance by award-winning British ensemble, Tenebrae - perfectly capture the celestial might of the God, Pan, as he comes to the lovers' rescue. Known for it's rich harmonic textures and expansive scoring, Daphnis et Chloe is one of Ravel's largest and most loved orchestral masterpieces. Join the London Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor, Sir Antonio Pappano, on this dreamlike musical journey through Greek mythology, where passion, nature and divinity intertwine.
LSO Live marks the beginning of it's 25th anniversary year with the release of Mendelssohn's Elijah, recorded live in concert with Sir Antonio Pappano earlier this year. From it's first performance, Elijah received roof-raising applause. It is one of the three greatest oratorios in musical history, bringing the sacred to life in glorious song. The life of the Biblical prophet is told in a series of dramatic episodes. We follow the fortunes of the steadfast, open-hearted Elijah, and encounter ministering angels and the vengeful queen Jezebel. The London Symphony Chorus and four electrifying soloists give voice to the oratorio in English, as in it's first premiere. Gerald Finley breathes life into the role of Elijah, and the Orchestra ramps up the drama without losing sight of the stillness at the heart of the storm.
A stinging critique of capitalist society, 'he Seven Deadly Sins brings into sharp focus the perpetual battle between money and morals. Created by the trail-blazing duo of the Weimer Republic, Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht, the satirical ballet-chante The Seven Deadly Sins was to be the pair's final collaboration. Hitler had come to power, and the Jewish Weill and Marxist Brecht had both left Germany in haste. Weill was to come to terms with capitalist America more readily than Brecht, writing a series of popular musicals for Broadway with other collaborators. But, in The Seven Deadly Sins, Brecht's pen is still dripping with venom as he excoriates the continent's sleazy, materialistic values, the biblical septet of vices here given a contemporary twist. The story tells of daughter Anna (Magdalena Kozena), who is sent away from her family, tasked with bringing back enough money to build a house on the Mississippi River. Through seven years and seven cities-from Memphis and Los Angeles to Philadelphia and San Francisco-Anna encounters the seven deadly sins, and is forced to make her choice between what is profitable and what is right. Sir Simon Rattle, the London Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded line-up of soloists bring this shamelessly entertaining work to life alongside a collection of Weill's other most memorable works, including Death in the Forest and Little Threepenny Music.
Jenufa is pregnant, but she isn't married. In her isolated mountain village this means disgrace, or even death. The composer pondered his characters' predicament for many years. The opera he eventually completed is a blazing vision of human suffering and redemption, rooted in the rhythms of everyday life. Jenufa brings together a remarkable cast, including Agneta Eichenholz's heartbreaking portrayal of a vulnerable young woman and Katarina Karneus' achingly powerful Kostelnicka. The third in a series of Janacek operas presented by Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO, this next installment follows the critically acclaimed Katya Kabanova, released in 2024, and The Cunning Little Vixen, released in 2020.
Sir Colin Davis's recording of Dvorak's Symphony No 9 was the first title recorded and released on LSO Live, immediately establishing the label's international reputation. In celebration of it's 25th anniversary, LSO Live presents a remastered edition of Dvorak's Symphonies Nos 6-9, recorded with Davis in the label's early years. As one of the leading figures of nationalism in music, Dvorak's symphonies exude the essence of his Czech homeland. The influence of his native Bohemia shines out from every one of the symphonies, which are full of drama and laced with rich folk melodies. These recordings are paired with works by Smetana and Janacek, who also drew on the mythology and pastoral beauty of their beloved country. Janacek's "Sinfonietta" showcases the Czech musical tradition through dancing strings and celebratory brass, while Smetana's six tone poems that form "Ma vlast" depict aspects of Czech myth and natural wonders, including the river Vltava as it flows through the countryside and into Prague. The release of this album in 2024 also marks the 200th anniversary of Smetana's birth, the 120th of Dvorak's death, and the 170th of Janacek's birth.
Today, Miklos Rozsa is best known for classic film scores like Ben-Hur and Lust for Life. Living in America, yet yearning for his native Hungary, Rozsa took a momentary step away from Hollywood to write a violin concerto that sings, dances and positively smoulders. This rare performance of his Violin Concerto shows that even without the pictures, his music can hold an audience spellbound. Taking centre stage for this recording is London Symphony Orchestra Leader, Roman Simovic, who joined the Orchestra in 2010. His virtuosity and musicality have taken him throughout all continents, performing as soloist with world-leading orchestras and conductors. The accompanying work on this album is by Rozsa's fellow Hungarian, Bela Bartok, whose passionate Violin Concerto No.2 was known simply as his Violin Concerto throughout his life. His other concerto, written two decades earlier, was only published after the composer's death. The London Symphony Orchestra frequently invites it's members into the solo spotlight, and this album joins the ranks of other widely lauded recordings by principal players of the LSO.
Inspired by a time of war, protest, and a nation on the brink, Shostakovich's Symphony No.11 reflects upon the tumult and tragedy of the 1905 Russian Revolution. Shostakovich was believed to have said the Eleventh Symphony was 'about the people', and the beginning of the work captures the sombre repression felt by many at the time. The work is sometimes dubbed as a 'film score without the film', and this is truly evident as the music unfolds. It begins to embody a spirit of courage-of struggle for a just cause. Eventually, the symphony takes on an overwhelming intensity as it depicts the workers' uprising that ensued-one that the composer's own father and uncle were a part of and, miraculously, survived. Conductor Gianandrea Noseda is known for his mastery of Russian repertoire, and his Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov recordings on the LSO's own label have attracted glowing reviews. This album is the next in a revered cycle of Shostakovich's complete symphonies with Gianandrea Noseda, which already comprises nine of the fifteen symphonies.
