Listening Guides

Listening Guide: Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra

Animateur Paul Rissmann guides us through Bartók's most famous orchestral work with help from Philharmonia Orchestra musicians.

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Venus, the Bringer of Peace

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the second movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Venus, the Bringer of Peace".

Holst's The Planets...

City of Light: Esa-Pekka Salonen on Dutilleux's Correspondances

Philharmonia Orchestra Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen had the privilege of working with the composer Henri Dutilleux on his recording of Dutilleux's Correspondances....

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Mars, the Bringer of War

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the first movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Mars, the Bringer of War".

Holst's The Planets is the...

Jakub Hrůša on Dvořák's Slavonic Dances

“Rhythms, orchestral colours – it’s like fireworks” – our Principal Guest Conductor Jakub Hrůša shares his love of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, and reveals why it’s so...

Voices of Revolution: Russia 1917: Fear & Repression with Martin Sixsmith

"This petty-bourgeois formalist game may end very badly..."

Dive into the "Alice in Wonderland world of socialist realism" with Martin Sixsmith, exploring the tragic...

メンデルスゾーンバイオリン協奏曲

オーケストラのツアーを記念して１２月版のポッドキャストを日本語でもご利用いただけます。今月の番組には、諏訪内晶子やウラディミール・アシュケナージとのインタビュー、メンデルスゾーンのバイオリン協奏曲の解説が含まれています。

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Mercury, the Winged Messenger

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the third movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Mercury, the Winged Messenger".

Holst's The Planets...

Carl Davis on the film 'Waterloo'

Conductor and Composer Carl Davis discusses 'Waterloo', Karl Grune's 1928 film, ahead of a concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra which took place in April 2010.

Robin O'Neill, Principal Bassoon, on The Rite of Spring | Stravinsky: Myths&Rituals

Robin O'Neill, Principal Bassoon of the Philharmonia Orchestra, knows the famous opening notes of The Rite of Spring intimately and has played them in countless concerts. Watch his...

Listening Guide: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

Animateur Paul Rissmann takes us on a journey through one of the most iconic pieces of classical music ever written, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

Listening Guide: Lutosławski's Piano Concerto

Pianist Peter Jablonski talks us through Witold Lutosławski's Piano Concerto (1987-88), which was be performed by Krystian Zimerman on 30 January 2013 at the Royal Festival Hall in...

Listening Guide: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Join Luke Crookes for a guided tour through Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor.

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Uranus, the Magician

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the sixth movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Uranus, the Magician".

Holst's The Planets is the inspiration...

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Neptune, the Mystic

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the seventh movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Neptune, the Mystic".

Holst's The Planets is the...

Voices of Revolution: Russia 1917: Exile & Return with Martin Sixsmith

"The authorities - perhaps suspecting Prokofiev was taking the mickey - frowned on the Cantata..."

Get to know his turbulent relationship with the Soviet regime as Martin...

Listening Guide: Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, talks about composing his Violin Concerto for Leila Josefowicz.

To hear more...

Vaughan Williams: Opera - The Pilgrim's Progress

Prior to a performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra in 2008, we speak to The Pilgrim's Progress director David Edwards, Chairman of the Vaughan Williams Society Stephen Connock MBE...

Listening Guide: Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 4

Nikolai Lugansky guides us through Rachmaninov's Fourth Piano Concerto.

Listening Guide: Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé

Animateur Paul Rissmann recreates the story of Lieutenant Kijé, the Russian army administrator with a big imagination. This film introduces Sergei Prokofiev's music for his suite "Lieutenant...

Listening Guide: Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony

Philharmonia Orchestra flautist Paul Edmund-Davies introduces a video about Vaughan Williams' first symphony, a work of epic scale, with soprano and baritone soloists and a full chorus.

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the fifth movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age".

Holst's The Planets...

Smetana: Má Vlast Trailer

Smetana’s Má Vlast is a musical journey through his beloved homeland. The piece follows the river Vltava as it bubbles from its source, through the Czech countryside, then flows...

Esa-Pekka Salonen on Mahler's First Symphony

“It’s a wild piece by a wild young man, and should not be treated with any kind of reverence” – Esa-Pekka Salonen shares his thoughts on how provocation turns to nostalgia in...

Listening Guide: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, talks about Beethoven's monumental Fifth Symphony.

To hear more about this piece...

Listening Guide: Leoš Janáček's Sinfonietta with Jakub Hrůša

The composer Leoš Janáček was an important promoter of cultural activity in the city where he spent most of his life: Brno, Moravia, Czech Republic. Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša...

Peter Sellars on Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms | Tragedy | Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals

Oedipus tears out his own eyes, a terrifying and unforgettable moment. As director of the opera-oratorio Oedipus rex, Peter Sellars talks to us about the human heart of the story. In...

Listening Guide: Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

Animateur Paul Rissmann delves into the brutal and paganistic world of Stravinsky's masterpiece the Rite of Spring. RE-RITE toured to Tianjin, China and Izmir, Turkey in 2012. For...

Esa-Pekka Salonen on his Violin Concerto

Esa-Pekka Salonen speaks about his Violin Concerto, performed by Leila Josefowicz.

Deutsche Grammophon released Out of Nowhere, a disc of Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto...

Listening Guide: Mahler's Symphony No. 6

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, introduces Mahler's Sixth Symphony, a deeply personal work rich in narrative and contrasts.

Listening Guide: Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3

Nikolai Lugansky takes us on a guided tour through Rachmaninov's incredible Third Piano Concerto.

Voices of Revolution: Russia 1917: Workers & The State with Martin Sixsmith

"Writers, artists and musicians faced big decisions...and as it turns out, not many choices guaranteed a happy ending"

Martin Sixsmith traces the precarious balancing...

City of Light: Esa-Pekka Salonen on Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande

Philharmonia Orchestra Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen describes his love affair with Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande.

Listening Guide: Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, talks about Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra and his friendship with the composer.

Listening Guide: Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 2 'London'

Clarinettist Mark van de Wiel investigates Vaughan Williams' second symphony, 'London', on the streets that inspired the work almost a century before.

Listening Guide: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, introduces Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, narrative programme music for the modern orchestra.

Joseph Phibbs: Rivers to the Sea (New Commission)

British composer Joseph Phibbs was commissioned by Anvil Arts and the Philharmonia Orchestra to write a new symphonic work for The Anvil, Basingstoke's 18th Birthday celebrations and...

Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992: Percussion in Turangalîla-Symphonie

Philharmonia Orchestra Principal percussionist David Corkhill takes us through all the percussion instruments and explains Messiaen's percussion writing.

Listening Guide: Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2

Pianist Nikolai Lugansky takes us on a guided tour through Rachmaninov's much loved Second Piano Concerto.

The Vocabulary Lesson I: Symphonies, Concertos and Beyond

In preparation for our final concert of our 14/15 Royal Festival Hall season, First Violin member, Adrián Varela, introduces us to some of the musical forms featured in the concert....

Discover Carl Nielsen with Paavo Järvi and Andrew Mellor

"It might be Scandinavian, but his music is altogether hotter, more volatile and certainly more of a rollercoaster ride." Take a closer look at the life and music of Danish composer...

Witold Lutosławski: Aleatoric Method

Series Advisor Steven Stucky talks with Philharmonia Orchestra members Samuel Coles (Joint Principal Flute) and Mark van de Wiel (Joint Principal Clarinet) about Witold Lutosławski's...

Music of Today | The Next Generation: Claire Chase (flute) & Dai Fujikura (composer)

"It needs to groove"... what happens when you put two of the brightest voices in new music together in a room?

Find out, as Claire Chase and Dai Fujikura chat about...

Listening Guide: Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, talks about Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and its significance for the end...

Listening Guide: Haydn's Symphony No. 6

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, introduces us to Haydn's Sixth Symphony and discusses Haydn's role in developing the symphonic...

Listening Guide: Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite

The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, discusses the first version of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, a young composer's luxurious...

Listening Guide: Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1

Pianist Nikolai Lugansky talks us through Rachmaninov's First Piano Concerto.

Composer Unsuk Chin on The Song of the Children of the Stars (Interview)

“There is no boundary or difference: even different skin, different religion or different culture – we are all children of the stars.”

Music to expand your horizons:...

Tansy Davies: Forest (A Concerto for Four Horns)

British composer, Tansy Davies, has been commissioned by Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra to compose a concerto for four horns, to premiere as part of the Philharmonia's...

Rachmaninov: Melodies in Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Nikolai Lugansky)

Pianist Nikolai Lugansky guides us through Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Listening Guide: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique

Philharmonia Orchestra Viola player Sam Burstin explores the fascinating story surrounding the creation of one of the 19th Century's greatest works of art in this listening guide.

Rachmaninov: Techniques in Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Nikolai Lugansky)

Pianist Nikolai Lugansky gives us an inside look into the dazzling technicality required to play Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Listening Guide: Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex

Actor Simon Russell Beale speaks to Professor Jonathan Cross about Stravinsky's neo-classical opera, Oedipus Rex.

Listening Guide: Holst's The Planets - Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

Animateur Paul Rissmann presents a listening guide to the fourth movement of Holst's 'The Planets' suite, entitled "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity".

Holst's The Planets...

Witold Lutosławski: Chain 2 Listening Guide with Jennifer Koh

Violinist Jennifer Koh talks about her relationship with Witold Lutosławski's Chain 2: Dialogue for Violin and Orchestra (1984–85), which she performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra...

Tamás Sándor Meets Composer Péter Eötvös in Budapest

“That was the first time I realised there was another world out there”

Get to know our Principal Second Violin Tamás Sándor, as we journey with him to his home...

Esa-Pekka Salonen on Italian and & French Masterpieces

"I think that for most artists, or for many artists, there has been a defining moment and that's contact with the otherness. All of a sudden you're facing something that is totally...

Esa-Pekka Salonen on Beethoven (Philharmonia Orchestra, Japanese Subtitles)

In 2012 Esa-Pekka Salonen completed a Beethoven symphonic series with the Philharmonia Orchestra, culminating in a complete symphony cycle at the Beethovenfest in October 2012. In this...

Listening Guide: Copland's Billy the Kid

Animateur Paul Rissmann introduces Aaron Copland's exciting music for the ballet, Billy the Kid (1938). Discover how Copland created a popular style that incorporated jazz rhythms and...

Les Noces with Pierre-Laurent Aimard & Tamara Stefanovich | Tales | Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals

Delve into Stravinsky’s Les Noces with pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich. This striking piece features the rare sight of four pianos on stage, played alongside...

Carl Davis on Phantom of the Opera

Composer and conductor Carl Davis gives insight into the process of writing his soundtrack for Rupert Julian's 1925 silent film, The Phantom of the Opera. The podcast features short...

Vaughan Williams: Richard Hickox on 'The Pilgrim's Progress'

In this film from 2008, we speak to conductor Richard Hickox about his upcoming performances of Vaughan Williams' semi-staged opera The Pilgrim's Progress with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Sibelius's Roots: An Interview with Pekka Kuusisto & Ilona Korhonen

Discover the roots of Sibelius’s music in this interview with violinist Pekka Kuusisto and singer Ilona Korhonen. In 1891, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius met Larin Paraske, a woman...

Nikolai Lugansky on Beethoven's 'Emperor' Concerto

In this Listening Guide, pianist Nikolai Lugansky guides us through Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto. Dubbed 'Emperor' by its English publisher, this was Beethoven's last piano concerto....

Jonathan Cross on Neo-Classicism and Myth | Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals

Stravinsky’s career is punctuated by the retelling of classical myths: Oedipus, Apollon musagète, Persephone, Orpheus, Agon. It was through these myths that Stravinsky found the...

Listening Guide: Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite

Animateur Paul Rissmann takes us on a mystical journey through Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite.

Karole Armitage on Agon, Dance and Collaboration | Rituals | Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals

Agon was supposed to be a ballet to end all ballets – that’s what the choreographer George Balanchine wanted to complete his trio of myth-based ballet collaborations with Stravinsky:...

Pekka Kuusisto on Daníel Bjarnason's New Violin Concerto

Icelandic composer, Daníel Bjarnason, has written a violin concerto for the Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. In this film, the Philharmonia Orchestra met Pekka in Finland to get his...