Artists
Esa-Pekka Salonen – conductor
Yefim Bronfman – piano
Programme
Beethoven Symphony No. 1
Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2
Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Sibelius Symphony No. 7
The Philharmonia’s first live London concerts for over a year are also Esa-Pekka Salonen’s last as the orchestra’s Principal Conductor.
As he reaches the end of his tenure, 13 years of extraordinary musical moments and groundbreaking projects, Salonen turns to the composers whose music has been a constant thread through his career: Beethoven, Stravinsky and Sibelius.
Beethoven’s First Symphony and Sibelius’s last stand at opposite ends of the Romantic era. As the nineteenth century dawns, Beethoven sets out on his lifelong mission to redefine what a symphony can be, with bold shifts of key, rhythm and dynamics. And Sibelius re-shapes the form completely to envelop us in a seamless single-movement work.
In his Piano Concerto No. 2, Liszt uses endlessly inventive transformations of melodic phrases to weave his musical magic. Yefim Bronfman’s larger-than-life personality and natural warmth make him an ideal interpreter, and he and Salonen have been frequent collaborators and firm friends for many years.
Salonen’s goodbye would not be complete without a piece by Stravinsky, one of his great loves. We could wish for no better guide through the distinctive, mystical soundworld of Symphonies of Wind Instruments.
Prices & Discounts
£12 – £58
Seat allocation
Please note that seats for this performance are only sold in singles or pairs.
Running time
1h 20 minutes. Please note there will be no interval.
Recommended age
From 7+
Programme notes
Read the digital programme notes for this concert.
Box office
Philharmonia Box Office: 0800 652 6717
