LSO Discovery

Christoph Willibald Gluck was an extremely famous and important composer of opera who radically changed the form and made it more accessible to new audiences. In short, he increased the drama, cut the length and simplified the storytelling. His most famous work is Orfeo ed Euridice which tells a very sad tale.

Orfeo is a musician with great powers. When his wife dies he must use his music to lead her out of hell and back to life but he must not look at her as he does so. He begins playing and Euridice follows but after a while he is unable to continue without glancing back at her beauty and so she is lost forever. 'Dance of the Blessed Spirits' describes Orfeo’s sadness as he stands surrounded by earth and nature but without his great love.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tárrega is known as the father of classical guitar and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. After an accident injured his sight as a child the family gave him guitar lessons (with two blind teachers) thinking it was good therapy but also a possible career option if his sight didn’t return. Happily, his sight did return but he loved the guitar so much that he ran away from home three times, afraid his family would take the lessons away. Eventually he settled down and studied at the Madrid Conservatory and became very famous across Europe by the age of 30.

This piece was written on a trip to Alhambra and is dedicated to the wealthy patron who funded the trip. It is extremely difficult to play on guitar because of its constant tremolo technique.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

Ian Clarke is a flute player, teacher, composer, mathematician, and rock musician! Born in Broadstairs, Kent, Clarke began his musical life with lessons on recorder and piano. He became so fascinated with the flute that he initially taught himself before gaining a place at the Guildhall School. He then switched direction and took a degree in mathematics from Imperial College where his love of rock music led to him forming a band, which became quite successful.

Since 2000 he has been fully back in the flute world, teaching at the Guildhall and as guest professor across the UK. He also composes and this piece has become iconic. It describes an exciting journey by train and along the way the player has to master many extended and unusual playing techniques such as singing and playing at the same time, extremely fast tonguing and circular breathing!

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

J S Bach is regarded by many to be the greatest composer of all time. Writing at a time when composers had to churn out dozens of pieces each week for religious services, ceremonies and celebrations, Bach was very much a servant to a string of wealthy patrons writing whatever pieces were required and struggling to earn enough to support his large family.

During Bach’s lifetime ‘sonata’ just meant a piece for soloist with several movements. This one had three and the 'Sicilienne' was placed in the middle. It is a slow dance form in a minor key and it is gentle and elegant.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

Pearl Chertok was a harp superstar! Born in New York, Chertok quit ballet lessons and flute to concentrate on the harp whilst at High School. She then trained at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with French harp superstar Carlos Salzedo before taking a job with the CBS Television Orchestra. This led to several TV appearances and fame. Throughout her career she also taught and composed.

This piece is from her Around the Clock suite and features her signature jazzy sound. Listen out for knocking on the harp’s body and zingy fingernail glissandos (slides up and down the strings).

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla caused much controversy when he created a new style of tango music in the 1960s by combining jazz and contemporary classical techniques. In 1985, at the height of his fame, he used the Histoire du Tango suite to describe the changes that had taken place to tango music over the century.

'Bordel 1900' describes the beginning of tango when it was performed by flute and guitar (substituted here by harp) and was graceful and lively. Within the music there are moments when the instruments ‘talk’ to one another and this represents the seductive ladies of the bordello teasing passers-by.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

_{« Bordel 1900 » from Histoire du Tango by Astor Piazzolla
© Editions Henry Lemoine, Paris. All right reserved
Used by permission://www.henry-lemoine.com/fr/catalogue/fiche/28251}

Friday 8 April 12.30pm

Haydn Piano Trio No 44 in E Major
Reena Esamail Saans

Belinda McFarlane violin
Jennie Brown cello
Elizabeth Burley piano
Rachel Leach presenter

Future Lunchtime Concerts

Friday 29 April 12.30pm
Friday 20 May 12.30pm
Friday 17 June 12.30pm (Relaxed performance)