LSO Discovery

1 Allegro espressivo

Very little is known about the private life of Giuseppe Cambini, hence the question marks next to his dates above, and because of this void of information many outlandish rumours about him persist. Was he captured by pirates after sailing home from an opera premier? Did he cause the cancellation of a Mozart concert out of jealousy? Did he invent the string quartet? We will never know. The added problem is that Cambini himself did little to correct or change the record and basked in the publicity instead. We do know that Cambini travelled to Paris in the 1770s and stayed for about 20 years, writing over 600 works and many successful operas. Sadly all but his instrumental music is now lost but what remains shows a real charm and effervescence. Cambini might not have been a great innovator or pioneer but he was a very skilled composer and we can really hear that in this brilliant wind quintet movement which allows all the instruments a moment to shine within a constantly bubbling, joyful texture.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

Rhonda Larson is a Grammy award winning composer and flautist from Montana, USA, a place she says has formed her into a ‘nature-loving, free-spirited trail blazing artist’. After winning a major competition in 1985, Rhonda began travelling the world, giving concerts, composing, and learning about other cultures. She now composes much of the music she plays and uses a variety of different flutes from the orchestral flute (hers is gold) to flutes used in traditions outside of Western classical music. In her music and performance she explores the full capability of the instrument and has invented several new playing techniques. Be Still My Soul takes the hymn melody from Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia as its starting point. At the beginning the performer must sing and play at the same time and afterwards, the hymn is hidden and intertwined with the texture.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

2 Flight

Dutch-American composer and pianist Herman Beeftink says he wanted to create music from the very first time he heard a marching band in his home town of Amersfoot in the Netherlands but his mother told him he was too little to join in. As a high school student, his music teacher recognised his talent and interest and gave him lessons for free. This led to a place at Utrecht Conservatoire and a move to LA in 1982. He has remained in America ever since and become an in-demand studio pianist playing on many hugely famous TV and film soundtracks. Birds is scored for a trio consisting of piccolo, flute and alto flute. The second movement, ‘Flight’, begins with birdsong before ‘taking off’.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

Palmgren was a Finnish composer who was a direct contemporary of the much more famous Sibelius. After studying at Helsinki Conservatoire, Palmgren began a successful career as pianist and conductor before moving to the US in 1921 to teach composition at the Eastman School of Music in New York. Many of his compositions are for piano, or feature the piano, and have evocative, descriptive titles. May Night was written in 1906 and The Swan in 1909. Today we hear them brought to life by viola sextet in arrangements from British violist and composer Simon Rowland-Jones.

_{Note by Rachel Leach}

The Guildhall School’s Orchestral Artistry programme is an exciting professional specialism for advanced instrumentalists seeking a career in orchestral playing, delivered in association with the LSO. It offers a course of study which is both highly distinctive and ground-breaking in scope, in a context akin to a professional environment.

The two-year Masters programme focuses on orchestral training and repertoire, as well as audition preparation, practical training in education and community-based programmes, and early career support. LSO musicians share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of gifted orchestral players, while students gain confidence and a detailed understanding of what is required at the highest level of the profession as they build their careers. During the pandemic, the programme continued online when necessary with the cohort taking part in Q&As with Sir Simon Rattle, François-Xavier Roth and Michael Tilson Thomas.

Today's Performers

*Melody Cheng viola
*Micaela Miranda viola
*Somerset Peede viola
*Hannah Roberts viola
*Youngtwo Cheung viola
*Yinuo Zhu viola
*Rachael Watson flute
*Isabelle Harris flute
*Alex Ho alto flute

B16 Quintet:
*Pauline Delamotte flute & piccolo
*Charis Lai oboe
Lily Payne clarinet
*Thaïs Bordes bassoon
*Nicole Ma horn

*Guildhall Artist Masters students on the Orchestral Artistry programme

Relaxed Performance
Friday 12 May 12.30pm

Scott Joplin arr Lawson Pack The Easy Winners & Ragtime Dance
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arr Maria Luisa Rayan-Forero Fantasy in D minor
Benjamin Britten Overture: Suite for Harp 
Henriette Renié Danse des Lutins
Germaine Tailleferre Allegretto from Sonata for Harp
Bedřich Smetana arr Hans Trnecek Moldau 

Emilia Agajew harp
Heather Brooks harp
Alicija Cetnar harp
Christopher Clarke harp
Vanessa Wagner harp

Angie Newman BSL interpreter
presenter to be announced

About Relaxed Performances

These performances are particularly suitable for individuals or groups who feel more comfortable attending concerts in a relaxed environment. Everyone is welcome including people with autism, sensory and communication impairments and learning disabilities.

The concert on 12 May will feature an adapted BSL interpretation which will include more visual and gestural elements. There will also be accessible digital programme notes available to download in advance or on the day.