London Symphony Orchestra Premieres
Saturdays in October
In October, Stingray Classica premieres marvelous performances by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) on three Saturday evenings at 21:00. Firstly, on October 4, Jonathon Heyward conducts the LSO in a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, ‘From the New World’. The composer wrote his famous symphony during his stay in the ‘new world’ of the symphony’s title: the United States. On October 11, under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, the LSO presents another Dvořák program, featuring his spirited Slavonic Dances, No. 1-8, Op. 46, and Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 72. Originally written for piano four hands, Dvořák composed sixteen folk dances in 1878 and 1886, published in two sets as Op. 46 and Op. 72 respectively. Lastly, on October 18, Robin Ticciati leads the LSO in a performance of William Walton’s Viola Concerto, featuring Antoine Tamestit as the soloist. The British composer conducted the 1929 premiere in London himself. The work was received warmly, and established Walton as a substantial figure in British music. The program closes with Johannes Brahms's Symphony No. 4 in E minor. Completed in 1885, Brahms's final symphony has a dark character. He conducted the successful premiere of the piece in the German city of Meiningen in October of the same year.
Heyward conducts Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9
Saturday, October 4 | 21:00
American conductor Jonathon Heyward makes his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) with this performance of Antonín Dvořák’s beloved Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World". Composed during Dvořák’s stay in the United States, the work blends Bohemian warmth with the rhythms and spirit of American musical traditions. A deeply expressive and melodic masterpiece, it remains one of the most popular symphonies of all time. This performance was recorded at LSO St. Luke’s on Old Street in London, UK, on September 30, 2020.
Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 (Nos. 1-8)
Saturday, October 11 | 21:00
Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in Antonín Dvořák’s spirited Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 (Nos. 1-8). These 16 folk dances earned Dvořák, who was a relative newcomer when he wrote them, great success. Originally composed for piano four hands, the London Symphony Orchestra plays the orchestral version of these brilliant works. This performance was recorded at LSO St. Luke’s on Old Street in London, UK, on September 23, 2020.
Dvořák - Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 72
Saturday, October 11 | 21:40
Sir Simon Rattle leads the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 7 in C major, Op. 72. Originally written for piano four hands, Dvořák composed sixteen folk dances in 1878 and 1886, published in two sets as Op. 46 and Op. 72 respectively. The Slavonic Dance No. 7 in C major from the second set takes its lively character from a Serbian folk dance, the kolo. This performance was recorded at London’s Barbican Hall on January 6, 2022.
Walton's Viola Concerto & Brahms's Symphony No. 4
Saturday, October 18 | 21:00
British conductor Robin Ticciati conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in a performance of William Walton’s Viola Concerto and Johannes Brahms's Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98. When the young Walton premiered his Viola Concerto in 1927, it caused a Europe-wide sensation: a composer in his twenties, taking a neglected instrument and writing for it with unprecedented imagination and power. Viola virtuoso Antoine Tamestit features as the soloist in this Concerto. Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 would be the composer’s last – but every note burns with creative fire. This concert, which unites youthful genius with music drawn from a profound engagement with life, was recorded at LSO St. Luke’s on Old Street in London, UK, on October 14, 2021.
