Opening. The London Symphony Orchestra

For the second occasion in a short period of time, one of the world's most outstanding orchestras -- the London Symphony Orchestra -- is being invited to attend the symphonic music celebration in Rīga.  According to the influential music journal Gramophone, the orchestra is in fourth place among the world's best symphonic orchestras.  It is also the oldest symphony orchestra In London, and it is currently being conducted by the impulsively talented and unpredictable conductor Valery Gergiyev.  Guest conductors include the young and surprising Daniel Harding and the thoughtful Michael Tilson Thomas.

Since 1982, the home for the London Symphony Orchestra has been the distinguished Barbican Cultural Centre in London.  The orchestra offers some 140 concerts a year, both at home and elsewhere in the world.  Interestingly, it is the leader in terms of recordings and diversity.  Viewers all around the world vividly remember its appearance at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games together with Rowan Atkinson and conductor Simon Rattle.  The orchestra has also recorded scores for Harry Potter films, Star Wars, the King's Speech, Superman, etc.

In Rīga, the London Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Antonio Pappano, who is the chief conductor of the Covent Garden Royal Opera and the artistic director for the orchestra of the Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome.  Pappano is an excellent accompanist who is familiar with vocal techniques, and he is beloved by many singers who do not oppose his Italian spirit.  If his thoughts are not related to music, then they relate to elegant wine and gastronomy.

The concert programme will feature Edward Elgar's Second Symphony, which is just a few years younger than the London Symphony Orchestra.  It was dedicated to King Edward VII, with Elgar himself conducting the premiere.  The composer has described the symphony as a "passionate pilgrimage of the soul."

Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto is among the best known opuses for the solo instrument, and the Danish-born violinist Nikolaj Znaider, who has performed the concerto with the Danish and Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Israeli Philharmonic, and the Kennedy Centre National Symphony Orchestra in America, says that the opus is like a Bible for the repertoire of a violinist.  Some people describe Znaider's performance as poetic and elegant, while others see it as masculine and eloquent.  Everyone agrees, however, that the 1997 winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition has a wonderful performance technique.  Nikolaj Znaider plays a 1714 violin that was built by Guarneri and was formerly played by the legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler.

Programme

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Edward Elgar’s Second Symphony

Participants

Nikolaj Znaider, violin
Sir Antonio Pappano, conductor