Mon, 9 December 2019
Seasons Greetings from everyone at the Philharmonia Orchestra! Enjoy our 2019 Christmas Card, filmed in the ancient church of St Bartholomew the Great in London, with the Philharmonia’s four horns – Nigel Black, Kira Doherty, Diego Incertis Sánchez and Carsten Williams. In Dulci Jubilo was arranged by Philharmonia No. 3 Cello, Richard Birchall. Hear more from our fantastic horn section in Horn Calls, featuring Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel, Thu 16 Jan, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, London. Book here: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2508/horn_calls |
Fri, 6 December 2019
Meet Tom Blomfield, Principal Oboe of the Philharmonia Orchestra, to learn more about what it’s like to be an oboist and to discover the fascinating story behind the Strauss Oboe Concerto. Created in the aftermath of World War II, this nostalgic piece is one of the few opportunities an oboe soloist gets to stand in front of a symphony orchestra. The concerto also forms a part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s great recording legacy – the Philharmonia made the first recording of the piece in 1947. Tom Blomfield performs the Strauss Oboe Concerto on 19 January 2020 as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s 75th Anniversary celebrations, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Find out more and book here: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2510/voices_of_1945
Direct download: 191206_strauss_oboe_concerto_blomfield_new_1.mp4
Category:Music -- posted at: 4:30pm UTC |
Tue, 26 November 2019
Philharmonia No. 2 Horn, Kira Doherty, meets up with Richard Watkins, Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1985-1996, at the Museum of the Royal Academy of Music in London to dive into the legacy of the first Principal Horn of the Philharmonia, Dennis Brain.
Direct download: 191126_watkins_doherty_brain_bonus_podcast.mp4
Category:Music -- posted at: 4:00pm UTC |
Fri, 15 November 2019
Meet Richard Watkins, Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1985-1996, as he chats with composer and friend, Mark-Anthony Turnage at the Philharmonia offices in London. Turnage has composed a new piece for horn and orchestra called 'Towards Alba', which he wrote for Richard Watkins. The piece was commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra with support from John and Carol Wates as part of the Orchestra's 75th birthday celebrations in 2020. Find out all about this new piece and how these artists have worked together in our film, and then join us in London for the world premiere on 16 January 2020, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2508/horn_calls |
Fri, 11 October 2019
By popular demand, we present a full-length guide to the bass clarinet, presented by Philharmonia Orchestra Principal Bass Clarinet, Laurent Ben Slimane. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 00:48 – What is a bass clarinet? 01:13 – How do you put it together? 02:33 – How does the sound get created? 03:55 – How does the pitch get changed? 04:43 – What is a transposing instrument? 05:08 – How did you get started on the bass clarinet? 05:50 – What are the keys like? 06:36 – How do you hold your instrument? 08:35 – Playing other woodwind instruments 08:57 – Doubling on other clarinets 09:49 – Articulations 10:34 – Embouchure & Puffing Cheeks 12:39 – Special techniques 14:04 – Tchaikovsky, Manfred Symphony 14:46 – Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No. 1, Scherzo 15:31 – Shostakovich, 7th Symphony 17:35 – Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring 19:17 – Richard Strauss, Don Quixote 21:08 – Learning the bass clarinet 21:40 – Different models Watch the full instrument playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqR22EoucCyccs5J639SCefaM7mD9dMSz Subscribe: www.youtube.com/philharmonialondon
Direct download: 191011_bass_clarinet_instrument_guide_2_podcast.mp4
Category:Music -- posted at: 4:02pm UTC |
Tue, 10 September 2019
The Philharmonia Orchestra and Raze Collective present a queer extravaganza of contemporary cabaret on Mon 23 Sept in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, Southbank Centre, London, at 8:45pm. This free show is inspired by the cabaret scene of Weimar Berlin and is a collaboration between Philharmonia players and London-based performance artists. Our documentary goes behind-the-scenes on the rehearsals: meet the artists and hear what they have been working on! Cabaret artists: Philharmonia musicians: This is a FREE event:https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2574/free_performance_post-show_cabaret
Direct download: 190910_late_night_cabaret_weimar_podcast.mp4
Category:Music -- posted at: 12:12pm UTC |
Sat, 31 August 2019
The Weimar Republic was a time of great social and artistic advances, but shaky politics and a disastrous economy made it ripe for the rise of National Socialism – the Nazis. Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, which brought an end to the Weimar Republic. As part of his swift project of cultural eradication, books were burned and people contrary to the regime, or who simply did not fit the Nazi’s ideal of the “Aryan” race, were arrested, murdered or forced to flee Germany. In our last film we explore the effects of the rise of the Nazis, and Weimar’s legacy. These six films form the introduction to the Philharmonia’s concert series Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, which returns 23 September 2019 at Southbank Centre, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/series/82/weimar_berlin_bittersweet_metropolis |
Thu, 29 August 2019
Cabaret was hugely important during the Weimar Republic as a form of social protest and social critique. Its influence went beyond bars and music halls – film and theatre quickly adopted its rougher aesthetic and its subject matter. One of the most prominent collaborations of the day was between composer Kurt Weill and playwright Bertolt Brecht, who created The Threepenny Opera, which was later turned into a film. This period also launched the career of legendary singer and actor Marlene Dietrich, famous for her role in film The Blue Angel. These six films form the introduction to the Philharmonia’s concert series Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, which continues 23 September 2019 at Southbank Centre, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/series/82/weimar_berlin_bittersweet_metropolis |
Tue, 27 August 2019
In 1919, not only was the Weimar Republic founded, but Walter Gropius, the architect, also founded what would become a game-changing art school – the Bauhaus. In this film we travel to Weimar and Dessau to uncover what it was like to be a student at the Bauhaus, especially as a woman. Historian Philipp Blom and writer Theresia Enzensberger explain the parallels to our own time, and how technology and art intersected to create a new, utopian vision for life and design. Series Advisor, Gavin Plumley, also shares Walter Gropius’s curious connection to the world of music. These six films form the introduction to the Philharmonia’s concert series Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, which continues 23 September 2019 at Southbank Centre, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/series/82/weimar_berlin_bittersweet_metropolis |
Fri, 5 July 2019
In January 2019, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Soft Touch Arts (Leicester, UK) embarked upon another season of Symphonize, a pioneering creative partnership enabling young people from across Leicester to work alongside producers and musicians to create, compose, produce and perform their own original tracks and video art. Following a series of taster workshops and an intensive week-long project, the project culminated in a concert at Sue Townsend Theatre in Leicester on Saturday 12 January. New for 2019 was a documentary that was shown before the live performance to give insight into the creative process, which drew inspiration from Britten’s Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra. This film is presented by one of the participants. Find out more about Symphonize here: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/education/schools_and_young_people/symphonize |
Fri, 7 June 2019
Berlin. An epicentre. A capital city. A playground. The city of Berlin was the Weimar Republic’s hub, transforming itself into a multicultural melting pot where rules could be bent and new ways of being were more accepted. However, people questioned this modern way of living and were sceptical of the rise of technology and a more relaxed approach to gender norms. Cabaret, theatre and film all contributed to a critique of society while the rise of Fascism inevitably marched forward. Observers like writer Christopher Isherwood recorded this remarkable period in his Berlin novels, including Goodbye to Berlin. Learn more about this exciting metropolis in The City Electric. These six films form the introduction to the Philharmonia’s concert series Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, which opens 9 June at Southbank Centre, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/series/82/weimar_berlin_bittersweet_metropolis |
Wed, 5 June 2019
The composers of the Weimar Republic provided a soundtrack for the events that unfolded in Germany between 1919 and 1933. During this tumultuous, exciting time, composers such as Kurt Weill, Paul Hindemith and Alban Berg thrived and produced works that still thrill us today. The sounds of cabaret and jazz infused Weill’s Threepenny Opera while Paul Hindemith and Alban Berg took a more objective approach, creating music to “reach out beyond political boundaries.” The influence of Weimar was so infectious that a young Shostakovich, based in Russia, enriched his own music with its sounds, as heard in his jazzy ballet, A Golden Age. These six films form the introduction to the Philharmonia’s concert series Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, which opens 9 June at Southbank Centre, London: www.philharmonia.co.uk/weimar_berlin |
Mon, 3 June 2019
Join cultural historian Gavin Plumley and the Philharmonia on a journey around Germany and discover the sights and sounds of the Weimar Republic in the first of a series of six films. Following World War I, Germany was in tatters. What emerged from the ashes was a new republic, founded in Weimar with the aim for a more progressive, modern Germany. What followed was just over a decade of extraordinary cultural and artistic experimentation. Dietrich, Weill, Brecht, Gropius and Dix – just a few of the many cultural figures during this remarkable period. In these films, the Philharmonia Orchestra will take you to Berlin, Weimar, Dessau and Buchenwald while experts dig into the history, music, art, films and theatre of the period. These six films form the introduction to the Philharmonia’s concert series Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis, which opens 9 June at Southbank Centre, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/series/82/weimar_berlin_bittersweet_metropolis |