Philharmonia Orchestra Video Podcasts

Vienna, 22 December 1808. Franz and Katarina are on their way to hear a concert that the famous composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, is putting on at the Teater an der Wien. They are in for a night they will never forget.

Discover the story behind one of the most famous concerts of all time in our animated film. You can join us for a reconstruction of this concert in March 2020, conducted by our Principal Conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen.

14 March 2020, The Anvil, Basingstoke: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2658/basingstoke_beethoven_250

15 March 2020, Royal Festival Hall, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2528/beethoven_1808_reconstructed

Listen to Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, talk about why he wanted to reconstruct this famous concert in our next podcast, also out today.

In 2020 we mark 75 years since the Philharmonia Orchestra was founded - three quarters of a century of brilliant live music-making, definitive recordings, technological innovation and artistic adventure.

Our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, reflects on the founding ethos of the Philharmonia and how it has continued to attract the finest musicians to play in its ranks.

Discover our concert series here: http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/POat75

Watch more films about our story here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqR22EoucCycOGFfrFJY587duxWWBYhvu

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

www.philharmonia.co.uk/christmas

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

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. This is a rare opportunity to hear the instrument Brain played in the 1950s before his early death. The Philharmonia Orchestra celebrates 75 years in 2020. On 16 January 2020, Richard Watkins performs the Serenade for Horn, Tenor and Strings by Benjamin Britten and a new piece for horn, 'Towards Alba', by composer Mark-Anthony Turnage. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts. https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2508/horn_calls Full chat between Kira Doherty and Richard Watkins: https://youtu.be/fmo7Dk4uR1E Watch a chat between Richard Watkins and Mark-Anthony Turnage here: https://youtu.be/mNL7L916078

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

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

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: Bourgeois & Maurice Sadie Sinner The Songbird and Rudy Jeevanjee Alicia Jane Turner and RODENT

Philharmonia musicians: Nicholas Bootiman, viola Kira Doherty, horn Louise Goodwin, percussion John Evans, arrangements & keys

This is a FREE event:https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/2574/free_performance_post-show_cabaret Full Weimar Berlin series: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/weimar_berlin

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

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