Shenzhen Daily   2009-12-15

Debra Li

FOR the first time, one of Europe's top three symphony orchestras is coming to town to present a New Year's concert.

Conducted by maestro Christoph Eschenbach, the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) will perform two different programs on the nights of Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

The New Year's Eve concert will feature Dvorak's "Carnival Overture," "Symphony No. 8" and "Symphony No.9" — the composer's most frequently performed piece, also known as the "New World Symphony."

The program on New Year's Day will comprise imaginative pieces including Tchaikovsky's "Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture," symphonic poem "Francesca da Rimini," suites from Stravinsky's groundbreaking "Firebird" and Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite," a piece originally composed for children.

Both programs suit the festive mood of the season, though the latter may appeal more to music purists, while the former will be bring cheer with more "popular" offerings.

The LPO will take up a China tour that brings it to Shenzhen on its first stop, and then on to Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an.

Recognized today as one of the finest orchestras on the international stage and the oldest orchestra in London, the LPO is among the top three orchestras in Europe beside the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932, the ensemble's conductorship has been passed from one celebrated musician to another, amongst them Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt, Kurt Masur and now Christoph Eschenbach.

The orchestra regularly appears in North America, Europe and the Far East, often headlining at major festivals and concert-hall openings.

The LPO has long been embraced by the recording, broadcasting and film industries. It enjoys strong relationships with major record labels and in 2005 began releasing live, studio and archive recordings on its own-label CDs. The orchestra has broadcast regularly on domestic and international television and radio from both the concert hall and the opera house, and has worked extensively with both Hollywood and the U.K. film industry, recording soundtracks for blockbuster movies including the Oscar-winning score for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and scores for "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Mission," "East Is East" and "In the Name of the Father."

Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 31-Jan. 1

Tickets: 180-1,880 yuan

Add: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)

Metro: Shao Nian Gong Station (Children's Palace Station 少年宫站), Exit C or D