Tom Service examines the life and legacy of one of Italy's most pioneering and influential 20th-century composers, Luigi Nono, as a major celebration of his work gets underway in London.
Also, as the London Philharmonic Orchestra turns 75, Tom finds out what makes it unique and talks to its acclaimed new Principal Conductor, Vladimir Jurowski, about his plans for the future of the LPO.
In this programme
Naxos Quartets
Ten years ago, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies met with Klaus Heymann, the Managing Director of Naxos Records, and was commissioned to write a series of ten string quartets which Max fittingly entitled the Naxos Quartets. Having established a partnership with the Maggini Quartet, the first piece in the cycle was given its world premiere in 2002 at Wigmore Hall. Now, five years on, the tenth quartet is about to be premiered at the same venue. The music of all ten quartets has ranged from medieval plainchant to a protest against the Iraq war and the eighth quartet was dedicated to Her Majesty the Queen to mark the occasion of her 80th Birthday. Tom went along to the first rehearsal of the final quartet with the composer present to ask Max to reflect on the challenge he has met and to find out about the experience of undertaking this musical odyssey from the members of the Maggini Quartet.
The World Premiere of Naxos Quartet No.10 will be at Wigmore Hall on 16th October and quartets 9 & 10 are scheduled for release on CD in autumn 2008.
London Philharmonic Orchestra 75th Anniversary
The list of Principal Conductors since the London Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert in 1932 under Thomas Beecham has been a distinguished one - Bernard Haitink, Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt, Kurt Masur and now Vladimir Jurowski - and has assured critically acclaimed performances for the past 75 years. Tom talks with the players in the orchestra and to the current Chief Executive, Tim Walker, about the distinctive identity of the LPO. Vladimir Jurowski, the 35-year-old Russian who has just taken over as the new Principal Conductor explains his vision for the future of the orchestra.
Vladimir Jurowski conducts the LPO in programmes featuring the music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold on 14th and 21st November and the LPO can next be heard on BBC Radio 3 on 13th November conducted by Mark Elder.
Luigi Nono
Italian composer Luigi Nono has created some of the most astonishing music of the 20th century. Through his compositions, Nono takes the listener on an epic journey into the essence of what music means and what it can do. He was as motivated politically as he was musically, and tried to take new music to a wider audience. His music exists in a world of poetic intensity which is entirely unique. To understand more of the man and his music, Tom talks to those who were closest to Nono: his widow, Nuria Schoenberg Nono; pianist Maurizio Pollini and conductor Diego Masson.
A festival of Luigi Nono's music: Fragments of Venice is being run by the Southbank Centre until May 10th.
