Philadelphia Orchestra heads to Europe this spring
The Philadelphia Orchestra last toured Europe in 2011 in deeply uncertain circumstances: The orchestra was still in bankruptcy and entering contract negotiations amid fears about the future. Yannick Nézet-Séguin had been appointed, but would not become music director until the next year. The orchestra was led by chief conductor Charles Dutoit.
The Philadelphia Orchestra last toured Europe in 2011 in deeply uncertain circumstances: The orchestra was still in bankruptcy and entering contract negotiations amid fears about the future. Yannick Nézet-Séguin had been appointed, but would not become music director until the next year. The orchestra was led by chief conductor Charles Dutoit.
In contrast, the 2015 Tour of Europe, announced Tuesday, promises to be a consolidation of more successful times for the Philadelphia Orchestra, and under the leadership of Nézet-Séguin, already a well-known figure there.
The 14 concerts in 10 cities over three weeks will include most of the important European musical capitals, opening in Luxembourg (May 21 and 22) and going on to Berlin (May 26), Paris (May 30), Vienna (June 1-2), Amsterdam (June 4), and London (June 5-6). Other cities include Cologne (May 23), Dresden (May 24), Dortmund (May 27-28), and Lyon (May 29).
"At the conclusion of three years of our magical partnership," Nézet-Séguin said in a statement that accompanied the announcement, "I am proud to bring to European audiences this current embodiment of the great Philadelphia sound that we have collaborated on together."
One indication of demand for the orchestra/conductor combination is the multiple dates in several cities, including major venues such as the Philharmonie Luxembourg, Vienna's Musikverein, and London's Royal Festival Hall (where Nézet-Séguin has often been heard with the London Philharmonic Orchestra).
The double date in Dortmund is part of Nézet-Séguin's artistic residency at the city's Konzerthaus that includes appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. (On its website, the Konzerthaus shows the conductor triumphantly astride something resembling the mythical winged horse Pegasus.)
The Berlin and Dresden concerts are part of the Dresden Music Festival. Unlike past visits, the Dresden venue is the prestigious Semperoper rather than the larger (and less sympathetic) Kulturpalast. Though the orchestra has been touring Europe since 1949 and is considered one of America's most mobile orchestras, its visits to Dortmund and Lyon will be the first.
The annual residencies in China haven't been abandoned: In February, 15 to 20 musicians will be visiting Chinese cities. Also, the kind of residency activities characteristic of the China tours will be carried over into the European tour, which will include a side-by-side performance with musicians of the Orchestre National de Lyon and community activities in the East End of London.
Along the way, Philadelphia civic, cultural, business, and tourism organizations will be promoted, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will have an economic trade mission to the Rhone-Alpes region of France.
The tour has three soloists - pianist Emanuel Ax (playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3), violinist Lisa Batiashvili (Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1), and pianist Jan Lisiecki (Grieg's Piano Concerto). "I can think of no better musical partners as soloists," said Nézet-Séguin.
Repertoire includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3, and Strauss' Suite from Der Rosenkavalier.
The wild card is a new work by the fashionable young New York-based Nico Muhly. Titled Mixed Messages, the piece won't be premiered until shortly before the orchestra's tour.