The Full Works Concert - Tuesday 9 July 2013: London Symphony Orchestra Week

In her second special concert for Classic FM's London Symphony Orchestra week, Jane Jones presents great works by Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov and Debussy.

The London Symphony Orchestra has worked with some of the world's greatest conductors during its 109-year history and tonight Jane Jones presents recordings it has made with a few of the maestros who have had special relationships with the orchestra.

In the early 2000s, the Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink recorded the complete Beethoven and Brahms symphonies with the orchestra for its LSO Live label. Beethoven's Symphony No.8 which we'll hear tonight sees the composer in a playful mood. Featuring humorous twists and turns and relatively brief movements, including the shortest movement of any of Beethoven's symphonies, it's a light-hearted work, performed masterfully by the LSO under Haitink.

Michael Tilson Thomas was Principal Conductor of the LSO from 1988 to 1995, leading the orchestra on regular tours through Europe, the U.S.A. and Japan as well as at the Salzburg Festival. In London he and the orchestra mounted major festivals focusing on the music of Steve Reich, Gershwin, Brahms, Rimsky-Korsakov, Debussy and Mahler. As Principal Guest Conductor of the LSO, he continues to lead the orchestra in concerts in London and on tour. Tonight they perform Debussy's sumptuous Prelude a l’apres midi d’un faune.

Nicola Benedetti plays a Brahms piece tonight - Wie Melodien Zieht Es Opus 105 No.1 (‘As if melodies were passing by’). The LSO is conducted by its Principal Guest Conductor, Daniel Harding.

The Australian conductor Sir Charles Mackerras had a long relationship with the LSO, recording with them as early as 1955. In 1986, he conducted the LSO in the soundtrack for the first full-length film version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. He later reconstructed Sir Arthur Sullivan's "lost" cello concerto, conducting its first performance with Julian Lloyd Webber and the LSO in April 1986. Tonight he conducts the LSO in a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.

Tonight's concert ends with the LSO's current Principal Conductor, Valery Gergiev, pictured above. In his present post since January 2007, Gergiev performs regularly with the LSO at the Barbican and at the Edinburgh Festival, as well as on regular tours of Europe, North America and Asia. This evening they swing their way through Ravel's ever-popular Bolero.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.8 in F major
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Bernard Haitink 

Claude Debussy: Prelude a l’apres midi d’un faune
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas 

Johannes Brahms: Wie Melodien Zieht Es Opus 105 No.1 (‘As if melodies were passing by’)
Violin: Nicola Bendetti
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Daniel Harding

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Charles Mackerras

Maurice Ravel: Bolero
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Valery Gergiev