Santtu Conducts Shostakovich & Mendelssohn
The Philharmonia Orchestra pairs Shostakovich’s extraordinary final symphony with the famous Rossini overture quoted in its first movement.
Is it because of a fascination with its driving rhythm, a childhood memory, or purely for fun, that Shostakovich uses the unmistakable Galop from Rossini’s William Tell overture in his last symphony?
He wrote the symphony as a 65th birthday present to himself, and originally intended it to be ‘cheerful’. But as with so much of his music, things soon take a darker turn.
In an eerie finale to his half-century as a master symphonist, the melody and harmony of the orchestra fade to leave woodblocks and tuned percussion evoking the clicks and bleeps of hospital machinery.
Completing this afternoon’s trio of masterpieces is Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto. Its heartfelt, singing melodies are in the hands of Arabella Steinbacher, one of today’s foremost violin soloists. The Guardian’s reviewer put her opinion simply: ‘What a player.’
This is the second of three Philharmonia concerts marking the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor
Arabella Steinbacher violin
Repertoire
Rossini: Overture, William Tell
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Interval
Shostakovich: Symphony No.15
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
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Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.