Page 980 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

The UK's oldest continually working professional symphony orchestra, the RLPO has

enjoyed some successful tenures from conductors including Charles Groves, Malcolm
Sargent and, albeit for just three years back in the 1880s, the composer Max Bruch. One of
the orchestra's most successful periods, in fact, came very recently, under the chief

conductorship of the brilliant Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko. During this time the
orchestra performed and recorded, among much else, an absolutely treasurable cycle of

the Shostakovich symphonies.

• Best Russian conductors
Recommended recording:

Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 & 9 RLPO/Vasily Petrenko

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Royal Scottish National Orchestra

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), also known by its Scottish Gaelic name of
Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba, is based in Glasgow. There has been an orchestra in
situ since 1843: after various name evolutions, it took on its current title with its royal

patronage in 1977 (much like the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic above). One standout date
in the RSNO's relatively recent history was performing, in 2004, at the opening ceremony

for the new Scottish Parliament building.

The RSNO performs regularly throughout Scotland, at concert venues including Glasgow
Royal Concert Hall, Usher Hall, Caird Hall, Aberdeen Music Hall, Perth Concert Hall and

Eden Court Theatre. Its distinguished roll call of past chief conductors include George Szell,
John Barbirolli, and Alexander Gibson, during whose 25-year tenure the RSNO recorded,

among other things, an acclaimed set of the symphonies and tone poems of Jean Sibelius.

The 1980s and 1990s were another purple patch: for Chandos the orchestra set down
superb cycles of two great 20th-century symphony cycles: those of Prokofiev (with Neeme

Järvi) and Martinů (with Bryden Thomson).