Riveting. Rousing. Romantic.
Golden Age Hollywood and Beyond
Sir Antonio Pappano
Wednesday 17 December 2025 • 7pm
This event has passed.
Miklós Rózsa
Prelude, The Mother’s Love and Parade of the Charioteers from ‘Ben Hur’
Movements 2 & 3 from Violin Concerto
Bernard Herrmann
Scène d’amour from ‘Vertigo’
David Raksin
Laura from ‘Laura’
Love is for the Very Young from The Bad and the Beautiful – Suite
Max Steiner arr John Wilson
Music from ‘Gone with the Wind’
Interval
William Walton
Selections from Henry V – Suite
Nino Rota
Waltz from ‘The Godfather’
Ennio Morricone
Gabriel’s Oboe from ‘The Mission’ (Concert Version)
Music from ‘Cinema Paradiso’
Music from ‘Once Upon a Time in America’
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Roman Simovic violin
London Symphony Orchestra
Concert repeated on 18 December.
The concert will finish at approximately 9.10pm, including an interval (timings subject to change).
Tickets
£72 £56 £39 £26 £18
+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction
Wildcard Tickets
£12/£16 + booking fee as above
Check availability and book
Limited releases throughout the season. Guaranteed entry, but your seat is only allocated on the day. Full details
Other Discounts
Save when booking multiple concerts. Discounts also available for young people, students, groups, and Barbican Access Members. Full details
The Concert
From Ben Hur and Gone with the Wind to The Godfather and Cinema Paradiso, relive the golden age of Hollywood and beyond with music by some of cinema’s most brilliant and influential composers.
The Music
The influx of European émigrés to America with the turmoil of the early 20th century helped shape a burgeoning movie industry both in front and behind the camera. Through new musical talent, top studios had the pick of richly scored, high-Romantic soundtracks to go hand in hand with the new fashion for lavish storytelling, and so the gifted composers that scored them played an all-important part in the emergence of a Hollywood ‘Golden Age’. This concert celebrates some of the emotionally-charged scores that defined the era, with music from Ben Hur (Rózsa) and Vertigo (Herrmann) to Gone with the Wind (Steiner) and Laura (Raksin).
Alongside are works by European composers who brought their own distinctive voices to the screen in parallel to Hollywood: Walton’s stirring music for Henry V, Rota’s iconic waltz for The Godfather and Morricone’s deeply moving themes from Cinema Paradiso and The Mission. Together, they offer a vivid portrait of film music at its most powerful and enduring.
The Performers
From Star Wars and Superman to The Shape of Water and Notting Hill, the LSO has enjoyed a long, illustrious relationship with film music. A thrilling evening is all but guaranteed.
More to Explore
The Evolution of American Classical Music
Alexandra Wilson explores American classical music, from European roots and jazz influences to modernism and today’s composers.
Related Events
Britten, Bernstein and Tchaikovsky
Sir Antonio Pappano and Denis Kozhukhin
Sunday 10 May 2026 • 7pm
Sir Antonio Pappano and the LSO and pianist Denis Kozhukhin navigate beauty, grief, and turmoil with Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, Bernstein’s The Age of Anxiety, and Tchaikovsky’s haunting Pathétique. NB: Change of Artist.
Limited Tickets
Half Six Fix: Enigma Variations
Sir Antonio Pappano
Wednesday 10 June 2026 • 6.30pm
Sir Antonio Pappano guides the audience through Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations, exploring its tender portraits of family members and the unsolved mystery at its core.
Elgar and Mahler
Sir Antonio Pappano
Thursday 11 June 2026 • 7pm
Sir Antonio Pappano and the LSO journey from darkness to light in Mahler's rapturous Fifth Symphony, alongside Elgar's Enigma Variations.
Booking and Discounts
Box Office Information
Online at lso.co.uk or barbican.org.uk
By phone on +44 20 7870 2500 (Monday to Friday 12–5.30pm)
In person at the Barbican Centre (no booking fee)
Members of the Barbican’s Access Scheme can book wheelchair places priced at the lowest price for that event and book a free companion seat. Join the Barbican Access Scheme.
Contact the Barbican Box Office at tickets@barbican.org.uk.
Visit the Barbican website for conditions of sale.
All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined.
Contact the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings) to exchange your tickets for another LSO concert or Barbican credit voucher, valid for twelve months. A per-ticket administration fee applies.
The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, all bookers will receive a refund.
Offers and Savings
Book 2 or 3 concerts, save 10%
Book 4 to 7 concerts, save 20%
Book 8 to 11 concerts, save 30%
Book 12 or more concerts, save 40%
Retain your discount for any later bookings within the season. Find out more about Multibuy Discounts.
£12 or £16 (£12 or £15 for Half Six Fix concerts), plus booking fee. Check availability using the Wildcard link in the Tickets section above. On the concert night, show your Wildcard order email at the Stalls box office to receive a valid ticket worth at least £18 (£15 for Half Six Fix). Not available for LSO Discovery Family Concerts or concerts at LSO St Luke’s. Find out more about Wildcards.
18 and under*: £6 tickets, plus booking fee. Book online, by phone or in person.
14–25s: Join Young Barbican for discounted tickets to selected concerts.
Full-time students: Join Student Pulse for £10 tickets to selected LSO concerts.
* Evening and Half Six Fix concerts are recommended for ages 12+
Save 20% to 30% and enjoy additional benefits. Find out more about group booking.
Your Visit and Access
Getting to the Barbican
We are based at the Barbican Centre in the City of London. The main entrance to the Barbican is on Silk Street.
What to Expect
From the concert experience to venue facilities, find out what to expect from an LSO concert at the Barbican.
Accessibility
Find maps and guides, and join the Barbican Access Membership Scheme to let us know of your requirements and book access tickets.
Header Image © Mark Allan
