More recently, its principal conductors have included Pierre Monteux (1961–64), Istvan Kertesz (1965–68), André Previn (1968–79) and Claudio Abbado (1979–88). From 1988-1995, the American Michael Tilson-Thomas took over, and in 1995, became principal guest conductor. Sir Colin Davis served as the LSO's Principal Conductor from 1995-2006, and in 2007 took the post of President of the orchestra. On 1 January 2007, Valery Gergiev became the LSO's Principal Conductor. Previn holds the title of Conductor Laureate. In 2006, Daniel Harding became the co-principal guest conductor alongside Tilson Thomas. Richard Hickox is the Associate Guest Conductor of the LSO.
The LSO became the first British orchestra to play overseas when it went to Paris in 1906. The LSO was due to sail on the RMS Titanic for a concert in New York in April 1912 but fortunately had to change the booking at the last minute. It was also the first to play in the United States, in 1912, and in 1973 it was the first to be invited to take part in the Salzburg Festival. It continues to make tours around the world.
In 1966 the London Symphony Chorus (LSC) was formed to complement the work of the LSO. with more that two hundred amateur singers, the LSC maintains a close association with the LSO; however it has developed an independent life, which allows it to partner other leading orchestras.
The LSO has long been considered the most extraverted of the London orchestras. For most of its life it refused to allow women to become members, ostensibly on the grounds that women would affect the sound of the orchestra (there has been a similar controversy at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra). There is an air of youthful high spirits to much of its music-making that is shown off in performances of such composers as Berlioz and Prokofiev. The LSO has often had internationally-known players as wind soloists, including such artists as James Galway (flute), Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), Roger Lord (oboe), Osian Ellis (harp), John Georgiadis (violin) and Barry Tuckwell (horn). Like most ensembles, the orchestra has a great ability to vary its sound, producing very different tone colours under such diverse conductors as Stokowski (with whom it made a series of memorable recordings), Adrian Boult, Jascha Horenstein, Georg Solti, André Previn, George Szell, Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, John Barbirolli, and Karl Böhm, who developed a close relationship with the orchestra late in his life. Böhm and Bernstein each held the title of LSO President in their later years.
Clive Gillinson, a former cellist with the orchestra, served as the LSO's Managing Director from 1984 to 2005, and is widely credited with bringing great stability to the LSO's organization after severe fiscal troubles.[1] Since 2005, Kathryn McDowell is the Managing Director of the LSO.[2]
The Look of Love
London Symphony Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can't
disguise
The look of love
Is saying so much more than
Just words could every say
Well it takes my breath away
[Chorus]
I can hardly wait to hold you
Feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you
Now that I have found you
You've got the look of love
It's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Baby be mine, tonight
Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lovers vow
And seal it with a kiss
[Chorus]
Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
The look of love
Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow
And baby we'll seal it with a kiss
[Chorus]
"The Look of Love" is a romantic ballad that speaks to the power of physical attraction and the joy of finally finding someone you've been waiting for. The lyrics are a tribute to the transformative feeling of love, and the way it can change everything about a person’s life. The song opens with a description of the unmistakable "look of love" in someone's eyes, which is so powerful that it overwhelms the singer's senses. The "look" is not just a fleeting expression, but rather a permanent fixture on the face of the beloved. The way the singer describes this look suggests that it is a feeling of deep contentment and satisfaction that can only come from true love.
As the song continues, the singer becomes more and more enraptured by the "look of love," which seems to communicate everything that needs to be said without the need for words. This idea is reinforced by the repetition of the line "Just words could never say," suggesting that there is something ineffable and indescribable about this feeling. The chorus captures the excitement of finally finding someone to love, and the longing to hold them close. The final lines of the song are a plea to the beloved not to leave, and a declaration of the singer’s love.
Overall, "The Look of Love" is a beautifully crafted love song that pulls the listener in with its hypnotic melody and poetic lyrics. The way the song describes the power of love to transform a person is both universal and deeply personal, and it has resonated with audiences for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
The look of love
The way you look at me shows how much you love me
Is in your eyes
I see it in your eyes
A look your smile can't disguise
No matter how hard you try to hide it, your love for me is evident
Is saying so much more than / Just words could ever say
Your look expresses more feelings than any words could ever convey
And what my heart has heard / Well it takes my breath away
What I feel in my heart from your look is so powerful that it takes my breath away
I can hardly wait to hold you /Feel my arms around you / How long I have waited / Waited just to love you / Now that I have found you
I have been longing to hold you in my arms and express my love for you, and now that I have found you, I can't wait to do just that
You've got the look of love / It's on your face / A look that time can't erase / Baby be mine, tonight
Your face shows the undying expression of love that nothing can take away, and I want you to be mine tonight
Let this be just the start of / So many nights like this / Let's take a lover's vow / And seal it with a kiss
Let us make a commitment to each other to have many more nights like this, and let's seal our love with a kiss
Don't ever go / Don't ever go / I love you so / The look of love
I never want you to leave me because I love you so much and your look of love is everything to me
Let this be just the start of / So many nights like this / Let's take a lover's vow / And baby we'll seal it with a kiss
Let us make a commitment to each other to have many more nights like this, and let's seal our love with a kiss
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind