FRIDAY SERIES 12 Taavi Oramo, Conductor Conrad Tao, Piano

27.4. FRIDAY SERIES 12 Helsinki Music Centre at 19:00

Taavi Oramo, conductor Conrad Tao, piano

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 49 in F Minor, 24 min “La passione” Hob. I:49 I Adagio II Allegro di molto III Minuet – Trio IV Presto

John Adams: Piano Concerto “Century Rolls” 30 min I First Movement II Manny’s Gym III Hail Bop

INTERVAL 20 min

Sergei Prokofiev: Suite from the ballet Cinderella 45 min (arr. James Gaffigan)

Act I 1. Introduction 2. Shawl dance 6. The sister’s new clothes 7. The dancing lesson 9. Cinderella dreams of the ball

1 Act II 26. Mazurka and the entrance of the Prince 29. Cinderella’s arrival at the ball 30. The grand waltz 36. Duet of the Prince and Cinderella 37. Waltz coda 38. Midnight

Act III 47. The Prince’s visit 48. The Prince recognises Cinderella 50. Amoroso

The LATE-NIGHT CHAMBER MUSIC will begin in the main Concert Hall after an interval of about 10 minutes. Those attending are asked to take (unnumbered) seats in the stalls.

Conrad Tao, piano Reeta Maalismaa, violin Anton Kukkonen, cello

Conrad Tao: Works for piano, fp 15 min

Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio No. 44 in E Major Hob. XV:28 18 min

Interval at about 20:05. The concert will end at about 21:20, the late-night chamber music at about 22. The concert will be broadcast live on Yle Radio 1 and Yle Areena. It will also be shown in two parts on Yle Teema in the programme RSO Musiikkitalossa (The FRSO at the Helsinki Music Centre) on 6.5. and 13.5. with repeats on Yle TV 1 on 12.5. and 19.5

2 JOSEPH HAYDN: ny ends with a determined, energetic Presto, but even this is not sufficient to SYMPHONY NO. conceal the tragic undercurrents. 49 IN F MINOR, “LA PASSIONE” JOHN ADAMS: PIANO Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) threw him- CONCERTO “CENTURY self whole-heartedly into the whirlpool of the pre-romantic Sturm und Drang ROLLS” movement that swept across Central Sometimes described as a “post-mini- Europe in the 1760s and early 1770s, and malist” composer, John Adams (b. 1947) was one of its main musical proponents. prefers to view himself from a broader, His symphony No. 49 of 1768 known as freer perspective as a “post-style com- La passione well illustrates this. Its mu- poser”. His multidimensional but tight- sical drama is coloured by surprise ac- ly compressed “post-style” synthesis is cents and cuts in the dynamics and manifest in his piano concerto Century events and the often despairing rheto- Rolls of 1997 written at the request of ric. Though symphonies in minor keys pianist Emanuel Ax, who was the soloist became common during the Sturm at the premiere. und Drang period, few are as utterly mi- Adams says that the germinating nor-keyed as La passione. All four move- idea behind Century Rolls was an ex- ments are in minor keys, and what is perience he once had listening to a re- more all in the same F minor. cording of old piano roll music from the Though in the conventional four 1920s. He was struck in an unexpect- movements, La passione does not follow ed way by the fact that, regardless of the formal scheme customary at the the performer or the repertoire – be time. Like five of Haydn’s other sym- it Gershwin or Rachmaninoff, Jelly Roll phonies, it begins with a slow Adagio. Morton or Paderewski – the technology Though serious and meditative with its of the piano roll transformed the music sighing motif, the first movement does into a realm that could not have been have some comforting moments. The anticipated before the age of mechan- quick, fiery second movement is again ical reproduction: a clear, sharp sound tragically passionate with its soul-sear- and rhythmic precision. ing leaps, and is seasoned with syncopa- Out of these piano rolls grew a con- tions and dynamic contrasts. certo with a spiky sound all of its own. The Minuet is far removed from the Presumably because of this mechanical gravity of the traditional aristocratic sound, Adams requests that the piano court dance, being more like a funeral be slightly amplified. Since piano rolls cortège proceeding in triple time. Only were popular in the early half of the in the short Trio section does the music 20th century, he turned in his concer- momentarily switch to F major, thereby to to music of the same era, its energy introducing a ray of light. The sympho- and gestures; hence the word “Century”

3 – adding further connotations – in the SERGEI PROKOFIEV: title. The various genres of music recorded on piano rolls, from classical to SUITE FROM THE jazz, also found their way into the work. BALLET CINDERELLA Like traditional concertos, Century Rolls is in three movements (quick– Cinderella is one of the most popular slow–quick), but the first two are per- ballets by Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953). formed without a break. The opening From the many versions of the story, one is the longest, accounting for about he chose to work with the one by the half the concerto. It has a strong, mo- French writer Charles Perrault of 1697. toric drive, building up to a mighty cli- Some analysts claim to see it as a piece max on the full orchestra. Towards the of social criticism and as a portrayal of end, it calms down again, the piano the degenerate upper middle class, but playing what sound like jazz improvi- Prokofiev said he just wanted his music sations but are in fact precisely notat- to capture the Prince’s romantic love, its ed. From time to time the piano rests kindling and development, the obsta- awhile in rising and falling phrases. cles in its path and the fulfilment of Piccolo and oboe lead the first move- Cinderella’s dream. ment straight into the slow second. The The ballet is a chain of separate num- title “Manny’s Gym” alludes both to Ax’s bers. These include the classical pas de nickname Manny and to Erik Satie’s deux, adagios, gavottes, waltzes, etc., Gymnopedies; the opening melody, with and each of the main characters has piano accompaniment, is like a variation at least one variation. The music con- on Satie’s music. tinues the extravagant melodic style The closing “Hail, Bop” goes straight of Prokofiev’s earlier ballet,Romeo and into the attack. Adams said he could Juliet, but because of the storyline, the here detect the influence of the Studies range of expression is more restricted by Conlon Nancarrow, another piano-roll and devoid of the tragedy of the ear- composer. Sometimes the rhythms re- lier work. call easy-going boogie woogie, at oth- Prokofiev arranged three orches- ers the walking bass pizzicatos familiar tral suites of music from Cinderella for from jazz, or again Latin-American per- concert use, but for this concert James cussion. In its unbridled onslaught, the Gaffigan made a selection of numbers piano behaves like a sound machine run from all three Acts. wild. Act I presents Cinderella’s grim life at home (no. 1), the sisters arguing over a shawl (no. 2) and attending a dancing lesson (no. 7). When the rest of the family depart for the Prince’s ball, Cinderella remains alone at home, dreaming of dancing with the Prince (no. 9). An old beggar woman appears, and Cinderella

4 shows compassion for her; she turns out and Paavo Lipponen Foundation cho- to be Cinderella’s fairy godmother, con- se him as its Young Singer of the Year jures up a beautiful dress for Cinderella for 2018. Taavi Oramo is actively in- and sends her off to the ball. volved with electronic music. One of Act II takes place at the ball (no. 26), his best-known live electronics labs is at which Cinderella arrives in her mag- Tölölab. nificent new dress (no. 29). The Prince falls in love with her at first sight (no. 30), and in a pas de deux they de- CONRAD TAO clare their love for each other (no. 36). Cinderella must nevertheless obey the Conrad Tao has fast become one of fairy godmother’s command and leave the most interesting musicians of the the ball when the clock strikes midnight young generation. Hailed early on as a (no. 38). Wunderkind, he has made his mark as In Act III, the Prince seeks desperately both a pianist and a composer and has for the mysterious Cinderella and finally also studied the violin. He makes his de- finds his way to her home (no. 47). The but with the Finnish Radio Symphony glass slipper left by her at the ball fits Orchestra at this concert. her and proves she is the girl with whom The musical talent of Conrad Tao, he has fallen in love (no. 48). Thus the who was born in the United States into story has a happy – amoroso – ending a family of Chinese descent in 1994, (no. 50). was noted when he was only 18 months old, as he picked out familiar children’s Programme notes by Kimmo Korhonen songs on the piano. He first appeared translated (abridged) by Susan Sinisalo as a pianist when he was four and made his debut as a concerto soloist at eight, playing the Mozart A major. When he was nine, Tao entered the Juilliard School of Music in New York. At TAAVI ORAMO around that time, he also won a nation- al violin competition, but he thereafter Conductor, singer, clarinettist and ele- concentrated on the piano and compos- ctronics musician, Taavi Oramo is a ing. He nevertheless says his violin stud- student of conducting in the class of ies and playing in the student orchestra Atso Almila at the Sibelius Academy, at the Aspen Music Festival were impor- Helsinki. He made his conducting de- tant for his development as a pianist. but with the Tapiola Sinfonietta in Tao has been the winner of numerous November 2017. His solo engagements prizes and distinctions for young pia- as a clarinettist have included appearan- nists and composers. The most recent is ces with the Ostrobothnian Chamber the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Orchestra, the Kuopio Symphony and Artists 2018. He has been the soloist the Joensuu City Orchestra. The Päivi with many of the leading US orches-

5 tras and since 2012 has also given solo its first appearance on September 1, recitals and been the soloist in Europe 1927, at the Aleksanterinkatu 46 studio and South America. His repertoire rang- in Helsinki. It began giving public con- es from Bach via works of the Classical certs a few years later and grew to sym- and Romantic periods to 20th-century phony orchestra strength in the 1960s, classics and contemporary music – his during Paavo Berglund’s term as Chief own included. Conductor. Tao began his recording career in In addition to the great Classical- 2012 with a disc of music by Debussy Romantic masterpieces, the latest con- and Stravinsky. The following year he temporary music is a major item in the released three discs, on one of which repertoire of the FRSO, which each (Voyages) he plays pieces of his own year premieres a number of Yle com- composition and music by Meredith missions. Another of the orchestra’s Monk, Rachmaninoff and Ravel. The tasks is to record all Finnish orchestral second was devoted to his own syn- music for the Yle archive. During the thesiser pop, and the third to Mozart’s 2017/2018 season, the FRSO will pre- Piano Concertos 17 and 25. The CD miere six Finnish works commissioned he released in 2015 is of Mussorgsky’s by Yle. The programme will also include Pictures at an Exhibition, music by concert performances of three operas, Elliott Carter, Toru Takemitsu and David the FRSO’s first festival of its own and Lang, and works of his own. major 20th-century violin concertos. The FRSO has recorded works by Mahler, Ligeti, Sibelius, Hakola, THE FINNISH Lindberg, Saariaho, Sallinen, Kaipainen, Kokkonen and others, and the debut RADIO SYMPHONY disc of the opera Aslak Hetta by Armas ORCHESTRA Launis. Its discs have reaped some pres- tigious distinctions, such as the BBC The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Music Magazine Award, the Académie (FRSO) is the orchestra of the Finnish Charles Cros Award and a MIDEM Broadcasting Company (Yle). Its mis- Classical Award. Its disc of Sibelius’s sion is to produce and promote Lemminkäinen and Pohjola’s Daughter Finnish musical culture and its Chief was Gramophone magazine’s Critic’s Conductor as of autumn 2013 has been Choice in December 2015 and brought Hannu Lintu. His predecessors as Chief the FRSO and Hannu Lintu a Finnish Conductor were Toivo Haapanen, Nils- Emma award in the Classical Album Eric Fougstedt, Paavo Berglund, Okko category. Music by Sibelius, Prokofiev, Kamu, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Lindberg, Bartók and others will be re- Saraste and Sakari Oramo. corded during the 2017/2018 season. The FRSO celebrates its 90th anni- The FRSO regularly tours to all parts of versary in the 2017/2018 season, for the the world. During the 2017/2018 season Radio Orchestra of ten players made its schedule will include a European tour

6 under Hannu Lintu. The home channel of the FRSO is Yle Radio 1, which broad- casts all the FRSO concerts, usually live, both in Finland and abroad. Its concerts can also be heard and watched with ex- cellent live stream quality in the web (yle.fi/areena).