Baltic Sea Discovery Tour 2016
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Baltic Sea Discovery Tour 2016 Baltic Sea Philharmonic Welcome Thank you for joining us for the latest chapter of our story – our ‘Baltic Sea Discovery’ tour. The journey of discovery is an important one for us all as human beings, and especially for musicians and music lovers. The end point may be finding exciting new places, people, things or knowledge, but often it’s the actual process of discovery that leaves the greatest mark on us. The musicians of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, together with Kristjan Järvi, will be making and offering many discoveries on this tour – travelling to new cities, collaborating with new partners, performing rarely heard music and playing to new audiences, some of whom have never heard classical music live before. But more than all of this, they will have their eyes and ears open to the world and the people around them. As Proust said: ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.’ We look forward to sharing our new vision with you. beyond music More than the music notes on the page Find out about our motivation and our journey, as well as about the concert schedule and the pieces you will be hearing. beyond borders 06 Borders exist only on maps: we are teaching students to be free in their thinking and in their music Travel in time with us through our past achievements and into our future ambitions. 28 beyond culture We have evolved from a youth orchestra into a social movement Discover Kristjan Järvi’s mission and Gidon Kremer’s beyond views about the future of music, and meet Kremerata countries Baltica and Lidia Baich. Crossing geographical boundaries, we bring people and nationalities together 14 Join a conversation between two of our players and meet our musicians. 22 Beyond music ‘We create an example of unity. This is the microcosm of the harmony that can exist in a united Northern Europe of ten countries. We’re strong, if we want to be. It starts from the soil, from nature, from culture, from human relations’ Kristjan Järvi Our commitment to freedom is as 25 years of the German – Polish Treaty Join us in our important as ever, demonstrated by our of Good Neighbourship? We are grateful work to support unity in the Nordic region, that German Chancellor Angela Merkel an area that was historically divided. has agreed to be the patron of our concert ‘Baltic Sea Discovery’ In this spirit, our concert in Gdańsk is in Peenemünde. Such an endorsement dedicated to freedom in Europe, and will offers us the opportunity for more be held in an appropriate location – the people to discover our project Find out the philosophy behind our latest project European Solidarity Centre. The centre, and our dream of unity. which opened in 2014, was designed as a symbol of the victory of the Solidarity Above all, as you can see throughout This is the second journey for Baltic much-loved Swan Lake, which Kristjan movement and of how that triumph was this programme, our tour is about Sea Philharmonic. The first, in April Järvi has arranged for the orchestra. achieved peacefully, by people coming discovering the ‘beyond’ – the things that this year, focused on the northern part He explains his fascination with the bird: together in reconciliation. It is a world happen beyond culture, beyond music, of the region and met with delighted ‘Swans are creatures of great purity centre for fostering the ideas of freedom, beyond borders, beyond countries. audiences and excellent reviews. So this and beauty, and all the Nordic countries democracy and solidarity. The concert This is our ambition for the Baltic Sea time, we’re going further afield, travelling have them in their culture, which is why will send signs of peace and mutual Philharmonic – to offer more than just the southern part: starting again in we’re focusing the repertoire in this way.’ understanding, not only between music and culture, but to be an entire Lithuania, continuing to Russia, Poland, Together, these pieces create a perfect Poland and Germany, but also across social movement, a platform for change. Denmark and ending in Germany. balance, as he says: ‘We’re bringing the entire region. together different elements of new, We hope you enjoy our journey As we travel further geographically, popular, and completely undiscovered And we return to the Island of Usedom, of discovery of the ‘beyond’! we’re also forging new relationships. music, which is why we’re calling it where our story began back in 2008. We are delighted to be working for the the “Baltic Sea Discovery” tour.’ This Baltic Sea island is partly Germany, first time with Gidon Kremer and his partly Poland, so where better to celebrate Kremerata Baltica, members of whom We also continue our commitment to will be embedded in the orchestra in local communities and the future of this unique collaboration, and rising star music, with two educational concerts in violinist Lidia Baich. Together with these Denmark, offering 6,000 young people violinists, we will be bringing Mieczysław the chance to hear classical music live, Weinberg’s great but rarely performed possibly for the first time. This discovery Violin Concerto to new audiences. For can be inspiring and even life-changing all of these reasons, we have named for youngsters, especially when they the tour ‘Baltic Sea Discovery’. see an orchestra made up of players only a few years older than they are. Some things aren’t new, though. We continue to demonstrate our commitment to the environment in our choice of repertoire, which is themed around the majestic figure of the swan: Arvo Pärt’s 2014 Swansong and Tchaikovsky’s 08 09 Baltic Sea Discovery Baltic Sea Philharmonic with Kremerata Baltica Kristjan Järvi, conductor Gidon Kremer, violin Lidia Baich, violin Arvo Pärt (1935) 15 September 2016, 6.30 pm Swansong (Littlemore Tractus) Klaipeda (Concert Hall), for orchestra Lithuania with Lidia Baich Mieczysław Weinberg (1919 – 1996) Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 67 16 September 2016, 7.00 pm Allegro molto Kaliningrad (Cathedral), Allegretto Russia Adagio with Lidia Baich Allegro risoluto 18 September 2016, 7.00 pm Baltic Sea Philharmonic Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) Gdańsk (European Solidarity Centre), Kristjan Järvi, conductor Swan Lake Concert Suite, Op. 20 Poland arranged by Kristjan Järvi with Gidon Kremer ‘Baltic Sea Discovery’ 21-22 September 2016, 9.00 am, Kremerata Baltica Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) 11.00 am, 1.00 pm The Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22 No. 2 Sønderborg (Alsion), 20 September 2016, 5.00 pm Denmark Copenhagen (DR Concert Hall), Arvo Pärt (1935) Denmark Swansong (Littlemore Tractus) with Gidon Kremer for orchestra Kremerata Baltica Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) 24 September 2016, 8.00 pm Svahnevit (Swan White) (excerpts) Island of Usedom (Kraftwerk Museum Peenemünde), Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) Germany Swan Lake Concert Suite, Op. 20 with Gidon Kremer (excerpts) Kremerata Baltica arranged by Kristjan Järvi 10 11 Listening guide Our programme is full of well-loved His Violin Concerto in G minor and unknown gems, with a royal theme Op. 67 is equally fine. Shostakovich described it as an ‘exceptional piece in the truest sense of the word’. The Moscow premiere in 1961 with the famous The ‘Baltic Sea Discovery’ programme music since the 1970s, and it gave his violinist Leonid Kogan was a triumphant focuses on a royal creature – the swan. originally avant-garde tonal language success. During the outer movements, The majestic white bird is often visible a new direction. His profession of the orchestra fervently drives the soloist on the Baltic coast, especially at sunset. faith in the Russian Orthodox Church forward. Drama, marching rhythms, For the Romantics, the swan enjoyed a was a further statement, and a deeply melancholia, romanticism, folklore and particular status as a symbol of loyalty, pious tone pervades the music. grotesque elements ensure a variety of purity and elegance. For example, a swan moods. The orchestration is full of effects, The famous swan motif paraphrases a draws the hero’s boat in Richard Wagner’s Fortunately, the music of Polish composer but always finely nuanced. For example, sequence of notes in Wagner’s Lohengrin opera Lohengrin. It appears in the Finnish Mieczysław Weinberg has been instead of ending the piece with a brilliant opera (1850), as the knight warns his national epic poetry Kalevala and in the rediscovered in recent years. He fled orchestral gesture, it is the soloist who is beloved Elsa: ‘You must never question medieval German verse romances about to Russia in 1939 as German forces heard last with an ethereal pianissimo. me.’ German fairy tales and the fate of the knight Parzival. The final works by invaded his homeland. The composer Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, who built composers are often described as their Dmitri Shostakovich subsequently The world’s most popular music on so many fairy tale castles, apparently swansong, since shortly before dying, became an important supporter and the theme of swans is undoubtedly served to inspire Tchaikovsky’s dreaming the swan is said to sing a final, moving admirer. Because of his Jewish– Peter Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. prince Siegfried. He falls in love with song – as is recounted in Greek mythology. Polish background, Weinberg initially It was premiered in 1877 at the Moscow the enchanted Swan Queen, Odette, encountered difficult times under the Bolshoi Theatre and contains some of who glides over a magical lake together The hymn-like, contemplative Stalin regime and was even briefly his most memorable melodies. Many with her companions. Her rival Odile, orchestral piece Swansong, by the arrested in 1953.