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1.11. WEDNESDAY SERIES 5 Helsinki Music Centre at 19.00 Erich Höbarth, conductor & violino piccolo Soile Isokoski, soprano Aapo Häkkinen, organ George Frideric Handel: Concerto grosso, 12 min op. 3/5 in D minor I (Largo) II Allegro III Adagio IV Allegro ma non troppo – Allegro George Frideric Handel: Concerto for Organ, 11 min Orchestra and Continuo No. 1 in G minor, Op. 4/1 1. Larghetto a staccato 2. Allegro 3. Adagio 4. Andante George Frideric Handel: Concerto for Organ, 12 min Orchestra and Continuo in B flat major, Op. 4/6 1. Andante allegro 2. Larghetto 3. Allegro moderato George Frideric Handel: Concerto grosso in C major, 17 min “Alexander’s Feast” I Allegro II Largo III Allegro IV Andante Non Presto INTERVAL 20 min 1 Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto 20 min No. 1 in F major 1. (No tempo marking) 2. Adagio 3. Allegro 4. Minuet – Trio 1 – Polacca – Trio 2 Johann Sebastian Bach: Cantata No. 82 BWV82, 24 min “Ich habe genug” 1. Ich habe genug (aria) 2. Ich habe genug (recitative) 3. Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen (aria) 4. Mein Gott! wann kommt das schöne: Nun! (recitative) 5. Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod (aria) Interval at about 20:10. The concert will end at about 21:30. Broadcast live on Yle Radio 1 and at yle.fi/areena. The first part of the concert will be shown on Yle Teema, “The FRSO at the Helsinki Music Centre” (RSO Musiikkitalossa) on 5.11. with a repeat on Yle TV 1 on 11.11, and the second part on Yle Teema on 12.11. with a repeat on Yle TV 1 on 18.11. 2 GEORGE FRIDERIC ment, in G major, is more colourful and ornamental, and the work ends on a HANDEL (1685–1759): more strongly marked note to the lilt CONCERTOS FROM of a minuet. ALEXANDER’S FEAST, The six opus 3 concerti grossi are a AND CONCERTO somewhat tricky category in Handel’s instrumental works. His popularity GROSSO OP. 3, NO. 5 as a vocal composer had generated a great demand for instrumental works Alexander’s Feast is unusual as a canta- as well, and this sometimes resulted ta in that it has three instrumental con- in such aberrations as his first collec- certos: one for harp in Part I, a concer- tion of concerti grossi (op. 3). The con- to grosso between Parts I & II, and an certos were published in 1734 by John organ concerto in Part II. Handel then Walsh, having collected and edited remodelled the harp concerto for organ earlier works by Handel, yet Handel, it and, together with the G minor con- seems, had nothing to do with the ed- certo from Alexander’s Feast, grouped iting. Concerto no. 5 in D minor is, how- it with four other organ concertos as ever, an exception, because although it opus 4. The collection was published by does consist of arrangements of earlier John Walsh in 1738. The other concer- pieces, the arrangements are thought tos in the set were likewise originally to have been made by Handel himself. composed for performance with other The concerto grosso in C from great vocal works by Handel. The lat- Alexander’s Feast is from neither of er opus 7 organ concertos originated in Handel’s collections of concerti grossi the same way. (op. 3 & 6) and was published as a sep- The single-manual English chamber arate work in 1740. The solo group con- organs at Handel’s disposal for their sists of two violins and a cello, and the part accounted for the intimate nature orchestra of strings, two oboes, a bas- of his organ concertos. Inserting a harp soon reinforcing the bass line, and con- concerto in the cantata was no random tinuo. The first, blustering movement move on Handel’s part, since it coin- is followed by a slow one in mournful, cides with the account of Timotheus pastoral mood, a lively third one rich in playing the lyre. The transcription for counterpoint, and a solemn, tripping fi- organ also seems logical in view of the nale. work’s associations with Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians and spe- cifically the organ. The outer move- ments of the B flat organ concerto are light and sunny, the soulful middle one more profound. The slow movements are also the more serious ones in the G minor concerto. The second move- 3 JOHANN SEBASTIAN Nikolai. During his first years there, in particular, he was kept extremely busy BACH (1685–1750): and was on average producing one BRANDENBURG cantata a week in addition to all his CONCERTO NO. 1 IN F other compositions and commitments. MAJOR; CANTATA NO. Ich habe genug, is one of his best- known cantatas composed during this 82 “ICH HABE GENUG” frenzied period. He wrote it in February 1727 for the Feast of the Purification Johann Sebastian Bach spent the pe- of the Virgin Mary and originally scored riod 1717–1723 as Kapellmeister in it for bass, oboe, strings and continuo, Cöthen, where the court had been re- but later produced other versions, too. formed and there was no great need to The one for soprano has a flute instead compose for the church. He therefore of an oboe. focused on instrumental music. The Ich habe genug is a symmetrical work most renowned of his Cöthen composi- of three arias with two recitatives be- tions is the set of six concertos known tween them. The flute is much in evi- by the name of Brandenburg. dence in the outermost movements, in The concerto in F major is the only spirited dialogue with the soprano. The one of the set in four movements; the text, by an anonymous writer, calmly others have only three. The form is fur- prepares for and even longs for death. ther enriched by the composite na- The middle Schlummert ein, ihr matten ture of the last movement, which has Augen (Rest in sleep, you weary eyes) is a polonaise or ‘Polacca’ in addition to one of the Bach arias most often per- it minuet and trios. It is scored for a formed on its own. In the final aria, Ich large ensemble including two hunting freue mich auf meinen Tod (I rejoice in horns (corno di caccia), three oboes, a my death), death is at last approaching bassoon, a violino piccolo that is small- and the transition to the other world is er and here tuned a minor third higher a cause for rejoicing. than a normal violin, plus strings and continuo. The hunting horns enter the Programme notes translated scene in the first movement already (abridged) by Susan Sinisalo and give the work an “open-air” feel. They then fall silent in the slow second movement, to make room for a dis- ERICH HÖBARTH creet dialogue between the violino pic- colo and the oboe. The final movement The name of Austrian violinist and again has a polonaise. conductor Erich Höbarth is associat- When Bach began working in Leipzig ed with many celebrated Viennese or- in 1727, he found himself responsible chestras and ensembles. He studied at for directing the music in the city’s two the Vienna Conservatory, the Vienna main churches, the Thomas and the University of Music and Performing 4 Arts and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. A singer with an extensive concert He played second violin in the leg- repertoire, Soile Isokoski has given nu- endary Végh Quartet 1978–1989 and merous Lied recitals the world over. has led the Mosaiques Quartet since With pianist Marita Viitasalo she has 1987. He has been leader of the Vienna recorded works by many Finnish and Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Nordic composers, and by Schubert, String Sextet, Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s Schumann and Richard Strauss. Her Concentus Musicus Wien and András discs have won many awards and dis- Schiff’s Capella Andrea Barca, and was tinctions, such as a Gramophone Artistic Director of the Swiss Camerata Editor’s Choice, MIDEM Classical and Bern 2001–2009. BBC Music Magazine Record of the Höbarth has released many Year. award-winning discs, among them a CD Soile Isokoski was awarded the pres- of Haydn with the Mosaiques Quartet tigious Finlandia Medal for her merits that won a Gramophone Award. He as an artist and her services to Finnish has been Professor of the violin at the music in 2002, Finland’s State Prize for Leipzig Conservatory since 2013. Music in 2005, the honorary title of Kammersängerin of the City of Vienna in 2008, and an honorary doctorate SOILE ISOKOSKI from the Helsinki University Faculty of Theology in 2011. Finland’s Soile Isokoski is one of the world’s most celebrated sopranos. In the course of her impressive career she AAPO HÄKKINEN has collaborated with many top orches- tras and won widespread popularity on Aapo Häkkinen began his musical both opera and concert stage. education as a chorister at Helsinki Graduating from the Sibelius Cathedral. He took up the harpsichord Academy in 1984, Soile Isokoski gave at the age of thirteen, studying this with her debut concert two years later and Elina Mustonen and the organ with Olli went on to reap success in such compe- Porthan at the Sibelius Academy. From titions as the Lappeenranta in Finland 1995 to 1998 he studied with Bob van and the BBC Singer of the World. She Asperen at the Amsterdam Sweelinck made her Finnish National Opera de- Conservatory and from 1996 to 2000 but as Mimi in La bohème and has with Pierre Hantaï in Paris, and was since appeared to great acclaim at, fortunate to enjoy the guidance of the among others, the Vienna, Hamburg, celebrated Dutch harpsichordist and Berlin and Bavarian State Operas, La organist Gustav Leonhardt.

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