Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) Sibelius Sibelius Violin Concerto Violin Concerto in Dminor,Op
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page 20/1 The The Absolute Absolute Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) Sibelius Sibelius Violin Concerto Violin Concerto in DMinor,Op. 47 33:33 1 IAllegromoderato 18:27 Symphony No. 2 2 II Adagio di molto 9:12 3 III Allegro, ma non tanto 7:45 ©Breitkopf &Härtel Symphony No. 2inDMajor,Op. 43 45:45 4 IAllegretto 10:39 5 II Tempo andante, ma rubato 15:03 6 III Vivacissimo 6:23 7 IV Finale. Allegromoderato 14:13 ©Breitkopf &Härtel [79:29] Pekka Kuusisto, violin Pekka Kuusisto, violin (1–3) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Leif Segerstam ODE 1115-2 Leif Segerstam page 20/1 The The Absolute Absolute Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) Sibelius Sibelius Violin Concerto Violin Concerto in DMinor,Op. 47 33:33 1 IAllegromoderato 18:27 Symphony No. 2 2 II Adagio di molto 9:12 3 III Allegro, ma non tanto 7:45 ©Breitkopf &Härtel Symphony No. 2inDMajor,Op. 43 45:45 4 IAllegretto 10:39 5 II Tempo andante, ma rubato 15:03 6 III Vivacissimo 6:23 7 IV Finale. Allegromoderato 14:13 ©Breitkopf &Härtel [79:29] Pekka Kuusisto, violin Pekka Kuusisto, violin (1–3) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Leif Segerstam ODE 1115-2 Leif Segerstam ne mightask whether Jean Sibelius's work. In particularthe first version –composed Violin Concerto was thecomposer's at theend of orinthe first fewdaysof carefully-planned revenge on thedei- –threatenedtodrownthe poorsoloist in aflood Oties of theinstrument.Inhis childhood, Sibelius of technicalchallenges. In Sibeliusperhaps (–)had first played thepiano,butafter sawtheerror of hisways, andproducedarevised afewyears he switched to theviolin.Helater editionwithamorebalancedoverallshape anda confessed:"The violin took me over completely. violin part that was marginallymore accessible From then on forthe nextten years or so my to mere mortals. profoundestwish, theloftiestaspirationofmy ButifSibelius's concerto were nothing more ambitions,was to become agreat violinvirtuoso." than arogues'galleryof thediffiCultiesthatcan ButSibeliusnever quitemanaged to reachthese be putbefore an instrumentalist, then it would goals. For astart,hebegan hisseriousstudyof the certainlynot havebecomeone of themost-played instrument fartoo late,and norwould hisrather violinconcertos of theth century.Besides,for neuroticmake-uphavesuited himfor acareeras allits obstacles, thesoloist's part is veryreward- aperformingartist. ingfor theartist. The hurdlesitprovides arejust When Sibeliusbegan in thefirstyears of this those that violinists loveovercoming.Wecan also centuryto shapeoutaconcertofor theviolin,it admire thewayin which Sibeliushas succeeded in became oneofthe most demandingpieces in the blending technicalbrilliancewithanimpressive standard concerto repertoire –almost as if he were overallsymphonicline. Thiscomes outmost clearly composinghis ownunrealiseddreamsintothe in thebroad first movement (Allegro moderato), page 3 which openswithone of Sibelius's most inspired andunforgettable themes.Thecadenzaisrather demanding, as is thefashion, Butatthe same time it hasanimportant formalfunction, sinceitforms thedevelopment sectionofthe movement. The slowmovement (Adagiodimolto), againone of Sibelius's most attractive, is warmedbyalong- limbedcantabile quality.Inthe finale (Allegro,ma nontanto) thevirtuoso elements –brokenchord progressions, runs in parallel thirds,double and triplestopping, octaves andflageoletnotes –are most on thesurface, Butatthe same time their- resistible energyandmomentumofthe movement provides an effectiveclimaxto thework. In June ,anadmirer who signed himself withthe pseudonym'X' wrote to Jean Sibelius: "Youhavebeensitting at home forquiteabit, Mr.Sibelius. It is time that youtravelled. Youwill spendthe late autumn andwinter in Italy,aland J S where onecan learnaboutcantabile,proportion at leasttosomeextent, anditwas in this direction andharmony,the plasticartsand thesymme- that Sibeliuscontinued in hislaterworks. tryof lines,alandwhere everythingisbeautiful In theSecondSymphony,Sibeliuscontinued –even that which is ugly.After all, recall what to develop hisorganic conceptofform, which Italymeanttothe development of Tchaikovsky was alreadypresentinembryonic form in the andtoRichard Strauss." FirstSymphony().The firstmovementof Some time later theadmirer revealedhimself. theSecondSymphonypresents not selfcontained He was apenniless Butwell-connectedpatronof themes Butbrief motifs that do not come together thearts, BaronAxel Carpelan.Hehad managedto into broader statementsuntil theculmination of seCure agrant forSibelius, enablingthe composer thedevelopment section. Anothermanifestation of andhis familyto spendthe beginningand spring Sibelius's organicapproachisthatthe linebetween of inRapalloonthe Bayof GenoainItaly.It thedevelopment andthe recapitulation is obscured: was here that Sibeliusbegan workonhis Second thetwosectionsdovetailintoone another. Symphony,although some of thematerial dated The slowmovementopens witharestrained from an earliertime. The workwas completed in celloand bass pizzicato, abovewhich asombre early,and itspremiere in Marchthe same bassoontheme emerges. Eventually,however,the yearisone of thegreat triumphsofmythical pro- musicescalatestoclimaxes more dramatic than portions in thehistoryof Finnish music. Even usual foraslowmovement. The scherzoisdynamiC today,the Second is themost popularofSibelius's andenergetic, reminiscent of Beethoven. Itsmain symphonies. sectionisbalancedbyatriosection dominatedby The SecondSymphonymarksaturningpoint alovelyoboe melody.Onits second appearance, in Sibelius's output. On onehand, it belongs to the thetrioleads withoutabreak into thetriumphant Romantic symphonictradition, withbrilliant or- finale, which progresses tumultuouslytowards a chestrationand powerfulclimaxes,butonthe other toweringclose crownedbythebrilliant radiance hand,itrepresentsaturn from thedefiant minor of thebrass. keyof theFirst Symphonyto abrighter andmore universalidiom.Carpelan'sflowingdescriptionof "cantabile,proportionand harmony,the plastiC KimmoKorhonen arts andthe symmetryof lines" proved prophetiC Translation: William Moore orninFinland in , PekkaKuusisto Jean Sibelius'sViolin Concerto withthe Helsinki began to studytheviolin withGézaSzilvay Philharmonic Orchestraunder Leif Segerstam, at theage of three. In ,hewenton was released in (ODE -). He hasalsore- Bto studywithTuomas Haapanenatthe Sibelius corded Vivaldi's The Four Seasons withthe Virtuosidi Academy.Healsostudied withMiriamFried and Kuhmo(ODE-), thecomplete Violin Concertos PaulBiss at IndianaUniversityin Bloomington of J.S. Bach withthe TapiolaSinfonietta andJaakko from to . Kuusisto(ODE -), Mozart'sViolin Concertos He embarked on an international career after nos. , and withthe TapiolaSinfonietta under winningthe Jean SibeliusViolinCompetition in Olli Mustonen (ODE -), worksfor violin .Hehas sinceperformed withmanyof the andpiano ByJean SibeliusaccompaniedbyHeini world's majororchestras, such as theChicago Kärkkäinen(ODE -)aswellasworks for Symphony,ClevelandOrchestra,the LosAngeles violin andorchestra BySibeliuswiththe Tapiola Philharmonic,the Philadelphia Orchestra,the Sinfonietta(ODE -). Philharmonia Orchestra,the Royal Philharmonic, theBBC SymphonyOrchestra,the Chamber eifSegerstam becamethe th Chief Orchestra of Europe, theCzechPhilharmonic, Conductor of theHelsinkiPhilharmoniC theStockholm Royal Philharmonic,the Deutsches Orchestra in .Hehas been praised SymphonieOrchester Berlin,the Australian LBycriticsfor creating powerful, convincing per- ChamberOrchestra andthe Cityof Birmingham formances that arecompelling both musically SymphonyOrchestra.Conductor champions in- andemotionally.Atruemusicalpolymath,Leif clude ValeryGergiev,Yuri Temirkanov,Vladimir Segerstam studied violin,piano,composition, and Ashkenazy,OsmoVänskä, PaavoBerglund, conductingatthe SibeliusAcademyandcontin- ThomasDausgaard, andLeifSegerstam.Apart ued at theJuilliardSchool. He won theMaj Lind from hisappearances as asoloist,Pekka Kuusisto competitionfor pianists at theage of in and also performs chamber music, jazz,folkmusicand gavehis déButrecital as aviolinist in thefollowing electronic music. He is Artistic Director of theLake year. At theage of , he was appointedConductor Tuusula Chamber MusicFestival. of theFinnishNationalOpera.His conducting PekkaKuusistohas an exclusiverecording career continued withpostsatthe Royal Opera contract withOndine. HisaCClaimed first disc, of Stockholmand theDeutscheOperBerlin,as wellasChief Conductor positions at theAustrian as theHelsinkiOrchestralSocietyBytheyoung RadioSymphonyOrchestra,the Finnish Radio Robert Kajanus, itsfirst ChiefConductor,in. SymphonyOrchestra,the Staatsphilharmonie Well knowntodayforits traditionofperforming Rheinland-Pfalz,the Danish National Radio Sibelius, it also premieredmanyof hismajorworks, SymphonyOrchestra,and theRoyal Operain often withthe composerhimselfconducting. The Stockholm. Leif Segerstam hasappearedasguest orchestraundertook itsfirstforeign tourtothe conductor withorchestrassuch as theBerlin UniversalExpositioninParis in ,and since Philharmonic,the ChicagoSymphony,and the then it hasvisited most European countries,inad- LosAngeles Philharmonic.Hehas also conducted dition to visitingthe USAand Japan, both on four in most of theworld's leadingopera houses, includ- occasions. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra ingthe Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent andOndinehavemaintainedalong-standing Garden,the operahousesofCologne,HamBurg, exclusivepartnership with, amongothers, an edi- Munich,and Geneva, as wellasatthe SalzBurg tion of thecomplete