Sakari Oramo, conductor Marko Ylönen,

Magnus Lindberg: , fp in Finland 9 min

Antonín Dvorˇák: Cello no. 2 in B minor, Op. 104 40 min I Allegro II Adagio ma non troppo III Finale (Allegro moderato)

INTERVAL 20 min

Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony no. 5 in B flat major, Op. 100 42 min I Andante II Allegro marcato III Adagio IV Allegro giocoso

Interval at about 7.45 pm. Th e concert ends at about 8.45 pm. Broadcast live on YLE Radio 1 and the Internet (www.yle.fi /rso).

1 (b. 1958): EXPO (2009)

Magnus Lindberg has tended not to enter in- ludes to the musical term ‘exposition’, meaning to long-term commitments that would prevent ‘statement of the material’. Lindberg announc- him from composing. Last autumn he never- es his basic vocabulary right at the very outset. theless embarked on a two-year tenure as the He creates drama through contrasts. First he Marie-Josée Kravis -in-Residence of introduces virtuosically quick and chorale-like the . Th is will require slow music. Th eir roles later get mixed up so him to compose new works for the , to that the listener gets simultaneous sensations plan its Contact! series of new music concerts, of quick and slow. By means of rapid cuts and to join in the Philharmonic’s education projects changes of tempo Lindberg creates a narrative and all in all to be present whenever contempo- that does not for a moment tread water. Th e rary music is performed. result is rhythmic dance-like patterns, mighty Th e residency got off to a fi ne start in mid- blocks of brass and sound and thin, lin- September when the orchestra’s new Music Di- gering textures. Th e harmony is rich, clear and rector conducted a gala concert to resonant. Th e bare fi fths permit tonal associa- mark the start of his fi rst season. Th e concert tions, and at no point does even the unaccus- began with the premiere performance of EXPO. tomed listener need to grip the armrests in or- Th e NYP has already taken EXPO on tour to the der to stay on board. Far East and it will feature on the programme EXPO is an interesting addition to the short for its European tour in January-February. orchestral-piece tradition. It sweeps the listen- In December Lindberg conducted the fi rst er along at a brisk pace, not wallowing in murky Contact! concert. During the present season waters but exuding positive fl ow by ingeniously the NYP will also perform his Arena and his regulating the kinetic energy. Like gloves made Concerto, and to round off the season by a master: just right. in June a big new orchestral work. Th e Lindberg residency will help Gilbert to give his fi rst-rate Risto Nieminen (abridged) orchestra a more youthful image. EXPO was written with the sense of occasion prevailing at its premiere in mind. Th e title al- Antonín Dvorˇák (1841–1904): Cello Concerto no. 2 in B minor, Op. 104 (1894–95)

Th e B minor Cello Concerto by Antonín Dvořák with it the overall structure of the work. Com- has been called the king of cello . Ever pared with a traditional concerto it is more in since it was fi rst heard in 1895, it has been im- the nature of a symphony than a display of skill mensely popular, performed and recorded more and has sometimes been described as Dvořák’s than any other. It is easy to fi nd many reasons tenth Symphony. for this. For it is a work marked by a beauti- Th e genesis of the concerto is not quite as ful idiom combining folk-like, Bohemian mel- sunny as its subsequent success might sug- odies with drama, grand emotions, a brilliant gest. Dvořák in fact had no intention of writ- solo part and splendid orchestration. Th e inner ing it, for never in his long career had he shown drama may be compressed into two psycholog- any interest in the cello as a solo instrument, ical lines: the farewell to life and love of a great claiming that the upper register sounded too artist. It is here that the tension emerges, and nasal and the bass notes too rumbling. His cel-

2 list friend Hanus Wihan, to whom the B mi- ness and death of his youthful beloved Josefi - nor Concerto was dedicated, had long been na Kounicová. Knowing that he would soon be suggesting that Dvořák write a cello concer- forced to take his leave of her, he examined, in to, but to no avail. Not until Dvořák was direc- his Concerto, the relationship between happi- tor of the National Conservatory in New York ness and anguish. Th e most signifi cant work – (1892-95) did he work up any enthusiasm for as far as the Cello Concerto was concerned – in- the idea, and the fi nal impetus came in spring spired by Josefi na was the four settings of po- 1894, when he heard a performance of the sec- ems by Malybrok-Stieler, Op. 82, one of which, ond Cello Concerto by Viktor Herbert, a com- Leave me alone, appears as the second theme of poser of musicals. the second movement of the Concerto and at Th e Cello Concerto was the result of a peri- the end of the elegiac fi nale. od of intensive work in early February 1895. Th e process of composition and the work’s revi- Raimo Sariola (abridged) sion later that spring were infl uenced by the ill- Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953): Symphony no. 5 in B flat major, Op. 100 (1944)

Returning to the Soviet Union in 1935, Sergei the mischievous clarinet theme of the main sec- Prokofi ev earned the approval of the political tion are shown in a grotesque and momentarily regime by writing patriotic music. He reacted nightmarish light. Th e slow movement is trag- to the Second World War fi rst at personal level, ic and nostalgic in tone. Th e melody spreads its with his Sonatas 6-8, and then in 1944 wings on the like a mythical bird in a with his Symphony No. 5 in B major, Op. 100. dark, gloomy orchestral picture frame. Th e fi fth Symphony is classical in structure Th e Finale begins as a jolly Sonata Rondo pre- but is epic in the Slavic manner rather than pared by a fl ashback to the main theme of the relying on motif work. Its leisurely pace gives opening movement. Th e violas set the music the opening movement the air of an introduc- in motion and the clarinet strikes up a cheer- tion. Th e lyrical theme introduced by the wood- ful, carefree tune that encounters obstacles as it winds reveals its majestic potential in the devel- proceeds. Th e emotional contrast that has per- opment section. Complementing the translu- vaded throughout the work takes the leading cent sounds of the strings and woodwinds are role in the jaunty fi nal build-up in which the tri- the militant brass outbursts reinforced by the umphant, sentimental jubilation is restrained percussion. by screeching dissonances. Th e Scherzo is an opportunity for Prokofi ev to cultivate the devilish tricks of his modernist Antti Häyrynen (abridged) period, musical comedy that rapidly gives way to raging anguish. Th e motorised rhythms and

Sakari Oramo

Sakari Oramo has been Chief Conductor of the and went on to obtain a conducting diploma in Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra since Au- the class of Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Acade- gust 2003. An accomplished violinist, he began my. In January 1993 he replaced an ailing con- his career as co-leader of the orchestra in 1991 ductor at very short notice; the resulting con-

3 cert was an unprecedented success, leading to Edinburgh Festivals. In October 2005 he took his appointment as Associate Chief Conductor the orchestra on tour to Japan and was imme- as of autumn 1994. Four years later he began as diately invited back for February 2007. Principal Conductor of the City of Birmingham Th e FRSO and Sakari Oramo have recorded Symphony Orchestra, an appointment that was music (for ) by such Finnish compos- renamed Music Director in autumn 1999. He ers as Hakola, Lindberg, Kaipainen and Kok- resigned from his ten-year term in Birmingham konen, and the debut release of Launis’s opera in spring 2008 but continues as the orchestra’s Aslak Hetta. His disc of works by Magnus Lind- Principal Guest Conductor. As of the 2008/09 berg, and the Bartók disc by Warner Classics season he will be Chief Conductor and Artistic have received great international acclaim. His Advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic disc (Ondine) of Symphonies 3 and 5 by Nor- Orchestra. He is also Principal Guest Conduc- dgren won the French Académie Charles Cros tor of the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra award, and that of Lindberg the prize of the and of Kokkola Opera. BBC Music Magazine and the Classic FM Gram- Mr Oramo has conducted many of the ophone Award in 2006. Th e recording by Mr world’s leading , such as the Berlin, Oramo, the FRSO and of the New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oslo Phil- Concertos by Magnus Lindberg and Jean harmonics, the , Cleveland and Minnesota Sibelius was honoured with a MIDEM Classical Orchestras, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Award in 2008. NHK Symphony and the Frankfurt RSO. Th e Sakari Oramo received an Honorary Doc- next few years will include visits to the Berlin torate in summer 2004 from the University Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden and San of Central England in Birmingham. In sum- Francisco Symphony. mer 2008 he was awarded the prestigious Elgar With the FRSO Mr Oramo has toured to Vi- Medal in recognition of his work to further the enna, Prague, Germany and Switzerland, as reputation of Elgar and his music. well as the BBC Proms, the Canary Islands and

Marko Ylönen

Marko Ylönen was a fi nalist in the national Turku miere performances, such as of the Cello Concer- Cello Competition when he was only 15. In 1990 to by in 2003. he won the second prize in the Scandinavian Cel- Ylönen’s discography includes the Shchedrin lo Competition in Turku and was one of the lau- Cello Concerto with the Philharmon- reates in the Tchaikovsky Competition in Mos- ic Orchestra conducted by Olli Mustonen, a duo cow. Six years later he was the winner of the Con- disc with pianist Martti Rautio, the 1st and 3rd cert Artist Guild competition in New York. Cello Concertos by Pehr Henrik Nordgren with His solo and chamber music engagements the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra under Ju- have taken Marko Ylönen round Europe, to Aus- ha Kangas, Haydn and Bach concertos and the tralia, New Zealand and the United States. In Cello Concerto by with summer 2004 he was Artistic Director of the the Helsinki Philharmonic conducted by Max Korsholm Music Festival. He has served as sec- Pommer. tion leader in the Tapiola Sinfonietta, as princi- After studying at the Jyväskylä Conservatory pal cellist in the FRSO and was the cellist in the and with Csaba Szilvay at the East Helsinki Mu- New Helsinki Quartet from 1995 to 1999. Nowa- sic Institute, Marko Ylönen entered the Sibelius days he is a professor in chamber music at the Si- Academy as a pupil of Erkki Rautio and Heikki belius Academy. He is an active advocate of con- Rautasalo. He also studied with Heinrich Schiff temporary music and has given a number of pre- in Basel and plays a Matteo Goff riller cello.

4 The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Th e Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (FR- With Sakari Oramo the FRSO has record- SO), the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting ed music by Bartók, Hakola, Lindberg, Kaipai- Company (YLE), celebrated its 80th anniversa- nen, Kokkonen and others, and the debut disc ry in autumn 2007. Its Chief Conductor is Saka- of the opera Aslak Hetta by Armas Launis. Its ri Oramo, who assumed the post in 2003 after discs have won many prestigious distinctions, nine years as its conductor. such as Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine Th e Radio Orchestra of ten players founded awards. Its most recent honour, a MIDEM Clas- in 1927 grew to a full-size symphony orchestra sical Award, was for the recording of the Lind- in the 1960s. Its chief conductors have been berg and Sibelius Violin Concertos with Lisa Ba- Toivo Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Paavo tiashvili as the soloist in 2008. Another record- Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam and Juk- ing of Lindberg’s orchestral pieces was select- ka-Pekka Saraste. ed as the record of the year 2008 by the New Contemporary music is a major item in the York Times. repertoire of the FRSO, which each year pre- Th e FRSO has been on major tours all over mieres a number of YLE commissions. All in all the world and given nearly 300 concerts abroad. the FRSO has so far premiered more than 500 It has visited Japan four times. During the works. Its programme for the 2009/10 season 2009/10 season it will be visiting St. Peters- features six world and many Finnish premieres. burg, Benin, and Stockholm. Th e FRSO recordings now number over 100, All the FRSO concerts, both in Finland and on the Ondine and other labels. One historic abroad, can be heard on the FRSO’s home chan- gem is the Andante festivo conducted by the nel, YLE Radio 1. Th ey are usually broadcasted composer, , at the Helsinki Con- live and can also be heard worldwide via the In- servatory (now the ) Hall. Th is ternet (www.yle.fi /rso). recording is the only known document of Sibe- lius in the role of conductor.

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