Baltic Folk Tour 2017 Baltic Sea Philharmonic Welcome We are delighted to welcome you to ‘Baltic Folk’, our second tour of 2017. On this tour of Sweden, Germany and Italy, we bring you music from Russia and Estonia. The beauty of great music, like the greatest legends, stories and folktales, lies in its universality. It speaks from the heart to all of us, no matter which country we are from. The masterpieces by Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff that you will hear tonight are Russian to the core, but everyone can relate to their themes and emotions – from the tale of love, magic and transformation that inspired Stravinsky’s The Firebird, to the melancholy and passionate drama of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. Similarly, you do not have to share the religious convictions of Arvo Pärt, the third composer in our ‘Baltic Folk’ programme, to be deeply affected by his emotionally profound music. As an orchestra of musicians from the ten nations of the Baltic Sea region, bringing people together is in our nature. And the universal music we play means we can connect more strongly with each other, and with you, our audience. The folk-influenced music in our concerts certainly speaks to us from the heart, and we hope our performance will touch you just as deeply. Our spark We fire up imaginations through inspirational performances Come with us on a musical adventure through a world of magic, passion and spirituality Our flow 06 We connect people to the environment, and to each other Explore our 2017 ‘Waterworks’ tour, which is inspired by water‘s power to connect communities across the world 28 14 Our impulse We challenge ideas of what an orchestra should be Discover Kristjan Järvi‘s vision for the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, and meet our 22 musicians and soloist Our strength We stand for unity in a historically divided region Follow our journey from pioneering youth orchestra to international movement for solidarity our spark Nostalgia, longing, a yearning for warmth and light, for rebirth and transformation – these are the emotional currents of ‘Baltic Folk’ Fires from the east Discover a sparkling world of legend, drama and passion on our Russian-focused musical adventure For this ‘Baltic Folk’ tour, we look to the Kristjan Järvi, Founding Conductor and east of the Baltic Sea region, to Estonia, Music Director of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, and especially to Russia. In Stravinsky’s likens the music of Swansong to a village folktale-inspired The Firebird and waltz: ‘Sometimes this waltz is slightly bitter, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, at other times nostalgic, but in the end it turns the perfect location for our first concert. we present two of the best-loved orchestral into something very hopeful, in its yearning The Baltic Sea Philharmonic has always works of the early 20th century, both of for warmth and light.’ For Kristjan, this sense been sensitive to the environment, and on which reveal their Russian essence in of longing and transformation is paralleled, in Gotland, with its picturesque beaches, contrasting ways. In the ballet that launched music of an altogether more epic and exotic lakes and rocky outcrops, it’s impossible his international career as a composer, style, in The Firebird. not to feel deeply connected to nature. Stravinsky dazzles us with brilliant colours, A UNESCO World Heritage site, Visby is the vitality of Russian folk music, and the The Baltic Sea Philharmonic performs The one of the best-preserved medieval cities magic of the mythical Firebird. And in one Firebird in its 1945 orchestral suite version, in northern Europe. It’s also where the idea of the most romantic piano concertos ever and makes a daring shift from convention for the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic was written, Rachmaninoff bares his soul in by playing the work entirely from memory. memory is all about chemistry and born ten years ago in a concert of a project dramatic music rich in Slavic melancholy. Kristjan sees this approach as an evolution communication,’ he says. ‘It should feel like orchestra called the Baltic Youth Orchestra. in how musicians express themselves the players are improvising music that they So Visby is part of our history too. We begin our ‘Baltic Folk’ programme in as artists. ‘Performing The Firebird from have known for a long time.’ the altogether different sound world of Arvo ‘Performing The Firebird from Pärt, the celebrated Estonian composer Joining the orchestra to perform memory is all about chemistry whose music is both deeply spiritual and Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, and communication’ emotionally direct. His contemplative, a work that Kristjan calls ‘the most hymn-like Swansong is an orchestration of nostalgic, the most Russian-themed In Germany we make a return visit to an earlier choral composition, ‘Littlemore concerto ever’, is the 15-year-old Russian Wiesbaden to perform in the prestigious Tractus’, in which Pärt set words from a pianist Alexander Malofeev, one of the Rheingau Music Festival. And our tour ends sermon that the influential theologian John most exciting talents of his generation. in Merano, northern Italy, where we have Henry Newman preached in 1843 in the Kristjan says of his new collaborator: the honour of opening the Merano Music English village of Littlemore. ‘Alexander is already a rising star in Russia Festival. We’re delighted that these two and has been acclaimed by some of the festivals are welcoming us back after our country’s greatest musicians. I am pleased previous appearances, at Wiesbaden in that we can introduce him to a wider 2014, and Merano in 2011. international audience.’ As we return to familiar places and festivals, ‘Baltic Folk’ takes the orchestra to three we look forward to seeing old friends and countries: Sweden, Germany and Italy. making many new ones, and to transporting Visby, on the beautiful Swedish island you all across the Baltic with our folk- of Gotland, is a special place for us, and inspired music from the east. our spark 08 09 Baltic Folk Tour Baltic Sea Philharmonic Kristjan Järvi Alexander Malofeev Arvo Pärt (1935) August 2017 Swansong (Littlemore Tractus) for orchestra 19 August 2017, 7.00 pm Visby (Congress Hall Wisby Strand, Sergei Rachmaninoff Island of Gotland), (1873 – 1943) Sweden Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 20 August 2017, 7.00 pm Rheingau Music Festival, Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Wiesbaden (Kursaal), The Firebird (1945) Germany 23 August 2017, 8.30 pm Merano Music Festival, Merano (Kursaal), Italy our spark 10 11 Listening Guide With Rachmaninoff’s melancholic melodies and Stravinsky’s fiery colours, our programme is full of fascinating contrasts The ‘Baltic Folk’ programme focuses on The failure of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Russia, which established a gateway First Symphony in 1897 cast the to the Baltic Sea in 1703 when Tsar Russian composer into deep depression, Peter the Great founded the port city of and the 24-year-old composed almost St. Petersburg. From that point on, the nothing for the next three years. Only after influence of Europe on the tsar’s court being treated by the psychotherapist and grew continuously and trade with the hypnotist Nikolai Dahl did Rachmaninoff’s neighbouring states thrived. However, there confidence return. Thus the composer were also repeated military conflicts. Both dedicated his next great work, his Piano Russian composers on the programme – Concerto No. 2 in C minor, to his doctor. Sergei Rachmaninoff and Igor Stravinsky – left their homeland after the socialist Rachmaninoff initially presented only two revolutions in the early 20th century, before movements, the second and the third, at calling card and was a triumph wherever orchestral splendour. The Russian ballerina later emigrating to the United States, where a benefit concert in December 1900. The it was performed around the world, and Tamara Karsavina, the Russian dancer they became renowned musicians. positive reviews strengthened his resolve remains popular to this day. The intensity and choreographer Michel Fokine and the to write the famous first movement, with of the elegiac, dark music, the sparks of stage set depicting the enchanted garden ‘Baltic Folk’ begins, however, with the its immediately captivating, balladesque inspiration and the imaginative, dreamy where golden apples grow on trees were Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, who was character. This movement’s melancholic character are fascinating. particularly impressive. a musical individualist even during his strings melody, which is inserted into the education at the conservatory in Tallinn. ascending chimes of the opening piano Igor Stravinsky was amused by The concert hall gained access to the After an early avant-garde compositional chords, became synonymous with Slavic the way the Russian melancholy of music in the form of three orchestral suites phase, his study of medieval music and noir. The soloist in the concerto often plays Rachmaninoff was fashionably exploited. that were produced later on, of which the religion later led to a peaceful and tonal the accompanying figures, and the piano He had a completely different vision of Baltic Sea Philharmonic has chosen the last language. In 1980 Pärt emigrated to Vienna part is completely interwoven with the the archaic vitality of his homeland, which version from 1945. It is a piece the players and then Berlin, quickly becoming a cult orchestra, giving the composition a highly he left forever in 1914, initially moving know so well that they perform it without musical figure. He only returned to his organic character. Despite the enormous to Switzerland and then to France in sheet music. The musical contrasts in the homeland in 2008. The orchestral piece technical demands, it is hardly a purely 1920. Back in 1909, at the age of 27, he suite are enormous, especially between the Swansong, which was premiered in 2014 virtuoso piece.