16 MAY FRIDAY SERIES 14 Helsinki Music Centre at 19
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16 MAY FRIDAY SERIES 14 Helsinki Music Centre at 19 Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor Vilde Frang, violin Juhani Nuorvala: Septimalia, fp (Yle commission) 20 min Erich Korngold: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 24 min I Moderato nobile II Romanze (Andante) III Allegro assai vivace INTERVAL 20 min Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 44 min I Andante sostenuto – Moderato con anima – Moderato assai, quasi andante – Allegro vivo II Andantino in modo di canzona III Scherzo (Pizzicato ostinato) (Allegro) IV Allegro con fuoco Interval at about 20.00. The concert ends at about 21.20. Broadcast live on Yle Radio 1 and the Internet (yle.fi/rso). The LATE-NIGHT CHAMBER MUSIC will begin in the main Concert Hall after an interval of about 10 minutes. Those attending are asked to take (unnumbered) seats in the stalls. Jukka Harju, horn | Reeta Maalismaa, violin | Jouko Laivuori, piano Veli Kujala: Lairë, fp 20 min 1 JUHANI NUORVALA ERICH WOLFGANG (1961–): SEPTIMALIA KORNGOLD (1897–1957): The name Septimalia alludes to inter- VIOLIN CONCERTO vals of a seventh. The “natural seventh” (the 7th partial) used in such genres as barbershop and some folk music is In the 1910s, Korngold was regarded as a sensual, consonant sound not tradi- one of the finest emerging Austrian tionally belonging to the Western art- composers, and he rose to the peak music system. Harmonies and intervals of his mastery with his opera Die tote based on it play an important part in Stadt of 1920. His career took a deci- Septimalia. All in all, the way the orches- sive change of course in 1934 when, tra is tuned is exceptional and complex at the invitation of director Max in this composition. My aim is to con- Reinhardt, he moved to Hollywood and trast the wonderful sound of pure har- remained there for the rest of his life. monies based on the natural harmonic When he decided to give up his career series with exciting, microtonal pro- as a film composer in 1946, he had re- gressions permitted by 7th partials and cently completed his Violin Concerto other pure intervals. The main key of (1945). The performance in St. Louis the work is E minor, but the notes will in February 1947 with Jascha Heifetz not be found on a piano. as the soloist got an ecstatic recep- The sections of Septimalia are tion, but little by little doubting voic- marked Andante Maestoso – Con es then began to be raised. One critic moto – Intenso e serio – Allegro esta- said after a performance by Heifetz in tico: there are times when the work is New York: “More corn than gold.” The fast and frenzied, but it also has a se- Violin Concerto has nevertheless won a rious, symphonic vein. Though the in- permanent place in the repertoire, not strumental techniques are experimen- least because of its magnificent melo- tal, maybe even extreme, my music is dies and amazing virtuosity. tonal and thematic. But it does acquire Abandoning film music did not sig- what might be called psychedelic hues nify any great stylistic change for in places. Korngold, since almost all his music is in a rich, flowing, Late-Romantic idiom. Juhani Nuorvala Nor did the borders between genres mean much to him, for he borrowed many themes from his film scores for his Violin Concerto. The first move- ment, for example, begins almost like a love scene with a theme from his film Another Dawn (1937). The second, livelier theme is from Juarez (1939). At 2 the end of the movement is a cadenza clearly broader in scope than the oth- interrupted by the orchestra, and the ers and the weightiest. The introduc- movement ends with a shower of spar- tion is dominated by a solemn fanfare kling violin brilliance. that will occupy an important place For the middle movement, Romanze, throughout the symphony. According Korngold lifted his main theme from to Tchaikovsky, Fate, the sombre power the film Anthony Adverse (1936). It be- that prevents the search for happiness gins in dreamy, meditative mood, but from reaching its goal, is a force which, it also allows the violin to sing and like the sword of Damocles, hangs al- glow to its heart’s content. The sizzling ways over our heads. The string theme opening theme of the brilliant finale of the quick section in turn expresses, has all the freshness of folk music; for he said, despair, and the lighter theme the second theme, Korngold turned to introduced by a clarinet the act of be- The Prince and the Pauper (1937). ing lulled to sleep. The second movement is brimming with Slav melancholy. How sad it is, said Tchaikovsky, and yet how sweet to PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY reflect at leisure on the past. The third (1840–1893): movement is a scherzo dominated by pizzicatos that Taneyev accused of be- SYMPHONY NO. 4 ing too ballet-like. The movement is nevertheless one of the most enchant- The new, more powerful and more sub- ing and most original or its kind. jective writing of the fourth sympho- The finale is Tchaikovsky at his most ny (1878) by Pyotr Tchaikovsky is of- unrestrained, but it also has a more ten claimed to be linked with his brief restrained dimension, manifest in a marriage of 1877. For a homosexual, woodwind motif derived from an old this marriage was a tragic mistake, and folk tune. The return of the fanfare the emotional repercussions were, it is symbolising Fate seems to sever the fi- thought, reflected in the symphony. nale’s lifeline, but the music rises again The link is, however, questionable, be- to ecstatic heights to make the work cause he had already sketched three of a genuine victory symphony. “Delight the movements when he met his fu- in the merriment of others. Life is still ture wife, and he had completed the possible,” said Tchaikovsky. sketches for the fourth one, too, before his marriage. Kimmo Korhonen Yet only a couple of weeks earlier, Tchaikovsky had described the pro- gramme behind the symphony to his patroness Nadezhda von Meck. Maybe he felt the programme was too per- sonal to publish. The first movement is 3 VELI KUJALA (1976–): SANTTU-MATIAS LAIRË ROUVALI My works so far can really be divided The conducting career of Santtu- into two groups: those that have had Matias Rouvali has rapidly progressed to wait until they were finished before in leaps and bounds. In addition to they were named (e.g., Azul and MiXi), studying in the conducting class of Leif and those whose name came first and Segerstam, Jorma Panula and Hannu that often have an organic link with Lintu since 2007, he has already ap- the composition (e.g., Lefthandances peared with major symphony orches- and CybOrgan). My new horn trio be- tras both in Finland and abroad. longs to the latter, at least in the sense Santtu-Matias Rouvali has been that the idea for the name and with it Chief Conductor of the Tampere the whole identity of the work were the Philharmonic and Principal Guest first to be established. I had to spend Conductor of the Copenhagen some time looking for the right word Philharmonic since autumn 2013. He and the language in which to write it, is also an Artist in Association of the and arrived at the word Lairë because Tapiola Sinfonietta. Meanwhile, he con- of its delightful sound. What it means tinues to work in close partnership with is immaterial. the FRSO. Lairë sprang from one of my most Engagements in the present season powerful artistic experiences, and it is included appearances with the Dresden from this that it derives its clear-cut Philharmonic, the German Symphony form. I do not wish to lead the listener Orchestra, Berlin, the Scottish in any particular direction, because far National Orchestra and the Stockholm more interesting than my associations Philharmonic. at the time of composition is you, dear Rouvali has released discs of works listener – your feelings and associa- by Hakola and Hosokawa with the tions. If, as a listener, you are analytical, Oulu Symphony Orchestra and guitar- you can relax and concentrate on the ist Timo Korhonen. His next release will overall form, the harmonies, etc. If you be a CD of the Adams and Ligeti violin are not cursed with this trait, I hope my concertos on the Orchid Classics label. music will set your imagination soar- ing and generate associations I cannot possibly foretell. Lairë was commissioned by Reeta VILDE FRANG Maalismaa and Jukka Harju and com- posed with a grant from the Teosto Vilde Frang (1986–) comes from Commissions Committee and the Norway and is noted particularly for her Madetoja Foundation. superb musical expression and her well- developed virtuosity. Since she was en- Veli Kujala 4 gaged by Mariss Jansons at the age of chestra strength in the 1960s. Its previo- 12 to debut with the Oslo Philharmonic us Chief Conductors have been Toivo Orchestra, she has performed with or- Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Paavo chestras as celebrated as the Vienna Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam, and London Philharmonics. She was Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Sakari unanimously awarded the 2012 Credit Oramo. The FRSO has two Honorary Suisse Young Artist Award. Conductors: Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Highlights of her forthcoming en- Sakari Oramo. gagements include appearances with The latest contemporary music is the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and a major item in the repertoire of the the Philharmonia Orchestra, and a tour FRSO, which each year premieres a with the Basel Chamber Orchestra. number of Yle commissions. Another She will also be giving recitals at the of the orchestra’s tasks is to record all Wigmore Hall in London and the Zurich Finnish orchestral music for the Yle ar- Tonhalle.