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Home , Herbert Blomstedt, Oslo Philharmonic

18.9. at 19:00 Helsinki Music Centre

Herbert Blomstedt conductor

Joseph Haydn: No. 104 in D Major, “London” 29 min Adagio – Allegro Andante Allegro Spiritoso 1 INTERVAL 20 min

Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 43 min Allegro non troppo Adagio Allegretto grazioso (Quasi andantino) – Presto ma non assai Allegro con spirito

Interval at about 19:40. The concert will end at about 20:55. Broadcast live on Yle Radio 1 and Yle Areena.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MOBILE PHONE IS SWITCHED OFF!

Photographing, video and sound recording are prohibited during the concert. Joseph Haydn: in the Classical frame. The contrasts are nevertheless obvious. The first movement Symphony No. 104 begins with a tragic introduction that in D Major, prepares the way for the elegant second theme; only then does the bustling “London” main theme spring into action. A long, triumphant coda rounds the movement Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, patron of Joseph off in the manner of Beethoven. Haydn (1732–1809) for many years, died in The slow-movement variations are not 1790. His successor retained the services without some unexpected twists. Haydn of a director of music (Hofkapellmeister) creates a dark undercurrent for his classic but disbanded the and allowed idyll but restores equilibrium in the final his composer-conductor to do outside repeat. The Ländler-like middle section freelance work. Haydn, who had by that and cunning counterpoint transform the time won an international reputation, traditional dance movement into a richly- was thus able to take up the invitation of imaginative character piece. the English violinist and publisher Johann The closing movement is a mixture Salomon to travel to England and there of rondo and sonata form. Despite its conduct some of his works. It was during overall optimism and folksy materials, it 2 the two visits Haydn made to England once again sails into distant, uncharted in 1791–1792 and 1975 that he wrote his waters. Above all it is a showpiece for a twelve last “London” . Salomon big, dynamic orchestra and opens the had at his disposal an orchestra of about door on a new era in musical history. 40 string players and double winds. This Haydn incorporates a Croatian folk tune was big by standards at the time and familiar to Londoners from the cries of explains why Haydn’s late symphonies are the local barrow-boys – a reminder that more monumental than the earlier ones. the composer’s roots lay far from the Symphony No. 104 was to be Haydn’s refined circles of Vienna. last and acquired the name “London” as the representative of the set of twelve. He wrote it during his second visit to England, : in 1795. The Morning Chronicle reported that it was a symphony “which for fullness, Symphony No. 2 richness, and majesty, in all its parts, is in D Major, Op. 73 thought by some of the best judges to surpass all his other compositions”. Haydn was well satisfied, for it earned him the “Since Beethoven, we have lost touch huge sum of 4,000 gulden. “Such a thing with the notion of a symphony as a frame is possible only in England,” he wrote in his for modest images, as an asylum for diary. pleasant states only touched upon lightly Outwardly, Symphony 104 does not rather than churned up by struggles and offer any very great surprises; rather, its passions. Today, whoever does not feel ingenious ideas are brilliantly embedded himself possessed by both Faust and Hamlet and whoever is not gripped by and bass accompaniment. The next, ‘the wailing of the whole of humanity somewhat mysterious section arrives at a had better not become involved with a solemn announcement by the symphony’s symphony.” masters-of-ceremony, the timpani and With the words of Eduard Hanslick, trombones. Only then does Brahms let his the influential musical critic hovering in big theme have its head. the back of his mind, Johannes Brahms The slow movement has the symphony’s (1833–1897) agonized for some two strongest contrasts. The deep melodic decades over his first symphony. During hues are enhanced by the contrapuntal the summer holiday he spent beside counterforce in the orchestra’s low register. the Wörthersee after finishing his first Passions erupt in the middle section, in symphony he wrote to his friends in which the trombones and timpani once Vienna: “The melodies flow so freely here again highlight the climaxes. The repeat of that one must be careful not to trample the opening section is varied and appears on them.” to have been exhausted by what has gone The fact that Brahms wrote his second before. symphony, that in D major, Op. 73, in a The second symphony was Brahms’s matter of months in 1877 shows that he most popular one during his lifetime, had by then managed to rid himself of and the serenade-like third movement his symphony-writing phobia, as proved was its biggest attraction. Even Eduard 3 by a cheery letter he sent to Simrock Hanslick liked it. The orchestra is confined his publisher: “My new symphony is so to strings, woodwinds and three French melancholic that you will not be able to horns. The wind melody against cello bear it. I have not yet written anything pizzicatos abounds in innocent bliss, but quite so sad, so ‘minor’: the score must the cunning rhythms of the middle section appear with black borders.” are once again full of good-natured traps. The D-major symphony bathed in The finale creeps in sotto voce before sunlight has been described as Brahms’s dashing off a few bars later. The thumping “Pastoral”, and it is certainly more rhythms may call Haydn and Beethoven to extroverted and life-affirming than his mind, though the glowing second string other symphonies. It even begins and theme has a romantic charge. The ending ends in a major key. Closer inspection is especially fine: the trombones and a nevertheless reveals an undercurrent tuba once again return after the repeat of characteristic Brahmsian melancholy of the main theme and Brahms whips the and suppressed passion. In its joyful music up to full speed. The scene ends happiness, its fears and sorrow, the with hurtling string scales cut short by second symphony is a very human work. two half-bar pauses before the trumpets The introduction to the first movement and French horns crown the movement serves as fertile soil for development. The with blaring fanfares sealed by a long note French horns and woodwinds lead off on the trombones. with a singing theme, and the motif that will come to dominate the movement Programme notes by Antti Häyrynen makes its first appearance in the cello translated (abridged) by Susan Sinisalo Herbert Symphony and an honorary conductor of most of his regular . Blomstedt Blomstedt is especially renowned for his profound readings of the great (b. 1927) is one of German-Austrian orchestral tradition: the most highly-respected ‘elder states- Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, men’ in the conducting world. His per- Brahms, Bruckner, and formances are a unique combination of Hindemith. Nordic music, especially the his humane, profound personality and an Sibelius and Nielsen symphonies, is also energy that springs from the music itself. a major item in his repertoire. He has, He has had a spectacular career as Chief however, especially during his term in San Conductor or Music Director of many Francisco, also conducted contemporary top orchestras and nowadays guests ac- music – a subject he once studied in tively with orchestras across the world; . last season these included the Vienna, Blomstedt’s extensive discography New York and Berlin Philharmonics and takes in a number of complete editions the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, of major symphonic cycles. With the Dresden Staatskapelle and the San the Dresden Staatskapelle he has, Francisco Symphony. He has also been a for example, recorded the complete 4 regular and eagerly-awaited guest with symphonies of Beethoven (1976– the FRSO. 1982) and Schubert (1982–1984). He Born in the of Swedish did a new complete edition of the parents, Herbert Blomstedt moved with Beethoven symphonies with the them to Sweden in 1929. They also spent Gewandhaus Orchestra in 2014–2017 several years in Finland. After studies and of the Bruckner symphonies in in Sweden, he became a pupil of Paul 2012. He has twice recorded the Nielsen Sacher, , Jean Morel symphonies, with the Danish Radio () and Symphony Orchestra in 1975 and the San (). He made his conducting Francisco Symphony in 1989–1991. With debut in 1954, with the Stockholm the latter he also recorded the complete Philharmonic, was Chief Conductor and Sibelius symphony cycle in 1991–1996. Music Director of the Philharmonic His recordings have won him many of the 1962–1968 and of the Radio Symphony most prestigious awards. Orchestras of Denmark (1967–1977) and Sweden (1977–1982). He was Chief Conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle 1975–1985, Music Director of the 1985–1995, and Chief Conductor of the NDR Symphony 1996–1998 and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra 1998–2005. He is nowadays Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco The Finnish Radio young Finnish artists will make their de- but as FRSO soloists. Symphony The FRSO has recorded works Orchestra by Mahler, Bartók, Sibelius, Hakola, Lindberg, Saariaho, Sallinen, Kaipainen, The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Kokkonen and others. It has twice won (FRSO) is the orchestra of the Finnish a Gramophone Award: for its disc of Broadcasting Company (Yle). Its mission Lindberg’s Clarinet Concerto in 2006 is to produce and promote Finnish musi- and of Bartók Violin Concertos in 2018. cal culture and its Chief Conductor as of Other distinctions have included BBC autumn 2013 has been Hannu Lintu. Music Magazine, Académie Charles Cros The Radio Orchestra of ten players and MIDEM Classical awards. Its disc of founded in 1927 grew to symphony or- tone poems and songs by Sibelius won chestra proportions in the 1960s. Its Chief an International Classical Music Award Conductors have been Toivo Haapanen, (ICMA) in 2018, and it has been the re- Nils-Eric Fougstedt, , cipient of a Finnish EMMA award in 2016 , Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka and 2019. Saraste and Sakari Oramo, and taking The FRSO regularly tours to all parts of over from Hannu Lintu in 2021 will be the world. During the 2019/2020 season Nicholas Collon. its schedule will include tours to Central 5 In addition to the great Classical- Europe and Japan under Hannu Lintu. Romantic masterpieces, the latest con- The FRSO concerts are broadcast live temporary music is a major item in the on the Yle Areena and Radio 1 channels repertoire of the FRSO, which each year and are recorded and shown later on Yle premieres a number of Yle commissions. Teema and TV 1. Another of the orchestra’s tasks is to re- cord all Finnish orchestral music for the Yle archive. During the 2019/2020 sea- son, the FRSO will premiere four works commissioned by Yle. Also on the pro- gramme are a large-scale collaboration between Yle and the Helsinki Festival: Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust. The symphonies and concertos of will occupy special status during the season, while the RSO Festival now to be held for the second time will feature new and large-scale works by Magnus Lindberg. Among the visiting conductors will be Esa-Pekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Sakari Oramo, and a host of