Okko Kamu, conductor Hanna-Kaarina Heikinheimo, flute Jorma Valjakka, oboe Tuulia Ylönen, clarinet Jussi Särkkä, bassoon Jukka Harju, horn

Jean Sibelius: Pohjola’s Daughter 15 min

Jean Sibelius: Rakastava 12 min I Rakastava (The Lover) II Rakastetun tie (The Way of the Lover) III Hyvää iltaa… Jää hyvästi (Good Night…Farewell)

INTERVAL 20 min

Aulis Sallinen: Chamber Music 7 “Cruselliana”, Op. 98 20 min

Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche 18 min

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

1 Jean Sibelius (1865–1957): Pohjola’s Daughter (1906)

The symphonic fantasyPohjola’s Daughter seems Väinämöinen was in fact an unusually wise man to be not so much about the maiden indicated – and Sibelius a progressive composer. For his in the title as old Väinämöinen, eternal sage idea was to call the piece Väinämöinen or The and another of the characters in the Finnish na- Adventure of a Hero, but the publisher thought tional epic, the Kalevala. The sage is consumed otherwise. with lust for the young lady and as such is a The work begins with soft growling on the character much favoured by the late Romantics. low instruments and timpani, building up to a Eager to prove his manhood, and to this end shimmering vision of Pohjola’s daughter seat- prepared to put up with a lot of humiliation, he ed on a rainbow weaving gold and silver thread always gets rejected by the object of his erotic as her shuttle speeds backwards and forwards. dreams, a fantastically beautiful woman who Väinämöinen decides he must have her and will always remain beyond his reach. From the hastens to woo her. The texture calls forth im- female perspective this is a nice story because ages both of the maiden weaving and the old the woman is not punished for rejecting him, man’s growing desire. Väinämöinen does his as is usually the case in Romantic and Modern- very best to make her change her mind, clatter- ist literature. Instead, he accepts his fate and ing, stamping, puffing and panting, but to no has the sense to absent himself from the scene. avail. She will not have him.

Jean Sibelius: Rakastava (1911)

Rakastava for string orchestra, triangle and tim- ousness and unremitting desire. pani is partly based on an earlier choral work by Here is a work steeped in post-Romantic Sibelius of the same name, the words of which mystery, blatant fin de siècle eroticism, elegant are from mainly melancholy love poems in the symbolistic nature images and the mournful Kanteletar, a collection of ancient lyrical and mindset for which the Finns are renowned: a lyrical-epic Finnish folk poems. Stripped of its Finnish Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, words, the instrumental version for string or- on a nocturnal path through the fields, a for- chestra nevertheless captures the emotional est, a hay loft, as the picture switches at the turmoil expressed in the poems: the longing for moment of fulfilment to rushes swaying in the love denied, gnawing nostalgia, dreamy sensu- breeze, scudding clouds and a foaming river.

Aulis Sallinen: Chamber Music 7 “Cruselliana”, Op. 98 (2008)

Chamber Music 7 is a salute from Aulis Sallin- ich. Dominating them all is the idea of roaming en to Uusikaupunki, home of the Crusell Week through various sonorous states and aggres- music festival that commissioned it and the sive identities, an industrial beat, the rhythm town where Sallinen went to school. of everyday life and meditative interludes. The The music is rich in images of the town. US same applies to Cruselliana. The music flows music abounds in examples of city portraits, along as a stream of consciousness à la Virgin- from the romantic mood-painting of George ia Woolf, savouring the fleeting moments. Mo- Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Cop- bile and immobile alternate, for silence and na- land to the soundscapes of Edgar Varèse and ture are also features of this town. the minimalist New York scenes of Steve Re-

2 3 Richard Strauss (1864–1949): Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (1895)

This tone poem by Richard Strauss is about a employing a carnivalist aesthetic to which folk hero or “Owl Mirror” who amuses himself Strauss himself was prone. The jester, or art- at others’ expense. ist, is a mirror of truth that reveals the stupid- Stories have been told about him ever since ity, hypocrisy, greed and malice of humankind. the Middle Ages. Strauss based his version on The work begins with a “once upon a time” the novel by Charles de Coster (1867) in which motif, rather as in a story book. This is followed the prankster’s adventures are set in the Neth- by the (anti)hero theme, a jolly horn tune that erlands in the 16th century. The butts of his clambers up and comes somersaulting down. mischief are artisans, farmers and merchants, Absurd ideas are tossed from one instrument to learned men, clergymen and rulers, and he another like a kick in the pants while the cheeky makes them look stupid by interpreting what clarinet cackles with laughter. they say literally, by deliberately misunder- standing them, by acting the country bumpkin, Susanna Välimäki (abridged) with slapstick and anal humour. In other words

Okko Kamu

His career as a conductor has taken Okko Ka- monic, the Netherlands Radio Symphony Or- mu all over the world since 1969, when, virtu- chestra and the Stockholm Sinfonietta and ally self-taught, he won the international Her- Chief Conductor of the Philharmon- bert von Karajan Competition, an achievement ic and the Helsingborg Philharmonic Orchestra. which led to his first recordings with the Ber- He has been Principal Guest Conductor of the lin Philharmonic Orchestra. Born into a fam- City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and ily of musicians where chamber music occu- the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and since pied an important role, he began playing the 1995 of the Singapore Symphony. From 1996 violin when he was only two. He formed the to 2000 he was Music Director of the Finnish Suhonen Quartet in 1965 and was appointed National Opera. Okko Kamu has conducted leader of the Finnish National Opera Orches- major orchestras in Europe, the United States tra, but soon devoted his time to conducting. (e.g., Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Chief Conductor of the FRSO 1971-77, he has Angeles), Asia and Australia. also been Artistic Director of the Oslo Philhar-

Hanna-Kaarina Heikinheimo

After graduating from the principal piccolo and flute in the FRSO since as a pupil of Mikael Helasvuo, Hanna-Kaari- 1994, plays in the ranks of Avanti!, the Finn- na Heikinheimo continued her studies private- ish Chamber and other orchestras and in the ly in Paris and in numerous masterclasses in It- Respiro wind quintet formed by five orchestral aly, Spain, Canada and elsewhere. She has been colleagues.

2 3 Jorma Valjakka

Jorma Valjakka studied the oboe with Celia Orchestra in 1983, later transferring to the Es- Nicklin and Ingo Goritzki in London and Hano- poo City Orchestra (nowadays the Tapiola Sin- ver after graduating from the Sibelius Academy fonietta), and has been principal oboe in the and in 1988 was the winner of the first Crusell FRSO since 1989. A soloist both with the FR- Oboe Competition in Uusikaupunki. He began SO and many of the other Finnish orchestras, is orchestral career in the Turku Philharmonic he has also given solo recitals.

Tuulia Ylönen

Tuulia Ylönen studied the clarinet as a pupil the Kuhmo, Naantali, Kemiö and Uusikaupun- of Osmo Vänskä, Reijo Koskinen, Kari Kriikku ki music festivals and in many European coun- and Charles Neidich, in London with John Mc- tries. An active champion of contemporary Caw and Michael Collins and in masterclass- Finnish music, she has been a member of the es with Thomas Friedl, György Kurtág, Ralf Zagros and other ensembles. She was principal Gothóni and others. She gave her debut concert clarinettist in the Symphony Orchestra in 1996, a year after obtaining her clarinet di- 2003-05 and is at present co-leader of the clar- ploma with distinction from the Sibelius Acad- inet section in the orchestra of the Finnish Na- emy. She has appeared in chamber repertoire at tional Opera.

Jussi Särkkä

Jussi Särkkä’s first professional appointment was as leader of the bassoons in the Joensuu struments. He has been the soloist with many City Orchestra 1981-82. He has since been a Finnish orchestras and is known as an active member of the Helsinki Philharmonic and the chamber musician at the Naantali, Kuhmo and Finnish National Opera Orchestra and is at other chamber music festivals and as a mem- present co-principal bassoon in the FRSO. He ber of the Kerberos and Schrat ensembles. Jussi is also a founder member of the Avanti! Cham- Särkkä has been Artistic Director of the Crusell ber Orchestra, leader of his section in the Finn- Week in Uusikaupunki since 2006. ish Chamber Orchestra, and plays period in-

Jukka Harju

Jukka Harju’s career as a horn player can really al Stockholm Philharmonic. Outside he be said to date back to when he was 11 years old has featured as a soloist and chamber musician and appeared with the RTÉ National Sympho- in Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Italy, Can- ny Orchestra in an EBU Young Musicians con- ada, Germany and Japan. Victory in the Holger cert. As a youngster he already distinguished Fransman Horn Competition in 2005 won him himself in many national and international the title of Brass Player of the Year at the Liek- competitions. He has guested as principal horn sa Brass Week the following year. Jukka Harju in, among others, the Gustav Mahler Orches- has been acting and later regular principal horn tra conducted by Claudio Abbado, the Swed- in the FRSO since 2008. ish and French Radio Orchestras and the Roy-

5 The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra

The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra­(FRSO), With Sakari Oramo the FRSO has record- the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Com- ed music by Bartók, Hakola, Lindberg, Kaipai­ pany (YLE), celebrated its 80th anniversary in nen, Kokkonen and others, and the debut disc autumn 2007. Its Chief Conductor is Sakari of the opera Aslak Hetta by Armas Launis. Its 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 The 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, 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- The FRSO has been on major tours all over mieres a number of YLE commissions. All in all the world and given more than 300 concerts the FRSO has so far premiered more than 500 abroad. It has visited Japan four times. During works. Its programme for the 2010/11 season the 2010/11 season it will be visiting Edinburg, features six world and many Finnish premieres. Frankfurt, Zurich and Dortmund. The 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. They are usually broadcasted composer, Jean Sibelius, at the Helsinki Con- live and can also be heard worldwide via the In- servatory (now the Sibelius Academy) Hall. This ternet (yle.fi/rso). recording is the only known document of Sibe­ lius in the role of conductor.

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