31 OCTOBER THURSDAY SERIES 3 Helsinki Music Centre at 19.00 Fabio Biondi, conductor and violin Laura Vikman, violin Jorma Valjakka, oboe Georg Philipp Telemann: “La changeante” TWV 55:G2 20 min I Ouverture II Loure III Les Scaramouches IV Minuets 1 & 2 V La Plaisanterie VI Hornpipe VII Avec douceur VIII Canarie Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto for Violin and Oboe BWV 1060 15 min I Allegro II Adagio III Allegro Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto grosso Op. 6, No. 4 9 min I Adagio – Allegro II Adagio III Vivace IV Allegro INTERVAL 20 min 1 Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto for Two Violins BWV 1043 17 min I Vivace II Largo ma non tanto III Allegro Georg Philipp Telemann: “Burlesque de Quixotte” TWV 55:G10 17 min I Ouverture (Largo – Allegro – Largo) II Le réveil de Quixotte (Don Quixote Awakens) III Son attaque des moulins à vent (Don Quixote Attacks The Windmills) (Très vite) IV Les soupirs amoureux après la princesse Dulcinée (Pining For The Princess Dulcinea) V Sanche Panche berné (Sancho Panza) VI Le galope de Rosinante (The Galloping of Rosinante) VII Celui d’ane de Sanche (The Galloping Of Sancho Panza’s Mule) VIII Le couché de Quixotte (The Sleep Of Don Quixote) Interval at about 20.00. The concert ends at about 21.05. 2 GEORG PHILIPP 6/8 rhythms, creating a strict but de- termined impression – as at the begin- TELEMANN (1681–1767): ning of the suite. “LA CHANGEANTE” TWV 55:G2 The subject of this orchestral suite La JOHANN SEBASTIAN changeante maybe reflects Telemann’s BACH (1685–1750): own desire for change. “Changeante” CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN can mean a chameleon-like person with an ability to change, or someone AND OBOE BWV 1060 who is fickle and chases after every whim. The movements are all in dif- The BWV 1060 concerto for oboe, vio- ferent keys, a rare departure from the lin, strings and continuo in D minor is usual Baroque practice. something of a mystery in that it exists The French overture with which the only in the transcription for two harpsi- suite begins – a slow, solemn section chords and strings made by Bach him- with dotted rhythms framing a quick, self during his later Leipzig period. The fugue-like middle part – provides a most recent research reckons the origi- foretaste of the key changes that lie nal key was C minor, not D minor. ahead. The opening Allegro is not very fast The dance movements fashioned and is dominated by a resolute or- on their French models differ in both chestral ritornello (refrain) against key and character. Loure is a rustic which the soloists engage in dialogue. dance reminiscent of a slow gigue that Despite the minor key, the mood is fes- in Telemann’s hands plods plaintively tive rather than dejected. along. Les Scaramouches, with its fiery In the slow movement (Adagio) the motifs, alludes to the masked charac- oboe enters with a gentle melody, soon ters of commedia dell’arte; they seem to be joined by the violin. The simple to have difficulty keeping their feelings accompaniment, pizzicatos and basso in check. continuo, delicately enlivens the solo- The two serious minuets are firmly ists’ duet as they alternately part com- wed to one another, but La Plaisanterie pany and join together again, richly reveals that relations have grown warm- varying the underlying melody. er and lighter. The section amid flutter- The determined finale (Allegro) starts ing rhythms is still in a minor key, but off with a big contrapuntal ritornello on all traces of care are swept aside in the the full orchestra. The soloists closely virtuosic, flying Hornpipe. Avec douceur weave their voices into the polyphonic is a slow movement spreading sweet texture, but they also display more vir- balm, while Canarie, a dance from the tuosity and stick to their individual per- Canary Islands, leaps along in dotted sonalities more firmly than before. 3 ARCANGELO CORELLI JOHANN SEBASTIAN (1653–1713): CONCERTO BACH (1685–1750): GROSSO OP. 6, NO. 4 CONCERTO FOR TWO VIOLINS BWV 1043 Arcangelo Corelli was, like his young- er colleagues Vivaldi and Handel, a Three violin concertos known to have most celebrated master of that great been composed by Johann Sebastian Baroque genre the concerto grosso. Bach have been preserved: one in E The Opus 6 concertos, published a year major, one in A minor, and one for two after his death, were Corelli’s carefully- violins in D minor. The orchestra in the polished masterpiece. last of these remains more in the back- Most of Corelli’s Opus 6 has been ground than in the others. overshadowed by the popular Christmas The key of the double concerto cre- Concerto, the eighth item in the set. ates a serious and slightly gloomy No. 4 begins with a brief Adagio that overall mood that envelops the listen- more or less just establishes the key. er immediately in the long, fugue-like The Allegro section is set in motion orchestral introduction (Vivace) to the by a solo violin and the whole of the first movement. The orchestra repeats spirited movement is cleverly designed this music in the middle and at the end round the alternation of solo instru- of the movement, but otherwise the ments (concertino) and orchestra (ripi- stage is left free for the soloists, art- eno). fully twisting the melody in and around The slow Adagio is typical Corelli, each other. built entirely round a harmonic pro- The slow movement (Large ma non gression with no recognisable melody tanto) is a freely-constructed fugue im- or polyphony. The Vivace daintily danc- mersed in lilting Siciliano rhythms in es in steps reminiscent of a courante. which the soloists follow each other in The same spirit seems to prevail in the a melody full of feeling. The orchestra finale Allegro embellished by graceful politely retreats to the sidelines, provid- solos. At the end, Corelli nevertheless ing an accompaniment in the bass. The adds a coda that calls to mind the later solemn weight afforded by the key of stormy scenes of Vivaldi. F major calls to mind the great fresco paintings of the Baroque. The soloists remain firmly in the driving seat in the finale (Allegro), too, immediately taking the reins. Counterpoint compresses the events and builds up tension that is dis- charged in both brilliant violin solos and fierce passages for the whole en- semble. Following as it does from the warm and delicate slow movement, the finale sounds impassioned, fateful. 4 GEORG PHILIPP The two steeds are both described in more detail. Telemann uses rhythm to TELEMANN (1681–1767): imitate the irregular trot of Rosinante “BURLESQUE DE and a viola to characterise the protest- QUIXOTTE” TWV 55:G10 ing mule. The final movement sets Don Quixote free by returning him to The whole of the reading world was a world where dreams can come true. familiar in the 18th century with the tale of Don Quixote. In 1761, by which Antti Häyrynen (abridged) time he was a venerable 80-year-old master, Telemann used it as the sub- ject for a little comic opera (known as a Serenata) called Don Quixote at Camacho’s Wedding. FABIO BIONDI One of the by-products of this Serenata was the Burlesque de Quixotte Italian violinist and conductor, Fabio prefaced with a “French” overture Biondi is especially renowned for (slow–quick–slow) in which the whole his performance of Baroque mu- story is told by instrumental means. sic. Making his solo debut at the The Overture also introduces the Don’s age of only 12, with the Italian Radio skittish steed Rosinante and Sancho Symphony Orchestra, he performed Panza’s obstinate mule. the Bach Violin Concertos at the Vienna The first movement transports the Musikverein four years later. He has listener to the first dream world of the since appeared the world over and re- nutty knight, in which the real and the leased numerous award-winning discs. imaginary are well and truly jumbled. In 1990, he founded Europa Galante, His awakening, trimmed with the most Italy’s most highly-acclaimed ensem- delightful violin decorations, does not ble specialising in Baroque repertoire, bring him back to reality, because in and one that has been invited to at the the next movement he charges at most prestigious concert halls around windmills, with the inevitable result. the world, including La Scala in Milan, The third movement reveals the ba- the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the sic reason for the Don’s quixotic behav- Royal Albert Hall in London and the iour: the sighing strings and pounding Lincoln Center in New York. heartbeat express the old man’s fiery Biondi collaborates as soloist and passion for Dulcinea del Toboso. conductor with many orchestras, such The portrait of Sancho Panza illus- as the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, trates the scene in which the Don’s the European Baroque Orchestra, the faithful squire is tossed in the air in Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Zurich a blanket. What goes up, must come Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestre down. Nationale de Montpelier. 5 Since March 2005, Fabio Biondi has and, with Tempera, Sibelius string been Artistic Director for Baroque quartets (Bis) and two Nordgren string music at the Stavanger Symphony quartets (Alba Records). She plays an Orchestra, and in 2011, he was ap- A. Guarneri violin from 1680 owned by pointed a member of the Accademia the Finnish Cultural Foundation. Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He plays an Andrea Guarneri violin from 1686 and a Carlo Ferdinando Gagliano from 1766. JORMA VALJAKKA Principal oboist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra since 1989, Jorma Valjakka has been the soloist with LAURA VIKMAN the FRSO and many other Finnish or- chestras and in recitals of his own.