11 MAY FRIDAY SERIES 14 Helsinki Music Centre at 7 pm Osmo Vänskä, conductor Stephen Hough, soprano Singers of the Music Centre Choir, choir master Tapani Länsiöo Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D KV 385 “Haffner” 21 min I Allegro con spirito II Andante III Menuetto – Trio IV Finale (Presto) Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra, Op. 43 24 min Introduction and 24 variations INTERVAL 20 min Béla Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin, a pantomime in one act 30 min Libretto: Lengyel Menyhért Finnish translation: Sirpa Hietanen © Copyright 2000 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien / Universal Edition (London) Ltd., London/UE34110, © 2012 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien Interval at about 7.55 pm. The concert proper ends at about 9.00 pm. The late-night chamber-music concert will follow in the Concert Hall after an interval of about 10 minutes. Those attending are asked to take (unnumbered) seats in the stalls. 1 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A KV581 30 min I Allegro II Larghetto III Menuetto – Trio 1-2 IV Allegretto con variazioni (Adagio– Allegro) Osmo Vänskä, clarinet Laura Vikman, violin Hannu Vasara, violin Riitta-Liisa Ristiluoma, viola Mikko Ivars, cello Broadcast live on YLE Radio 1 and the Internet at yle.fi/rso. 2 WOLFGANG AMADEUS rhythmic drive in particular knows no bounds. For Mozart’s instruction was MOZART (1756–1791): simply to play it as fast as possible. SYMPHONY NO. 35 Aatu Pyy The year 1782 was one of change for This programme note was produced in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was partnership with the degree program- 26 years old and trying to settle down me in musicology at the University of in his busy new life as a freelance ar- Turku. The writer is a student of mu- tist in Vienna. His hasty marriage to sicology. Constanze Weber in August placed a strain on relations with his father and, SERGEI RACHMANI- amid the hectic round, he found fault NOFF (1873–1943): with everything his father ordered. When Leopold told him to compose RHAPSODY ON A some festive music for the ennoble- THEME OF PAGANINI ment ceremony of Siegmund Haffner of Salzburg, he agreed only because By the time Serge Rachmaninoff came Siegmund was an old friend. He would, to work on this large-scale work for however, get it out of the way as quick- piano and orchestra in summer 1934, ly as possible without compromising he had reached the closing stage of a over quality. The Symphony No. 35, composing career that, though long, nowadays also known as the Haffner, had produced relatively little. From the became one of the most popular works time he emigrated from his homeland, by this composer enjoying a conside- caught up in the Revolution, he com- rable new wave of attention in the 20th posed only little – nothing at all in fact century. for the first eight years. This was partly The melody of the first movement due to the trauma caused by his depar- covers a wide range and proceeds al- ture from Russia, and partly to his bril- ternately at a serene, tranquil and a fe- liant career as a pianist, which left him verish, breathtaking pace. The music of little time for anything else. The set of the second movement then seems to variations on a theme of Paganini was, get its breath back in beautiful melodic however, born surprisingly quickly, in and harmonic progressions. The third only a month. movement features a Minuet and Trio Rachmaninoff called it a Rhapsody in accordance with prevailing tradition on a Theme of Paganini, but the name and may be thought of as reflecting he originally proposed, Symphonic the official, solemn nature of the oc- Variations on a Theme of Paganini, casion. The Minuet does, however, pre- would actually have been more ap- sent a slight surprise in the somewhat propriate. The work is a natural conti- free use of chromatics. The fourth mo- nuation of his four piano concertos and vement is a real tour de force, and the is every bit their equal in the techni- 3 cal demands it makes. Its concerto-li- nal the year before and liked the idea ke character derives as much from its of writing a “grotesque pantomime” instrumental virtuosity as from its clear unlike the conventional ballet spectac- division into three tempo zones, like le made up of separate dance numbers. those of a traditional concerto. The story has none of the traditional Rachmaninoff introduces his the- moral teachings: all the characters are me only after a brief introduction and driven by sheer greed or animal sexual the first variation. The opening ‘mo- instincts. The villains are out-and-out vement’ in the overall scheme con- villains, not pitiable creatures who have sists of mostly quick variations 1–10. been led astray, and the woman is for- And Rachmaninoff would not have ced into being an object of pure lust been Rachmaninoff had he not slip- and a symbol of sexuality. ped his own personal motto into the The merciless, whirlwind life of the work, the medieval Dies irae motif first city whizzes past in the opening strings heard in the leisurely seventh variation. and the hammering wind chords. Variations 11–18 constitute the slow Overlooking a busy street is a brothel, ‘movement’, breaking away from the and seated in the window is a woman otherwise dominant key of A minor. forced to take up her position there by True, there is some more mobile mate- three bad guys. It is her job to act as a rial even here around the middle, as in decoy to seduce – clarinet solo – men the slow movements of his second and in to be robbed. third piano concertos. The emotional The first to come along is a seedy core of the work is variation 18, which libertine, accompanied by dissolute is broader than the others and features trombone glissandos and violas reflec- a glowing romantic melody based on ting shabby amorous intentions. The the theme in inversion before the final villains soon throw the penniless lover dash of the last variations. back out into the street in a manner evoked by the winds. Kimmo Korhonen (abridged) The clarinet’s siren-like call goes out again in more seductive tones and this time traps a timid youth (oboe). A bas- soon laments the new client’s ama- BÉLA BARTÓK teurish approach; the villains frisk him, (1881–1945): the brass give another snarl and the penniless youth is sent out on his ear. THE MIRACULOUS The clarinet writhes about even more MANDARIN seductively and latches onto a weird passer-by, a Chinese mandarin alias Béla Bartók composed his ballet pan- muted trombones and wild, shrieking tomime The Miraculous Mandarin in winds. 1918–1919. He had come across the tale The woman begins a slow waltz. The by Lengyel Menyhért in a literary jour- orchestra tinkles and jingles, reinfor- 4 ced by a piano, celesta, triangle, cym- Before Minnesota, Osmo Vänskä was bals and harp. After passively watching Artistic Director of the Lahti Symphony the performance for a while, the man- Orchestra from 1988. He has also darin is galvanised into action in a hea- been Chief Conductor of the Tapiola ted, limping fugato, but he is unable to Sinfonietta, the Iceland Symphony catch her. Orchestra and the BBC Scottish The villains leap out of their hiding Symphony Orchestra. He regularly con- place, hastened along by curt timpani ducts top orchestras the world over, beats, relieve the mandarin of his be- in New York and Philadelphia as in longings and make to kill him. First Munich, Boston, Leipzig, Chicago, the they try to suffocate him with cushi- UK and Amsterdam. His record releases ons. Then they stab him all over with with the Minnesota Orchestra include knives, and finally they string him up. the complete Beethoven symphonies, But all to no avail: the mandarin’s gaze the Tchaikovsky piano concertos with never leaves the woman. Stephen Hough and the Beethoven The offstage choir begins to sing piano concertos with Yevgeny Sudbin. in ghostly minor thirds and a grating Mr Vänskä has been granted an ho- string tune twirls like the rope on which norary doctorate from the University the miraculous mandarin’s life hangs. of Glasgow and the Royal Philharmonic One of the villains cuts the mandarin Society Award for his outstanding down from the gallows and the woman contribution to classical music. He was takes him in her arms. Only then do his named Musical America’s Conductor of wounds begin to bleed, and the passi- the Year 2005. on oozes from his body in lifeless or- chestral sighs. STEPHEN HOUGH Antti Häyrynen (abridged) Stephen Hough is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive pianists of his generation. In recognition of his OSMO VÄNSKÄ achievements, he was awarded a pres- tigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2001, Praised for his intense, dynamic perfor- and in 2010 the prize of the Royal mances, Osmo Vänskä was appointed Philharmonic Society. He has appeared Music Director of the Minnesota with most of the major European and Orchestra in 2003. Conductor and or- American orchestras and plays recitals chestra have together since won great regularly in halls and concert series acclaim and, among other things, give around the world. He is a guest at fes- an annual concert series at Carnegie tivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Hall, New York. Maestro Vänskä’s term Aspen, Ravinia, Edinburgh and the BBC with the Minnesota Orchestra runs un- Proms, and recent engagements have til 2015.