Sakari Oramo, conductor Marko Ylönen, cello Magnus Lindberg: EXPO, fp in Finland 9 min Antonín Dvorˇák: Cello Concerto no. 2 in B minor, Op. 104 40 min I Allegro II Adagio ma non troppo III Finale (Allegro moderato) INTERVAL 20 min Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony no. 5 in B flat major, Op. 100 42 min I Andante II Allegro marcato III Adagio IV Allegro giocoso Interval at about 7.45 pm. Th e concert ends at about 8.45 pm. Broadcast live on YLE Radio 1 and the Internet (www.yle.fi /rso). 1 Magnus Lindberg (b. 1958): EXPO (2009) Magnus Lindberg has tended not to enter in- ludes to the musical term ‘exposition’, meaning to long-term commitments that would prevent ‘statement of the material’. Lindberg announc- him from composing. Last autumn he never- es his basic vocabulary right at the very outset. theless embarked on a two-year tenure as the He creates drama through contrasts. First he Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence of introduces virtuosically quick and chorale-like the New York Philharmonic. Th is will require slow music. Th eir roles later get mixed up so him to compose new works for the orchestra, to that the listener gets simultaneous sensations plan its Contact! series of new music concerts, of quick and slow. By means of rapid cuts and to join in the Philharmonic’s education projects changes of tempo Lindberg creates a narrative and all in all to be present whenever contempo- that does not for a moment tread water. Th e rary music is performed. result is rhythmic dance-like patterns, mighty Th e residency got off to a fi ne start in mid- blocks of brass and timpani sound and thin, lin- September when the orchestra’s new Music Di- gering textures. Th e harmony is rich, clear and rector Alan Gilbert conducted a gala concert to resonant. Th e bare fi fths permit tonal associa- mark the start of his fi rst season. Th e concert tions, and at no point does even the unaccus- began with the premiere performance of EXPO. tomed listener need to grip the armrests in or- Th e NYP has already taken EXPO on tour to the der to stay on board. Far East and it will feature on the programme EXPO is an interesting addition to the short for its European tour in January-February. orchestral-piece tradition. It sweeps the listen- In December Lindberg conducted the fi rst er along at a brisk pace, not wallowing in murky Contact! concert. During the present season waters but exuding positive fl ow by ingeniously the NYP will also perform his Arena and his regulating the kinetic energy. Like gloves made Clarinet Concerto, and to round off the season by a master: just right. in June a big new orchestral work. Th e Lindberg residency will help Gilbert to give his fi rst-rate Risto Nieminen (abridged) orchestra a more youthful image. EXPO was written with the sense of occasion prevailing at its premiere in mind. Th e title al- Antonín Dvorˇák (1841–1904): Cello Concerto no. 2 in B minor, Op. 104 (1894–95) Th e B minor Cello Concerto by Antonín Dvořák with it the overall structure of the work. Com- has been called the king of cello concertos. Ever pared with a traditional concerto it is more in since it was fi rst heard in 1895, it has been im- the nature of a symphony than a display of skill mensely popular, performed and recorded more and has sometimes been described as Dvořák’s than any other. It is easy to fi nd many reasons tenth Symphony. for this. For it is a work marked by a beauti- Th e genesis of the concerto is not quite as ful idiom combining folk-like, Bohemian mel- sunny as its subsequent success might sug- odies with drama, grand emotions, a brilliant gest. Dvořák in fact had no intention of writ- solo part and splendid orchestration. Th e inner ing it, for never in his long career had he shown drama may be compressed into two psycholog- any interest in the cello as a solo instrument, ical lines: the farewell to life and love of a great claiming that the upper register sounded too artist. It is here that the tension emerges, and nasal and the bass notes too rumbling. His cel- 2 list friend Hanus Wihan, to whom the B mi- ness and death of his youthful beloved Josefi - nor Concerto was dedicated, had long been na Kounicová. Knowing that he would soon be suggesting that Dvořák write a cello concer- forced to take his leave of her, he examined, in to, but to no avail. Not until Dvořák was direc- his Concerto, the relationship between happi- tor of the National Conservatory in New York ness and anguish. Th e most signifi cant work – (1892-95) did he work up any enthusiasm for as far as the Cello Concerto was concerned – in- the idea, and the fi nal impetus came in spring spired by Josefi na was the four settings of po- 1894, when he heard a performance of the sec- ems by Malybrok-Stieler, Op. 82, one of which, ond Cello Concerto by Viktor Herbert, a com- Leave me alone, appears as the second theme of poser of musicals. the second movement of the Concerto and at Th e Cello Concerto was the result of a peri- the end of the elegiac fi nale. od of intensive work in early February 1895. Th e process of composition and the work’s revi- Raimo Sariola (abridged) sion later that spring were infl uenced by the ill- Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953): Symphony no. 5 in B flat major, Op. 100 (1944) Returning to the Soviet Union in 1935, Sergei the mischievous clarinet theme of the main sec- Prokofi ev earned the approval of the political tion are shown in a grotesque and momentarily regime by writing patriotic music. He reacted nightmarish light. Th e slow movement is trag- to the Second World War fi rst at personal level, ic and nostalgic in tone. Th e melody spreads its with his Piano Sonatas 6-8, and then in 1944 wings on the violins like a mythical bird in a with his Symphony No. 5 in B major, Op. 100. dark, gloomy orchestral picture frame. Th e fi fth Symphony is classical in structure Th e Finale begins as a jolly Sonata Rondo pre- but is epic in the Slavic manner rather than pared by a fl ashback to the main theme of the relying on motif work. Its leisurely pace gives opening movement. Th e violas set the music the opening movement the air of an introduc- in motion and the clarinet strikes up a cheer- tion. Th e lyrical theme introduced by the wood- ful, carefree tune that encounters obstacles as it winds reveals its majestic potential in the devel- proceeds. Th e emotional contrast that has per- opment section. Complementing the translu- vaded throughout the work takes the leading cent sounds of the strings and woodwinds are role in the jaunty fi nal build-up in which the tri- the militant brass outbursts reinforced by the umphant, sentimental jubilation is restrained percussion. by screeching dissonances. Th e Scherzo is an opportunity for Prokofi ev to cultivate the devilish tricks of his modernist Antti Häyrynen (abridged) period, musical comedy that rapidly gives way to raging anguish. Th e motorised rhythms and Sakari Oramo Sakari Oramo has been Chief Conductor of the and went on to obtain a conducting diploma in Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra since Au- the class of Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Acade- gust 2003. An accomplished violinist, he began my. In January 1993 he replaced an ailing con- his career as co-leader of the orchestra in 1991 ductor at very short notice; the resulting con- 3 cert was an unprecedented success, leading to Edinburgh Festivals. In October 2005 he took his appointment as Associate Chief Conductor the orchestra on tour to Japan and was imme- as of autumn 1994. Four years later he began as diately invited back for February 2007. Principal Conductor of the City of Birmingham Th e FRSO and Sakari Oramo have recorded Symphony Orchestra, an appointment that was music (for Ondine) by such Finnish compos- renamed Music Director in autumn 1999. He ers as Hakola, Lindberg, Kaipainen and Kok- resigned from his ten-year term in Birmingham konen, and the debut release of Launis’s opera in spring 2008 but continues as the orchestra’s Aslak Hetta. His disc of works by Magnus Lind- Principal Guest Conductor. As of the 2008/09 berg, and the Bartók disc by Warner Classics season he will be Chief Conductor and Artistic have received great international acclaim. His Advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic disc (Ondine) of Symphonies 3 and 5 by Nor- Orchestra. He is also Principal Guest Conduc- dgren won the French Académie Charles Cros tor of the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra award, and that of Lindberg the prize of the and of Kokkola Opera. BBC Music Magazine and the Classic FM Gram- Mr Oramo has conducted many of the ophone Award in 2006. Th e recording by Mr world’s leading orchestras, such as the Berlin, Oramo, the FRSO and Lisa Batiashvili of the New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oslo Phil- Violin Concertos by Magnus Lindberg and Jean harmonics, the Paris, Cleveland and Minnesota Sibelius was honoured with a MIDEM Classical Orchestras, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Award in 2008. NHK Symphony and the Frankfurt RSO.