13 MARCH WEDNESDAY SERIES 11 Helsinki Music Centre at 7 pm Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor Jenny Carlstedt, mezzo-soprano Jukka Harju, French horn Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Op. 84 9 min I Sostenuto, ma non troppo – Allegro Aulis Sallinen: Five Female Portraits, Op. 100, fp (Yle commission) 23 min I Tuiskuaa lunta (It is still snowing) II Carolinen häät (Caroline’s wedding) III Minä odotan sinua, paimen (When we meet this evening) IV Itkenkö minä sinua? (How can I ask if I’ll mourn you?) V On tämä silta tehty naisista (This is the bridge that’s made of womankind) INTERVAL 20 min Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68 45 min I Un poco sostenuto – Allegro II Andante sostenuto III Un poco allegretto e grazioso IV Adagio – Più andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio Interval at about 19.45. The concert ends at about 21.00. Broadcast live on Yle Radio 1. 1 LUDWIG VAN AULIS SALLINEN BEETHOVEN (1935–): FIVE FEMALE (1770–1827): EGMONT PORTRAITS, OP. 100 OVERTURE, OP. 84 (2011–12) Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his mu- The Portraits are five arias from three sic for Goethe’s Egmont – a play about of my operas (The Red Line, The King the 16th century Flemish insurrection Goes Forth To France and Kullervo). against Spanish tyranny as personified Each paints a picture of a woman with in the Duke of Alba – in 1810. Count a fate and mission ordained by her role Egmont, leader of the insurrection, re- in life. The vocal parts are much as in fuses to flee the land with King William the original operas, but the orchestra of Orange, is imprisoned as a heretic (woodwinds, four cellos, a harp and pia- and sentenced to death. no) differs and places the arias in a new In Goethe’s play, Egmont’s beloved, soundscape. The score also incorpora- Klärchen, tries in vain to rescue him tes a French horn that acts as a soloist and commits suicide. The real Count and provides a masculine contrast to Egmont was beheaded in the courty- the female singer. ard of the Grand Palace in Brussels in It is still snowing (The Red Line) is June 1568, the Duke of Alba drowning about Riika as, in her lowly cottage, his parting words with a loud brass she awaits news that will make life bet- band. In the play, Egmont’s speech and ter. In Caroline’s wedding (The King Goes martyr’s death act as an incentive for Forth To France), the mad, delirious the Flemish people to rise up and fight Caroline with the Thick Mane pours out for their freedom. The topic appea- her feverish feelings about the king she led to Beethoven, who was himself of awaits for her wedding. Although the Flemish descent. king is in fact being married elsewhere, Beethoven’s concept of freedom was she believes she is in France express- founded on the ideals of the French ly to prepare for her wedding. When Revolution. His overture to the play is we meet this evening (Kullervo) is sung a stirring tone poem in true classical by the smith’s young wife as she im- style, weaving together dark tyranny, patiently awaits Kullervo’s arrival. How vulnerable love and jubilant freedom. can I ask if I’ll mourn you? (Kullervo) is a Conflicts at individual level (love and portrait of all-enduring motherly love; patriotism) are juxtaposed with the the love that overcomes and overrules universal (freedom and oppression). At others’ contempt for a young mother’s personal level, they end in tragedy, but grief. This is the bridge that’s made of the coda to the overture says that the womankind (The King Goes Forth To sacrifice was not in vain. France) is The Nice Caroline’s song about womankind and her eternal task Antti Häyrynen of bearing and giving birth to life. 2 The texts of The King Goes Forth To E major with a sentimental string me- France are by Paavo Haavikko, those of lody that soon makes room for a flo- The Red Line and Kullervo my own. wing oboe theme. The third movement (Un poco al- Aulis Sallinen legretto e grazioso) is a lyrical, typical- ly Brahmsian intermezzo that, despite its brevity and its sparing instrumen- tation, satisfies the symphonic criteria. JOHANNES BRAHMS The cheerful opening wind theme is (1833–1897): followed by more serious tones but as a whole, the movement is optimistic. SYMPHONY NO. 1 IN The sense of tragedy returns in the C MINOR, OP. 68 very first chords (Adagio) of the finale, and is not easily shaken off by the Brahms began work on his first string pizzicatos. The main section of symphony in the late 1850s, but it was the finale (Allegro non troppo, ma con not performed until 1876, by which brio) begins with a beautiful, confident time he was 43 years old. It posed a to- string theme intended by Brahms as a tal challenge for him, a challenge em- gesture to the theme of the finale to bracing every aspect of life, and in its Beethoven’s ninth symphony (Ode to jubilant finale he finally put a symbolic Joy) – and “Any ass can see that!”, as end to all the resistance. The first three the composer so delicately put it. movements caused him only moderate When the string theme returns after effort, but the finale made him strugg- a lot of feverish development, it creates le for over a decade. an impression of rondo form. Brahms The symphony was already finished is, however, aiming higher: the coda when Brahms added an introduction grows out of the boisterous repeat of (Un poco sostenuto) to the first mo- the second theme, and the main theme vement, to make it balance with the never comes back. Instead, the strings mighty finale. He shaped the Allegro prepare for a tremendous climax that section of the opening movement with ends with a repeat of the chorale the- determination and drama. The mour- me on the full orchestra and C major nful subthemes stir the stormy and chords claiming ultimate victory over rhythmically tense theme to action the minor key. again and again, until it finally relaxes with a hint of a major-key compromise. Antti Häyrynen (abridged) The drama of the outer movements spoke to contemporary listeners, but they had greater difficulty understan- ding the quiet poetry of the middle ones. The slow movement (Andante sostenuto) begins in the distant key of 3 JUKKA-PEKKA SARASTE bum (Virgin Classics), Merikanto’s Juha (Ondine) and Madetoja’s The Ostrobothnians (Finlandia), and In autumn 2010 Jukka-Pekka Saraste the complete Nielsen symphonies embarked on a three-year term (Finlandia, 2001). He has also recorded as Chief Conductor of the WDR works by Bartók, Dutilleux, Prokofiev Symphony Orchestra in Cologne. He and others with the Toronto Symphony has been Music Director of the Oslo Orchestra. Philharmonic since 2006, is Artistic Jukka-Pekka Saraste was awarded Advisor to the Finnish Chamber the State Prize for Music in 2000 and Orchestra and Artistic Director of the the Sibelius Society Medal in 2007. The Ekenäs Summer Concerts in Finland. Norwegians awarded him their Sibelius In autumn 2008 he began a three-year Prize in 2006. Mr Saraste has also re- appointment as Artistic Advisor to the ceived an honorary doctorate from the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Artistic University of York. Director of its Sibelius Festival. Mr Saraste was Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra 1987–2001. During that time he led JENNY CARLSTEDT the orchestra on many tours of Europe, two to the Far East, and its debut visit to the United States. He was Principal Mezzo-soprano Jenny Carlstedt, a nati- Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony ve of Finland’s Swedish-speaking island Orchestra 2002–2005, Music Director province of Åland, graduated from the of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Sibelius Academy before continuing 1994–2001, and for several years her studies with Rudolf Piernay at the worked with the Scottish Chamber Guildhall School of Music and Drama Orchestra. in London. She joined the ensemb- In recent years Mr Saraste has ap- le of Frankfurt Opera in 2002 and du- peared with, among others, the Chicago, ring her years in Germany has sung London and La Scala Philharmonics, numerous mezzo roles: Siebel (Faust), the Philharmonia in London, Angelina (La Cenerentola), Rosina (The the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Barber of Seville), Nicklausse (The Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle Tales of Hoffmann) and Sesto (La cle- and the Boston Symphony. He con- menza di Tito), to mention just a few. ducted Merikanto’s opera Juha at the Over the years, she has also made a Savonlinna Opera Festival in 2002 and name for herself in Mozart repertoi- 2003. re, singing Dorabella (Così fan tutte) With the FRSO Mr Saraste has recor- in Christof Loy’s award-winning pro- ded the complete Sibelius symphonies duction, at Glyndebourne and for her (twice, for RCA and Finlandia), Mahler’s Finnish National Opera debut in 2001. Symphony No. 5 and a Stravinsky al- In autumn 2012 she won great critical 4 acclaim for her performance as Erika in Brass Week won him international re- Barber’s Vanessa at Frankfurt Opera. cognition as a musician and as a com- Jenny Carlstedt is also in great de- poser of brass music. mand for oratorio, and just recent- Mr Harju has been principal horn in ly contemporary repertoire. She the Radio Symphony Orchestra since has, among others, sung Harper in 2008, first as deputy and since 2009 as Eötvös’s opera Angels in America and the regular leader of his section.