Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade

Vasily Petrenko conductor

No one mastered the art of orchestration better than the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844−1908) wrote a well-known book on the theory of orchestration, and composed music with extraordinarily rich, well-balanced and confident use of sound. Aside from mastering his craft, he had additional, and perhaps more important, abilities, such as that of selecting sound colours, harmonies and melodies in order to describe a narrative, or to capture a character or a mood. His greatest success was the music to the story of Scheherazade from the collection of stories “One Thousand and One Nights”. This symphonic suite was composed and premiered in 1888 with the composer himself conducting, and remains his most acclaimed composition.

Scheherazade consists of four movements: The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, The Kalendar Prince, The Young Prince and The Young Princess, The Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman. The violent trombone theme, often associated with the evil sultan, is introduced already in the opening, and Scheherazade’s beautiful theme is played by a solo violin − an arabesque melody with oriental-inspired ornaments which coils itself around us, casting a spell on both the sultan and the listener. Even though the Orientalism of the 1800s might not feel relevant today,  the music creates a vivid fantasy, sending us off on a flying carpet while evoking the timeless, universal world of the fairy tale.

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5

Vasily Petrenko conductor

Simon Trpceski piano

A swan hymn and a mighty piano work.

In Jean Sibelius’ fifth symphony, we can almost imagine the whole orchestra being elevated to a higher plane when the “Swan Hymn” lifts the music out of the Finnish forests and into infinity. This concert programme puts the spotlight on the horns: a horn introduces Sibelius’ famous symphony, as well as the Swan Hymn in the finale. With their lyrical melody, the horns also feature prominently in the introduction of one of the great piano concertos of our time. Although Brahms’second piano concerto can be said to be more symphonic than virtuosic, Simon Trpceski will have ample opportunity to demonstrate his outstanding technique to the fullest as he navigates the composer’s overwhelming waves of sound.

“Good God, what beauty”, wrote Jean Sibelius (1865−1957) in his journal when sixteen swans circled over him one spring day in 1915, and he was inspired to write the horn theme from the finale of Symphony No. 5 (1919). Nature inspired Sibelius, but his final works seem to be expressions of the universal and the infinite, elevated above any imitation or wordly inspiration. Symphony No. 5 is arguably one of his most perfectly formed masterpieces in this sense: already from the pastoral idyll of the opening, all melodic and harmonic ideas lead to the “Swan Hymn” and the famous concluding salutes where time seems to stand still for a moment. The concept of symphonic unity and what he himself described as “deep logic” was important to the composer, who strived for a concentrated and powerful expression, but also desired variation and innovation in terms of sound and texture in the process of creating this. Since its very first performance in Helsinki in 1919, Sibelius’ fifth symphony has counted among Sibelius’ most often performed works and constitutes a highlight of Nordic musical history.

Another composer who was concerned with symphonic unity and deep logic was Johannes Brahms (1833−1897). He therefore imbued his solo concertos with symphonic proportions, form types and weight, and not only mere virtuosity. With its four massive movements, his second piano concerto counts among the real heavyweights in the classical repertoire and is notorious among pianists. Although many call it a symphony with piano, the soloist is immediately cast out into technical challenges, such as the cadenza, which starts only a few bars after the first movement. Behind the mighty facade, Brahms’ second piano concerto is varied in terms of both expression and character. Listen to the cello solo, for instance, which gently strokes you across the cheek in the third movement, and which Brahms later made into the song Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer (My slumber is growing ever softer) or the dancing Hungarian rhythms in the graceful final movement. The latter was particularly well-received when the work received its world premiere in Budapest in 1881, with Brahms himself as the soloist.

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5

Vasily Petrenko conductor

Simon Trpceski piano

A swan hymn and a mighty piano work.

In Jean Sibelius’ fifth symphony, we can almost imagine the whole orchestra being elevated to a higher plane when the “Swan Hymn” lifts the music out of the Finnish forests and into infinity. This concert programme puts the spotlight on the horns: a horn introduces Sibelius’ famous symphony, as well as the Swan Hymn in the finale. With their lyrical melody, the horns also feature prominently in the introduction of one of the great piano concertos of our time. Although Brahms’second piano concerto can be said to be more symphonic than virtuosic, Simon Trpceski will have ample opportunity to demonstrate his outstanding technique to the fullest as he navigates the composer’s overwhelming waves of sound.

“Good God, what beauty”, wrote Jean Sibelius (1865−1957) in his journal when sixteen swans circled over him one spring day in 1915, and he was inspired to write the horn theme from the finale of Symphony No. 5 (1919). Nature inspired Sibelius, but his final works seem to be expressions of the universal and the infinite, elevated above any imitation or wordly inspiration. Symphony No. 5 is arguably one of his most perfectly formed masterpieces in this sense: already from the pastoral idyll of the opening, all melodic and harmonic ideas lead to the “Swan Hymn” and the famous concluding salutes where time seems to stand still for a moment. The concept of symphonic unity and what he himself described as “deep logic” was important to the composer, who strived for a concentrated and powerful expression, but also desired variation and innovation in terms of sound and texture in the process of creating this. Since its very first performance in Helsinki in 1919, Sibelius’ fifth symphony has counted among Sibelius’ most often performed works and constitutes a highlight of Nordic musical history.

Another composer who was concerned with symphonic unity and deep logic was Johannes Brahms (1833−1897). He therefore imbued his solo concertos with symphonic proportions, form types and weight, and not only mere virtuosity. With its four massive movements, his second piano concerto counts among the real heavyweights in the classical repertoire and is notorious among pianists. Although many call it a symphony with piano, the soloist is immediately cast out into technical challenges, such as the cadenza, which starts only a few bars after the first movement. Behind the mighty facade, Brahms’ second piano concerto is varied in terms of both expression and character. Listen to the cello solo, for instance, which gently strokes you across the cheek in the third movement, and which Brahms later made into the song Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer (My slumber is growing ever softer) or the dancing Hungarian rhythms in the graceful final movement. The latter was particularly well-received when the work received its world premiere in Budapest in 1881, with Brahms himself as the soloist.