Casual Friday: Sibelius, Nielsen, & Tarkiainen | Music of the Midnight Sun
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall, Boston, MA
John Storgårds, conductor
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Outi TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations
NIELSEN Violin Concerto
SIBELIUS Tapiola
Finland and its culture dominate Symphony Hall in this concert. Finnish conductor John Storgårds leads the first in our Music of the Midnight Sun series, an exploration of Nordic storytelling and music. Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen’s vivid soundscapes prove she is a worthy successor to her compatriot Jean Sibelius; her nuanced and colorful Midnight Sun Variations that transport you to her homeland. Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto debuts with the BSO as the orchestra performs the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s 1911 Violin Concerto for the first time. The program closes with three of Sibelius’s tone poems based on Finnish legends, their moods ranging from sweeping power to contemplative mystery.
Music of the Midnight Sun is supported, in part by the American Scandinavian Foundation.
Friday's performance will end around 9:30pm.
Performance Details
Mar 1, 2024, 8:00pm EST
Featuring
Program Notes & Works
Midnight Sun Variations
Born in Lapland, in the far north of Finland, Outi Tarkiainen describes her Midnight Sun Variations as “variations on the light when the sun never sets in the arctic summer night,” evoking a “rich spectrum of infinitely nuanced hues.”
Violin Concerto
Carl Nielsen composed his Violin Concerto in Norway and finished it at home in Denmark in 1911. He wrote it for the Danish violinist Peder Møller, who premiered it in February 1912.
The Oceanides
Sibelius's tone poem The Oceanides, another name for mythical naiads or water nymphs, portrays the animating spirit of the sea.
The Bard
Sibelius's harp-centered tone poem The Bard evokes a far-distant past.
Tapiola
Tapiola, one of Sibelius's best-known works, takes its title from the “forest spirit” of the Finnish national epic the Kalevala.
Music of the Midnight Sun
February 29–March 9, 2024: This two-week celebration of Nordic composers, conductors, and artists takes you on a journey through the epic storytelling and bracing music of Finland, Denmark, and Norway, transporting you to the land of the midnight sun.
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