Nordic Soundscapes: Santtu conducts Sibelius and Grieg

Nordic Soundscapes explores the relationship between music, nature and the climate crisis from a Nordic perspective. Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, who loves to walk, forage, hunt and meditate in the forest around his home in Finland, delves into his deep connection with the music and landscapes of his homeland.

26.9.2024

19:00

London

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London SE1

Musik ,

Nordic Soundscapes gets off to a barnstorming start, with our Finnish Principal Conductor Santtu at the helm.

María Sigfúsdóttir’s Oceans is an exhilarating appetiser for the series, which focusses on Nordic composers’ relationships with the natural world. From a peaceful, meditative opening, Sigfúsdóttir’s music grows in power, evoking the swell of the ocean and the cry of the wind.

Wise and wonderful pianist Stephen Hough joins us in Grieg’s Piano Concerto, one of the most popular pieces in the orchestral repertoire. It’s brimful of passion from its opening timpani roll and crashing chords to its anthemic final moments.

Then there’s a rare opportunity to hear Sibelius’s Kullervo, with the choir who sang at its premiere back in 1892. The YL Male Voice Choir is an institution in Finland, its history closely entwined with Finnish national identity and the music of Sibelius. Kullervo, which Sibelius sometimes referred to as his first symphony, tells a story from Finland’s national epic, the Kalevala. After a tragic childhood, the eponymous Kullervo unknowingly seduces his sister, with unsurprisingly disastrous results. You can expect sweeping melodies worthy of a Hollywood epic, high drama and some seriously impressive singing.

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