Sibelius, Gringolts and the Violin Concerto
A unique performance on period instruments
Sibelius
Ilya Gringolts, violin
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Tomas Djupsjöbacka, conductor
The Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) and the conductor Tomas Djupsjöbacka continue their period sound exploration of the music of Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). This time, the programme consist of his beloved violin concerto as well as the fourth symphony, one of Sibelius’ most visionary works. In the orchestra of Sibelius’ time, the string instruments used gut strings and the woodwinds had different mechanisms than today. The Vienna horns and the German trombones also have an impact on the sound. Since Sibelius’ own time, neither of these works have been performed on instruments like the ones that were used then.
Around the time of the conception of the violin concerto (1904/1905), Sibelius had the opportunity to move to the peace and quiet of Ainola. The first version of the concerto was however still composed in the bustling city, during a time when the composer’s lifestyle included long nights out. In this environment, Sibelius called his concerto a wonderful but diabolical task. The famous German violinist Willy Burmester wanted to premiere the work, but due to financial reasons Sibelius gave the work to another violinist. The final version was premiered by Karel Halíř, a concertmaster from Berlin, under the baton of Richard Strauss. The concerto merges the virtuoso tradition of the Romantic era with a new kind of conception of form as well as an original national colour.
This time, the soloist of the violin concerto is Ilya Gringolts, one of the absolute top violinists of today and a long time collaborator of FiBO. The album Il labirinto armonico (BIS) with violin concertos by Pietro Antonio Locatelli was received with praise and was awarded many international prizes, such as Gramophone Editor’s Choice (3/2021) and Diapason d’Or (5/2021).
Sibelius’ fourth symphony (1911) was his take on the modernism of his time. The symphony is a strangely charming statement that references different styles at the same time as it deviates from them. Aino Sibelius said that after the Helsinki premiere, she saw only “evasive looks, shaking heads, sheepish or secretly ironical smiles”. The extraordinary energy of the music didn’t pass unnoticed by anyone. The composer himself characterised the work as his credo and a manly fight for life. The transparent and sensitive sound of FiBO’s period instruments is well suited to show off the harsh masterwork in a new light.
Duration: 1 h 30 min (incl. intermission)
Tomas Djupsjöbacka and Ilya Gringolts discuss the topics related to the concert in the main foyer of the Musiikkitalo by the café on May 25 from 5.15 pm to 5.40 pm.
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Dress like Jean or Aino Sibelius!
We invite the audience of the Sibelius concerts to dress in attire from the period of Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). The clothes can be genuinely old, look like clothes that were used in Sibelius’ time or be inspired by them. You definitely don’t have to too puristic!
The photographer Astrid Mannerkoski will take photos of all who are interested on 25 May in Helsinki in the Music Centre foyer before the concert and during the intermission. The location will be situated between the door 1 and the table for programmes and guest tickets. Those dressed in the styles of Sibelius’ time will have precedence, but depending on the situation others can also have their photos taken. The photo will be delivered later by email.
If you need inspiration for your outfit, you can search on the internet using for instance keywords like these:
- fashion 1890, fashion 1900, fashion 1930 etc.
- Helsinki 1930 (or any other decade)
- image search using the names Jean Sibelius and Aino Sibelius.
On FiBO’s Facebook pages Irja Kajander-Vierkens (shirt made herself in the 1980s according to a model from the turn of the 20th century, skirt from the 1960s donated by her singing teacher) and Piia Maunula (dress from the 1940s) show examples of outfits.
HÄMEENLINNA
Tickets 38 € (normal), 17,50 € (children and students) + 1,5 € service charge per order: Verkatehdas, Ticketmaster's points of purchase and ticketmaster.fi
HELSINKI
Tickets 36/42/48/58 € (normal), 32/38/44/54 € (retirees), 24/30/40/51 € (other discount groups) + 1,5 € service charge per order: Ticketmaster's points of purchase and ticketmaster.fi
Tickets 32/38/44/53 € (normal), 28/34/40/50 € (retirees), 21/26/36/47 € (other discount groups): ticket office at Musiikkitalo
Student tickets on the concert day from Musiikkitalo (if there are tickets left): 15 €
Group tickets: ryhmat@musiikkitalo.fi, tel. +358 20 707 0426
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Ticket inquieries: lippu@fibo.fi