10. Philharmonic Concert »Freedom-loving«

Few works in the history of music are as closely linked to the longing for freedom and self-determination as Jean Sibelius’s tone poem Finlandia. It was composed in 1899/1900, at a time when the Finns, under Russian rule, were pressing ever more strongly for national sovereignty. In Finlandia, this yearning is expressed through a novel musical language invented by Sibelius, which nevertheless feels distinctly Finnish. The piece begins darkly and menacingly with sombre brass chords, echoing the era of Russian oppression. But then it becomes restless, even angry. Resistance stirs. Hope permeates the music, as in that famous solemn melody which is regarded as Finland’s unofficial anthem. The blend of combative drama and sacred tranquillity is what makes Finlandia so special.

Closely related to it is Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2, composed shortly after Finlandia. It continues the Nordic-heroic musical language of its predecessor and employs a palette of sounds often associated with the Finnish landscape. What makes it particularly appealing is its wealth of melodic inventions, its positive underlying mood, its folk-inspired character and its hymn-like finale.

These works provide the framework for Nikolai Kapustin’s Piano Concerto No. 5. Freedom was a major theme for the Ukrainian-Russian composer too – for him, this related above all to music. He ingeniously fused classical music and jazz to create something new. Like classical composers – something virtually unthinkable for jazz musicians – he always wrote out the solos in full. And yet, even in his impulsive, musically gripping Piano Concerto No. 5, jazz breathes from every note.

There is no pianist in Germany – and probably nowhere in the world – who can play Kapustin’s long-overlooked and almost forgotten work with such finesse and insight as Frank Dupree. Our soloist for the evening is one of the foremost experts on Kapustin; he has contributed greatly to the rediscovery of this composer and has made several sensational recordings of his works – including the Piano Concerto No. 5. This evening of freedom and musical crossing of frontiers will be conducted by GMD Felix Mildenberger.