大象传媒

2pm: Afternoon on 3: Musical Outsiders

Katie Derham concludes a week of Elgar performances from non-British performers and looks at the Outsider in music

Britten and Elgar from Australia today, both with a theme of the Sea. Then, to Schubert, and his expression of the artist as outsider in his "Wanderer" Fantasy. Geirr Tveitt started out as an outsider on the periphery of Europe, born in rural Norway, in the Hardanger valley, but was educated in Leipzig (just like Elgar) before continuing his studies in Paris in the 1920's where he met the great and the good, before returning to his home in Norway and developing his individual musical voice there.

When the Stalin-backed criticism of Shostakovich appeared in the late 1930's, in response to his 4th Symphony and his opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" it was a bitter blow to the composer. Criticism like this from the Soviet "establishment" could have life threatening consequences, and for a while Shostakovich was definitely an "Outsider" in Soviet society. Shostakovich's return to the fold came with his 5th Symphony, written in 1937. As Shostakovich wrote at the time " A Soviet artist's response to justified criticism."

Britten: 4 Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

Elgar: Sea Pictures
Christianne Stotijn (mezzo)
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Tadaaki Otaka (conductor)

Schubert: Fantasy in C (D.760) "Wanderer Fantasy"
Alexander Melnikov

Jon Leifs: Organ Concerto (Op.7)
Michael Schonheit (organ)
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Osmo Vanska (conductor)

Geirr Tveitt: Hundrad Hardingtonar, Suite No. 4 ('Brudlaups-suiten' (Wedding Suite)
Bergen Philharmonic
Bjarte Engeset (conductor)

Shostakovich: Symphony No.5 in D minor (Op.47)
National Orchestra of France
Tatjana Vassiljeva (conductor).

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