大象传媒

Conductor John Storgards brings from his home in Lapland the phenomenal natural beauty of the Arctic, inspiration here for composers Outi Tarkiainen and Kalevi Aho.

Live from the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester
Presented by Tom Redmond

Kalevi Aho: Theremin Concerto "Eight Seasons" (UK premiere)

8.05
Music Interval

Outi Tarkiainen: Midnight Sun Variations
Shostakovich: Symphony No.12 "The Year 1917"

Carolina Eyck (Theremin)
大象传媒 Philharmonic
John Storgards (conductor)

The 大象传媒 Philharmonic's Chief Guest Conductor, John Storgards brings music from his Lapland home to Manchester. Outi Tarkiainen's "Midnight Sun Variations" immerses us in the light of the arctic tundra on a Summer's night, in the least polluted part of Europe, and amongst dense mysterious forests. Summer moves towards the mists of Autumn, she says, the time of year her first baby was born, the parting of mother and child restoring her former self. Kalevi Aho's Theremin Concerto, written for Carolina Eyck, widely considered the world's leading exponent of the instrument, also takes its inspiration from the natural world. The native Sami of Lapland divide the year into eight seasons which become the eight movements of the piece and the unique sound-world portrays different snow landscapes, the mists of Autumn and the last section of the piece is titled "Midnight Sun". The third movement of Shostakovich's Twelfth Symphony is headed "Aurora" but we move in a completely different direction here; this was the name of the battleship whose first shots at the Winter Palace heralded the start of the 1917 Revolution. Dedicated to Lenin this is perhaps Shostakovich's most filmic Symphony and graphically depicts the events of the Revolution.