BSO — 2024/03/02

 The BSO is beginning a two-week "Music of the Midnight Sun" Festival this week. WCRB has the basic information:

Saturday, March 2, 2024
8:00pm

Encore broadcast on Monday, March 11

Finnish conductor John Storgårds leads the first of two BSO programs in the Music of the Midnight Sun festival, an exploration of Nordic music and storytelling. Outi Tarkiainen’s Midnight Sun Variations transports you to her homeland of Finland. Evoking similarly vivid soundscapes, the BSO performs three tone poems by Jean Sibelius based on Finnish legends. And Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto makes his BSO debut in the orchestra’s first-ever performances of the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s Violin Concerto.

John Storgårds, conductor
Pekka Kuusisto, violin

Outi TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations 
Carl NIELSEN Violin Concerto
Jean SIBELIUS The Oceanides and The Bard
SIBELIUS Tapiola

To hear a preview of Nielsen's Violin Concerto with Pekka Kuusisto, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath. I'm at Symphony Hall with Pekka Kuusisto, who is here with the Boston Symphony for the very first time. Pekka, thank you for a little bit of your time today. I apprecia

I have a ticket waiting for me at the box office, but I haven't had a nap today, and I'm feeling a bit drowsy. Unfortunately, public transportation is very spotty in the late evenings, so I think I'll just stay home and listen to WCRB along with you.

For additional information, you can go to the BSO's own performance detail page, with its links to performer bios and program notes. Their introduction is as follows:

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Boston, MA 

John Storgårds, conductor 
Pekka Kuusisto, violin

Outi TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations 
NIELSEN Violin Concerto
Intermission
SIBELIUS The Oceanides and The Bard 
SIBELIUS Tapiola

The music and culture of Finland permeate Symphony Hall in this concert. Finnish conductor John Storgårds leads the first program in our Music of the Midnight Sun series, an exploration of Nordic storytelling and music. Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen’s nuanced and colorful Midnight Sun Variations transport you to her homeland. Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto debuts with the BSO as the orchestra performs the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s 1911 Violin Concerto for the first time. The program closes with three of Jean Sibelius’s tone poems based on Finnish legends, their moods ranging from sweeping power to contemplative mystery.

Somebody in my grandmother's generation was quoted by my mother as saying, "A little Sibelius goes a long way." Listening to his music has led me to disagree. Sibelius was a very good composer, IMO, and I'm looking forward  to hearing the music on the second half of the program. As for the first half, the composer's description of "Midnight Sun Variations" in the program notes has me interested to hear it, and I have no doubt the Nielsen violin concerto will be good. I can't find any reviews in the Globe or the Intelligencer.

With what I've seen about the program, I think it should be worth listening to. Don't forget the chance to listen again with the rebroadcast on March 11.

Enjoy.