This evening there is no live BSO concert. The Boston Pops is giving a show for Dia de Muertos — lots of Latino music around All Souls Day. Rather than broadcast that, WCRB is giving us an encore broadcast, which they describe as follows:
Saturday, November 2, 2024
8:00pmEncore broadcast of Saturday, March 2, 2024
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, violinOuti TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations
Carl NIELSEN Violin Concerto
Jean SIBELIUS The Oceanides and The Bard
SIBELIUS TapiolaThis concert is no longer available on demand.
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
The orchestra's performance detail page is a bit more expressive, and it has the usual links to performer bios and program notes:
Outi TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations
NIELSEN Violin Concerto
Intermission
SIBELIUS The Oceanides and The Bard
SIBELIUS TapiolaThe 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.
I wrote about in advance of the performance. At that time there were no reviews available, but afterwards a descrriptive and enthusiastic review appeared in the Intelligencer.
I don't remember how I felt about it all back then, but now, as then, I'm looking forward to hearing it.
