Christoffer Sundqvist
Friday, December 20, 2024
Concert Hall, Helsinki Music Centre, Mannerheimintie 13 A, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
Tiu begins with a bang, orchestral hammer-blows follow as do accelerations into dancing figures, cosmic space created, further transformations abound, the music undimmed in vitality and rhythmic diversions. Tiu is a showpiece with substance, played brilliantly led by the composer. Very different is kinēma, mostly quiet and intense, otherworldly, reflective, and lyrically intimate. Christoffer Sundqvist (principal clarinet, FRSO) was repeating the premiere of three years ago – same venue, the composer conducting – his playing refined, alive to a range of moods and expressions, including jazz, witty asides, nostalgia, and the swirls, skirls and squeals of the final movement.
Esa-Pekka Salonen’s conducting of Sibelius Two was at times less than convincing, for all that he had the FRSO minutely attentive, an overly volatile approach that quashed the first movement’s pastoral aspects. but did right by the slow movement, greatly contrasted the Scherzo (furious) and Trio (eloquent), the Scherzo returning with Szell-like incisiveness, and surged into the Finale with a lurch although the coda was triumphant to complete a three-P traversal – Power, Passion and Patriotism – these particular Finns demonstrating fraternity and independence.
Holiday time! The FRSO’s next concert is January 10, Mark Elder conducting Debussy and Wagner.
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Tiu*
Esa-Pekka Salonen: kinēma, five scenes for solo clarinet and string orchestra
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 D Major Op. 43
*https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/6720/tiu-world-premiere
“Kinēma is ancient Greek and means movement. The work by Esa-Pekka Salonen is in five scenes for solo clarinet and string orchestra. It was composed during the pandemic and premiered in 2021 by the FRSO’s own clarinettist Christoffer Sundqvist.“