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  • Palace of Arts Budapest, © Müpa Budapest
    Palace of Arts Budapest, © Müpa Budapest
  • Palace of Arts Budapest, Concert Hall, © Müpa Budapest
    Palace of Arts Budapest, Concert Hall, © Müpa Budapest
  • Palace of Arts Budapest, Festival Theatre, © Müpa Budapest
    Palace of Arts Budapest, Festival Theatre, © Müpa Budapest

Orchestral Concert: Sibelius, Beethoven, Lindberg

Budapest, Palace of Arts — Bela Bartok National Concert Hall

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$ 68

About the Event

Join conductor Robin Ticciati and pianist Francesco Piemontesi for a concert featuring Sibelius' King Christian II Suite and Symphony No. 7, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, and Lindberg's Chorale.

A rarely performed suite, a classical concerto, a tribute to Bach, and the cornerstone of a symphonic oeuvre: Evoking a Nordic air while occasionally stirring flames of passion, is what the concerto offers. The orchestra performs under the baton of BFO’s regular guest conductor, music director of the Deutsches Symphonie‐Orchester Berlin and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Robin Ticciati. The program is framed by two pieces from Sibelius: the composer’s first theatrical incidental music foreshadows the future world of Symphony No. 1, while Symphony No. 7 stands as the pinnacle of his oeuvre. In between, the orchestra performs contemporary Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg’s chorale parody, and the last piano concerto that Beethoven composed for his own enjoyment. The soloist of the latter is Francesco Piemontesi, who combines “stunning technique with an intellectual capacity that few can match.”

The movements written for the historical play depicting the love story of King Christian II are the earliest examples of Sibelius’ numerous theatrical incidental compositions. The ruler of Denmark, Norway and Sweden never fully trusted the aristocracy, and even had a middle class concubine, the daughter of a Dutch merchant, Dyveke Sigbritsdatter. The plot, culminating in the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520, inspired Sibelius to compose seven movements, which he later condensed into a five‐movement suite in 1898. The nocturne peppered with tambourine evokes a love scene, followed by an elegy and Dyveke’s dance played on strings. Lastly, the suite concludes with a stormy ballad after the sweeping ball serenade.

Beethoven’s second‐to‐last piano concerto was a crucial milestone in his life: he lost his hearing not long after the piece was completed and premiered. In contravention of the rules of the period, the concerto begins with a solo piano instead of the usual orchestral overture — a first in the history of music. The second movement is the passionate and tense dialogue of two worlds Liszt thought that it was a musical representation of the Orpheus story. The finale resolves the often introspective work with a cheerful rondo.

“Lindberg is one‐man living proof that the orchestra is not dead,” writes Simon Rattle of the contemporary specialist of orchestral pieces. Esa‐Pekka Salonen also holds the work of his compatriot in high esteem: he launched a project with the London‐based Philharmonia Orchestra in 2001, where Lindberg’s works were performed alongside the music that inspired the composer. Thus, in 2002, Lindberg’s Chorale preceded Berg’s Violin Concerto, which builds on the same melody as Berg’s finale. The Bach chorale that starts with the words “Es ist genug” appears here with distinctive harmonies and increasingly rich orchestral colors presented as compact variations.

Intended to be a three‐movement piece, Sibelius’s Symphony No. 7 ended up being a single movement. It was introduced under the title Fantasia Sinfonica, and was later categorized as a symphony. In 1915, fragments of melodies emerged, and in 1917, the idea was born but the piece was only completed in 1924. Sibelius allowed his musical themes to guide the structural formation of this symphony. The brilliance of the piece lies in the fact that the composer crafted almost imperceptible transitions between the opening section that begins darkly but brightens in its slow burn, the scherzos that dance on the boundary between playfulness and tension, and the triumphant finale.

Program

  • Jean Sibelius – Suite from ‘King Christian II' op.27
  • Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, op. 58
  • Magnus Lindberg – Chorale
  • Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 7 in C Major, op. 105
Program is subject to change

Artists

Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra
Conductor: Robin Ticciati
Piano: Francesco Piemontesi

Palace of Arts

MÜPA Budapest is a multipurpose cultural and arts centre, situated in the Millenium Quarter of Budapest. The former 'Palace of Arts' houses three cultural institutions - the Bartok National Concert Hall, the Festival Theatre, and the Ludwig Museum. Opened in 2005, the centre was immediately recognised for its state-of-the-art architecture and functionally sleek interior. The MÜPA's objective is to introduce modern arts while appreciating old traditions, and to make Hungarian art more accessible to a wider audience. The Bartok Concert Hall houses a magnificent organ, one of the largest in Europe. The complex presents events of many kinds, from opera to dance and concerts of contemporary music.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German pianist and composer of the late 18th century. He is well known as the most influential composers of all time as well as crucial figure to the Classical music scene. In fact, he demonstrated his musical talent at an early age, taking lessons from his father and composer/conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe. Later, he moved to Vienna where he gained the reputation of a virtuoso pianist by composing his popular masterpieces. He created his most admired works in his last 15 years of life, all the while being almost completely deaf.

Address

Palace of Arts, Komor Marcell sétány 1., Budapest, Hungary — Google Maps

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