Helsinki Philharmonic Bartok

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra can with justification be regarded as ‘Sibelius’s own orchestra’, as it was this orchestra, usually conducted by the composer, that premièred most of his major works. On this disc of three such pieces, the orchestra is conducted by Susanna Mälkki; the recording follows on from their three acclaimed albums devoted to the music of Bartók.

Issued to celebrate Esa-Pekka Salonen’s time with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (he is now their first ever conductor laureate), this valuable disc really points us to how important Salonen may be seen one day as a composer. Although he reputedly sees his conducting activities as bill-paying ones, he is nevertheless ultra-high profile (he is presently principal conductor and artistic advisor of London’s Philharmonia Orchestra).

Yayoi Toda began violin lessons at the age of four and quickly showed her talents as she took first place in the primary school division of the 33rd Japan Music Competition for Students in 1979. Her competitive successes continued and in 1985, she won first place in the 54th Japan Music Competition.

Alexei Lubimov is a Russian pianist who also plays fortepiano and harpsichord. In his early years he studied at the Moscow Central Music School, and in 1963, entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Heinrich Neuhaus and Lew Naumov. He developed a strong interest in Baroque music and 20th century modernist works. Lubimov gave the Soviet premieres of many western compositions, including pieces by Charles Ives, Arnold Schoenberg, John Cage, Terry Riley, Pierre Boulez, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, which brought censorship from the Soviet authorities.

MusicWeb
John Corigliano was awarded the 2001 Pulitzer Prize in music for his Second Symphony. Ironically, Corigliano stated at one point that he would never write a symphony, but a heartfelt response to the AIDS pandemic changed all that with the First Symphony. His excuse here is that "the string symphony is another, rarer, animal". In this symphony, Corigliano effectively re-scored his Second String Quartet for string orchestra, packing a full punch that is reminiscent of the later Bartók with a distinct Pendereckian slant.

Esa-Pekka Salonen emerged as one of the most exciting and fast-rising major conductors of the last two decades of the twentieth century. He entered the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki 1973, studying horn with Holgar Fransman. Having graduated in 1977, Salonen remained to take composition with Einojuhani Rautavaara and conducting with Jorma Panula.