Igor Stravinsky: The Soldier's Tale (L'Histoire du Soldat), Suite – Musicians from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali (HD 4K)

The theme could not be more relevant when Stravinsky wrote the music for the performance The Soldier's Tale in 1917-1918 – the world was in flaming war.

Like many artists in Europe, Stravinsky had fled to neutral Switzerland, where he met the author Charles F. Ramuz. His story of the soldier who sold his violin to the devil for glory and money was also a reflection of the artists' terms. Freedom or success? Stravinsky was perhaps proof that both were possible. The music, influenced by jazz and with elements such as ragtime and tango, does very well on its own. This is shown by Santtu-Matias Rouvali and musicians from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in the suite of vivid movements Stravinsky compiled from the original music.

Source: gso.se/en/

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Stravinsky had first met the Swiss writer, Charles F. Ramuz in 1915 and worked with him on the French version of Renard and Les Noces so it was not surprising when he again collaborated with him on the L'Histoire du Soldat a few years later. The war had understandably affected the financial situation and both composer and librettist wanted to write something which could be produced simply and economically. L'Histoire du Soldat is scored for dancer, three speaking parts and seven instruments and has proved to be successful on an almost unbelievable international scale since its first performance in Lausanne in September 1918 (described in the programme as "to be read, played and danced"). The story tells of the Soldier who has a magic violin which he trades with the Devil who promises to fulfil his every wish. One of his many encounters involves his curing the lovely daughter of a King but throughout the piece the Devil proves a tricky protagonist. The Concert Suite was first performed in London's Wigmore Hall in July 1920.

Source: Sheila MacCrindle (wisemusicclassical.com)

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

♪ The Soldier's Tale (L'Histoire du Soldat), Suite  (1920)

i. The Soldier’s March

ii. Airs by a Stream

iii. Pastorale

iv. Royal March

v. The Little Concert

vi. Three Dances: Tango – Waltz – Ragtime

vii. Dance of the Devil

viii. Grand Choral

ix. Triumphal March of the Devil

Terje Skomedal, violin

Jenny Ryderberg, contrabass

Ragnar Arnberg, clarinet

Constantin Gerstein, bassoon

Per Ivarsson, trumpet

Endre Vetås, trombone

Martin Ödlund, percussion

Conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Gothenburg Concert Hall, 2021

(HD 4K / 2160p)

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An unforgettable Christmas: Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustaf Nordqvist, Engelbert Humperdinck, Franz Schubert, Martin Luther, Irving Berlin, Kalle Moraeus, Nino Rota, Emmy Kohler, Leroy Anderson, Lars-Erik Larsson – Sara Trobäck, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's Brass Ensemble, Tomas von Brömssen (HD 4K)

Musicians from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra play atmospheric Christmas music with actor Tomas von Brömssen as guide.

Immortal music that is recycled in Sweden every Christmas: Schubert's "Military March", "White Christmas", "Christmas, Christmas, glorious Christmas" and many more. Melodies we long for. There will also be a short surprise with an accordion by the campfire.

Tomas von Brömssen looks forward to the coming holiday: Christmas as an oasis in the winter darkness with bells, mulled wine and the delicious food. And music that gives that extra shine to the Christmas atmosphere from the musicians' brass instruments. Share the experience with us! Presented in Swedish.

Recorded at Gothenburg Concert Hall, in December 2020.

An unforgettable Christmas

Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major, BWV 1048, i. Allegro

Gustaf Nordqvist: Jul, jul, strålande jul (Christmas, Christmas, Glorious Christmas)

Engelbert Humperdinck: Abendsegen from "Hänsel und Gretel"

Franz Schubert: Marche Militaire, Op.51 No.1

Martin Luther: Away in a Manger

Irving Berlin: White Christmas

Kalle Moraeus: Koppången

Nino Rota: Theme for Federico Fellini's film "La Strada"

Emmy Kohler: Now Shine a Thousand Candles Bright

Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride

Lars-Erik Larsson: Winter's Tale, Op.18, iv. Epilogue

Sara Trobäck, violin

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's Brass Ensemble

Tomas von Brömssen, actor 

(HD 4K / 2160p)

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Aram Khachaturian: Suite from Masquerade, & Violin concerto in D minor | Jean Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor – Nemanja Radulović, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali – Saturday, November 23, 2019, 03:00 PM CET – Livestream (Watch the recorded concert – HD 1080p)

Nemanja Radulović (Photo by Lucas Rotter / DG)

There are many reasons to love violinist Nemanja Radulović who, in only a few years, has taken the world of classical music by storm.

His earnest playing and dense sound, his ability to extract the unique beauty of every tune, as well as his daring and virtuose playing that approaches the limits of what's possible are cases in point. He also has a phenomenal stage presence that can be likened to that of a rock star. With his bold image, he is a welcome and cool role model for many young people who like classical music.

In Gothenburg Concert Hall, we experience him in Aram Khachaturian's beautiful and dramatic violin Concerto. Music that crackles with strong sound hues in the elegant orchestral movement spiced with a dose of oriental mysticism. Also, Sibelius' dense and dramatically striking fourth symphony. All led by Santtu-Matias Rouvali, chief conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.


Saturday, November 23 (03:00 PM CET)
Los Angeles: 06:00 AM
Detroit, New York, Toronto, Lima: 09:00 AM
Brasília: 11:00 AM
London: 02:00 PM
Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Warsaw, Stockholm, Oslo: 03:00 PM
Athens, Kiev, Jerusalem, Beirut, Cape Town: 04:00 PM
Moscow, Ankara: 05:00 PM
Abu Dhabi: 06:00 PM
New Delhi: 07:30 PM
Beijing, Manila, Hong Kong: 10:00 PM
Tokyo, Seoul: 11:00 PM

Live on Livestream



Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

♪ Suite from Masquerade (1944)

i. Waltz
ii. Nocturne
iii. Mazurka
iv. Romance
v. Galop


♪ Violin concerto in D minor (1940) *

i. Allegro con fermezza
ii. Andante sostenuto
iii. Allegro vivace


Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

♪ Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63 (1910-1911)

i. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
ii. Allegro molto vivace
iii. Il tempo largo
iv. Allegro


Nemanja Radulović, violin *

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Live from Gothenburg Concert Hall

(HD 1080p)

Saturday, November 23, 2019, 03:00 PM CET

Live on Livestream

Nemanja Radulović (Photo by Lucas Rotter / DG)

Winner of the 2015 Echo Klassik Award for Newcomer of the Year, Serbian-French violinist Nemanja Radulović has taken the classical music world by storm with his thrilling virtuosity, depth of expression, and adventurous programming, both in the recording studio and on the concert stage. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, his most recent album, Baïka, features his evocative interpretations of Khachaturian's Violin Concerto as well as Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, arranged for solo violin and chamber orchestra.

Fresh off a hotly-anticipated, "magical" (Barry Creasy, musicOMH) BBC Proms debut featuring the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Karabits, and a Barber Violin Concerto whose "lyric delicacy and last-movement super-virtuosity were caught to near perfection" (The Times), Radulović's recent and forthcoming highlights include an extensive European tour with the Russian State Academic Symphony and Andrey Boreyko; debut engagements with the Gothenburg Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony, Dusseldorf Symphony, RTE National Symphony Dublin, Orquesta Sinfonica de Valencia, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg; the season opening of the Jeunesse Musicale series at the Vienna Konzerthaus; a play/direct performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Munich Chamber Orchestra (resulting in an immediate re-invitation and on-going relationship with the ensemble); and a special collaboration with clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer, accordionist Ksenija Sidorova, and pianist Laure Favre-Kahn, performing to audiences at festivals across Germany, Switzerland and France.

An artist who seeks to broaden the boundaries of classical music, Radulović champions the power of music to bring people together with his unique energy and candour. He has amassed a legion of loyal fans around the world who have enjoyed his performances with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Munich Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orquesta Nacional de España, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Salzburg Camerata, NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hanover, WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI in Turin, Orchestra della Toscana, Tampere Philharmonic, Gävle Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, Geneva Camerata, Queensland Symphony, Macao Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Cadaqués Orchestra, and the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa.

Radulović has an equal passion for the intimacy of chamber music, and is an increasingly active recitalist on the international circuit. He has performed at such notable venues as New York's Carnegie Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Philharmonie, both the Salle Pleyel and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Athens Megaron, Tokyo's Suntory Hall, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Melbourne Recital Centre in Australia. His many recital partners include Marielle Nordmann, Laure Favre-Kahn, and Susan Manoff, the latter with whom he has also recorded a disc of Beethoven Sonatas released on the Decca/Universal Music label.

Radulović also regularly undertakes a play/direct role with his infectious, high-energy ensemble The Devil's Trills – noted for their "immense purity, artistic force, passion, intimacy, and exquisite dynamic choices, leaving the audience in complete astonishment" (Johannes Seifert, Augsburger Allgemeine) – and his chamber orchestra, Double Sens, which was recently celebrated for their recordings of Bach and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as The 5 Seasons, a piece that combines Vivaldi's Four Seasons with a new composition, Spring in Japan, by Aleksandar Sedlar and dedicated to the Japanese tsunami victims in 2011. Their other recent recordings include Paganini Fantasy (2013), Journey East (2014), BACH (2016), Tchaikovsky (2017), and most recently Baïka (2018).

Radulović's recognition for his work in classical music includes International Revelation of the Year by the Victoires de la musique classique in 2005, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Arts in Niš, Serbia, and an ELLE Style Award for Musician of the Year in 2015. He is the winner of several international violin competitions, such as Joseph Joachim in Hanover, George Enescu in Bucharest, and Stradivarius in Cremona.

Born in Serbia in 1985, Nemanja Radulović studied at the Faculty of Arts and Music in Belgrade, the Saarlandes Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Saarbrücken, the Stauffer Academy in Cremona with Salvatore Accardo, and the world-renowned Conservatoire de Paris with Patrice Fontanarosa.

Source: imgartists.com

Santtu-Matias Rouvali (Photo by Toni Repo)

Aram Khachaturian: Suite from Masquerade

Masquerade was written in 1941 by Aram Khachaturian as incidental music for a production of the play of the same name by Russian poet and playwright Mikhail Lermontov. It premiered on 21 June 1941 in the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. The music is better known in the form of a five-movement suite.

Khachaturian was asked to write music for a production of Masquerade being produced by the director Ruben Simonov. The famous waltz theme in particular gave Khachaturian much trouble in its creation: moved by the words of the play's heroine, Nina – "How beautiful the new waltz is! ... something between sorrow and joy gripped my heart" – the composer struggled to "find a theme that I considered beautiful and new". His former teacher, Nikolai Myaskovsky, attempted to help Khachaturian by giving him a collection of romances and waltzes from Lermontov's time; though these did not give immediate inspiration, Khachaturian admitted that "had it not been for the strenuous search" for the appropriate style and melodic inspiration, he would not have discovered the second theme of his waltz which acted "like a magic link, allowing me to pull out the whole chain. The rest of the waltz came to me easily, with no trouble at all". Khachaturian dedicated the waltz to the actress who played Nina, Alla Kazanskaya.

Masquerade was the last production staged by the theatre before the invasion of the USSR by Germany, and the production run was cut short.

Later, in 1944, Khachaturian extracted five movements to make a symphonic suite.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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Aram Khachaturian: Violin concerto in D minor

The particular élan that characterizes Aram Khachaturian's concerti has no doubt contributed to their continued popularity, and indeed, the Violin Concerto takes a place among the staples of the twentieth century violin repertoire. The concerto bears the unmistakable stamp of its composer in its characteristic rhythmic drive and rich, folk-infused melodies. The first movement begins with a fierce, energetic figure, played in unison, that eventually evolves into the rustically lyrical second subject. The intoxicating Andante sostenuto second movement, redolent of the undulating, gradually unfolding style of ashugs (Armenian folk musicians), has a free-flowing, semi-improvisatory feel. Based largely on material from the first movement's secondary theme, the highly folk-influenced finale takes the form of a vigorous Armenian country dance in which the solo violin figures prominently with unrelenting, fiery virtuosity.

Khachaturian wrote the Violin Concerto for David Oistrakh, the dedicatee of so many mid-century Russian violin concerti. Oistrakh was the soloist at the work's premiere on November 16, 1940.

Source: Graham Olson (allmusic.com)

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Jean Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63

Jean Sibelius' Symphony No.4 is a product of a fearsome mid-life crisis. In 1908, Sibelius went through the trauma of an operation to remove a tumour from his throat. There followed an agonised two-year wait to see if the operation had been successful, during which Sibelius had to give up two important emotional crutches: alcohol and tobacco. The withdrawal symptoms were terrible, and Sibelius' diaries connect his struggles with the bleak, often anguished tone of this Symphony. Yet the Fourth Symphony also stands as a reminder of the old saying that in crisis there can be opportunity. Struggling to give form to his feelings – or as he put it in his diaries, to get them "into some kind of perspective" – Sibelius enriched his musical language to an unprecedented level. The formal compression begun in Symphony No.3 is now taken to such extremes that transitions are sometimes dispensed with altogether, while the process of growth from a musical "seed" reaches its most radical, original form in the slow third movement, described by one writer as "a lost soul in search of a final home" – a "search" which unmistakably ends in agonising failure. But the Fourth Symphony's strangely stoical ending does suggest that Sibelius had at least partly succeeded in getting his "dark night of the soul" into artistic perspective – a spiritual heroism perhaps, offering an alternative to Väinämöinen's humiliating failure.

Source: Stephen Johnson (hyperion-records.co.uk)

Nemanja Radulović (Photo by Lucas Rotter / DG)

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Edvard Grieg: Piano concerto in A minor – Leif Ove Andsnes, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali (4K Ultra High Definition)

The celebrated Santtu-Matias Rouvali opens his third season as the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's chief conductor stronger than ever: Edvard Grieg's forever fresh, vernal Piano Concerto with phenomenal pianist Leif-Ove Andsnes. Recorded at Gothenburg Concert Hall, on September 5, 2019.

This is the very first 4K concert recording with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

✻

When nationalism emerged as a major force within the 19th century romantic style, it attracted the competent young creative artists from countries or areas that were, or had once been, subservient to foreign powers. For them, nationalism was an expression of their unique cultural heritage. The movement was felt most strongly in Czechoslovakia and Scandinavia. In Czechoslovakia, Smetana and Dvorak were the overpowering figures and, although the Scandinavian movement witnessed the contributions of many highly accomplished Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish composers; the figure of Edvard Grieg stands above them all.

Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway, into a family that strongly encouraged his early musical studies. As happened with virtually all young composers who would eventually embrace nationalism, Grieg had no choice but to complete his musical education at a German conservatory – in this case, the one in Leipzig. Although he later complained bitterly about his four years there, he did gain an intimate knowledge of the music of Schumann that would affect his style. In 1864, he moved to Copenhagen, then the center of Scandinavian nationalism. It was there that his nationalist style was to begin its development. He later returned to Norway, where his songs, piano music, and incidental music became indelibly linked with the spirit of Norwegian folk music and literature. Grieg once modestly described his music in the following terms: "Artists like Bach and Beethoven erected churches and temples on ethereal heights... I want to build homes for people in which they can be happy and contented".

The "homes" Grieg built were small and few. Many, including Debussy and George Bernard Shaw, faulted him for his small output and the relative lack of powerful works. The former referred to Grieg as "...a pink bon-bon wrapped in snow". On the other hand, the influential Liszt became a powerful ally, encouraging Grieg to follow his natural instincts. Perhaps because of support from such an important figure, Grieg's biggest work in terms of power and gesture is the Piano Concerto in A minor. Only 25 at the time of its composition, Grieg was able to exhibit a degree of maturity in his handling of the concerto form that few have equaled. A drum roll followed by a brilliantly descending passage in the piano sets the stage perfectly for what follows – a succession of lyrical, reflective, and sometimes dramatic themes that extend throughout the three movements. The melancholy second movement concludes with a dialogue between the piano and the solo horn. Only in the final movement does one hear the color and movement of Norwegian folk dance. Not surprisingly, Liszt championed the work and was largely responsible for making it one of the most frequently performed of all piano concertos.

(First performance: April 3, 1869, Copenhagen. Edmund Neupert, piano. Holger Simon Paulli, conductor.)

Source: James Keays (redlandssymphony.com)



Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

♪ Piano concerto in A minor, Op.16 (1868)

i. Allegro molto moderato
ii. Adagio
iii. Allegro moderato molto e marcato

Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Gothenburg Concert Hall, September 5, 2019

(4K Ultra High Definition)

The New York Times calls Leif Ove Andsnes "a pianist of magisterial elegance, power, and insight", and the Wall Street Journal names him "one of the most gifted musicians of his generation". With his commanding technique and searching interpretations, the celebrated Norwegian pianist has won acclaim worldwide, playing concertos and recitals in the world's leading concert halls and with its foremost orchestras, while building an esteemed and extensive discography. An avid chamber musician, he is the founding director of the Rosendal Chamber Music Festival, was co-artistic director of the Risør Festival of Chamber Music for nearly two decades, and served as music director of California's Ojai Music Festival in 2012. He was inducted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame in July 2013, and received honorary doctorates from New York's Juilliard School and Norway's University of Bergen in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Following the success of their "Beethoven Journey" collaboration, Andsnes and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra have joined forces once again for "Mozart Momentum 1785/86", another major multi-season project that sees them explore one of the most creative and seminal periods of the composer's career. This season, besides touring a program of Mozart's chamber music to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and London's Wigmore Hall, they head into the studio to record the composer's Piano Concertos Nos. 20-22 for future release by Sony Classical. Andsnes also performs No.22 with both the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert Blomstedt and the San Francisco Symphony under Manfred Honeck, Nos. 21 and 22 with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Nos. 20 and 21 with the Oslo Philharmonic, and all three concertos with Sweden's Gothenburg Symphony, where he serves as 2019-2020 Artist-in-Residence. Another highlight of the multi-faceted Gothenburg residency is Grieg's Piano Concerto, which Andsnes reprises with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony; Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony, both in Boston and at New York's Carnegie Hall; Alan Gilbert and Hamburg's NDR Elbphilharmonie, at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival; Yuri Temirkanov and the St Petersburg Philharmonic; Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic, on tour in South Korea and China; and Vasily Petrenko and the Oslo Philharmonic, on a European tour that culminates at London's Barbican Hall. In recital, besides joining his regular partner, bass-baritone Matthias Goerne, for an all-Schumann lieder evening at Milan's La Scala, the pianist performs a colorful solo program of Dvořák, Bartók, and Schumann at the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Wigmore Hall, and other destinations in Europe.

Andsnes bookended his 2018-2019 season with performances of Britten's Piano Concerto, first in season-opening concerts with the Bergen Philharmonic and then with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at London's BBC Proms. Another key focus of the season was Brahms's First Piano Concerto, which he performed with London's Philharmonia Orchestra and toured with the Staatskapelle Dresden in Germany and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSB) in Asia. He rejoined the RSB for Mozart, whose concertos were also the vehicle for his returns to the Munich Philharmonic and Budapest Festival Orchestra. Besides joining Goerne for Schubert lieder in Paris, Essen, and Barcelona, Andsnes debuted a solo program of Schumann, Bartók and Janáček in recitals in Paris, Oslo, and Frankfurt. His summer engagements included a residency at his own Rosendal festival in Norway, where guest artists included Andrei Bondarenko, Marc-André Hamelin, Igor Levit, Anthony McGill, Tabea Zimmermann, and the Quatuor Danel.

Perhaps the Norwegian pianist's most ambitious achievement to date is "The Beethoven Journey", his epic four-season focus on the master composer's music for piano and orchestra, which took him to 108 cities in 27 countries for more than 230 live performances. He led the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard in complete Beethoven concerto cycles at high-profile residencies in Bonn, Hamburg, Lucerne, Vienna, Paris, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bodø, and London, besides collaborating with such leading international ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, London Philharmonic, and Munich Philharmonic. The project was chronicled in the documentary Concerto – A Beethoven Journey (2016), and Andsnes's partnership with the MCO was captured on the hit Sony Classical three-volume series The Beethoven Journey. The first volume was named iTunes' Best Instrumental Album of 2012 and awarded Belgium's Prix Caecilia, the second recognized with BBC Music's coveted "2015 Recording of the Year Award", and the complete series chosen as one of the "Best of 2014" by the New York Times.

Andsnes now records exclusively for Sony Classical. His previous discography comprises more than 30 discs for EMI Classics – solo, chamber, and concerto releases, many of them bestsellers – spanning repertoire from the time of Bach to the present day. He has been nominated for eight Grammys and awarded many international prizes, including six Gramophone Awards. His recordings of the music of his compatriot Edvard Grieg have been especially celebrated: the New York Times named Andsnes's 2004 recording of Grieg's Piano Concerto with Mariss Jansons and the Berlin Philharmonic a "Best CD of the Year", the Penguin Guide awarded it a coveted "Rosette", and both that album and his disc of Grieg's Lyric Pieces won Gramophone Awards. His recording of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 9 and 18 was another New York Times "Best of the Year" and Penguin Guide "Rosette" honoree. He won yet another Gramophone Award for Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 with Antonio Pappano and the Berlin Philharmonic. A series of recordings of Schubert's late sonatas, paired with lieder sung by Ian Bostridge, inspired lavish praise, as did the pianist's world-premiere recordings of Marc-André Dalbavie's Piano Concerto and Bent Sørensen's The Shadows of Silence, both of which were written for him. As well as Chopin: Ballades & Nocturnes and the Billboard best-selling Sibelius, both recorded for Sony, his recent releases include Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring & other works for two pianos four hands, recorded with Marc-André Hamelin for Hyperion, and Schumann: Liederkreis & Kernerlieder, recorded with Matthias Goerne for Harmonia Mundi.

Andsnes has received Norway's distinguished honor, Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav, and in 2007, he received the prestigious Peer Gynt Prize, awarded by members of parliament to honor prominent Norwegians for their achievements in politics, sports, and culture. In 2004-2005, he became the youngest musician (and first Scandinavian) to curate Carnegie Hall's "Perspectives" series; in 2015-2016 he was the subject of the London Symphony Orchestra's Artist Portrait Series; and in 2017-2018 he served as Artist-in-Residence of the New York Philharmonic. He is the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society's Instrumentalist Award and the Gilmore Artist Award, and, saluting his many achievements, Vanity Fair named Andsnes one of the "Best of the Best" in 2005.

Leif Ove Andsnes was born in Karmøy, Norway in 1970, and studied at the Bergen Music Conservatory under the renowned Czech professor Jirí Hlinka. He has also received invaluable advice from the Belgian piano teacher Jacques de Tiège who, like Hlinka, has greatly influenced his style and philosophy of playing.  He is currently an Artistic Adviser for the Prof. Jirí Hlinka Piano Academy in Bergen where he gives an annual masterclass to participating students. Andsnes lives in Bergen with his partner and their three children.

Source: imgartists.com

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Santtu-Matias Rouvali extends his contract as Chief Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Following an initial four year contract, Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali signs for a further four years as Chief Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, The National Orchestra of Sweden. "I am delighted and excited to continue the wonderful relationship with this fantastic orchestra", says Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

On 21 May 2019, two very happy persons signed an important document.

Rouvali began his tenure as Chief Conductor in 2017 and the new contract extends to 2025. Says Sten Cranner, General Manager and Artistic Director of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra:

"We are thrilled about the magnificent artistic outcome of this rare partnership which now has a solid ground to stand on for many years to come".

The inspired collaboration has led to a long series of successful concerts, loved by the audiences and praised by the critics. Tours in Scandinavia, Germany and Austria have impressed the international music world and spread the message of the unique rapport between conductor and orchestra. The team's first volume of Sibelius' complete symphonies (Alpha Classics) has received rave reviews and prestigious awards, including the Diapason d'Or, Choc Classica, Gramophone Editor's Choice and Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

On Thursday 23 May 2019, Santtu-Matias Rouvali conducts Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra at the Grand Opening of the new four-day Point Music Festival in Gothenburg, with Richard Strauss' Sinfonia Domestica and Bartók's Violin Concerto No.1, featuring Patricia Kopatchinskaja as soloist.

In another career move Santtu-Matias Rouvali has been appointed new Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London (from 2021-2022) where he is presently Principal Guest Conductor. This parallel development will be beneficial to both parties in expanding the musical scope and reach of two orchestras lead by the charismatic Santtu-Matias Rouvali. His first principal conductorship, which he still holds, is with Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.

Source: gso.se/en





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Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring – Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali (HD 1080p)

This orchestral explosion with its mysterious passages never ceases to fascinate, here under the leadership of the chief conductor of Gothenburg Symphony, Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

Igor Stravinsky wrote, prophetically, in his memoirs: "I wish that somebody in Leningrad could look for the music, for I am curious of how I composed just before The Firebird".

In the 1910s, Stravinsky was hugely creative in his collaboration with the Russian Ballet in Paris. The Firebird was followed by Petrushka, and then came masterpiece The Rite of Spring – perhaps the most important and famous orchestral piece of the 20th century. Inspired by the violence of Russian spring, he composed music that was daring and innovative in equal measure – nothing like it had ever been heard before.

Recorded at Gothenburg Concert Hall, on March 29, 2019.



Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

♪ The Rite of Spring (1910-1913)

Part I. L'Adoration de la Terre (Adoration of the Earth)

i. Introduction
ii. Les Augures printaniers (Augurs of Spring)
iii. Jeu du rapt (Ritual of Abduction)
iv. Rondes printanières (Spring Rounds)
v. Jeux des cités rivales (Ritual of the Rival Tribes)
vi. Cortège du sage: Le Sage (Procession of the Sage: The Sage)
vii. Embrasse de la terre (Kiss of the Earth)
viii. Danse de la terre (Dance of the Earth)


Part II. Le Sacrifice (The Sacrifice)

ix. Introduction
x. Cercles mystérieux des adolescentes (Mystic Circles of the Young Girls)
xi. Glorification de l'élue (Glorification of the Chosen One)
xii. Evocation des ancêtres (Evocation of the Ancestors)
xiii. Action rituelle des ancêtres (Ritual Action of the Ancestors)
xiv. Danse sacrale (L'Élue) (Sacrificial Dance)


Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Gothenburg Concert Hall, March 29, 2019

(HD 1080p)

The Rite of Spring, original French "Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux partie", English in full "The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts", ballet by Russian modernist composer Igor Stravinsky that premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris on May 29, 1913. It is considered one of the first examples of Modernism in music and is noted for its brutality, its barbaric rhythms, and its dissonance. Its opening performance provided one of the most scandalous premieres in history, with pro and con members of the audience arguing so volubly that the dancers were unable to take their cues from the orchestra. The Rite of Spring still strikes many contemporary listeners as a startlingly modern work.

The piece was commissioned by the noted impresario of the Ballets Russes, Serge Diaghilev, who earlier had produced the young composer's "The Firebird" (1910) and "Petrushka" (1911). Stravinsky developed the story of "The Rite of Spring", originally to be called "The Great Sacrifice", with the aid of artist and mystic Nicholas Roerich, whose name appears with the composer's on the title page of the earliest publications of the score. The production was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, and its sets and costumes were designed by Roerich.

Like Stravinsky's earlier works for the Ballet Russes, "The Rite of Spring" was inspired by Russian culture, but, unlike them, it challenged the audience with its chaotic percussive momentum.

In the mid-20th century, Stravinsky revised the orchestration for concert performance, and that version of the score remains the version that is most commonly performed. In 1987, however, the ballet as it was first conceived and performed, with original set and costumes and Nijinsky's choreography (which had been seen for only seven performances before it was superseded by new choreography from Léonide Massine), was painstakingly reconstructed and re-created by the Joffrey Ballet. The centenary of the ballet's premiere prompted other ballet companies, notably the Mariinsky in St Petersburg, to also revive the work in its original form.

Source: Betsy Schwarm (britannica.com)

Hailed by The Guardian as ​"the latest sit-up-and-listen talent to emerge from the great Finnish conducting tradition", the 2018-2019 season will see Santtu-Matias Rouvali (b. 1985) continuing his positions as Chief Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony and Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, alongside his longstanding Chief Conductor-ship with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra close to his home in Finland.

Rouvali has regular relationships with several orchestras across Europe, including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. As well as making his debut with the Münchner Philharmoniker this season, he also returns to North America for concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Following a very successful Nordic tour with Hélène Grimaud last season, the Gothenburg Symphony is back on the road in February 2019 for a tour hitting major centres in Germany and Austria with pianist Alice Sara Ott, and percussionist Martin Grubinger who premieres a new percussion concert by Daníel Bjarnason. Rouvali looks forward to other ambitious touring projects with his orchestras in the future, including appearances in North America and Japan.

In addition to the extensive tour, Rouvali's season in Gothenburg opens with Strauss' Alpine Symphony accompanied by Víkingur Ólafsson Mozart Piano Concerto No.24, and he looks forward to collaborations with Janine Jansen, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Baiba Skride throughout the rest of the season.

As another cornerstone to his tenure in Gothenburg, he is adding his mark to the Orchestra's impressive recording legacy. In partnership with Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and violinist Baiba Skride, a recording featuring concertos from Bernstein, Korngold and Rozsa is released in autumn 2018. This continues his great collaboration with Baiba Skride following their hugely successful recording of Nielsen and Sibelius' violin concertos with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra in summer 2015.

Rouvali has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra since 2013. Highlights of the tenure so far include a Sibelius symphony cycle in autumn 2015, and the Orchestra's first tour to Japan in spring 2017 where they were accompanied by an exhibition of original Moomin drawings by Tove Jansson to mark the opening of the new museum at the Tampere Hall. He opens the 2018-2019 season with a Beethoven programme with pianist Javier Perianes.

Alongside an extremely busy symphonic conducting career, as Chief Conductor in Tampere he has conducted Verdi's La forza del destino and most recently world premiere of Olli Kortekangas's My Brother's Keeper (Veljeni vartija) with Tampere Opera in spring 2018.

Source: harrisonparrott.com

More photos


See also

Santtu-Matias Rouvali – All the posts

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra – All the posts

Read More

Richard Strauss: An Alpine Symphony – Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali (HD 1080p)

Under the baton of the talented Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra performs Richard Strauss' Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op.64. Recorded at Gothenburg Concert Hall, on September 13, 2018.

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An Alpine Symphony, Op.64, German Eine Alpensinfonie, symphonic poem by German composer Richard Strauss that musically re-creates a day's mountain climb in the Bavarian Alps. It premiered on October 28, 1915.

At the time he composed this piece, Strauss was living in the southern Bavarian town of Garmisch (now Garmisch-Partenkirchen), at the foot of Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze. As a young teenager, he and a group of friends had set out before dawn to climb a mountain, reached the summit five hours later, and been driven back down the mountain by a tremendous thunderstorm. Strauss recounted the experience in a letter, noting that, once he was near a piano, he had improvised a musical version of the experience. For his mature work, Strauss designated an ensemble of well more than 100 performers, including an abundance of brass and percussion, as well as such instruments as organ, wind machine, celesta, and two sets of timpani.

Although Strauss called his work a symphony, it bears none of the characteristics of that form. Instead of the standard four movements, An Alpine Symphony is written in one uninterrupted flow of music (roughly 45 minutes in performance length), portraying distinct episodes on the climb. It begins in the hours before sunrise, which are painted in dark and sombre tones. After the brassy emergence of the Sun, the climbers set forth to a rhythmic, rising theme; phrases of this theme recur throughout the work. Horns and clarinets, perhaps representing hunters and birds, carry them into the forest, where they pass by a brook and a waterfall. The mists rising from that cascade conjure up images of Alpine fairies. Leaving the forest, the climbers ascend to a sunny flower-filled Alpine meadow and then to a mountain pasture, where shepherds call to one another. The clangor of cowbells is heard.

The adventure takes an ominous turn when the climbers become lost in a thicket and then must traverse a glacier and a perilous precipice before they reach the summit. Here a grand trombone fanfare and rich orchestral passages create the effect of a glorious panorama revealed. But clouds cover the Sun, and darkness and turmoil prevail as a tremendous thunderstorm breaks overhead.

The adventurers scramble down the mountain, their descent represented by falling intervals, an inversion of the rising theme heard during the ascent. Each of the previous sights – the glacier, the pasture, the waterfall – passes by in reverse order as the climbers hasten down the slopes. By the time they arrive at the mountain's base, the Sun is setting. The storm has passed, night has come, and they are enfolded in the darkness. Musically and dramatically, Strauss brings the listener full circle.

Source: Betsy Schwarm (britannica.com)



Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

♪ Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op.64 (1911-1915)

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Gothenburg Concert Hall, September 13, 2018

(HD 1080p)

Hailed by The Guardian as ​"the latest sit-up-and-listen talent to emerge from the great Finnish conducting tradition", the 2018-2019 season will see Santtu-Matias Rouvali (b. 1985) continuing his positions as Chief Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony and Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, alongside his longstanding Chief Conductor-ship with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra close to his home in Finland.

Rouvali has regular relationships with several orchestras across Europe, including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. As well as making his debut with the Münchner Philharmoniker this season, he also returns to North America for concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Following a very successful Nordic tour with Hélène Grimaud last season, the Gothenburg Symphony is back on the road in February 2019 for a tour hitting major centres in Germany and Austria with pianist Alice Sara Ott, and percussionist Martin Grubinger who premieres a new percussion concert by Daníel Bjarnason. Rouvali looks forward to other ambitious touring projects with his orchestras in the future, including appearances in North America and Japan.

In addition to the extensive tour, Rouvali's season in Gothenburg opens with Strauss' Alpine Symphony accompanied by Víkingur Ólafsson Mozart Piano Concerto No.24, and he looks forward to collaborations with Janine Jansen, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Baiba Skride throughout the rest of the season.

As another cornerstone to his tenure in Gothenburg, he is adding his mark to the Orchestra's impressive recording legacy. In partnership with Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and violinist Baiba Skride, a recording featuring concertos from Bernstein, Korngold and Rozsa is released in autumn 2018. This continues his great collaboration with Baiba Skride following their hugely successful recording of Nielsen and Sibelius' violin concertos with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra in summer 2015.

Rouvali has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra since 2013. Highlights of the tenure so far include a Sibelius symphony cycle in autumn 2015, and the Orchestra's first tour to Japan in spring 2017 where they were accompanied by an exhibition of original Moomin drawings by Tove Jansson to mark the opening of the new museum at the Tampere Hall. He opens the 2018-2019 season with a Beethoven programme with pianist Javier Perianes.

Alongside an extremely busy symphonic conducting career, as Chief Conductor in Tampere he has conducted Verdi's La forza del destino and most recently world premiere of Olli Kortekangas's My Brother's Keeper (Veljeni vartija) with Tampere Opera in spring 2018.

Source: harrisonparrott.com

More photos


See also

Santtu-Matias Rouvali – All the posts

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra – All the posts

Read More