Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko   conductor
Simon Trpceski   piano

Nielsen   Maskarade Overture
Grieg   Piano Concerto
Sibelius   Symphony No. 2

Carl Nielsen’s bustling overture to his 1904 opera, Maskarade, launches this Nordic programme from the acclaimed partnership of Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, joined here by regular collaborator, Simon Trpceski, for Grieg’s evergreen Piano Concerto.  Composed when he was just 25, it’s an astonishingly accomplished blend of personal style with national musical identity, mixing Norwegian folk idioms with youthful solo writing that’s both brilliant and warmly lyrical.

Sibelius’s name is synonymous with starkly beautiful Nordic landscapes but he loved Italy and it was whilst enjoying a sun-drenched stay in the seaside town of Rapallo in 1901 that he first began his Second symphony. He struggled to complete the work and revised it several times but the finished article quickly enjoyed success in Finland and has since become his most popular symphony worldwide. His last major Romantic work, it’s driven by a heroic sense of purpose, its sinewy themes and steely climaxes leading to a glorious, hymn-like conclusion.

Free pre-concert talk, 6.20pm in the auditorium: Dr Sophie Redfern introduces Sibelius’s 2nd Symphony.