NOSPR / Nesterowicz / Soyoung Yoon / The future is simplicity? - NOSPR

There is no doubt about such flowing and unpretentious motifs and phrases as those beginning the Concerto in E minor op. 64 being composed by Felix Mendelssohn. And maybe this is the most beautiful 19th-century violin concerto? It is certainly very romantic, even if light; let us remember that the realm of Mendelssohn’s music is inhabited by Elves. The balance between lyricism and sparkling virtuosity is indeed a clearly perceivable longing for the old order.

Among Sibelius’ seven symphonies, it is the Symphony No. 3 in C major op. 52 that seems the most important. Composed from 1904 to 1907, it indicates a turning point in his concepts of the form and contents of modern works. Sibelius had passed a point of no return, as if he was saying: the future of my music is “a classical simplicity”. He departed from the romantic exuberance and turned towards a more raw, or even cold, sound, which has a power over one’s imagination nonetheless. The air of the Third Symphony seems to fit the imagery of the mysterious North exceptionally well.

Marcin Majchrowski

Concert duration: approximately 80 minutes