Ulster Orchestra presents Northern Landscapes on 13 March 2020 at the Ulster Hall with Conductor Anu Tali.
The Ulster Hall will ring with Nordic birdsong as Rautavaara’s Concerto blends recordings of birdcalls with atmospheric orchestral colour that evokes the frozen tundra of the Arctic, while a mythical Finnish swan forms the centrepiece of Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite. Like much of Sibelius’s work,
Lemminkäinen is inspired by the Finnish mythological epic the Kalevala, and is based on four episodes in the life of the titular hero, including the gorgeously serene and hugely popular Swan of Tuonela.
Walton’s Viola Concerto is regarded as one of the great concertos for the instrument, bringing all of the viola’s best qualities to the fore in a work that is by turns elegantly lyrical and jazzily syncopated.
Former BBC New Generation Artist Lise Berthaud will be the ideal soloist for this work, with The Daily Telegraph stating that “Quality came out vividly, from the young French violist Lise Berthaud, whose powerful tone soared effortlessly.”
- Rautavaara Cantus Arcticus: Concerto for Birds and Orchestra
- Walton Viola Concerto
- Sibelius Lemminkäinen Suite
- Anu Tali Conductor
- Lise Berthaud Viola