SEASON CONCERT 2: SONG OF THE ICE

Thursday 08.02.2024 at 6pm Concert Hall

At 5.30 Atrium
PRE-TALK

Kuopio Symphony Orchestra
Tuomas Hannikainen, conductor
Laura Hynninen, harp
Timo Torikka, narrator and mimic

Tuomas Hannikainen: Cantus Glacies (premiere)
André Caplet / Edgar Allan Poe: Masque of the Red Death (arr. Tuomas Hannikainen)
Jean Sibelius: Concert Overture
Jean Sibelius: Karelia Relicta (completed by J. Kaipainen and T. Hannikainen) (premiere)

Composed by Tuomas Hannikainen, the concert’s conductor and a natural ice skater enthusiast, the premiere praises the ice nature and the multisensory experience it offers. The work is inspired by the rich songs, nurturing silence, frictionless spaciousness, and red-cheeked joy provided by ice. Cantus Glacies follows the cycle of nature: the screeching freezing of ice, its midwinter explosiveness, and the liberating jingle of the spring. The audio tape of the work is based on the recordings made by Kuopio-based Lauri Hallikainen.

Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling horror short story, The Masque of the Red Death, inspired Andre Caplet to compose Conte Fantastique for harp and string quartet. Caplet’s music is now performed arranged for a string orchestra by Tuomas Hannikainen and intertwined with Poe’s text. The work tells the story of a prince’s attempt to escape the Red Death, or plague. The rumours caused by the disease can be seen to have their counterpart in the society of the COVID-19 era. The harp soloist is Laura Hynninen, and the story is recited by actor Timo Torikka. The concert culminates with two Sibelius rarities: the Concert Overture, discovered by conductor Hannikainen in 2018, and the premiere of the 6-movement Karelia Relicta (Abandoned Karelia), the destroyed parts of which have been reconstructed based on the preserved autograph scores.

The audience has a unique opportunity to see glas slides of Sibelius from the 1940’s photographed by Fred Runeberg which are available at the Kuopio Music Centre Concert Foyer (2nd floor). Tuomas Hannikainen acquired these 23 glas slides from an auction some time ago and last autumn he had these prints made.

Duration approximately 1 hour 40 minutes, including interval.

Produced by the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra
Tickets: 33 € / 27 € senior citizens and groups min. 20 persons / 11 € children under the age of 16 and students
4 € concert day discount ticket for students and young people under the age of 20

Prices include the Kuopio Music Centre service fee 2 € / ticket. The service fees vary depending on the place of purchase.