deFilharmonie . Hannu Lintu

In this closing concert of the Prokofiev cycle, two of the biggest talents from the contemporary Finnish music scene share the concert podium with deFilharmonie. The programme includes the seventh and last symphonies by two composers: Prokofiev and Sibelius. Prokofiev's Seventh came about almost by accident. What was actually intended as music for a children's programme on Russian radio grew into one of Prokofiev's most enchanting orchestral works. 'Clear and optimistic', wrote Prokofiev a year before his death in 1952. The Seventh by Jean Sibelius is a compact and intriguing composition from 1924, a single piece that the forms the culmination of Sibelius' experimentation with form and content in the symphony. This fits Hannu Lintu like a glove. Meanwhile, the star violinist Pekka Kuusisto gets to shine in one of the most gorgeous recent violin concertos by Magnus Lindberg. Kuusisto will fully unleash his virtuosity, because this beautiful concerto provides a canvas for him to demonstrate the entire gamut of his violin technique. Moreover, it is a very accessible work, one that you will never forget.