“Thor swinging his hammer” was how Donald Tovey described the theme of the finale of Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony; but in fact an entry in Sibelius’s diary shows that he associated this solemn theme with the flight of swans. Either way this work is full of heroic and confident musical ideas: the work was originally commissioned as a celebration of the composer’s fiftieth birthday when his status as a Finnish national hero was fast becoming cemented. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is more lyrical in nature, and the theme of the first movement is shared so equally between the soloist and orchestra that it becomes a beautiful duet between the two parties. With the muted tone of the solo violin in the canzonetta of the slow movement and the exhilarating, scampering finale, this is one of the jewels of the violin repertoire.
More concerts at Royal Festival Hall
Gatti conducts in London
May 17 2012, 19:30 - Royal Festival Hall
Daniele Gatti conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Wagner's Prelude to Act III and Good Friday Music from Parsifal
Valčuha conducts in London
May 19 2012, 19:30 - Royal Festival Hall
Juraj Valčuha conducts Dvořák's Cello Concerto performed by Alisa Weilerstein alongside Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 and the Overture from Mozart's Don Giovanni
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Overture, Ruslan and Ludmila
Download Glinka's Overture to Ruslan und Ludmila.
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D
A listening guide to Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with James Ehnes.
Finlandia
Download Sibelius's Finlandia.
