The title of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic concert points to a widely known masterpiece by Beethoven. Yet, given the status of the other works on the programme, the evening could just as easily be billed as “Sibelius – Symphony No. 7” or “Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No. 1”. These milestones of European music history will be conducted by the phenomenal Finnegan Downie Dear, while the solo part in the latter work will be played by the young violinist Amira Abouzahra.
Sibelius’s Symphony No. 7, a work the inveterate perfectionist laboured over for nearly a decade, was completed in 1924. It ultimately took the form of a single movement with a unique narrative structure. A recurring trombone solo plays a pivotal role; in the manuscript, it bears the name of the artist’s beloved wife, Aino. Contemporary American critic Alex Ross has noted that The Seventh embodies both the dark and luminous facets of its creator’s complex personality. The Seventh was Sibelius’s last symphony, despite Sergei Koussevitzky’s urging him to write more.
Koussevitzky conducted the 1923 premiere of the Violin Concerto in D major by Prokofiev. Composed earlier, during the year of the two Russian revolutions, the work was originally intended for Paweł Kochański, an outstanding Polish violinist of the era. Yet the history of this composition, which blends lyricism with sarcasm, took a different turn; the famous theme marked sognando, also meant to express ardent love, was performed in Paris by Marcel Darrieux. Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor was performed for the first time on December 22, 1808, during a legendary four-hour concert of (then) contemporary music. The hall was unheated, and the performers were insufficiently prepared; inevitably, there were mishaps. Fortunately, the practice of organising such events has evolved significantly over the centuries, and today it is well worth hearing The Fifth in comfortable surroundings and a space with world-class acoustics, such as the ORLEN Main Hall at the NFM.