First report from the 2009 Sibelius Festival in Lahti, where the forum is represented by the undersigned, Kurkikohtaus, Tapkaara (and on Saturday also hopefully Miranda Lewis and Harri M).

First concert: Kurkikohtaus (!), Luonnotar (Helena Juntunen – surely the foremost Luonnotar singer of the present day) and three of the Op.57 songs orchestrated by Pekka Helasvuo. Several people (including me) would have preferred original Sibelius orchestral songs but the results were enjoyable nonetheless. Second half was the Second Symphony. Orchestra, conductor and soloist on good form. Encore: the recently discovered preliminary version of the Impromptu for strings (1893) - the version with viola ostinato and the En saga-like ending.

Post-concert symposium at Santa Fe restaurant in Lahti's market square. (One should never underestimate the importance of food and drink at such events.)

Photos for your scrapbook:
1) Tapkaara and Kurkikohtaus outside the Sibelius Hall
2) Kurki gets friendly with Helena Juntunen.

Watch this space for further reports…

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Second report.

Forgot to mention that Pekka Kuusisto appeared on stage at last night's concert to present an award… he was dressed as a tree (sic).

Tonight: The Dryad, Violin Concerto, Symphony No.3. The Dryad was nicely paced and atmospheric. The concerto (Henning Kraggerud as soloist) scored highly for virtuosity and display even if it could have done with more light and shade. The Third Symphony was brisk and worked very well even if for my taste the slow movement was on the fast side - just within effective limits.

A very nice version of the Canzonetta, Op.62a, as encore.

Food at the Memphis restaurant in our hotel. The funereally slow service hasn't changed since last year but it's convenient and there's plenty of beer.

Today's picture postcard shows Tapkaara, Kurki and Andrew B at the gift shop at the Sibelius Hall.

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The Lahti Festival has been AMAZING, to say the VERY least. To hear Sibelius oh his native soil with other (new) friends who share a common enthusiasm (obsession?) for the music of the Finnish master is an experience beyond compare. This is truly one of the great experiences of my life.

Kurkikohtaus and Andrew B are real people, as it turns out. This is most encouraging. (One never knows what's real and what's not on the internet.) They are both very nice people, to boot.

I've also had the chance to meet the various members of the UK Sibelius Society. All great folks with interesting stories and a genuine love for Sibelius. These are truly "my people."

The concerts with Jukka-Pekka have been wonderful. Lahti Hall has stupendous acoustics, plus the band is top-notch. Saraste interprets Sibelius with genuine authority.

Of course, the beer after the concerts with the other Sibeliophiles is a highlight, too. No better way to spend an evening that to hear a concert and enjoy some refreshments with friends.

Three more concerts are left at the time of this writing. More from me later...

**Intermediate update**

Details for Lahti 2010 - just announced

Dates: 9th-12th September (one week before the Sibelius Conference in Oxford)

Conductor: Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Theme: Sibelius - Symphonic Smith

Thursday:
Suite from The Tempest
Two Serenades, Op.69 (Alina Pogostkina, vln)
Symphony No.5

Friday:
Suite champêtre
Andante festivo
Symphony No.6
Symphony No.7

Saturday:
Tapiola
Kullervo (Jorma Hynninen/Helena Juntunen/Lahti Male Choir)

Third Report

Today we enjoyed a 'serious' piano recital from Paavali Jumppanen at the Kalevi Aho Hall: Kyllikki, the Three Sonatinas and all ten Op.58 pieces. Soundbite of the day No.1, from Kurki: 'I kept waiting to hear the second-rate piano music, and all I heard was first-rate piano music.'

Then it was straight to the Sibelius hall for the pre-concert interview with Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Soundbite of the day No.2, from J-PS, describing Pohjola's Daughter (for which, as you surely know, Sibbe once planned the title 'Väinämöinen'): 'The only piece in the history of music to have changed sex'.

The concert was pretty good too: Pohjola's Daughter [or Son? - lucky we aren't talking South African athletics here); The Oceanides; Night Ride and Sunrise (its final bassoon note curiously foreshortened), The Bard and the Fourth Symphony. I hardly need to mention the encore - it begins with F.

Afterwards the Forum gang and the stalwarts from the UK Sibelius Society made the customary annual pilgrimage to El Toro restaurant for the famed pepper steak. In the end we had a large Forum contingent: Kurki, Tapkaara and the yours truly being joined by Harri M, Miranda Lewis and two 'sleeping' members, Henchard and Anjali. So seven of us in all. Kullervopete, we were thinking of you!

Photo: These people like Sibelius

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Being of the vegetarian persuasion, I did not enjoy the pepper steak, but my risotto with goat cheese was most excellent. Very friendly and attentive wait staff at El Toro too. Just a great night!

All of the symphonic concerts have ended. Much too soon, if you ask me. What a thrill it is to hear so much Sibelius over the course of these three days.

Tonight's concert was the best one yet, I think. The tone poems plus the Fourth were incredible. The Fourth did have some interesting sound effects, however, with a wobbly horn entrance in the first "fanfare" of the first movement and one of the violinists dropping her chin rest (thud) in the middle of the fourth movement. Small quibbles for an otherwise excellent performance of an elusive masterpiece.

Andrew B wrote:

Afterwards the Forum gang and the stalwarts from the UK Sibelius Society made the customary annual pilgrimage to El Toro restaurant for the famed pepper steak. In the end we had a large Forum contingent: Kurki, Tapkaara and the yours truly being joined by Harri M, Miranda Lewis and two 'sleeping' members, Henchard and Anjali. So seven of us in all. Kullervopete, we were thinking of you!

I was thinking of you all too! Great music in a great setting. I had to make do with 'the last night of the proms' great fun but no Sibelius. Looks like a great programme for next year so fingers crossed.-- kp

And finally:

Predictably the chamber concert on Sunday morning was tremendous as well:
Malinconia (Tuomas Ylinen/Paavali Jumppanen)
Six Pieces, Op.79 (Jaakko Kuusisto/Jumppanen)
Two Pieces, Op.2 (Kuusisto/Jumppanen)
Four Pieces, Op.78 (Ylinen/Jumppanen)
Sonatina, Op.80 (Kuusisto/Jumppanen)

If anything the piano playing was more virtuosic here than in the solo recital. I hadn't heard Tuomas Ylinen before - what a player!

It was of course a great pleasure to meet so many other Forum members - only twelve months to go before the next Festival.

And here are a couple of thoughts that those present might like to answer (including the 'sleeping members please!):
-- best/worst performance at this year's festival (and why)?
-- best moment otherwise (and why)?

For me the answers are:
Best: Second Symphony - because of its finely judged proportions and some thrilling moments, especially in the finale.
Worst: Violin Concerto: technically brilliant but I just didn't find it musically very interesting.
Best moment: Saraste's quip about Pohjola's Daughter's sex-change.

Opening concert

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Ok Andrew.....here goes....the sleeping member has woken up .

Best Performance: The Second Symphony as it was very exciting

Worst Performance: None really as I am not knowledgable enough to realise when it isnt upto scratch!

Best Moment: The first few bars of Pohjola's Daughter as to me it is the most beautiful music ever.

Worst Moment: The end of the festival

Have just been prompted to make a posting by fellow sleeper Anjali.
Worst moment was hearing the oboe sounding an "A" for the rest of the orchestra to tune to at the start of the Friday concert., as the A varied from A flat to A sharp. As a fellow oboist I can understand how this happens, but felt disappointed that this should happen at the start of a professional concert.
Best moment was the cello pieces in the Sunday concert - I will have to purchase the music & try them myself - came away greatly inspired!
Had a wonderful time & thanks to everyone for their super company
Henchard AKA Helen

I am back in sunny (and hot) San Diego after an AMAZING trip to Finland, and, of course, the Sibelius Festival in Lahti. Meeting others as enthusiastic about the maestro's music as I am was moving, inspirational and fun, dammit. You are all great and I hopt to do it again next year.

And now for my answers to Andrew's questions:

BEST PERFORMANCE: The Second Symphony. Great pasionate playing and moments of high electricity. I enjoyed the raw enthusiasm of the timpanist.

WORST: PERFORMANCE: I really didn't think anything was bad. That screwy horn entrance in the 4th is the only thing that I can think of that was off.

BEST MOMENT: Again, there were so many great moments, it's hard to say. I will will say that pound for pound, the best (at least my favorite) concert was the final one with the tone poems and then the 4th.

And yes, Saraste's mention of the symphonic poem sex change was as memorable as anything else throughout the festival.

Tapkaara wrote:

I am back in sunny (and hot) San Diego after an AMAZING trip to Finland, and, of course, the Sibelius Festival in Lahti. Meeting others as enthusiastic about the maestro's music as I am was moving, inspirational and fun, dammit. You are all great and I hopt to do it again next year.

Tapkaara, I knew that you would soak up the music, the atmosphere and dare I say it, the beer! watching that sun go down across the lake after hearing Sibelius's wonderful music is beyond words. Nice that our two sleeping friends have woken up and broken their ducks, a warm welcome from me.

Ps Tapkaara, did you manage to visit Ainola this time.--kp

[quote="kullervopete"]

Tapkaara wrote:

Ps Tapkaara, did you manage to visit Ainola this time.--kp

I did and that, too, was very moving. I'll post some photos of it soon, as well as some photos from Lahti.

Andrew: I did not hear Luonnotar live but listened from radio it was exciting

4th symphony was not easy to listen, my feeling was that the orchestra and conductor didn`t understand each others very well.

Some photos from Finland...

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GREAT STUFF!-- -kp

kullervopete wrote:

GREAT STUFF!-- -kp

Indeed it is...and I'm gonna try as hard as posibble to be there next year, too!

Tapkaara wrote:

kullervopete wrote: GREAT STUFF!-- -kp Indeed it is...and I'm gonna try as hard as posibble to be there next year, too!

No guarantees, but I'll do my best to get there as well. Sounds like a blast! Symphonies 5, 6, 7, and Kullervo... wow.