Magnus Lindberg: Brazilian premieres during São Paulo residency
OSESP Principal Conductor Marin Alsop leads first Brazilian performances of four works in late November and early December, including Clarinet Concerto and Souvenir
Following his three-year tenure as Composer-in-Residence at the New York Philharmonic, Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg heads south to Brazil, where he begins a new relationship in the same role with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. Led by Principal Conductor Marin Alsop, the orchestra (also known as OSESP) will introduce Lindberg’s music to South American audiences, as they lead the first performances in Brazil of four works: Clarinet Concerto, Parada, …de Tartuffe, je crois, and Souvenir.
On November 29, the full orchestra performs Lindberg’s soaring Clarinet Concerto (2001–02), featuring soloist Kari Kriikku. Since its premiere in 2002 by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the concerto has traveled the world over, quickly becoming a welcome addition to the clarinet repertoire. Kriikku has performed this tuneful and virtuosic work more than 40 times. OSESP will also perform Parada (2001), an inventive single-movement work for orchestra on the program.
On December 2, OSESP’s chamber orchestra will present a performance of Lindberg’s gripping piano quintet …de Tartuffe, je crois (1981), followed by Souvenir (2010), a memorial to the composer’s teacher, the French composer Gérard Grisey, whose spectral music proved so influential on Lindberg’s harmony. Lindberg returned to sinfonietta or large ensemble size pieces with Souvenir, a work which was premiered by the New York Philharmonic’s contemporary music ensemble in 2011.
Following this Brazilian residency, Lindberg sees the premiere of his latest work for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on January 17, 2013. The composer’s Violin Concerto (2006) receives its Canadian premiere, February 21–22, when it is performed by soloist Pekka Kuusisto and conductor John Storgårds along with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra performs the work the following week in three concerts at the Kennedy Center, led by Christoph Eschenbach and also featuring Kuusisto. Additionally, Ondine Records recently released a disc of chamber works, including Trio, Santa Fe Project and Partia.
> Further information on Magnus Lindberg
> View Online Scores to Lindberg works
> Listen to excerpts from the new Ondine release
Photo: Hanya Chlala/ArenaPAL
