The (Phil)harmonic Tampere 2012 so far: From Williams to Glass

So, guess which live act I still prefer in all of Tampere and Finland? It is of course the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the very few full-size symphony orchestras in Finland. It seems that it can't get any better now. I have discovered the most skilled musicians and most appreciated works of music that have most definitely stood up well against the test of time!

Here is a small recap of what I experienced during January and February. To keep it short I haven't commented on everything.

Jan 13th: Film music by John Williams
Lead by Peruvian conductor Arturo Alvarado, the Philharmonic played an energetic, sold-out show of John Williams' best-known film music, including themes from Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, E.T., Schindler's List, and of course Star Wars. The most memorable moment to me was the theme from Jaws. Just imagine a huge orchestra playing those two notes... Gee, that was cool! I also loved Harry Potter, as well as Schindler's List which was a lot more stripped-down as a whole but all the more beautiful.

Jan 20th: Vivier, Brahms, Stravinsky
Vivier finished writing his cosmic composition Orion in 1980. Compositions as new as this are often very different from the old classics and Orion was no exception. Anything composed in the 20th century can easily be recommended to fans of progressive rock. As for Johannes Brahms, he was a composer whose music is often performed in Tampere these days. He is a popular ”old-school” guy, and piano concerto #2 was indeed a very impressive, even heavy piece of music.

Jan 27th: Olivier Messiaen: Turangalîla
This time the people at Tampere-talo were introduced to French 20th century composer Olivier Messiaen and his long ten-part Turangalîla symphony. Valérie Hartmann-Claverie played ondes martenot, the first widely used electronic instrument. The wailing sound of the instrument was indeed an important part of some of the more sentimental parts of the symphony. All in all, a lot of this piece of art was somewhat challenging to listen to. Still, somehow I got the hang of it and in the end I felt happy. It was a very rewarding listening experience. Sometimes it can be really worthwile to challenge yourself!

Feb 3rd: Sibelius, Mustonen, Prokofjev
This was the first time I heard music from Finland's most famous composer Jean Sibelius played live. Bardi op. 64 was a small, intimate musical poem. I was thrilled to feel the beautiful Finnish landscape in musical form. The main event was Olli Mustonen's first symphony Tuuri, ordered and performed for the first time by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, conductred by Mustonen himself. Tuuri was a charming work, composed to the famous Finnish poet Eino Leino's poetry (Helkavirret). Great music, great lyrics!

Feb 17th: Liszt, Glass, Sibelius
Liszt and Sibelius were really awesome but Philip Glass hit the jackpot with his violin concerto. It was like hypnosis. Glass's harmonies were sometimes (especially at the beginning) bizarre but mostly the music was all about stunningly beautiful, hypnotic, repeating melodies. Repetition, in general, is not the most common feature in classical music but Glass is the master of repetition. However, the music doesn't get boring at all because Glass's melodies are incredibly memorable and the mood is... hypnotic, as well as really dramatic. Listen to the concerto if you already haven't! The first and third movement are really fast and dramatic, and the second part is slow and incredibly, really incredibly touching... Oh my goodness.

Here it is:
1st mov
2nd mov
3rd mov

Going Back in Time – Centuries for a Change

Sorry once again, folks, for my long-lasting absence from this blog. It's been a busy fall but now the holidays are here once again. While trying to get as much rest as I can I also hope to write down some of my most cherished memories of late 2011.

First of all, meet my new favorite live act. They are probably the biggest group of people I have ever seen playing music together. They are the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, my home town's very own orchestra. Like probably almost any other orchestra, this one performs mostly old classics from the 18th and 19th century but also “new” music of the 20th century and even brand new pieces every now and then.

The transition from popular music to art music surely feels difficult for a lot of people. Classical music differs from popular music in many ways but I don't think there is much reason to be afraid of going to a classical music concert. The first concert may not be the most pleasant experience you can think of but it will get better every time. Classical music doesn't rely on catchy rhythms, explicit melodies or moving lyrics. Instead, there are complex harmonic structures, wildly twisting melodies and dynamics that require sitting on the right seats to be fully appreciated.

However, I am not saying that classical music is difficult. Enjoying any new type of music requires practice. The brain needs to accustom to new ways in which sounds, rhythms, and dynamics are combined. Any person able to sense the basic elements of music will develop a deeper understanding of classical music while listening to different symphonies, concertos, and other pieces.

The first time I heard classical music live was while still in elementary school, which certainly was too early to understand anything about it. Like any other music, classical music is also best served when you are ready for it. Still, now is as good a time as ever to test if you might be ready for classical music.

My interest in classical music began when my dad wanted to take my heavy metal loving brother to listen to some proper acoustic music last summer. I went along and was immediately incredibly moved by the overwhelming harmonious beauty of the violins, cellos and other instruments. A few months later I went to another concert with some people from the university. Then, I realized I wanted to go every week, so I went as often as I could. I heard Barber, Prokofjev, Brahms, Schubert, Finland's pride Bergman and a fabulous concert with music from Weill, Britten and Bartók on my birthday. The last concert of the year was a beautiful baroque Christmas concert with music from Händel, Telemann, Corelli, and Bach.

After all, classical music is actually not so different from baroque pop – the pop part is just kind of replaced with something else. Usually that results in more complex structures, harmonics and melodies that make it more challenging to hear the music as a whole. In the end, perhaps the challenge results in even more rewarding listening experiences.