Leonard Bernstein and Wiener Philharmoniker

Arkadij Volodos plays Brahms concerto 2

OnThursday, 24th April I heard Arkadij Volodos play the Brahms Piano Concert nr. 2 with the Oslo Philharmonic. He certainly is one of the leading pianists of this decade. After the third call he sat down again and played something quite opposite to the fairly boisterous concerto. Was it Bach, I'm not sure, gentle, fairly slow, but his pianissimos are magical.

We also heard the 5th symphony by Sibelius, my favourite. The director was Saraste. I love the ending by cords. It also has the famous 'swan theme'. You can find the 5th on YouTube by many conductors. I loved the intrepretation of Bernstein, partly perhaps as it is taken from a DVD, not CD, so you can see him. The ending cords are perfect. And the end where he first thanks the orchestra and then puts his folded hands in front of his mouth as if overcome with emotion. 

For most Finns, Sibelius is something you have grown with, that is ingrained in one, ingraved in one's heart. His name is Swedish but his soul has greated music that feels so true to the Finnish soul. Somewhere in his symphonies and other greater works I often hear the wind in the forest.