When I sat down with Pekka Kuusisto to talk about the May 13 concert with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Kuusisto compared their performing Grieg alongside improvisations of folk tunes to mixing a drink.
"There's a kind of alcoholic beverage — it's a drink that has a big portion of vodka in it and it could have a small portion of something less alcoholic in it, and the right recipe for it is that you just show the less alcoholic beverage to the bottle of vodka and then put it away, and that effect is enough to change it. It's kind of the same thing — like we take a song like 'Walking Boss' and we show it to a little bit of beautiful Grieg and then see if we can have some of the molecules of the Grieg do something for the folk song. It's hard to say in advance. I know something will happen, but I don't know what."
And that is exactly what Saturday night's concert is about: spontaneity, music across generations, and styles and genres speaking to each other, as well as a bit of mystery about just what might happen.
This concert is part of the SPCO festival "Where Words End," a chance for artists of various disciplines to join the SPCO in exploring themes of immigration and cultural identity through the lens of Nordic music. The title comes from a quote by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius: "For me, music begins where words end," which essentially means words are insufficient to describe music.
The SPCO and Artistic Partner Pekka Kuusisto are joined by folk artist Sam Amidon playing banjo, fiddle, guitar and singing, as well as crossover artist Gabriel Kahane with his own composition, "Orinoco Sketches."
Join host Classical MPR host Alison Young on Saturday, May 13, at 8 p.m., for the live broadcast of this Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert.
Concert Program
EDVARD GRIEG
Holberg Suite
GABRIEL KAHANE
Orinoco Sketches
Gabriel Kahane, baritone, piano and guitar
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
SAM AMIDON
Traditional American Folk Songs (arr. Amidon and Muhly)
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Sam Amidon, fiddle, guitar and vocals
JEAN SIBELIUS
Valse Triste
MAGNUS LINBERG
Violin Concerto
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
