Magnus Lindberg
Al largo
Cello Concerto No. 2 · Era
Anssi Karttunen, cello
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Track listing
5 tracks · 66:00Listen to samples on selected tracks.
Magnus Lindberg
- 1 Al largo 24:53
- Cello Concerto No. 2 20:58
- 2 I 9:50
- 3 II 6:09
- 4 III 4:49
- 5 Era 20:19
About this recording
Magnus Lindberg (b. 1958) is among the most important European contemporary voices in classical music. This recording includes some of Lindberg’s most recent orchestral works written during and after his composer-in-residence years with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (2009–12). Lindberg is continuing as the composer-in-residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra 2014–17.
This recording includes Cello Concerto No. 2 performed by Anssi Karttunen as the soloist and two orchestral works performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conducted by its chief-conductor Hannu Lintu.
Al largo is an extensive work with a duration of over 20 minutes written and dedicated for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Alan Gilbert. Despite of its title Lindberg himself considers it as the fastest music he has ever written. The title suggest that under the busy surface a large structure is slowly shaping itself.
Cello Concerto No. 2 was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The Concerto is re-written, orchestrated and extended version of a chamber work, Santa Fe Project (Konzerstück), which was written in 2006. The Cello Concerto was premiered by Anssi Karttunen, who also plays as soloist in this premiere recording of the work.
The final work on the disc, Era, was commissioned by the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra for its 125th Anniversary in 2013. This work was inspired by the music written during a golden age in music in Europe, just before the outbreak of World War I. The work evolves towards opulent sonorities and bold culminations. The work, also receiving here its premiere recording, has been described as a tone poem, even though it has no narrative content.
Features
Sleeve notes in English and Finnish
The artists
Anssi Karttunen
The Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen is one of the most renowned and versatile musicians in the classical music world today and enjoys a busy career as a soloist and chamber music player. He performs on modern cello, classical and baroque cellos and on violoncello piccolo. Anssi Karttunen performs all the standard cello works, but has also discovered many forgotten masterpieces and arranged a number of pieces for cello. He is a passionate advocate of contemporary music and his collaboration with composers has led him to give over 50 world premieres of works by composers such as Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho (including Notes on Light in 2007, which he recorded; ODE 1130-2), Rolf Wallin, Luca Francesconi and Tan Dun.
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (FRSO) is the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle), and its mission is to produce and promote Finnish musical culture.
Hannu Lintu
Hannu Lintu is one of Finland's most sought-after conductors and is rapidly creating a major international career. He has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra 2009-2013, and also Principal Guest Conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin. Before assuming the new role of Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2021, he was the orchestra's Chief Guest Conductor in 2012. Hannu Lintu was previously Chief Conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest conductor with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Finland and was Artistic Director of the orchestra's Summer Sounds festival in 2005. In November 2022, the Gulbenkian Orchestra announced the appointment of Lintu as its next chief conductor.
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