European Tour
Klaus Mäkelä Dmitri Shostakovich
Jean Sibelius

In the 1930s, like many Soviet artists, Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) lived under intense pressure to conform to the regime’s demands. Toward the end of the decade, Joseph Stalin’s grip loosened slightly after the height of the terror, and Shostakovich was able to breathe—and compose—a little more freely.

“This is the first time I’ve written such a successful finale,” said Shostakovich—who was by no means known for boasting about his music—to his friends after performing a piano version of his Symphony No. 6 for them in the autumn of 1939.

The symphony’s structure took early listeners by surprise. In an interview before the premiere, the composer said he aimed to express spring, joy, and youth. Yet the work opens with a slow and solemn Largo, followed by a vigorous Scherzo and a breathless final movement.

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) based the four tone poems of Lemminkäinen (1896) on stories from the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, where Lemminkäinen is portrayed as a fearless adventurer and charmer—a kind of Finnish Don Juan.

The first tone poem depicts Lemminkäinen’s adventures among the maidens on a mythical, exotic island. In the following two, he journeys to the realm of the dead and is slain, only to be revived in the final movement. The most famous piece from the suite is The Swan of Tuonela, which portrays the mystical bird guarding the underworld.