Sibbe Live!: Bel Canto – Sonatas and Opera

Program

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1873)
Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 5 No. 3

Luukas Hiltunen (b. 1996)
Sonata for viola and piano “Lyric” (first public performance)

Henry Vieuxtemps (1820–1881)
Capriccio for solo viola, Op. 55 “Hommage to Paganini”

Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
Marie’s aria “Il faut partir” from the opera The Daughter of the Regiment

Félicien David / H. Vieuxtemps (1810–1876)
Hymn to the Night from the symphonic ode Le Désert

Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835)
Norma’s aria “Casta diva” from the opera Norma

Bel canto (“beautiful singing”) is a term primarily associated with a style of singing that flourished especially in Italian opera, emphasizing the most beautiful possible vocal tone. Harri and Pasi, however, wish to understand the concept of bel canto more broadly — as a timeless symbol of natural beauty of sound. The origins of their shared tonal ideal may be explained by the “vocal” backgrounds of both instrumentalists: Harri’s nearly twenty summers performing in the orchestra of the Savonlinna Opera Festival alongside some of the world’s greatest operatic masterpieces, and Pasi’s long-standing work as pianist and lied teacher for students of classical singing.

The artists of this concert are especially delighted to present the world premiere of a new Finnish work: a sonata for viola and piano by Luukas Hiltunen. As a composer, Luukas has been described as an emotional and intense neo-Romantic whose music combines tradition with modern imagination. Speaking about his new sonata, currently in progress, Luukas says:

“My three-movement sonata for viola and piano could be described with the subtitle Lyrical, since it makes extensive and direct use of the viola’s profound sonority through long-spun musical narration. The instruments stand on equal footing — from the very first bars, an intense and conversational relationship emerges between the viola and the piano.”

Both Harri’s and Luukas’s musical journeys began at the North Kymi Music Institute in Kouvola, and they are also united by their love of the viola — which is, after all, also Luukas’s own instrument.

“When commissioning a new viola sonata from Luukas, in addition to musical considerations I expressed the wish that he would take into account the work’s suitability for viola students’ diploma recital repertoire. Unfortunately, there are very few Finnish sonatas appropriate for this purpose,” Harri notes.

The bright musical language of Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s sonata can likewise be seen as an excellent example of bel canto. W.A. Mozart warmly accepted the musical prodigy Hummel as his pupil when he was only eight years old. Influenced by Mozart, Hummel’s sonata is one of the few works for viola and piano composed purely in the Viennese Classical style. Gracefully singing and full of joie de vivre, the sonata also eloquently demonstrates Hummel’s virtuosity as one of the most celebrated pianists of his era.

Led onward by Henry Vieuxtemps’s beautiful Capriccio, dedicated to Paganini, the listener is drawn into the true atmosphere of bel canto. In her aria Il faut partir, Marie — raised within the protection of a French military regiment — sorrowfully bids farewell to the community she deeply loves. In the tenor aria from Félicien David’s Symphonic Ode Le Désert, a traveler intones a hymn to the magical beauty of the desert night. And finally, Norma, the high priestess of the Druid temple, desperately prays to the gods for the return of her secret beloved.

Luukas Hiltunen (b. 1996) is a renowned contemporary classical composer based in Finland. With a passion for neo-romanticism, his compositions are known for their emotion and intensity, captivating audiences worldwide. Experience his unique blend of traditional and modern elements through his powerful and evocative compositions and historical-heritage-conscious arrangements.

Tickets: 15€/20€

Please remember that the museum card is not accepted as a means of payment!