This month, István Várdai joins Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for concerts with music by Prokofiev and Stravinksy. Performances will be October 10 and 11 at the Helsinki Music Centre. Part of the symphony’s HKO Screen, the performance on October 11 will be broadcasted live at 19:00. Find more information about live broadcasts and recordings at the HKO Screen page.
The evening’s program will begin with Mr. Várdai performing Prokofiev’s virtuosic Sinfonia concertante, one of Prokofiev’s final completed works, and one that he dedicated to the prolific cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. Completing the program is Susanna Mälkki leading the ensemble in Stravinsky’s mystic The Rite of Spring. A staple in Ms. Mälkki’s repertoire, Seen and Heard International praised her interpretation:
“She led a muscular performance of this seminal work, building towers of sonic colors on a foundation of rock-solid rhythms. She balanced precision—this orchestra has this music in its bones—with a welcome sense of spontaneity. Loud as it got, there were no blaring edges. It’s as satisfying a performance of The Rite as I can recall.”