Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius and Prokofiev – Love and Resistance

Music possesses a unique power to stir the emotions, both good and bad – whether it be seducing via serenade or rallying support for nationalistic identity. The MSO welcomes illustrious French conductor Chloé van Soeterstède for this stellar program exploring music’s role in love and resistance.

Prokofiev’s playful and charming 1917 Classical Symphony was composed during a stay on a farm in the Russian countryside, where he could work and walk in nature, removed from the political turbulence of the Russian Revolution. Most symphonies at the time were emotionally-driven, however Prokofiev railed against this, instead taking inspiration from the classical structures of Mozart – cheeky humour, classical craftsmanship, beautiful melodies, and a dash of dissonance make this one of Prokofiev’s best loved works.

Known for her melodious, evocative, and playful music, MSO presents the world premiere of beloved Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin’s Double Concerto for violin and cello. While a concerto is a work for solo instrument and orchestra, a double concerto features two soloists – in this case, MSO Concertmaster Dale Barltrop on the violin, and MSO’s Rachael Tobin on cello.

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s First Symphony was in many ways a diplomatic endeavour as much as a musical one. Performed at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900 following its Finnish premiere, this symphony, with its longing clarinet song and uniquely deft harmonies, became a symbol of peaceful resistance against Russian oppression – making the unequivocal declaration on the world stage that Finland had culture worth defending and preserving.