The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Northey was in fine form for the “Celebration of Sibelius” concert at the Robert Blackwood Hall at the Monash University Clayton campus on Friday night. The four works on the program were written in a highly productive period for the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) between 1899 and 1907. As he wrote more than five hundred works, this represents only a small part of his output, but it includes some of his most well-known compositions.
The concert opened with a stirring performance of Finlandia, Op. 26 (1899–1900). Full of nationalistic fervour with a range of expressive melodic and rhythmic invention, from the blast of brass reinforcing the rest of the orchestra at the start, to the chorale section towards the end, this piece was written as an orchestral tone poem. It was a welcome experience to hear the intricacies of the orchestra without the choir that is sometimes stitched on in arrangements of the work.
Finlandia was the only piece on the program that included instruments such as tuba and percussion. There were many opportunities for other sections of the orchestra including woodwinds, horns and cellos to shine throughout the concert. The rest of the program brought a variety of timbres and orchestration, continuing to show Sibelius’s creativity in moods from contemplation to driving force.
The second piece, Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 (1904–5), featured young Australian violinist Edward Walton in a feat of musicianship, memory and stamina. Walton, Northey and the orchestra negotiated multiple musical and technical challenges in the three contrasting movements. The second movement was particularly effective. The transition from the first to the second movement could be reconceptualised to encourage the audience to be in suspenseful readiness for what was to come, instead of being provoked into a burst of applause at the end of the first movement.
After interval, a reduced orchestra of flute, clarinet, horns, timpani and strings played Sibelius’s Valse triste, Op. 44 No. 1 (1903–4) in an emotional rendition connected to its programmatic origins about death. This short work has contributed to Sibelius’s renown for more than a century and would have been difficult to omit in a celebratory concert about Sibelius. However, perhaps its inclusion caused an imbalance to the effectiveness of the overall program.
The final piece, Sibelius’s Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 (1907) is in a more pared back style than that displayed in Finlandia. The three movements include discursive as well as lyrical passages, which allowed the orchestra to show many of its strengths including cooperative ensemble.
This year marks the 160th anniversary of Sibelius’s birth, whose long life offers many future opportunities for commemoration. Friday’s concert was the only occasion when the MSO performed at Robert Blackwood Hall in 2025. This may have been in part due to the MSO’s recent world tour. Some members of the enthusiastic audience on Friday commented to me that they regretted not being able to attend more concerts at this venue and instead needed to make the trip into the city to Hamer Hall. Perhaps in future the MSO may resume offering more of their expertise such as Friday’s “A Celebration of Sibelius” to south-eastern Melbourne residents.
Photo supplied.
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Rosemary Richards reviewed “A Celebration of Sibelius”, presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Robert Blackwood Hall on October 31, 2025.
