Terence Dennis’ delightful choice of items made it so and compositions by renowned Finnish composer Jean Sibelius rightly took centre stage. In the 25 years before the declaration of independence, his music fanned the Finns’ desire to separate from Russia.
The final piece on our programme was the serene Finlandia Hymn sung in the composer’s 1941 arrangement. We had four fine student choristers. From what is now know as the tone poem Finlandia, this stirring music had to hide behind names like "Happy Feeling at the Awakening of Spring", such was Russian censorship at the time.
In the absence of an orchestra to present any of his big scores, we had a piano, four-hands version of Sibelius’ Karelia Suite, Op 11. Tom McGrath and Terence Dennis captured the celebration of the finale, Alla Marcia, despite what appeared to be a very cramped arrangement.
Treasures of the afternoon were a selection of Sibelius’ vast array of character pieces. Tom McGrath’s performance of the enigmatic Rondino, Op 68 No 1 was particularly notable as was Terence Dennis’ The Spruce taken from Op 75, The Trees. Much-valued violinist, Tessa Petersen took a while to warm up in her reading of Three Pieces, Op 115. Tenor Harry Grigg gave us convincing renditions of two Sibelius’ songs. His voice grows with ringing assurance.
If you’re thinking music by Sibelius was the only fare, Grigg’s O Winter Night, one of the almost 800 songs by Yrjö Kilpinen, was a revelation. New to me, too, were more piano duets, Finnish Sketches, Op 89 by Russian composer Glazunov (I’ll choose not to listen to them again) and a refreshingly satisfying Fantasy on Finnish Folk Themes, Op 27 by Busoni, who got his first appointment in Helsinki in 1888, at what is now called the Sibelius Academy.
- John Colwill
Finnish Focus:
a concert to celebrate the centenary of Finland’s independence
• Marama HallSunday, August 20
